Coyote Run

I apologize for the break in my postings lately. We took some time off from the house stuff to enjoy some good old fashioned three day weekend fun. Included in the festivities were a 40th birthday party (Happy Birthday Mike!), the Vermont City marathon (congrats to my Dad who won his age group), and a Red Sox game (Go Sox!). We got back to Burlington at 4am on Tuesday morning, and I think we've finally recovered. I rode over to the job site at lunch and they have the garage walls framed. Yesterday they put up our street sign. We had to come up with a name for the road because any road with three houses on it needs its own name. It wasn't too easy coming up with a name that we all agreed on, but Coyote Run is what it is. The driveway (now Coyote Run) is about .3 miles from Barstow Road to my folks place, and we always let Levi out of the car and let him run behind the car. I think Levi might feel a little slighted that we didn't call it Levi Run, either that, or he'll be checking over his shoulder looking for the coyotes.

Walls!!

The first wall went up today, and to me, this was a big deal. Of course everything has seemed like a big deal. To be building our own home is just very cool for us. Not many people get to have this opportunity, so we're trying to really take it all in. So I will apologize for being as excited about a wall going up as Levi might get about cleaning up the dinner plates after a steak dinner. It's just cool to watch your new home start to go up.

The first floor is on now, and sheeted with plywood. It looks like a big stage. I rode my bike over to the job site at lunch and went down into the basement. It's starting to really look like a house. Jess got a sunset shot over the job site last night. Today they start with the first floor walls.

Tuesday 5/22/07 Update....framing has begun!

sunset over Lake Champlain

framing starts!!



Yesterday was the first day of framing. Today all the rim joists and floor joists were rolled. I'm really not sure what 'rolled' means, but that's what Jess told me to write. You'll be able to tell from the pictures that things are coming along. It seems kind of like a quiet job site now. After a couple of weeks of heavy machinery going full tilt, it's just a couple of guys with some saws and hammers. They had great conditions to work in today because it was beautiful here, mid 60s and bright sunshine. Levi had a job site accident today when he stepped in some construction adhesive. Jess said he kind of freaked out (Levi, not Jess), but Jess was able to get his foot cleaned up. I suppose that's all in a day's work for a job site doggie. We had a great sunset here tonight and we took a photo on our way back from Home Depot. The sunset shot is not from our land, but sunsets like that are pretty common here.

Rainy days in Vermont

Yesterday was a wash here, literally, it rained all day, and I think the only thing that happened on the job site was Jess pumped out the rainwater from the basement. Today it isn't raining(just some showers, and COLD), and the concrete guys were there early pouring the garage slab. That should be it for the concrete. The framers were going to come today, but Jess pushed them back a day. I told Jess to make sure he puts his hand print and Levi's paw print in the garage.

Week of May 14th......

Jess on the ladder heading down into the basement.
Helen hard at work in the garage

Jess and Paul taking a much deserved break.
the crew...and the kids.

Last week the remainder of the radiant tubing was put down, and on Saturday I got to help Jess put on the finishing touches so that they could pour the basement slab. Which they did yesterday. Today it's raining, so the garage slab will have to wait until the weather clears. We have had some good luck with the weather though, this really is the first rain we've seen since we started. With the basement all poured, the framers have something to work with and they should be showing up tomorrow. Amy, Earl and the boys were up for Mother's Day on Sunday and we got some photos of Miranda and Harley together in the bucket of the excavator. Cliffy and I climbed up the big pile of dirt, and all the kids got to get into the cab of the front loader. The site is smoothed out now, and I think the excavators are going to move onto another job for awhile. They'll be back later on to finish off the septic system mound. Helen and Paul helped out Jess last week and I got some photos of them.

Technical correction..

Levi was sleeping under an excavator, not a bulldozer.

We just got back from the house and downloaded some more photos. They aren't all in order, but you'll get the idea.

Levi hard at work

Jess sent this photo today of Levi having a little nap in the shade of what looks like a bulldozer. Today Helen and Paul are helping Jess put insulation around the foundation, and Jess is going to start putting the radiant tubing down in the basement and garage areas. It's a hot day in Vermont, so hopefully the workers aren't getting too hot. I suppose if they need a rest they can always join Levi in the shade, there might be room for a few more under that bulldozer.

More Concrete... and the well drilled too!

Stuff is happening pretty fast over at the house site. This week the walls were poured for the foundation which really makes it look like the real deal. They finished drilling the well yesterday. Jess called to tell me that they had hit water at 200ft, they went another 20ft and called it good, with a flow rate over 10gpm. That was less than we thought we would have to drill and better pressure than we thought we would get, so everyone was happy all around. One more thing to cross off the list. Speaking of that, the big thing that happened this week was the land transfer and mortgage closing. Thanks again Mom and Dad. We are now land owners, and it feels pretty damn good. 199 Coyote Run is coming together pretty fast. Next week.....framing!

CONCRETE!!!!

The excavators finished digging the foundation hole yesterday, and today the concrete guys showed up. I rode my bike to the job site at lunch and saw the concrete pump truck roll down the driveway. Jess emailed a little bit ago with the title, "FOOTERS ARE POURED". Hopefully they will get the walls formed by the weekend and we can lay the radiant floor tubing down Saturday and Sunday so they can pour the slabs next week. Once that's done it's time for the framers. When I was at the job site today it seemed like the excavators had moved to the septic system area. There was definitely a lot going on, with bulldozers and excavators cruising around. Levi seemed to notice that the concrete pump truck hadn't been there before, because when Jess and him got back from doing errands he ran at the pump truck barking. Silly puppy.