What follows is a condensed pictorial of a couple of months of work. We'll try and post regularly in the future. The second and final foundation pour is scheduled for June 30, the lumber delivery for July 2nd, and then the pace should pick up.

First step ... removing plants and some topsoil from the building site














In come the machines. Nothing moves dirt like a bulldozer.
















OUCH!










Excavation is done, starting the forms. This was made more interesting by the solid rock that intruded on the footings in some places, and the organic material and topsoil in others.















Footing is poured, forms being removed.














The foundation wall about half done. The blocks are dry-stacked (no mortar, except for the first row). The cores will be filled with concrete, and the outside will get a layer of surface bonding cement (essentially a stucco/fiberglass mix).












We can mount artillery in the crawl space.












Almost ready for cement pour # 2 (to fill the cores of the blocks).



























Some dodgy scaffolding, fortunately the inspections are few and far between.