August 1
FINALLY - we called in and found all the Superior walls in place. Now the excavators are awaited to
backfill ready for the plumbing and slab pouring. Next week we should see some real progress at last.
August 2-3
Rocky Mountain Infrastructures backfilled most of the foundation ready for the plumber and slab
pouring - next week.
August 6
The plumber finished the pipes in the basement floor.
 Kevin and Henna have setup their own home
under our biggest pinion tree, where they plan to sleep one night each week, as a break from staying with us in
our RV. Weekends they will be with Ben and Jennifer in Edwards, or with friends in Denver.
August 8
Kevin and I laid the wire netting in the basement floor ready for pouring the concrete slab. This was
hard work, but immensely satisfying: the first real job done by the Daly boys!
August 9
We finished the wire netting in the garage basement floor, and Tony laid the radiant heat pipes on top
of our netting. The slab will be poured on Tuesday after prep. work is done on Monday - all weather permitting.
August 11-15
 We took off to Lake Powell (Page, AZ) for a few days of vacation on a houseboat
owned by our terrific new friends Doug and Katherine Matthews (we had a fabulous time- thanks D &
K!).
August 16
We're back (sadly!). Kevin & I staked out the correct locations for the deck support
"pads", while Jimmy Carlson and his crew poured and finished the concrete slab for the basement
floor. We made hand and paw prints (Henna's) in the mechanical room floor. Next week we should see the start of
framing and the arrival of the logs!
August 21
Well, I didn't say Monday or when "next week" did I?!!! Yesterday (Monday) we arrived
on site to find no-one and nothing ... no calls from our builder despite my message (left on Friday) and our
agreement to meet on site with the framing crew Monday morning. We called in at his office and left another
message to call me. Today (after no call), I called him again to discover that we have several new reasons for
delay: no electrical power, which we now need urgently because his generator isn't "man" enough to
run the framers' power tools, and the correct lumber isn't there, and the excavators can't re-dig
the pad holes because their special digger broke ... and (do I hear you say: "enough"?!) I'm
not looking for sympathy (as welcome as that might be!) - I just hope someone out there can learn from our
experience ... we certainly have! Next time (Jenny says there will be no "next time"!) ...
In case anyone (else) is keeping count, it's now over 3 months since breaking ground and we still
have no wood!
August 23-24
Today the framing crew under John Creech got to work - it's a relief to see them, and we are already impressed.
At last the "Daly Boys" are at work together - Ben, Kevin and Mick! Thursday we started setting
"big-feet" and sonotubes for the deck supports. Steve's backhoe broke down, so we could only set 2,
but Friday we set 4 more after a repair that lasted a couple of hours! On Friday Kevin's friend Theresa Foy
came along to help (and help she did - she's a great worker: thanks Theresa!) Also on Friday the Amerlink
package arrived - logs, log siding, windows and exterior doors). We helped off-load and stack the windows.
August 27-29
Kevin and I continued to install bigfeet and sonotubes, and Steve repaired his backhoe again. Measuring and
cutting the tops of the 'tubes at the right height proved challenging. We used a transit (scientific!) for
those in front of the house, but once we started down the grade under the 3-level deck, we abandoned
"science" and resorted to "eyeing it". We think it worked!? We also made a frame for a
concrete pad to support the hot-tub. Meanwhile the framing crew continued their good work framing up the
basement walk-out wall, interior walls and floor support joists.
August 30
Kevin and I drove to the local lumber yard at 7 am to buy and cut some more rebar and arrived on site at 7:40
to find the concrete guys and the framing crew all there. Having expected the concrete crew to arrive at 8, and
having more work to do on the sonotubes and hot-tub foundation while they were pouring the garage slab, we had
our work cut out! It was really frenetic when they started pouring the sonotubes, one of which popped out of
the ground (caused by trapped air). We ran from tube to tube checking and adjusting them to make sure they were
plumb, placing 3 lengths of rebar in each tube, and centering one of them (to anchor the deck support logs). By
9:30 we could relax and look at our handiwork. It's a little early to celebrate, but we can finally say we've
completed one job - or more accurately, one phase. At lunchtime we went on a tool shopping spree (buying an
air-compressor, wheelbarrow, saw-horses, etc.), and had a hot lunch at Taco bell - we needed a break from
bagels and cheese!
August 31
We arrived this morning and felt lonely: no framers! Between our builder and structural engineer, a decision
about floor support beams (called TJI joists) has dragged on all week. So they cannot continue without the
decision and delivery of the right materials. Rather than leave August on a negative note, we'll report that we
stained almost 2 windows (before rain arrived) and we helped unload 18 dead-standing spruce logs that next week
will become the support for our deck. After Labor Day ... September (!!!), floor joists, logs and deck: I can't
wait!
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Come back soon to check on our progress (and if you're so inclined, say a little prayer on our behalf!)
God bless,
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