Getting ready for pumbing

Are we done and standing on our new front porch?

No, we're standing in front of a model of our new log home. This week we worked on filling in the stemwall so we can put in the first rough of the plumbing. Here we are making an entry for the dump trucks with the fill dirt, spreading the fill dirt around and tamping it down until we have the final level in and compacted.

It passed the compaction test with flying colors. The inspector said it was one of the best jobs he had seen. We would have had the first rough of the plumbing in but our plumber was delayed on another job. If the weather holds out, that and the beginning of the electrical work will happen this coming week. Then the concrete slab will be poured.

Stemwall done!

They have finished the stemwall for the foundation...

and have poured cement into reinforced cells. The next step is to add the fill dirt for the slab.

Stemwall going up!!

Things have dried our enough that serious building is starting!! Here is the stemwall for the foundation after one day of work. It should be done on Monday ready for the fill dirt.

Footings in!!

The snowy weather up north brings lots of rain to Florida. If we get a frost after the rain, ice forms on the water that collects on the log packages.

With all the water we've had trouble getting things dry enough to put in our foundation. We finally had a week of dry weather. We pumped the standing water out of the ditches and laid the rebar for the footings.

It passed inspection with flying colors but the inspector told us to post a "No Trespassing" sign so that if as the house rises, someone comes in and "happens" to take off with something (i.e. steals), they can be arrested.

The footings are now poured and the rods are sticking up ready for the concrete block stemwall. If it stops raining, that should be on Monday.

On our lunch break at Wendy's, we had this Florida visitor check us out.

We're now putting in the trench and conduit for the underground power line so we won't have to live Amish style by candle light.

How do you like the new motor skills we old timers are learning?

Mary's Monster High Birthday

Mary decided to have a spooky birthday at ghoul school.

They ate monster approved food at the creepeteria...

and painted their claws and faces to look good before jumping around at the ghoul house.

Everyone had a ghoulishly great time. Ghouls Rule!!

Rain, rain, go away!

We got the trenches dug for the foundation footings. Here they are marking out the house and digging the footings.

Can you imagine a front porch?

Or the kitchen and dining room and the wall of windows facing the sunset?

The problem is that the storm front that brought record snow and ice to Georgia to the north of us, brought torrential rain our way for twelve hours so it now looks like we are planning a crawdad farm rather than a log home. We have to put off laying the foundation until we pump out the water and let things dry out a bit. Keep checking back.

Let the building begin!!

We have officially started building our log cabin. Wednesday we scraped away the sod and laid out the dimensions of the foundation. We hoped to have the footings in this week but it has been pouring rain since that afternoon. According to the weather report, everything should be dried out by Monday so check back next week for an update.

Birthday updates

Here we have Jessica celebrating birthday 14 with her requested giant cookie with candles.

Debbie, Oliver and I took a quick trip to tropical south Florida to pick up grandma from her midwife, grandchild tending and floor waxing duties and to see newborn Evelyn Rose.

We brought back a bunch of bananas from a neighbor's mini banana plantation. Last time we brought back star fruit, mangoes, and blood oranges. I wonder how long it will take the bananas to ripen?

Deacon David

Here's the family gathered in the bishop's office to witness David becoming a deacon. Daddy Troy did a great job.

Here is a practice run with his parents before church.