Starting the Footings

Yesterday Jim's crew arrived early to set up the forms for the concrete footings.  Three guys labored on this most of the day, first establishing the west (lakeside) line of the house, and then taking careful measurements to ensure that their work will be accurate.  The footings are critical — if they are not properly done, the rest of the house will be a mess.  By mid-afternoon the footprint of the house had taken shape.

Jim's crew carefully builds the foundation forms.

The corner of the first floor bedroom is in the foreground.

We're still deep in the hole, about 8 feet below grade.

Once the forms are in place, the crew adds re-bar to strengthen the concrete.

It has been difficult for me to visualize the size of this house.  To say "1,947 sq. ft." gives me no sense of dimension.   Now, with the footing forms in place, I am starting to see just how large — or small — the finished product will be.  First, I thought it looked pretty big.  Then I began to wonder if it's too small.  Then it was big again... and then small again!  I suppose these concerns will be resolved as the house is framed in.

Looking from the front entrance (left foreground) toward the kitchen (center) and the mud room (right).

By the time the frames and re-bar were in place, it was too late to pour concrete.  After 3:00 the cement haulers get paid overtime.  Today Jim's crew is playing golf (and having a few beers) with various suppliers.  So, we'll start pouring tomorrow.

My friend Glenn stopped by as he made his way home to Kalamazoo from a two-week canoe expedition in Canada.  We walked out to Albany Bay on Lake Huron with Dave and Kyle.  This rocky beach is just a few minutes' walk through the woods behind my house.  Kyle collected a couple specimens for his daughter, who loves rocks (a geologist in the making?), and Glenn explained how he cuts, polishes, and drills rocks to create various kinds of jewelry.

Glenn (left), Kyle and Dave on the North Albany Bay beach.

While the pros are working on my house, I've taken to collecting rocks which can be used later for landscaping.  Lots of people up here landscape with rocks, because the landscape consists mainly of rocks and trees!  I'm specializing in blue ones.  I wish I'd paid attention in rock lab when taking geology in college; then I'd know what kind of rocks these are!  I know, it's an odd hobby.  As the sticker indicates, other people have more conventional avocations.

Some people fish.  I collect rocks.

After several days of gray, overcast, sometimes rainy weather, we're now in the sunshine! •••