The limestone blocks have been moved up onto the site and laid out, ready for setting up the internal wall and the first layer of the plinth. Also a pic of Gary with his supervisor!
Limestone on site
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The Lake at sunrise
Lovely sky this morning–‘red sky in the morning’, rain coming later–so I took the camera on my morning walk in case the Lake was in colour–which it was. I was doing well, enjoying the quiet and the morning air, until Rose passed by with her chiselled biceps and singlet at her approximately 120kph walking pace–makes you feel weak. . .
Footings
No sooner than you look around than the footings are in!–went in this morning. I wasn’t around for the event, which was a pity, but here is the result. These are the footings for the four walls. Inside them the slab will be poured. The framing is being made off-site and will then be installed, so it should go quite quickly (touch wood–appropriately, in this case).
Foundation Stone day!
This is the second big milestone from a Vastu point of view (the first being the Ground-Breaking). Today we laid the Foundation Stone. As we drove out for this event we were followed by a beautiful dark Swamp Wallaby, and a beautiful big Tiger Snake (yes, they are beautiful–from a distance) crossed in front of us on the driveway–so we took the view that Nature was with us.
The site is strung out properly now, with all the northings and eastings done correctly. The trenching will follow and then, with luck, the footings will be poured over the next two days.
In the properly auspicious way, it was a beautiful day in Robe.
Site layout work: the northing
The first step in getting the house laid out on the site is to get it strung out–that is, all the footings and walls laid out by string and posts. Getting true north is the first step. Gary has built a survey table from which to do this, using a number of cross-checking methods: a gnomon–vertical pin casting a shadow which is precisely tracked–along with magnetic compass reading adjusted for declination, and apparently an app which can be laid on the board–all very fascinating! Here are Lesley and Gary in deep discussion about this, and about–always!–getting more windows in, now that the expansive view is clear.
Moving up on site
The tank is just about done. Here it is with the top on, and the wall sealed underneath it. Timber will be attached to the open edges to keep them safe. You can see the pipe going in–that come from the submersible pump, and filling will now begin.
Also, the water is now up on site, through a system Gary set up whereby the submersible pumps to the 1000 l water cube at the tank and is then pumped by a small centrifugal pump up over to the site (it’s about at the same level) to a sprinkler, to wet the site down ready for the string work to be done and the footings to go in–the next big phase.
While I was out there I had some visitors, who turned out to be Josie (on a quarterhorse, on the left) and Matilda on a stock horse. They have a block the other side of the dairy and had just been on a long ride down to Lake Robe–lots of fun. They say hi to everyone.
Action on site!
Lots of things going on today! The framing for the tank roof is up, and the roof comes next.
The Bobcat has been on site. The trench from the tank to the house has been filled in.
More important the site levelling is under way! He’s working off a datum point right up in the trees, and then moving north, levelling it out as he goes. This will the be height of the footings. Then the plinth, flooring and framing goes above it.
He’s also moved the cleared Boobialla out of the way (down the hill, to be a bonfire in the winter) so you can see what the view will be like from the west right round to the south east–it’s going to be great!
The beautiful heritage tea-trees are coming into flower.
Old bloke flowering
In the general theme of trees I was somewhat struck by this old dryland tea-tree–opposite Mark’s place, on the Nora Creina road, you probably remember it. It has grown away from the prevailing winter gales, over a long time, and has fallen over–but here it is again, still flowering, getting seeds ready for the autumn rains–which one hopes will arrive on time. If you are feeling reflective today it may have its symbolic side–or not, as the case may be! Just a lovely old tree.
Tank 7: Inside rendering completed
Here is the inside rendering work on the tank completed–a rather nice colour, although it will be under water! All it needs now is a roof and it will be ready for half filling and curing.
Red flowering gums
The red flowering gums come into flower over the summer–I was down in the Mount today and on the way saw this wonderful tree so I took a couple of photos of it–with a phone, so it’s not perfect, but it gives you the idea.
