Start of Week 2: Site dig and start of Foundation layout

Hey all, we are into week three tomorrow and things are still going according to plan (thanks to Ivar for the MS Project planning software!).  Over the Easter weekend, I met with Dave (remember he is the lead contractor) and we measured the house outline in the newly cleared job site.

It is critical that we get this right, one degree either way or the house could be looking at the woods or we are perfectly dialed in on the money shot view.  It took a couple of hours and I think we did it.  Karen came up on Saturday and double checked everything (QA manager), getting her approval was nearly as hard as getting the building permitJ.  She asked me to paint the exterior with survey paint, then mark approx. where each room is planned.  As you walk through the job site and into the rooms you do get a different perspective which creates thought provoking conversation.  It was a worthwhile exercise, thanks dear!

It was a beautiful day here Saturday, high temps near 70 and the baby blue sky in full display which comes around little so often and reminds us why we live here in this part of the country—it doesn’t get much better than that.  Eagles were having a gay time and after I moved the grass  a couple of them landed in the bottom portion, I think they found a field mouse for lunch! I mow every two weeks in the front part of the property; especially this time of year.

Next week the big excavator gets a change out; Matt takes the “thumb” hook off he was using to grasp and pull trees down and the big 3 foot scoop goes in its place.  I have to laugh; I told Matt that the 3 footer will be taken off shortly after he has the top two feet of topsoil removed.  The ground is hard as cement (remember my geology lesson from week 1), so we will have to move to the two foot bucket.

I am telecommuting from the job site next week (Monday and Tuesday) and we should have photos which clearly show the job site boundaries.  We may even get the foundation contractor here later in the week; but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Below is the job site picture ready for dig.  If you double-click on the photo it will enlarge.  I use Photostich to merge 3 photos to one panarama.  Look carefully for 4 stakes with greenish color survey tape hanging from it--you will see our perimeter of the job site.  The photo taken is very close to what you would see from the living room/outside deck.

It’s starting to get exciting now!  Have a nice Easter everyone.