BROKEN OAK HILL(R Dispatches from the heart of Wisconsin At the Farm
Gayle picks asparagus as the rain continues to fall. Rainfall puts
a damper on
options for the day
By the time we arrived a little after 9, Jim and his crew had been working for nearly three hours. And lucky for that, because the got the framing for the footings done before it started to rain. After 9, it rained steadily for most of the rest of the day.
We had hoped for better weather so we could do a little work in the woods, maybe transplanting a few more trees or just pulling garlic mustard. Maybe even getting back in the woods to check on the lady slippers. But it wasn't a day for that. The rain kept coming at varying intensities, and the temperature never got above 50 degrees.
I would have finished cutting up the maple tree if the weather had been better.
A load of gravel arrived along with the piping for the foundation drainage system, and Brian proceeded to unload most of the gravel with the trackhoe. Jim's crew was busy for awhile spreading it out evenly as the base for the four-inch concrete that will be poured over it eventually to become the basement floor.
While the crew worked in the rain, we puttered around the garage and occasionally ventured out to see what was going on. At one point, Gayle decided to go pick
Gayle works her way back through the mud toward the shelter of the garage.
what aspargus there was in our aging asparagus patch - just like me, it's not as productive as it used to be.
A little later a concrete truck came barreling down the road. It was going so fast, we wondered if it would be able to stop before it got to the gate, and it did. It had a load of concrete for the footings, and we spent the next hour or so watching the Langendorf crew guide it and wheelbarrow it into place. Unfortunately, it came up just a little short of what was needed.
A little after noon, Jim decided to let the rest of the crew go home and we decided it was a good time for us to depart, too. He stayed around and waited for another load of concrete and got the footings finished by the end of the day.
I hated to go, because I hate to miss any part of the construction, but I know that's inevitable. But at least we had been there for the big day - the end of the old house and the start of the new one.
Next year on a day like this we'll be inside, out of the rain with the new modern kitchen and the views. And if it's warm enough, we can sit out on the 40-foot front porch.
Wednesday, May 25 (Day 3)
Laying the foundation takes
hard work, coordination
Day 1: Getting ready
Day 2: The house comes down
The forms for the footings were in place when we arrived.
Jim and his dad (in ball cap) guide a load of gravel into the basement.
Jim watches as the concrete truck pulls into the drive.
Rebar is unloaded for the footings.
The crew works its way around the basement.
Concrete had to be moved by wheelbarrow to the far corners of the basement. The fireplace footing is just at the right edge of the photo.
This was the (temporary) new view as we pulled away a little after noon on Wednesday.
Laying the foundation takes
hard work, coordination
Day 1: Getting ready
Day 2: The house comes down
The forms for the footings were in place when we arrived.
Jim and his dad (in ball cap) guide a load of gravel into the basement.
Jim watches as the concrete truck pulls into the drive.
Rebar is unloaded for the footings.
The crew works its way around the basement.
Concrete had to be moved by wheelbarrow to the far corners of the basement. The fireplace footing is just at the right edge of the photo.
This was the (temporary) new view as we pulled away a little after noon on Wednesday.
