Something Concrete At Last (literally)

Smooth enough to skate on. Well, perhaps roller skate. And you'd need like really big wheels to stop from sinking into the wet concrete. And the nice guys who did all that hard work would probably break you and feed you your skates. In hindsight, this skating thing isn't a very good idea.

Smooth as a baby's bottom. If the baby is made of rebar reinforced concrete with a texture approaching that of sandpaper. That smooth.

Room with a view. Well, there is a view, the room is still a few months away.

So many trucks and stuff. Mostly stuff. Those teamster union bosses need a lot of concrete to cover their bodi.. uh, did I just say that out loud?

I love hard work. I could watch it for hours...

First concrete truck of several. This guy was smart, he used first gear to get up the driveway. I did not get photos, but the second truck that came up was obviously driven by someone not familiar with the handling characteristics of a fully laden heavy vehicle on a steep, unpaved surface. Who also hit our gate (amidst the clouds of burning clutch smoke).

And now for something completely different. Have some dragonflies sexing it up beside the pond. Good weather for a shag.

Scene of the crime. No teamster union bosses about to be buried under there, no Siree.

Another day in paradise... just before all the tucks descended...

Plans - an update

A lot of changes have happened sine the first concept plans we posted - here are the latest...

This is the basement level - where the footings are being done now.

This is the top floor - on three sub-levels

This gives a pretty good idea what it might look like

Progress report... Lots of steel!

Well, the work on the foundations continues. Supposedly this is one of the most frustrating parts of the build because it doesn't seem like a lot is happening... Still - we are seeing progress...

The builders are having fun at least - that's a banana...

Last Thursday this was where we stood - concrete in the footings.

The basement footings starting to take shape

On Saturday Chris and our nephew Hayden show us the now concrete filled footings

And Hayden enjoys the septic tank (or naughty room as his dad calls it)

And here's the obligatory static location shot

Footings in prep

Popped up to the site quickly today during lunch to check on progress. The guys have been busy and have dug out all the footing trenches on the lower level and today started placing the footing steel into place.

Here are some of the trenches at the front edge of the basement floor.

They had to do some serious cutting of a large graywacke boulder in one of the trenches. It may even be bedrock?

And here's the footing steel in place. The trench is filled with concrete, then the steel is bent inwards to join with the floor slab steel - making sure the floor is well and truly fixed to the footings.

Just after I took these pics, the heavy rain started. I bet it's not so pristine looking now!

So, on Monday the two water tanks arrived on site apparently (we were up there Sunday, and have not been back since - I popped up there today between meetings). So, we now have two HUGE water tanks!

They have also terraced the land above the first cut somewhat and are staking out the foundation locations, and running floor level strings.

The site is starting to look busy! Apparently the steel for the concrete slab should arrive in the next few days and then they will have the digger back to dig the pour holes for the foundations...