Here Comes the Sun!

It is a gorgeous day out today, cool and clear with the bluest of blue skies. We did venture out to the building site in between sleet showers on Monday but without a camera. People were working diligently and I almost (almost) wished I could tell them to go home and get warm. I do want to be able to move in this house by Spring, so I refrained!

The first floor forms are pretty much done. I believe they are planning to pour concrete yet this week. We walked around inside, and it still looks small. I hope it grows on me...literally!

The block is finished in the garage. It actually does look big enough now. We plan to start filling it with things that are not essentials for the winter so that our move to town for the winter can be as small as possible. (Try explaining to a 5 year old and a 2 year old what is and is not essential for 6 months!)

It is super muddy out here after all of the precipitation lately. At least we remembered to bring mud boots this time! The trusses have arrived for the garage. Hopefully we should see the roof going on very soon.

This is a view from the garage to the house. There will be a small breezeway between this door and the door to the mudroom/laundry room/T craft room.

That's all for this week!

After the rain...

The well driller called on Sunday afternoon to report that he had finished the well and at nearly 200 feet, he was getting a return of approximately 2.25 gallons/minute of water. There is still a bit of work to be done to make it ready to use: put in a pump, connect pipes to the house, etc, but we've made excellent progress! We also need to send a sample for testing so that we know it is safe to drink, but I am already looking forward to have clear, cold, nice tasting well water again! The only down side is that we will have to put the girls on daily Fluoride tabs...that's definitely a small price to pay!

We had quite a lot of rain here Friday night and Saturday. So much that it sent my Dad home early without a deer for the 3rd Fall in a row. I think he is planning to come back for rifle season in Dec. In the meantime, the concrete forms that had already been placed on the footing got flooded, and some of them washed out. I guess the crew will have to do some repair today before they can move on.

After One Month...

This afternoon, our hilltop was buzzing with activity. The masons have made good progress on laying block for the garage today. There has been no more progress on the well, so they are having to truck in water for the mortar.

Meanwhile the forms for our poured concrete house have arrived and started going in. Good old Allegheny Power still hasn't put the final poles up in order to connect electricity up the hill, so they are using a generator.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

No one was at the building site today when we snuck up the hill, sleeping child in the van. The footer for the house is nearly complete. This picture reminds me of the story of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Mike and Mary Anne dig the basement for the new town hall, and she remains inside to be the furnace since she can't get out. The "digger" (kid term) looks to be in the right position for our storage/furnace room!




The footers look small compared to the image in my head of the house. I'm guessing that is just because it is one dimensional at the moment.

They have also begun drilling the well. There is evidence of mud around, but I don't know if that means they hit water or if they used water in the drilling process. No one was there to ask!



Meanwhile, it is hunting season! I think we have managed to scare the deer away from the top of the hill this year. My Dad is coming tonight to try his luck across the road, down by the stream.


Keep checking back for the latest and greatest...

Beginning the Garage

The girls and I visited the building site today after a week's absence. The well driller has been there, but done nothing that I could see except park his rig.




The split-face block has arrived for the garage, all 1100 of them...



...and the footers poured.



The builder was digging today, for the footers at the front of the house, judging from the markings on the ground.



It's moving right along!

Holes N Poles

My husband questioned last night why I had a picture of a Maple tree at the beginning of this Blog. I was actually trying to have an Autumn picture. I have now updated it with a picture of a Fall Poplar on Poplar Ridge for all you literalists out there!

We stopped by again this afternoon because the excavation is now finished. The resulting hole in the hillside is very impressive!

M...it appears like I was off on my depth estimate by several feet...looks like it's closer to 10 feet or so at the deepest end.

The power company also managed to get another 2 power poles up yesterday for a grand total of 4. The Fall colors are really looking lovely out here!

And now, unfortunately, everything stops for the weekend! But we will be there to lay our dear little Zach to rest where he can watch the squirrels and deer. We miss you, Bud!

Here We Go...

Whoopie! They are excavating at our property! They started yesterday by leveling the area for the garage.





Now they are excavating for our house and yard.



Here's a close up of the shale that is prevalent here. Apparently that is what is making it a gold mine for Natural Gas!

We passed 2 Allegheny Power trucks headed that way when we were going home. Hopefully they were going out to work some more on getting electricity up the hill!

The girls are excited too! L sang on the way home "Us getting a new house! Us getting a new house!"