A Muddy Mess and Mr. Clean

Well, today Gary and I accomplished our one big daily goal--we moved a 7-foot tree from our front yard into our back. We are having our siding replaced (our house is one of those with LP, the kind of siding that rots in the rain...in the state of Washington, it almost makes good compost) and we have to pull plants out of the way so the workmen can do their thing. This tree in question, some type of cypress, was wedged between our front steps and the side of our garage--about a 2-foot square spot. The front area of the roots were free to go into a flower bed and the rest had to go fairly straight down or seep under the concrete of the front steps (which most of them did, alas!).
First we chipped a hole into the rock-hard clay soil in the back yard where we wanted to plant the tree, hoping that the hole was big enough. We filled the hole with water and went out front to move the tree.
We moved the landscaping blocks and a few smaller plants from our flower bed, and dug enough of the dirt from in front of the tree so we could lean it over and try wedging it out from its little cube-shaped home. After a long time of wedging a flat-bladed shovel in behind it, we were able to tip the tree forward and identify the roots that were hanging it up--those that were headed under our concrete steps. I clipped them and Gary and I were able to move the tree into a wheelbarrow and move it into the back yard.
Here's how bad our soil is--after wedging the tree out and moving it into the back yard, we looked at the hole. It was still completely full of water. We moved the tree into the hole, and found that it was not nearly big enough. We dug some more, put the tree in, and after bringing some more dirt by wheelbarrow from the front to the back (it must have been purchased soil; it's much better than the native stuff) we tamped the tree into place and straightened it up. It's not exactly oriented right--the pretty side is sort of cockeyed too much toward the back--but I'm hoping that with time it will look pretty all around. It was so crammed into its spot that many of the back branches had died off.
Afterward I looked at my reflection. I looked almost like I'd done a belly flop into the mud. I looked at Gary. He looked like he'd just put clean clothes on (he hadn't). I knew he'd worked as hard as I had--I guess I just like to get in there and wallow. No wonder housekeeping is hard for me. Tim takes after me, in usually being surrounded by tracks of dirt, and a little cloud of rubble and dust. I wonder what makes the difference. Whatever. At least the tree is moved, I've had my shower (it took Boraxo--Lava soap was too delicate) and now Gary and I are equally clean, but not good for much more work for now. Next I need to go pick out a pain reliever. No need for Pilates today!