Nov 13 – Laying out garage and shop with brother-in-law Steve. Decided to place at about 15 degree angle to facilitate access from driveway.  Footings made on Nov 17th – needed stepped footings as grade was uneven.

Dropping a rock into the backfill area (before it fell of its own accord).

Nov 21 – Pouring footings for garage and shop (and upper slab and pads for porch and entry).  Not a lot of room for the cement trucks (3).  Temp above zero but put insulated tarps on the slab for 3 days and left the forms on the garage/shop for a few days.  We were delayed 2 days because cement guys bumped us for a large pour at Big White.  You just don’t get any respect if you are only building one house.

Nov 24 – Forms stripped.

Nov 27 – Warmer, +6 degrees and sunny in the afternoon.  Foundation walls ready for cement.  You only need 2′ of depth for frost here as per code, but with the weather we have been having….

Nov 27 – We poured the slab for the main floor at the same time.  Six weeks and one day into the construction (not counting the site prep work done before we got back to Canada).