Laying the first blocks

With the footings completed and the first delivery of block at the build site it was time to get started on the next phase of construction (dry stacking the block walls). The first thing that we had to do was reset our string lines and find the house corners. Then we chalked lines on the footings so that we could place the first coarse of block.   

The first coarse is laid down the same as any other block wall. Each block is set in mortar and made level and plumb. 

The second coarse on up is simply stacked together dry (no mortar) in a running bond pattern. Each block needs to be sanded to insure they do not have burrs and stack together tightly.

The tarps and plywood were simply there to block the sun (almost 100 outside).

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

First delivery of cement blocks

With the ground still saturated from all the rain we again had to have the delivery dropped off out at the road and have Vern shuttle the blocks to the build site.

Unfortunately, we ended up with a lot of broken blocks 

2012 Jack-o'-lanterns



The kids and I had fun carving some jack-o'-lanterns from pumpkins that we grew here .

Another storm rolls through

This storm rolled through fast but again it brought alot of hail.

Home away from Home

 In an effort to save on fuel and time we asked to borrow my Grandma's trailer to stay in. It does have a bathroom and beds. The bath really helps with the kids and  it is nice to not have to "go and dig" all the time.



And the rain came

The next night after we had poured the Footings we got on crazy storm. It spawned tornadoes, golf ball hail and massive rain.



This is on the road in front of our land (it's about 5:30 p.m.)

The Hail beat the crap out of my truck but there was no were to go. It sounded like a hammer was hitting the roof.



Sorry it's a bit blurry but you get the picture. It is about the size of a golf ball.

Another storm passes.

I was so worried after the storm to find that my footings were under water. I figured that they were ruined. However after some research I found that concrete after it has set (4-6 hours) will harden just as well under water as it will dry. The hardening is not caused by an air reaction it is a water reaction.

It took me two evenings to pump out all this water (about 2 feet).

Could this be God's promise to never flood my work site again?

Pouring Footings

 
The night that we finished setting up the forms we decided to start mixing cement. Mainly to get the process down for the big day to come. With the help of A.J., Trace and the boys we got a good start and figured out what we were doing for the next day.



   

  340 bags x 60lb. each = a butt load of weight 



With Levi and Cody running the mixer and me shuttling cement it was going really well.

The first dump of the day.

My good friend A.J. moving cement.

The first load of cement

Getting the leveling process figured out.

 

This old piece of steel roofing made a great chute.



The end of the first night of pouring (we only had about an hour).



  The next morning we started early to try and get it all poured in one day. We were doing really well until we heard this loud "Bang" and the mixer went quiet. I went to the mixer and tried to start it and it pulled over way to easily. I knew we had lost the mixer. It turns out that we snapped the connecting rod. So Trace and I quickly tried to locate a large mixer that could be rented. We were lucky enough to find one in Mora (8 miles away). All said and done we were back in business but had lost about 2 hours of time. Now it was going to be close for time. The forecast was calling for a few days of rain and I needed the footings done. We had a long way to go and not really enough time to get there.



The Frost footing.



Filling the step footing.



The progress as of noon the next day. Note the new mixer. The old mixer decided to snap a connecting rod about half way through the pour.

 

I think I found the problem.

 This is the last picture I got of the pour before it got dark.

  Well it was after dark when we finished the pour so I didn't get any finished pictures. I was 3 bags short of finishing and it was to late to go to any store and get more (I tried). I would have had 3 bags extra but during one of the mixes the mixer dump arm released and dumped 6 bags onto the ground. Such is life. We put plastic over the fresh cement in the dark as it started to rain. That was really close.