Going Up, Up, Up!

Wow! What an awesome week it has been! We are having so much fun. We were able to steadily work all week last week and were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who came out to help. Thanks to all of you! We are right on our hoped for schedule and are hoping to have all the logs up by the end of this next week (as long as the weather permits). We had a torrential downpour yesterday for about 1 hour, then blue skies for the rest of the day, although now it's quite the muddy mess.

We started the week by finishing our temporary outdoor shower. It looks awesome! That cypress bark is the perfect touch. It feels like you are stepping into Hawaii.

Monday we put on the termite shield and then went to pick up our forklift. What a cool machine. It really works great for putting up the logs. We have to manuever the logs around the trees, then head to the wall to place them.
We had around 6 people just about every day to help, which was awesome. Tuesday we were able to lay the first 3 logs of the first level. The first level is the trickiest, #1 because it's a learning process, #2 because you have to set the log on the rebar for the first level, so drilling the holes in just the right spot, then setting the log on the rebar and getting it to slide down is a little tricky. But, we did it! Tip: After the second log, we finally figured out that cutting the rebar at an angle, one end of the wall being the highest, descending down to the other end of the wall the rebar being the lowest, was a major help.

(Our second log being placed)

Wednesday we got 6 and 1/2 logs up (the 1/2 being 1 log set, but not drilled and pinned)! Thursday we got about the same, and by Friday we had 5 levels up! It was such a fun week, friends, fun, food! We really had a blast.

Friday was a tough day. That was the day our demolition-hammer broke.... For all you greenies out there, that is a powerful electric hammer that pounds the rebar in. Since it broke, we had to pound the rebar into 4 logs with a sledge hammer! That was tough. I don't know if I have ever been so tired. We quit early that day and went and bought another demo-hammer.

(My handsome husband!)

(That's one awesome forklift operator)

(To the left: Our awesome crew for the week: Taylor, Keith from LHBA, Stewart, & John)

We got back at it on Sunday and had several friends come out to help. We have 1 more log to put up for level 6, and 2 more levels to put up for the wall! Thanks guys for helping us out!

(To the right: Our Sunday crew: Michael from LHBA, Pat, Jeff, Rachel, & Robin)

(Below is Jeff & Pat drilling and pounding, and Jeff standing on our Ridge Pole)