July, 2005

Vacation Time

This year's 4th of July celebration was warmer than last year. Parents of Arthur's friend across the canyon invited us to their fireworks show. We don't know how much they spent, but the show lasted over an hour. When we went home shortly after 11PM, the temperature was still a balmy 53°.

Weather has been quite good since our last report, but progress has been slow for a number of reasons. A number of carpenters have left the job: one to tour with a hip-hop band, one to move up north, one to another job he has commitments for, and one taking time off to get married. Another was injured during weekend activities. Add to this the fact that locals like to take lots of time off in the summer. Construction is still booming in Bozeman, so finding replacements is difficult.

Another delaying factor was the need to finish the concrete piers for the Entry and Master Bedroom patio roofs. The original Entry piers settled badly, so we had to start over with a "belt and suspenders" solution. These roofs connect into the main roof, so the main roof can't be finished until they are in place. Without a roof, we can't put in windows and without windows, we can't start the electric work, etc. The piers and backfilling are done now, so work can be started on finishing the roof.

In the picture below, the excavations for piers at the north (front) and east (left) have been filled in. At the north, two blobs of concrete are just visible either side of the Entry door; these piers sit on footings 16' down (the same level as the house foundation). They will support the stone and timber columns that hold up the Entry roof. At the east, a large boulder is visible in front of the van; this and another boulder sit on piers and will support timbers that hold up the Master Bedroom patio roof. Thanks to PhotoShop, some construction materials have been removed and the garage roof covered. For comparison, check out an original version.

(click on pictures to view larger version)

Carpenter Paul works on the arched timber beam that will frame the Master Bedroom patio on the east end of the house. The weather has been quite hot lately, reaching 95°F and predicted to go higher. Pumpkin says it's too hot for dogs here and looks for some shade. We're off to Lake Tahoe for a week, and hope to see this patio roof and the Entry roof nearing completion when we return.

Be sure to check out the Main House Progress

More Pictures From Arthur

Parting Shot
Pumpkin inspects some timber joinery;
Neko has other things on her mind