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Spring is here with wild flowers in the meadows and blossoms in the orchards.
Ground Breaking-2080
Prior to staking out the position and orientation of the structures we made sure that the location would afford the intended views of the valley including the distant (small) city scape. I did not want the house to be on the crest of the hill so that it would be more protected from the wind and not be as visible from the road below. To do this Matt Dolan brought out his 12 foot ladder and set in the location where the second story deck was going to be. I climbed the ladder to confirm the view.
It is now time to stake out the foundations, excavate and make the forms for the footings. This was all completed two days ago (April 6th). There has been some difficulty with some of the trucks being able to make it up the driveway. So Mike Ogle (Mogle Excavating) has also had to widen some of the turns on the driveway. This comes at an extra cost, but it will serve us while navigating the driveway in future winters. Matt mentioned that there were some strong gusty winds a few days ago. He set up a wind meter and measured gusts of 78 mph. The portable outhouse was blown over, but luckily there was no spill.
Ground Breaking-2083
Clearing the land begins and it was hard to see this happen, but it is all part of something that will ultimately be good.
Initial Excavation
I was amazed at how much dirt was moved. These piles will be used to backfill the areas that have been dug out and will be contoured to blend with the existing (remaining) landscape.
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This a view from the corner of the house looking toward the garage and shop. The 2x4 structures at the corners are used to nail (string) lines to in order to make sure the forms are straight.
Ground Breaking-2099
This tree was skillfully moved and transplanted by the track hoe operator. The temperatures remain cool and there is still regular rain and fog, so hopefully it will survive the ordeal. If not, it will be next year's firewood.
Pouring the foundations was delayed because the concrete company's field manager was concerned that the driveway would be too soft due to recent rains. It was easily passable for most trucks, but a truck full of concrete might be a different matter.
