Mowing and Picking Blackberries

We spent yesterday afternoon at the house mowing the front part of the property.  It was quite hot (a real feel of 112 degrees around 1 p.m.) but thankfully, we had the riding mower to make the job a little easier.  June's mom even gave some help with the mowing.  We also mowed a path around the outer edge of the back part of the property so we finally got a close up view.  I took a picture from the back of the property looking up to the house.  The path also allows us to start reaching some of the thousands of blackberries on the property.

Hopefully, after a second framing inspection, we will be able to start posting pictures of drywall and such going up.

House guts

The last few weeks has been the "guts" of the house going in.  Electrical, plumbing, a/c and now central vac.  We will hopefully have a frame inspection by the beginning of next week and then start getting the drywall up.  Mike is going to put insulation in some of the inside walls and a spray insulation will be put on the underside of the roof.  Speaking of roof, there are shingles up there now.  New front windows are being ordered so everything will be non-grill.  Slowly getting there!

A Swallow-Tail Kite enjoying the evening breezes. 

Mike looking for blackberries

Shaping Up

Here's some pics with the roofing going on. We've got windows in and the doors are ready for installation as well.


Note to self though... next time if the builder asks if we want grids in the windows, ask HIM if he means ALL the windows. June was very adamant about no grills. Apparently they heard her for all but the front windows.

We're working on that.

Here's a parting shot of the back.

Just add water!

We were totally shocked on Thursday when we went by the house.  Most of the roof was sheeted!!  It actually looked like a house as we drove up.  Most of the downstairs was framed out and a staircase was in leading to the second floor.

Kitchen area

Looking into the master bedroom and out to the front porch

On Friday, all of the roof was finished and the upstairs was framed out.  We had such fun walking through and seeing where all the rooms will be.

 Standing in the common room looking at the staircase

A

A bathroom and bedroom behind it 

Looking like a house!

Moving fast

One day after the walls went up, half of the floor tresses were up and some of the inside walls were framed.  It is neat to begin seeing all the rooms shaping up.

Walls!!

The day had finally come for our walls to be raised.  They had been formed off site and trucked in on big flatbed trailers.  We spent the night in our camper on the property to be there first thing in the morning when they started.  The men were there around 7 a.m. but the crane didn't show up until about 8:30 a.m.  When it did, the walls started going up very quickly.  By 3 p.m., we had the shell of a house standing!!

 The company who made the walls put on a barbecue lunch for all to enjoy.  Even the workers took a break.  They deserved it!

 Mike spent the morning mowing an area for people to park and walk through.  Boy, those blackberries are tough!!  Everyone else sat around and watched, even our beagle.

Slammin' the Slab

Great news! The inspections passed and they're pouring the slab today! I was a little concerned about the weather (an occasional drizzle), but I imagine the workers were happy to not be working in the direct sun.

Here's a view from the North side of the house.

And here they're finishing the front porch.