Butch and the Last of his Big Boy Toys...

Yeeeeeha!  This will be one fine ride...once he figures out how to get it off the trailer.  Thankfully our trusted builder, Morris, is an expert with machines and a patient teacher.  Not sure what we'd do without him.

John and His Boys Are Framin' Fools! Best in NWA and Fun To Work With To Boot.

Crew working hard to get those figures right.

Floor joists are almost ready for the flooring...

Water Catchment Tanks in Place

Here's To You, Siria and Tom in NC!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider...

...is residing in our barn.  This spider, hopefully a good one, has been seen periodically near the A/C unit.  So glad we don't sleep down there!

Water Catchment System

(3) 1700 Gallon Catchment Tanks will go under the dining room and sun room where rain water will provide our water.  Rural water isn't available down our road and since we discovered natural gas instead of water when we drilled, catchment and/or stream water are important.

Butch on the pebbles...note bandages...nasty burns...

This and That

Pebbles under the house to help with drainage...can't see the French drains below but they are there and will take the water away.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish...Ouch!

There's a Tool For Every Job

And every tool is important for some reason...case in point.  Butch and Morris decided that they could fill the concrete blocks without using a pump truck.  Their decision saved us about $650 but led to nasty burns on Butch's arms and legs...Skin and concrete don't mix!

Critters in Them Thar Hills

We have met with masked-bandit mischief a.k.a. rascally raccoons prior to these photos but that has been due to our ignorance...leaving dog food in a plastic tub...nuts!  Who would have guessed though that they would want to get into our newly planted orange tree.  Any raccoon detectives out there with a theory or two?  Fortunately, the tree survived.  Butch has placed it inside the garden fence for now.

Tornado Alley Defense System

Once we decided to add a water catchment system and it was determined that it needed to go under the house (dining room and sitting room area), adding in a tornado shelter became easy.  An additional benefit is that it will be cheaper and ready when we move into the house.

Front side of house...

Different Views of the House Layout

Bedroom end of house...

You're a Blockhead Charlie Brown...NOT!

No Blockheads on our site just the best concrete block layer in NWA, Victor, with his son helping out.  Bet he wishes school was still in session!

Making Progress

Rebar in place, cement next...

The Good Lord Was Willin' and the Creek Didn't Rise...

Our building site finally dried out enough for the guys to dig the foundation trenches, lay the rebar and pour the cement. Butch goes up daily and helps the workers and is learning all about building a house. Being that manual labor is not my idea of fun, I just wander up occasionally to take photos and commiserate with all the guys about the heat and the bugs...oh, and the snakes. Then I mosey on back to the comfort of our A/C'd barn.