Water and Sunsets

Well since our last post, progress on the house has been blazing along at the blistering speed of "zero". More than anything else we need to get the electricians on site to build the meter rack so the electric company can begin installing the service line and that hasn't happened yet.
But the big news at the ranch this week is that our water well has been drilled. Final depth: 875 feet. Struck water before that of course, but kept on going to make sure we could depend on it for many years to come.

As soon as we get electric service to the property we'll actually be able to pump water up from the aquifer and once we have a supply of water I'll be able to pressure wash the barn floor and then paint it and then I can start moving in. Won't that be the cat's meow?!

We had our "winter solstice party" on Friday evening. Just the two of us with a little wine to watch the setting sun. We did the same thing on 12/21 last year too. But this year the sky was quite overcast with clouds and there was hardly any sun so we guessed (and rightly so) that there wouldn't be much to see so we left early.

Last year we were also there to watch the sunset for the summer solstice and it was quite surprising to see the difference in points on the horizon where the sun went down at those two different times of the year.

We're Off and Running

We haven't posted in a while because not much was happening, but lately lots of things have been moving along all at once.

The barn pad was created, holes were augered to set the steel uprights in concrete, drain lines were installed for the bath room, entries for water and electric into the wellhouse and then the slab was poured.
After time for the concrete to cure (plus several rainy days) work began on the steel framing.
On Tuesday the 3rd the site for the house was scraped level (or so it was thought) and the exact position for the house was staked out.

All that while the work continued on the barn framing.

As the forms were being built some more ground leveling was found to be needed.
Once the forms were finished, delivery for the sub-base for the slab began. Eight loads the first day.....
....and three more the next and then it was all leveled.
With the barn framing completed, on Thursday most of the exterior skin went on.

The barn shell should be finished this weekend all but one roll up door. Work on the interior begins soon with walls being framed first, followed by the plumbing and electric. All of the plumbing fixtures and many of the electrical fixtures are scheduled to arrive December 23rd.
Unfortunately Christmas comes two days later. (sigh)

The well drilling is scheduled to start Monday the 16th, (if the weather is agreeable) but septic will probably not start before the first of the year.

But at least we're finally off and running! Now, when we get the electric service installed the barn will be usable.