No concrete just yet...

Things are happening, and are we beginning to be able to visualize more of the house. One of the shots on this page shows the view from where the dining room table will be....can you see Mt Hood through the trees?

It appears the basement will be large enough to store a few bottles of wine. We've heard they have some good stuff in OR and WA. :) I haven't yet figured out how to label these photos. Bear with me as I learn to blog.

The rains have stopped and the digging has begun

Spring is the rainy season in this area, lasting well beyond average this year. We need to clear the house site on the property and have a huge bonfire, with a county provided "burn permit". Because the summers are dry, we can't burn after a given date in July...our window of availability is getting shorter. We both have been a bit nervous that the timing wasn't going to be right; but we were wrong.

So far, the property has been cleared, the burn has happened, and a great big CAT has arrived to do some digging. We've got it staked out. The excavator began last week! Concrete will be mixed and poured this week. Holy Cow.

Paperwork, paperwork

Bob and I are finally beginning to believe this is going to happen! On June 4, we signed the paperwork at the "closing" for the construction loan. It was so official, they had our name on the board of daily activities for the office. We felt important. The staff must have thought so, too, as they took our photo.


Only a couple of weeks prior to this, we FINALLY picked up the building permit. Bob has been dealing with the county permit office since Oct 09. Does he look happy?

During the planning phases, we came to believe the adage "one step forward, two steps back", and we are just beginning!