After days of spreading the rocky subsoil, we had 4 truck and trailer loads of 3/4- delivered and spread by a guy with a bobcat.

Then it was compacted and rolled.  The patio and garage are now up to grade, ready for concrete.

Dave, John, Jim and Pam came all the way from Massachusetts to help spread gravel and get dirty!  How special is that?!!!

Our carpenter was on vacation this week so we focused on scraping and hauling rocky subsoil up against the house for the base layer of the patio.  Footings have to be poured in this area for porch roof poles.  Soil, then gravel has to come up to grade, be compacted, then dig out for the footings.  Huge rocks in this soil.

Mom was moving dirt, glanced down from the tractor and saw something red out of the corner of her eye.  It's a red jasper, Indian spear point.  She thought she'd died and gone to heaven when she brushed the dirt off!

I got skunked today.  It happened on the way back on our run in the woods behind the house.  Dad had seen a skunk on the hill this morning.  I always chase critters on my runs.  I didn't know about skunks.  Got it right in the kisser.  Sure smarts in the eyes and makes your mouth foam.  I rubbed and rolled all over the grass so the whole back yard stinks now.  Had a special bath which helped take the pungency away but it's still darn strong. Guess I'm not so lovable right now.

Gosh!  Got behind on posting progress!  We did take time off over the 4th weekend to relax! 

The wildflowers from last year have popped up all over the mounds of topsoil that was pushed aside!

The ceiling/upstairs floor beams were installed, leveled and plumbed by Dad and Carpenter Mike.  They used a mechanics floor jack and scaffolding to get the beams right where they wanted.

Then the BCI joists were installed in the upstairs floor system.  Mom set the brackets and Dad nailed in the joists.  Mike did the cutting.

The floor sheeting went on next.  The guys were very adept at walking on the beams and joists.   Once they had a few sheets down, Mom crawled up the ladder and nailed the sheets.  She is not very adept at walking on beams and joists.