The dream began in 1987 when Ed purchased the property on Batchawana Bay. \240Many years of dreaming, planning and wondering if it would ever be possible have brought us to today. \240We have gone through several plan design changes. Our first version was two storey and our final version will be a beautiful one storey building with a magnificent view of the lake and a place that we can cozy up to the fire and hopefully age in place.

When the world was impacted by Covid19 in March of this year, we really weren’t sure what we were going to do with our plan to build. \240Construction was initially put on hold in the province. \240As we woke up each morning to our early morning coffee and magnificent sunrise it became clearer each day that there is no where that we would rather be to wake up and start each new day and adventure. There will be very little travel this year, so we figure it is a great year to be building our new home. \240Our hope and plan is to do most of the finishing ourselves. \240Our builder will do the foundation, framing, windows, doors and roof and then our real work will begin.

Our hope and dream as we move forward is that this build will be not only be a home for us, but a place that will be warm and welcoming to others, our family, friends, and those who might come as strangers when they first cross the threshold, but leave as friends.

Once again, thank you for following our next adventure, the building of our “UpNorth”.

Site Visit Day

It is now becoming real! We had Frank Pozzebon and his site supervisor Davey out to review the layout and confirm location. \240Our plumber was also on-site so that they could review sleeve requirements. All is good and we are now just waiting for the Ministry to remove the 1/2 load limit so that the bigger trucks can access the site. \240We have a lot of work to do for final preparations on the site, a few more trees to take out and buried utilities to locate and dig up before the build begins. (The load limit came off on May 19 and then Frank confirmed a June 1 start).

Tree Removal

We have several large trees that had to be removed before the build. \240They were “danger” trees with a risk of falling onto the building at some point in the future. \240We hired the talents of Superior Tree Works (Jessie) who I swear is part monkey to scale the larger tree and cut it down in sections. \240After all trees were on the ground our real work began to block, split, pile, and clear the brush. \240A total of 14 trees so far had to be removed. \240We are sad to see them taken out, but we are very pleased that we will still have so many beautiful trees along our shoreline.

Erosion Protection - Happy Birthday Ed

The water level in Lake Superior has been very high the last couple of years. As a result of this, we have had drastic erosion on our beach. \240This winter we applied for a permit in order to put additional stones and cloth on the shore with a hope that this will protect the shoreline. \240We decided to try to get this all done ahead of the build so this was one less job to worry about. \240It has been a busy few weeks, lots of heavy lifting, but we are pleased with the result. \240We just hope that Mother Nature is also pleased with it and will leave it alone from now on.

Dock in and ready to go!

This year was the earliest that the dock has ever been put in. \240We wanted to get everything in and set up so we would have the enjoyment of it over the next few chaotic weeks of the build. Mother Nature certainly cooperated by sending us a few weeks of ridiculously hot weather. \240We actually at one point thought we skipped spring and went right to the dog days of summer. \240The water warmed up to 24 degrees (yes I was sceptical to believe Ed), but we were enjoying the water at the end of each day of work. \240The weather is turning cooler and back to more seasonal weather for the end of the month.

Site Preparation- Our little trailer has been busy.

We have been working hard at getting lots of prep work done. \240We rented a “Stump Grinder” and Ed had fun playing with several of the old stumps that have been hanging around for years to grind them up and get rid of them. Strange how once he had it here he kept finding more that needed to be removed. I think he was just enjoying playing with it!

We picked up a load of small gravel to be used for the fire pit which we needed to move back from the shore because of the erosion. \240We also used some to start to prepare a path to the beach (more details to follow on this once we start to get some cement).

We also had a full dump truck load of topsoil delivered to help finish off the shore line area. Right now it is still in a pile by the beach. We will start to work on this over the coming weeks.

Lastly we picked up a load of sand that will be used in the trenches to cover the utilities as needed.

Lots of playing in the dirt to keep us busy!

Day 1 -The journey (build) begins...

We were very reflective on the weekend about the journey that laid ahead of us. \240 We talked about how this was very much like our Camino de Santiago last fall. \240We felt anxious when we arrived in St. Jean Pied de Port and we really weren’t sure what lay ahead. \240We had mountains to cross (the Pyrenees in fact) during the first leg of the journey. \240We looked across the lot to the water and felt like this just might be another mountain to climb ahead.

Today was day 1 and it was a bit of a roller coaster. We were both not surprisingly awake early and anxious to get the day underway. We were out at 7:00 am and took our first “front yard photo” which we will try to do on a regular basis so we can capture the progress.

End of day shot from the camp camera today. \240The excavator equiptment will sleep here tonight ready to work early tomorrow morning.

Day 2 - Destruction begins

It is said that sometimes you need to make a mess in order to clean up. I have a feeling this will be a perfect example of this. \240We had lots of rain over night, but the day ahead is suppose to be sunny and quite warm. \240Lots scheduled to happen today, our first supply delivery from Soo Mill, the contractor will be on-site, and the excavator will be here. \240Coffee will be on for all and we are guaranteed to have a big mess by the end of the day.

It was a very productive day, if the amount of dirt piled is any indication. \240The excavator arrived at 8:45 am and was very quick to get to the task at hand. \240He was amazing at his craft, shaving off 1/2 inch here and there as needed until he had the entire site leveled. \240Ed was very eager to be his helper and move the measuring stick as needed. \240The contractor stopped in just to check on the progress and make sure everything was going as planned. \240My reaction at the end of the day was ... that’s a very big hole and a very large dirt pile.

The final task required for the day was the arrival of the first of many supplies from Soo Mill. \240We were getting rather concerned that the order had not yet arrived and the contractor would need the supplies for tomorrow morning. \240Around 4:00 pm, we heard the joyous song of the back up alarm on the truck and two young strong lads with a big truck were here with a full load. \240It appears we will have enough supplies to keep everyone busy for a few days!

Day 2 in the books and we are very pleased with the results. \240The unknown of what boulders we might find lurking when we started to dig was behind us. \240

Day 3 - Start of the foundation

Beautiful calm morning. \240We woke and the hole was still there and after some rain last night, not too much water was pooling in it. The Contractor should be on-site today with his crew to start the process of setting the footings.

Footings, the base of it all!

Frank and his crew arrived about 9:30am with coffee and donuts in hand and a beautiful day to work. \240 After sizing up the work of the excavator, they got to work measuring and setting the footings around what will be the base for the walls. \240It is amazing the difference the use of modern tools in making the process so much more efficient (according to Ed). \240Battery nail guns (no more swinging of a hammer), electronic leveling equipment with display and sound. \240Everything was ready for concrete by about 1 pm, however, all the concrete trucks were tied up in town with a large project (300 cubic metres). Somehow this large job trumped our 9 metre order required for the footings. \240We will have to wait until tomorrow for the pour to finish the footings. We will need to use our patience during this journey as our small build to others may not be top of the list, slowly and steady, we will move forward to climb this mountain.

End of day camp camera photo Day 3. \240Waiting for the concrete truck.

Day 4 - Footings pour

We are in the que!!. \240Received a text from the contractor first thing today and we are scheduled for our pour at noon today. \240It should be a bit quieter day work wise, the heavy concrete truck will do most of it and then things will be left to settle over night.

What I thought was going to be a relatively quiet day, turned out to be a very busy (but productive) day, but all went off as planned.

The concrete pump truck showed up about 11:00, moments after Franks crew arrived (Davey, Nick, Coulter). \240Ed remembers the days when he did foundations and all of the concrete had to be moved by wheelbarrows taking them all day. \240Now with the assistance of the pump truck, the entire load of concrete (9 cubic meters) can be unloaded in a matter of minutes. \240The Lafarge concrete truck arrived about 11:30 and by noon, the task was done and only clean up left to do.

I think it took longer for the concrete truck and pump truck to hose off and clean out their lines, then it did to actually pour the footings. \240Now the footings will sit over night and tomorrow we will be ready to set the weeping tile and start the foundation blocks.

Our afternoon task was to find a use for the leftover concrete. \240But of course, Ed already had a plan for it. \240We have prepared ahead and had wheelbarrows ready. \240We added a bit of cement dye to change the colour into a more neutral brown and then started to lay the forms for our new pathway to the beach. \240We were not able to use up all the concrete before it started to harden, but we did make a good dent in the pile, and we will have 3 more pours so the rest will be completed another day. \240

We weren’t sure how this would work out, but we were very pleased with the results.

End of Day 4, lots of progress today.

Day 5 - Footings and Stone

Rain is in the forcast for today. \240Our shot from the beach changed slightly today with the addition of the new footpath.

Once again our small job was bumped by other larger jobs for our stone delivery today. This is a very busy time of the year, with the 1/2 load limit and Covid, everything was stalled and now with both opening up at the same time, all building is going full speed ahead. The driver from Soo Mill the other day indicated that they have not been able to keep up with the demand for supplies.

Frank was on-site to remove the forms for the footings and install the weeping tile. \240We were hoping for the stone today so we would be ready for the foundation walls but unfortunately, this would need to wait until Monday. The morning was a bit overcast and warm, around 12:30, the sky darkened and the rain started with the temperature dropping several degrees. \240Frank finished the removal of the footing supports, but decided that the weeping tile could wait until Monday when hopefully it is a bit dryer and he wrapped up around 2:00 pm.

We kept ourselves busy for the morning working on getting the outside pump set up and ready to go. \240Part of the installation required Ed to don his swim suit and head out into the not so warm water today to set the line. He wasn’t in very long and his legs were looking a little blue when he was finished. \240The rain started, just as we were trying to get the pump primed, which we took as Mother Nature’s way of telling us to break for lunch.

We had a site visit today by our Heating Supplier, Bob at North Channel Heating. \240He reviewed the layout and offered a few more suggestions on placement of the furnace and ductwork now that we can see the layout. \240He dropped off the underground gas lines that will be required once the trenches are dug in the next couple of weeks for the utilities.

It was cool and damp inside the camp so we lit the wood stove and decided this would be a great afternoon to cozy up on the couch and have an afternoon nap, our first one all week!.

We are finding that patience will be key to our success/sanity in this process and so far we are just going with the flow. As we come to the end of this first week, we had originally anticipated we would be farther along (foundation walls up). Reflecting on the week, we are very pleased with the progress that has been made. \240We have had 4.5 days of great working weather. \240The bugs haven’t been too bad at all for this time of the year. \240We have been very pleased with our choice in contractors. It’s been a great week!

End of Week 1

Things will sit quiet for the weekend. We will look forward to sharing the changes to come next week.

Week 2 - Day 1

If all goes according to plan (well our plan anyway), this should be a busy day ahead. \240It is a beautiful morning and the forcast is for a sunny warm day.

Weeping Tile

The crew arrived bright and early at 8:00am eager and ready to go as the gravel truck was on its way. \240The first job was to roll out the weeping tile and set this around the forms, both inside and outside so that it would draw any water away from the building. \240It wasn’t long before Ed was jumping in to help as much as he could.

Around 9:00am, the first of several gravel trucks arrived today. \240What an amazing process the stone spreader would use. \240Relying on a conveyer system and remote control for direction, they were able to unload the gravel truck and “sling” the gravel exactly where they wanted it. \240Ed said back in the day when he worked in construction, it would take them a day or more to move the gravel, one wheel barrow at a time. \240The truck was unloaded and on his way to get more stone within 30 minutes.

Setting the foundation

Once the first load of gravel was completed, they started to lay the foundation blocks. \240These styrofoam blocks are somewhat like LEGO blocks for adults. \240They are light, easy to cut with a circular saw, supported by plastic braces, it really makes you wonder how stable they will be. \240They are, however, the industry standard. \240Once set up, a piece of reinforcing rod is inserted along the length and then they will be filled with concrete.

Successful Day (well almost)

Today, we could very visibly see the progress that was being made. \240About midway through the afternoon however, Davy said, “I think we are going to run out of blocks”. \240He got on the phone to Soo Mill and when they checked their calculations. They had shorted us in the blocks required to finish. \240Thankfully they have next day delivery so we should have them here by tomorrow morning.

The stone thrower showed up for the 3rd load of the day around 3:00 pm. \240He started everything up and was just starting to “sling” the stones when the entire system shut down. As he walked to the truck he looked at Ed and I and said, “lets hope its not catastrophic, everything is electronic on these things and you cant fix them easily any more.” Ed and I looked at each other and thought, yikes! He was able to start things back up again and we were successful in getting the 3rd load spread in what will be our crawl space.

Our job during the day is to try and stay out of the way, but keep busy. I didn’t realize how difficult this would be. \240We keep busy cleaning up all the cardboard, and I am very careful not to put away any tools (yet). \240After everyone left for the day, we lit a fire to burn up the accumulated cardboard. It was a magnificent day and I even took the journal down to the lake to update.

We are scheduled to have the walls poured tomorrow so hopefully all goes according to schedule.

End of Day- Week 2 - Day 1

Lots of visible progress today, it feels so exciting to now be able to see the building grow in front of our eyes.

It is going to be a warm one today. \240Heat warnings are in effect and they are expecting temperatures to go above 30 degrees. \240We are expecting it to be a very busy day, finishing the foundation and pouring the walls.

The first hurdle this morning was whether the blocks required to finish the foundation would be here on time. \240Davey had stopped at Soo Mill to confirm their delivery and they indicated they were scheduled for noon. To which he replied, “that is too, late we need them ASAP this morning!” (however, I am expecting his language was a little more firm and colourful). \240They did arrive around 10:00 am so all was good and the crew continued to finish the walls and then set the supports in place. We were scheduled for the concrete truck and pumper to arrive for a 2:00 pm pour.

Around 11:30am we got the news that apparently the four concrete trucks on their early morning delivery were stuck (quite literally) in someone else’s driveway. \240They had another job scheduled after ours and at this point they didn’t think they would be able to make either of them today. \240They asked if we would agree to be bumped till Thursday morning. \240Ed and I just looked at each other, and Frank said, “it’s all good, we will make it work”. \240This now bumps the final stone delivery that was scheduled for tomorrow until Friday. Frank and his crew are so used to this as part of their daily work life. \240For people who are very detailed and organized, we are finding this to be a bit of an adjustment.

We are beginning to realize that building a home is very much a roller coaster or like climbing over the Pyrenees with its up and downs. It is a very emotional process as well. \240As the drawings that have been two dimensional on paper for so long start to come to life, we start questioning ourselves, is it too big, is it too small, is it too high, is it too low? \240We have decided it is too late!

We are very grateful for Frank’s patience while he answers our questions and walks us through different scenarios and talks us off the ledge when we feel like we are getting close to the edge.

Week 2 - Day 2

End of day photo, our foundation walls are completed minus the concrete. \240All supports in place ready for the pour.

Week 2 - Day 3

Interesting day so far and it is only 9:30am. \240We had no one scheduled to be on-site today so we decided to take a drive east of the Sault to visit with our Gas Fitter and confirm the fireplace unit as he mentioned last week he had one in the show room. \240It felt very strange to get up and put on our “good” clothes to head into town. \240It is a good day not to be working with rain and winds in the forecast. \240It started last night and we had had a couple of short periods of very intense wind, some of the effects of tropical storm Cristobal.

Before leaving, we went down to the shore to take our daily morning photo and I captured a brief video of the roar of the waves. \240Several of the chairs had blown off the dock in the wind so we picked them up and brought them up to higher ground. As we turned to head back up to the garage, we stopped cold. Ed noticed a neighbour’s tree that had been snapped off in the wind. \240Luckily, it was hung up in a maple next to it. \240Had it been 2 feet one way, it would have fallen on the beach house and 2 feet the other way, it would have fallen on the new foundation. This type of break is also very dangerous as it is hanging twisted and once it is cut you don’t know which way it will go. \240They call them “widow makers” for good reason, this is a job for a professional.

We made a call to Superior Tree service and Jessie was on his way to Thessalon (east of the Sault) for a full day job. \240When we explained to him our situation, he said he would be here as soon as he could. He called us back shortly and said he would be here in an hour.

So we have changed our plans for the day, put on our work clothes once again and we will see what the rest of the day brings.

Superior Tree Works to the rescue!

Jessie arrived about 10:00am and assessed the situation. \240At this point, the winds felt like hurricane gusts along the shoreline. \240He would climb the maple that the fallen spruce was tangled in and tie it off, then he would cut the spruce in block sections and hopefully this would work. We lost one tall cedar as well that the spruce was leaning up against.

Jessie was amazing and right on the mark. \240The tree is now safely on the ground and out of harms way. \240Frank will be pleased when he returns tomorrow to pour the walls that everything is still standing.

End of day, and thankfully all is still intact.

Week 2 - Day 4

It rained, and rained, and rained last night. \240I had visions of the concrete trucks that were coming today getting stuck in the driveway. Fingers crossed that my visions would not become reality.

We had work to do this morning, cleaning up the fallen spruce that would keep us busy while Frank’s crew was on-site to pour the walls.

It is so amazing to be here while the work is being done and to see what is involved in each step. Today the foundation would be poured, they would be putting concrete into the styrofoam forms. \240The pumper truck was here and the concrete trucks would back up to this unit and pour the concrete directly into the pumper. \240The pumper is operated by remote control by the driver. Davey was in charge of directing the flow of the concrete while Nicholas and Coulter helped to smooth things out. One with a vibrating tube that was placed down in the forms to help the concrete settle and the other with a trowel to smooth the top.

Everything went very smoothly. \240Four concrete trucks (29 meters in total) were in and out in 2 hours. \240When one concrete truck was empty, the next one was there waiting and we could hear the song of the back-up beeps. \240Thankfully when all was done, none of the trucks were stuck in the laneway and in fact, for 5 large vehicles coming into the lot and the amount of rain we had, the road was in very good shape. (That will be tomorrow’s project)

The crew left shortly after and now the walls will sit and cure until Monday before they are back. \240Once the pumper was done, he cleaned out his truck leaving behind once again, the excess that we would use for the walk way.

It was much cooler today which was to our benefit, as the concrete did not set nearly as quickly. \240We were able to finish as much as we could of the walkway until the excavator is done backfilling. \240We then used the remaining concrete to make extra forms that will be used to create additional paths once we get to the point of landscaping.

It was actually a welcome relief to head down to the beach late in the afternoon and start a fire that felt cozy and warm on this cool spring day. \240It was also a great way to start to clean up some of the spruce tree.

End of day.

It doesn’t look like much has changed on the surface of this photo, but with the addition of concrete to the walls, they now have the strength to support the rest of our home. (We hope!)

Week 2 - Day 5

Today was a quiet day on the bay. \240With the foundation resting and no crew on site we were able to get our morning walk in. \240We decided to stop at the Voyageur for one of the “World Famous Apple Fritters” that would fuel our day (and maybe the next few days, it is a good thing we shared it!)

It was a perfect day for working in the yard and cleaning up the spruce tree. \240Ed got busy with the chainsaw to block up the pieces. \240We moved the limbs over to the fire pit and with the calm offshore breeze we were able to keep the fire burning continuously.

It was a long day, but by the end of the day everything was cleaned up and you would hardly know except for the stump that remains as a reminder what had transpired this week.

With the crew off for the weekend, the next update will be on Monday. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Today was a good news, bad news kind of day!

It was a beautiful day on the bay. \240The lake was very calm, it was sunny and warm with very few bugs, who could ask for anything more?

Davey and crew arrived around 8:30 am at the same time as the “Stone Slinger”. \240The final load of stones needed for the basement floor and around the footings was “thrown” in no time.

The next task was to remove all of the wall supports required for the pouring of concrete , both inside and outside. \240Now that the concrete has hardened, the walls were strong and stable on their own.

Davey spent most of his time today on waterproofing the foundation walls. \240First, a thin layer of peel and stick tar paper. \240Then covering this would be the brown, almost like a hard bubble wrap layer. \240Shannon and Coulter were tasked with the job of making sure that all of the weeping tile and the base of the “bubble wrap” were covered in the stone. \240It was a hot and long day for the crew and we certainly appreciate all that they are doing for us.

The bad news....

As we have said before, everything is so intertwined and when one piece doesn’t happen, it has an impact on others. \240The excavator was originally supposed to be here tomorrow, perfect timing! Late last week we got a call that he would be delayed until Thursday of this week, not great, but ok. \240This morning we got a call that he is now delayed until Monday of next week, uggg. \240We have no control over this, but it is frustrating(especially for one that has very little patience at the best of times). \240Now we would have to sit, wait, and look at our foundation for another week as they can’t start the framing until backfilling is completed. Pouring of the basement floor will happen at some point before the walls go up.

A neighbour stopped by this morning to check on the progress. \240After explaining to them our struggle, we were reminded by the wise neighbour, “life is short, don’t wish it away”. \240We needed that reality check to look at this from a different perspective. \240We shifted our focus in the afternoon from everything that we wouldn’t be able to get done this week, to what we would now have time to do! \240So the rest of this week will be spent on a few odd jobs that we didn’t think we would get to that we have on our to-do list and we will take some time to play. \240We got the kayaks out this afternoon so if the waters are calm, we will be ready take on that adventure and we might even try to get some more cycling in this week.

Week 3 - Day 1

End of day photo. \240Ready and waiting for back fill!

Quiet day on the bay as the foundation sat waiting. It was another beautiful day and we kept ourselves busy.

We had an interesting encounter on our walk this morning. \240There was a couple with a dog and we had seen them a few other days recently. \240The other day the plumber called, just as we met up with them so we couldn’t stop and chat. \240Today, with our schedule to ourselves, we stopped to talk to them. \240Originally from the area they had moved to Ottawa to raise their family. \240They recently (4 years ago) bought a camp up the road, and like many, were enjoying their time on the bay in isolation. \240We started to talk about our different morning paths and they said, “we enjoy walking, and even walked the Camino Portuguese”. \240Well Ed and I looked at each other and smiled, and then explained to them we had been on the Camino Frances last year. \240We were both there in the fall and were feeling blessed that we were able to have that experience pre-Covid. \240You just never know who you might meet. \240I am sure we will see them again and share stories of our adventures.

It was a calm day, and a perfect day to burn up the remaining papers and cardboard from the work yesterday. \240We rolled the burn barrel out to make it easier and less prone to ash escaping into the air. \240I am sure anyone around thought we were really sending smoke signals.

Ed worked on the Shipping Container aka “Seacan”, doing prep work, grinding and washing in the morning. \240After lunch we spend the warm afternoon giving it a facelift so that it will all be the same colour with a coat of paint. \240We had quickly done the wall where the wood was piled late last fall, with our plan to finish the rest this summer. Very pleased with the result and that we can check something off our To Do list.

Beautiful “Rest/Play” day on the Bay.

The build is sitting idle, soaking up the sun and waiting for the backfill to happen.

We decided to make a run into town for supplies. After several stops, we were headed back out to enjoy some of the sunshine. You’ll have to keep reading to see what projects are still to come from the supplies we picked up today.

Thankfully, the Bay was still calm in the afternoon, so we took advantage of it and suited up to go out kayaking. \240It was our maiden voyage for the year, and the air was actually quite hot, even on the water. \240Not much air movement and the lake and the water were amazingly tranquil. \240The water felt warm to our touch as we paddled so when we got back, we both decided to take a dip and get cooled off. \240Well the water was not as warm as we thought, so we quickly changed our minds as we got wet just past our knees and decided on a cold beverage instead to cool us off.

We should have a few build related updates tomorrow if all goes according to plan.

Another quiet day on the Bay. \240The lake was very calm and inviting.

Our morning walk was interrupted as the plumber arrived earlier than expected to drop off materials and assess the site. \240He would be sending back one of his apprentice plumbers this afternoon to install the floor drain.

While we were waiting, the lake was calling us! \240It was like glass today and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get the kayaks out again. \240We paddled over to Batchawana Beach when we got a call from Algoma Power, they were here to do a wire locate. Yikes! They were suppose to call and let us know before they came. \240We started paddling back as quickly as we could hoping to catch him, but his work was done and he called to say he was on his way before we got back.

The plumber apprentice arrived about 2:30pm to install the floor drain in the crawl space. \240It was very, very hot in the crawl space this afternoon as there was no wind movement at all. \240Ed was keeping a watchful eye on things.

Still waiting for backfilling to happen so we can move forward on to next steps. \240We will be very happy when we get to the stage where we are in control of the pace of work that is needed to be done and not so dependent on others.

Lots to do and keep us busy while we wait!

We are keeping ourselves busy as we wait for the back filling to happen. \240So far we have not heard any news of a further delay, so we take that as a good sign that things will happen on Monday. (But we will keep our fingers crossed until things start happening).

Today was a supply day. \240We were waiting for our next order from Soo Mill to arrive. We were surprised to see our delivery driver Kyle wearing a FP Contracting shirt, we are taking that as a good sign.

While I was waiting for the delivery, I found our rhubarb was ready for picking and was just asking to be made into a crisp that we would enjoy later.

Ed made a trip into town in the morning for some back up supplies. \240The culvert on Stoney Point Road has taken a bit of a beating with the weight of the concrete trucks. \240We will have to replace it but we are hoping to have all the heavy truck work done before that happens. \240In the meantime, we thought it would be a good idea to have the needed supplies on hand just in case an emergency repair is required. He also picked up extra drain tile for that will be laid to drain the weeping tile into the lake once the trenching is completed. \240His truck was well loaded on the way back.

One of the supplies that was picked up this week was plywood that will be used by the plumber and electrician to mount all of the utilities in the crawl space. \240With extra time on our hands, Ed decided the plywood should be stained and varathaned so that it will “look good”.

Next update will be on Monday of next week and hopefully we will start to see landscape changes. Happy Summer Solstice.

End of day shot- hasn’t changed much in a few days.

We are moving forward again, yippee!

Lots going on today. \240Brian Petingalo arrived around 10:00 am and started the back fill process. \240He is an exceptional craftsman with his shovel, maneuvering it like it is an extension of his arm. \240Scooping, packing, levelling, shaving a few inches off here and there, repeat!

He started out backfilling the piles of dirt and rough leveling and sloping the ground. \240Would we have enough dirt? Would we have too much dirt? \240This mystery is yet to unfold.

Davey arrived on site with Angie around 1:30 pm. With rain in the forecast for overnight and tomorrow, it would be necessary to cover the cardboard Sono Tubes with plastic. \240Angela was tasked to place a row of tar caulking around the top of the water proof material on the foundation walls. One of those long tedious jobs that is necessary, but not much to show for your work afterwards.

After a quick lunch break, Brian started the trenching while he was waiting for Davey to finish wrapping the tubes. \240One of the deepest trenches would be the water line to the pump house that needed to be dug to a depth of 5 feet. \240Ed was very hands and excited to be helping to lay the pipe as Brian dug and covered.

Once Davey was ready, it was time to set the piers. \240Concrete will be poured to fill these and they will become the supports for the outside porch and beams for the trusses.

Once everyone had gone, (around 6:30 pm), Frank called and asked Ed to cover the sono tubes with a garbage bag and tape them due to the high volume of rain anticipated overnight. \240He just finished when the rain started.

It was very exciting to see the landscape change today. \240We have our magnificent view of the lake back. Our home no longer looks like just a big hole in the yard it is starting to take shape.

End of day camp camera photo. \240Lots of changes today and much more to come tomorrow. \240Heavy rainfall warnings in the forecast overnight and tomorrow, so it might be an interesting day working in the mud. Stay tuned.

Rain, rain go away, come again another day!

Well the weather man was correct for a change. They were calling for heavy rainfall amounts between 50-75 mm and it appears we are right in the center of it. \240The rain started last night and continued steadily through the night. \240With lots to do today, we dug out our rain gear and rubber boots and headed out into the damp morning.

First task was protecting the sono tubes, some of the garbage bags had collapsed with the weight of the rain, so we quickly recovered them and brushed away the water on the others to keep the weight off. \240This would become a frequent project throughout the day.

We dug out the electrical and plumbing supplies we had tucked away that would be needed for the trenching today. \240Chris from Superior North Electrical and his crew of one (Scott) arrived as scheduled at 9:00 am. \240They got busy rolling out the wire that would be used to connect the new main building to the beach house and the garage. \240By the time Brian arrived to run the backhoe, everything was set up and ready to go. The trenches would be dug to 24” then backfilled approx 12”. Red caution tape was then put in place before the remainder of the trench was back filled. \240It truly is amazing to watch the skill of Brian with the back hoe as he maneuvered the equipment to accomplish this with great speed and accuracy.

The next trench would be to the main power pole. This one would require the wire to be run through PVC conduit. \240Once the trench was in place, Chris and Scott were busy running the pipe over the wire, connecting them and then putting the next one in place. \240Chris did comment how wonderful it was to have the extra hands to help from others as it is sometimes difficult for him as a small business with out a large crew for these jobs. \240It was reassuring to know that we were not getting in the way, and we were actually being useful.

The rain was relentless and never stopped. I actually had to switch rain coats as the first one soaked right through within an hour. We felt like we were back on one of the rainy Camino days when there was nothing you could do but keep moving forward knowing that every step you made was getting you closer to the day’s destination.

It was around 1:30 pm when Brian shut it down and said that is enough for today, we would finish tomorrow. We didn’t realize how wet we actually were until we went inside and started to delayer. I was actually able to ring the water out of my work gloves. \240The warm shower felt amazing on our cold clammy skin.

We are very pleased with the progress over the last couple of days!

Camp camera end of day photo. \240The backhoe will sleep here again tonight and hopefully it’s work here will be done tomorrow.

We were beginning to think the rain was never going to stop. \240Should we be building an arc rather than a home? Thankfully around 4 am, it finally subsided and the morning was damp and overcast, but dry.

Brian arrived around 9:30 to complete the trenching and backfill. \240The first line was the water line from the new house to the garage. \240The tricky part was the existing power supply to the garage (our current home) was running right across the path that the trench would take. As Brian dug the trench, Ed was eager to jump in and assist. \240I think Brian said something like, “you look like a professional”, but we have to be careful not to repeat it or Ed might get a complex. \240Once we got close to the hydro line, Brian did indicate, “now is the part that get’s tricky”. \240He made it look so easy, like he may have done this a few times before. \240All went well and the new waterline is now in place.

We ran the weeping tile line to the lake and the gas line from the new home toward where the propane tank will be once it is set up. \240Brian wrapped up around 3 pm without taking a break all day. \240As much as he is a challenge to schedule, his work is meticulous and he is a very hard worker. \240He did comment at the end of the day that he enjoyed working with us because we weren’t afraid to jump in and help. I guess this means we weren’t in his way too much.

Just when we thought we would be able to take it easy for the rest of the day, we got the call from Frank around 4 pm that they will be pouring the floor and the piers tomorrow morning at 7 am. \240The work that we thought could wait until tomorrow would now have to be done today. \240We tied up the lines that were now in the basement so that they will not be in the way of the concrete pour. \240Brian had left a pile of the gravel that we could use later, but it was in the way of the concrete truck so this must be moved. \240We tucked some in a pile in the bush, and the rest we put under where the deck and entrance will be so that it will be a bit cleaner when they start to work on the framing.

We wrapped up for the day around 5:30 pm, tired but in a good mood, we accomplished a lot today way. \240The rain started again around 6:00 pm but the forecast shows sunny weather for tomorrow. \240Let’s hope so as it needs to be dry in order to pour the floor tomorrow.

I think it will be an early to bed and restful sleep tonight knowing that the complexity of the trenching lines and backfill are now successfully behind us.

Wow! Today was a very busy and messy day.

It was an early morning start to the day. \240The pumper arrived around 6:30 am, it actually beat me taking the morning shot of the day as it had arrived earlier than expected. \240It turned out that the pumper driver/operator was Jamie Taylor who Ed had gone to elementary school with and they had played baseball together. Small world!

Not far behind was the crew that would finish the crawl space floor. Pucci Concrete Finishing and Davey to oversee things. (The driveway was lined with pickup trucks). Everyone was set up ready to go and we were waiting for the concrete trucks to arrive. With all the rain we had over the past few days, we were a bit concerned about the concrete trucks. As long as they stayed to the road they would be ok, but one wrong turn and they would be buried in the swamp. We were relieved to hear the beep, beep, beep of the backup alarms down the driveway around 7:30 am as the first truck arrived.

We were very impressed at the pouring of the floor. With about 7 people working, it was almost like a well rehearsed synchronized dance. Each person knew what job they were required to do. \240There was very little verbal communication and in no time they had the floor completed and ready to rest. We had 1 pumper and 3 concrete trucks successfully in and out today.

Our first mess of the day happened with the 2nd concrete truck. When it pulled out, apparently it wasn’t completely empty. \240The hopper was still spinning and wet concrete spattered all over the garage and everything in front. Nothing that a little elbow grease and Mr. Clean wouldn’t fix.

Davey then took over to pour the piers. \240It didn’t take them long with the long arm of the pumper truck. \240Unfortunately with the rain we have had since they were set, the base of them was full with water, even with the garbage bags we had set on top. \240Mess number two, as the tubes filled with fresh concrete, it was like a volcano of cement and water spurting out all over the place. \240I think Davey saw the look of shock on my face and he did come over afterwards and said not to worry, one of his crew would clean it up next week after everything was dried.

By 9:30 am, the heavy work was done. \240One of the Pucci crew somehow snuck away and was coming back with a bag full of Voyageur famous fritters for the crew. \240It was a beautiful day, and it seemed like they weren’t in a hurry to leave. \240The pumper (Jamie) cleaned out his truck lines, and then 3 men from Pucci’s crew were left behind to continue to trowel the floor throughout the day.

With this being our final pour, we got busy making the final pieces of our pathway. \240It felt quite awkward knowing that there were professional cement finishers here, but I think they were actually impressed with it, as they commented how “awesome” it looked.

After Brian left yesterday, the landscape looked like it was finally starting to take shape. \240After all the pick up trucks, pumper, concrete trucks in and out today, well lets just say we have more work to do. \240It was short lived, and we have come to the conclusion that with several more deliveries, and lots more trucks to come, we will need to put aside any aspirations of a well manicured lawn for now.

Mid afternoon, Jordon from North Channel Plumbing and heating arrived. \240He was here to weld the gas pipe so that we could finish the trenching by hand. \240When he was finished, he asked if he could take a few pictures, and he was very eager to put our install dates in his calendar so he would have an excuse to come back. \240I think he said something about telling the rest of the crew how awful this place was so he would be first on the list to come (or maybe that was Ed that suggested that).

It was around 3pm when the last 3 of the crew from Pucci’s were getting ready to leave. \240Of course, Ed started to talk to one of the crew and it turns out that most of them are brothers and their father was the one, guiding the hose in the morning. \240We asked if it was a lottery who got to stay here for the day, and they said, “No, our father just decides!”

This was the last of the heavy concrete trucks today so we used the gravel that was picked up last week to fill the pot holes along the road. \240All things considered, it is really not in too bad of shape.

It was another long, busy day, but very productive. \240We are very pleased and excited by the progress that has been made this week. \240Our floor and wall supplies should be dropped off early next week, so fingers crossed that all supplies arrive and Frank’s crew will be here to start the framing soon.

Today was the calm following the storm.

There would be no build activities today, so we took the opportunity to make a run into town. \240With the foundation now \240completed, we had some extra supplies to return to Soo Mill. \240Normally when they ship material, they send extra because it is better to have too many than not enough.

After several stops in town, we arrived back out at Batch around noon. \240With lots of clean up ahead of us, we fueled with lunch and a quick nap (since we hadn’t had time for one all week).

Our neighbor had located a drag that we could pull behind the side by side to help level the ground and pull up the stones. \240I think Ed was having fun, although he tried to tell me he was really working hard. \240We did some concrete clean-up as well, but this will be a work in progress over the next few days.

As we sat back and looked at the completed foundation, we remembered the corner stakes that had been placed there over the last couple of years during the planning (and dreaming) process. \240Now where the stakes were, we have a solid foundation for our home.

End of day shot.

Calm quiet day on the bay!

Weekend recap. \240Nate Maguire was here to help us again with some more of the heavy lifting. \240I think he was enjoying swinging the stone hammer to break up the concrete. \240We hauled the pieces up the driveway to the swampy areas which is making a great extension to the side of the lane way.

We have a new neighbor that appears to have moved in. \240He is about 3 feet tall and covered with black fur. \240Yes, we have a yearling black bear that has been dropping by. \240On Sunday when we went to leave for a bike ride, he was sauntering down the drive way until he heard the sound of the bikes. \240Unfortunately, no pictures to show as we were too slow, so you’ll have to decide if it is a fish tale or not.

Today was a quiet day. \240We are waiting for the next load of lumber to be delivered by Soo Mill for the floor and walls. We are hoping they will be able to start on these later this week.

In the meantime, there is always lots to do to keep us busy. \240 Ed was working in the crawl space cleaning up the overflow of concrete. \240We also had the plywood for the utilities that needed a few coats of varathane.

It was an extremely hot today with heat warnings in effect. \240The lake was exceptionally calm so mid afternoon we decided to take advantage of it and venture out for the first long swim of the season to cool off. \240 I didn’t believe Ed when he said the water temperature was almost 28 degrees.

End of day shot.

Another quiet day on the way, patiently waiting for the sound of hammers to start!

Today was another very hot, calm day. \240We had lots of little jobs to keep us busy. \240We started in the crawl space until the sun was overhead and it was too hot to work inside with the heat reflecting off the walls. \240Ed was finishing scraping where the concrete had over poured and I was working on starting to clean the blocks. \240Normally this space would be covered in drywall so no one would see the dirt or imperfections, but in our case because it is the crawl space, these will be our long term walls so we are happy to have the time to clean them up before the floor above goes on. Although it might be cooler once the floor is on.

Our Soo Mill order arrived around 11:00 am. \240It was a very full load with the floor package. \240Only one person is required with the help of the boom on the truck to offload these heavy bundles. \240The wall package has also been ordered, and should arrive on Thursday this week. \240It feels like we are replacing the large piles of dirt with large bundles of wood around the yard.

We called Frank to let him know that everything had arrived. (Thankfully, no backorders). \240They are working on finishing up another build and with the holiday tomorrow, sadly they won’t be starting our framing until next week, Monday or Tuesday.

The good news is we will have more time to focus on finishing up some of the backfilling and maybe some play time. \240We still have a few trench ends that need to be closed and levelled. \240Ed was able to “fish” the line today through the conduit between the garage and the house even though he had to “Macgyver” an attachment for the end of the fish tape so that it would maneuver the bends in the pipe.

End of day shot. \240

Happy Canada Day!

We are officially at one month today as we started the build on June 1. \240We were hoping to be farther along at this point, but we are also grateful for the progress that we have made. Once again, this seems to parallel our Camino. \240We hoped to do it quicker, but we found the slower pace very enjoyable, and we are able to fully enjoy the process and a little bit of free time to explore (when Ed let’s us take a break).

We had Nate here to help again this morning with moving some of the rocks. He has been a tremendous help with some of the heavy lifting. So far he keeps believing us that this is better than a gym membership. With the heat wave in effect, we have found that working in the crawl space can only be done first thing in the morning, otherwise it is too hot. Working in there for the early morning we were able to get the remainder of the scrapping done, and some of the wall washing.

After lunch I was able to convince Ed it was a holiday so we should take a break and get the kayaks out. \240We paddled over to the Voyageur and wow was it busy on the beach! I don’t think we have ever seen it that busy before. \240 With so many festivities cancelled because of Covid and the heat wave, I think most of the Soo was camped out on the beach to be close to the water. There also seems to be lots of boats and toys zipping around on the water, definitely more than normal.

It’s a quiet Canada Day celebration today, but we are grateful that family and friends are staying safe from the virus. Let’s hope (and pray) we can keep it that way.

Another quiet (hot) day on the bay.

Nate was here again this morning to help out, and I have to say for 13 years old, he has been a god send. \240He has helped to clean up many stones, and we have two of the holes which we were now able to fill in.

The next delivery from Soo Mill arrived. \240This was the largest truck so far. \240The massive boom made it very easy for the driver to unload and pile the many pieces of wood right where we wanted them. \240It will be like a large puzzle, sorting everything out and trying to find just the right piece. \240I feel very confident that Frank’s crew will know exactly what each piece is for. \240As the driver left, he said there were still a few more things to come so we will have another delivery tomorrow.

As we enjoy the late afternoon sun on the dock after a refreshing swim, it gives us time to reflect on the down time this week has provided. \240Although we would like things to be moving along quicker, we appear to be moving ahead according to plan, just wasn’t the timeline we had in our minds, With the delivery taking several days for all pieces to arrive, it is good we had the week for everything to arrive. \240It has been great to have the extra time around the yard, raking and picking up rocks that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. \240With the heat warnings this week, it has given us a chance to enjoy the water, both swimming and in the kayaks.

End of day shot. \240

Today is catch up day as I haven’t blogged in a few!

Not too much going on, but at the same time, lots going on. Sometimes (or a great deal of time) I ask myself, why are we picking up rocks, only to put smaller gravel rocks on top. \240But Ed assures me that each rock has a purpose. \240Hmmm, well needless to say we are moving a great deal of rocks. \240Who needs a gym membership when you have rocks!

Nate was here on Saturday and was helping as I made a trip into town. \240We had picked up a small trailer load of crushed rock on our last trip. \240After digging up the yard we had a great deal of dirt (aka mud tracking inside). \240Ed and Nate levelled out a section in front of the main door to start the process of covering the dirt. \240At one small load at a time, this was going to take a great many loads. Ed called to see if we could get a full truck load delivered next week and by chance they said they would be there in the afternoon. I think we now have lots of rocks to keep us busy for many days.

Sunday was a relatively quiet day. \240It was finally a bit overcast so we were able to spend the early morning hours in the crawl space before the heat and finished up cleaning the walls. \240After that it was time for a break and the calm lake was calling us. \240We headed out on the kayaks for a trip over to Batchawana beach.

Monday we were hoping to get the call that Frank’s crew was on his way back to do the framing. Unfortunately when the call came, he has been delayed on the other build waiting for supplies and with the heat. \240He expects to be starting here on Wednesday or Thursday of this week, so only a few more days to wait. \240Our plumber was here first thing to hook up the lines into the septic tank. It didn’t take him long to line up the pipes and get everything set in place with the proper grade into the tank.

After lunch as we levelled more areas, we found more rocks that needed to be moved. It does appear to be never ending. \240We were also able to finish the connection of conduit and run the wire into the Beach House so that this hole (the very first one we dug) could now be filled in.

In the late afternoon, a thunderstorm passed through that not only brought some much needed rain, but also a break from the heat wave that has been with us for a week. \240With daytime highs in the high 30’s, the cool air is a welcome relief!

Keeping busy and trying very hard to be patient!

All the supplies have arrived now for the floor and the walls. \240Now all we need is Frank and his crew to start to assemble everything. \240We are hoping that they will be here later this week. \240The heat wave we have experienced over the last week has unfortunately contributed to putting things further behind. \240Most crews are only able to work until around noon due to the extreme heat.

Not surprising we have had lots to keep us busy. \240We have finished levelling the ground at the back of the house where the septic lines were tied in. \240We put a small dent in the gravel pile we received on the weekend by laying the rest of the stone around the front of the garage. \240This will be much cleaner and will cut down on the dirt being tracked inside.

With the heat, we have taken the opportunity to cool off in the lake on several occasions, feeling very grateful to be so close to the water.

Thank you blog readers for continuing to follow our adventure. \240We hope that we will have exciting changes to report on in the next few days, and please if you have any extra patience, feel free to send them our way.

We are very excited to report that progress is happening!

Frank and Shannon arrived first thing to get the floor started. Ed was like a kid in a candy store because Frank needed an extra set of hands and I think I saw him waiving his hand saying “pick me, pick me”. The first task was to measure and mark the foundation with a chalk line. \240Even being out an inch would really throw things off so precision was very important.

The first task for Shannon which was like opening a puzzle box was to sort through all of the materials and put things in piles grouped by size where they would be able to access the pieces as needed.

Next a thin layer of pink insulation was placed on top of the foundation wall. \240This would then be sandwiched by wood to be placed over top which would become the “sill plate”.

It rained gently most of the morning. \240With the extreme heat we have had, the rain was definitely much needed. You could almost hear the vegetation soaking it up. \240About 11:30am, it really started to pour, and with more rain in the forecast for the afternoon, Frank called it quits for the day. \240He will be back tomorrow with a full group to start to lay out the floor joists. It was a good morning’s work with the very detailed layout and measurements done in preparation for laying the floor.

Reflecting on the last few weeks while we have been “patiently” waiting for progress to happen, this period reminds me of the Meseta (Spanish prairies) we had experienced on the Camino. \240It seemed at the time as we walked through the gently rolling fields that it was never going to end. \240It was very hot and dry. \240Then one day we looked up, and there were the hills on the horizon. \240I think we are about to enter into some more hills as we start the walls and roof of our new home.

End of day progress. The changes are sutle, but this lays the foundation for more to come.

Lots of progress today!

Frank and his crew (Shannon, Angie, Coulter) arrived early, 8:00 am before we even had a chance to take the morning shot. \240It was a cool and misty morning, a great day for working outside.

The first task of the day was to assemble the first wall in the crawl space. This is also a supporting wall for the floor.

Next they started the floor Joists and used the supporting wall to cantilever the joist across as they fastened them. \240Down the center of the structure would be LVL beams. \240They use this instead of steel beams. \240Manufactured wood is heavy, yet they are still able to move them rather than the weight of a steel beam. As the mist burned off, the sun came up and the blue sky provided a canopy for the crew. This also meant that the work they were doing in the hole would be very warm. \240Rather than swinging manual hammers, fastening the beams went very smoothly with the assistance of the nail guns.

Ed and I kept busy (I was really trying to keep him out of Frank’s way). \240First we started to haul stone up to where the porch will be. This will cut down on any weeds that might grow here and will provide a foundation for any outside storage underneath the deck.

We then worked at removing the sono tubes and plastic from the piers where they will be visible underneath the deck.

It was a long, hot, busy day, but we both feel very excited with progress that we have made today.

End of day photo.

Several piles are now gone, and we have the makings of a floor. \240

More progress today!

It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but there was a great deal accomplished today inside.

Frank and his crew of 2 today (Angie and Coulter) arrived this morning. \240We are very grateful that they are working on the weekend to help get things caught up.

Coulter was assigned the task of installing the joist hangers. \24075 of them would need to be installed between the LVL beam and each floor joist. \240Unfortunately for this task, the manual hammer would need to be used. For so many jobs the automatic nailer has made the task much easier, but it doesn’t always fit into tight spaces.

Frank worked on putting together the 2nd wall in the crawl space. \240Almost forgot the doorway, but all was good and we now have an access point. \240By the end of the day, all floor joists were installed and much of the rim board which goes around the outside edge.

Ed and I once again kept busy trying to stay out of the way. \240We finished the pier clean up early before the crew arrived, and finished moving the remainder of the stone for under the deck by the end of the day.

We are expecting another full day tomorrow.

End of day shot.

So happy with the progress that has happened over the past couple of days.

We have a floor...well almost!

Another very productive day on the bay. \240Once Frank and crew (Angie and Coulter) arrived, they were busy finishing the remaining rim board and joist hangers. \240On the ends there were many small sections of joist cut and placed perpendicular to the joist at 24” apart. This would be used to fasten the side rim joist.

By lunchtime they were ready to start putting the plywood on for the floor. \240The sun was at it’s peak and unfortunately there was very little breeze which made it very hot for them to work on top. \240Each board has a tongue and groove edge and would be glued down along the joists and then nailed down tightly to prevent any squeaks down the road.

Ed and I kept busy on tree pruning. \240We took out a couple of smaller trees that would be impeding the view and trimmed some of the larger trees using the long pole cutter. \240We are very pleased with the results. \240At the end of the day we took a climb up to the floor to admire the view. \240It will take a bit of getting used to from the higher elevation, but definitely a view we can get used to waking up and seeing every day.

End of day photo. \240Not much left of the floor to complete.

Wow...we have walls!

Another day with lots of progress on the bay. \240It was a bit cooler today with a light breeze off the lake so it was very good weather for working.

Frank and his crew today (Shannon and Angie) arrived and finished up the floor with only one extra board to spare. \240It is amazing how they cut everything so precisely with very little waste. \240Next they would mark out the walls and doorways on the floor with a chalk line so that they can start the wall framing.

It wasn’t long before they had the first wall ready to lift into place. \240They built them on the floor and then lifted it to set it in place. \240The 2nd wall was quite a bit heavier so they needed Ed’s help (and of course he was happy to be needed). \240We were also very happy to have another familiar face and set of hands show up just when we needed them today.

Ed an I kept busy down by the water. \240We set the area around the fire pit and hauled down a few wheelbarrows of our crushed stone to keep it cleaned up. \240Now with all the jobs done on and around the shoreline, it was time to start to move the topsoil. We started around the pathway and we will work toward the fire pit to start.

Such a monumental day as the building now starts to take shape with walls. We are also very excited to have Michael here for a quick visit overnight before he is on his way south again.

End of day shot with walls.

Today truly was a hump day.

After all of the fantastic progress we have had over the past few days, today was the opposite. \240We had a rain storm pass through last night that provided us with significant rainfall. \240Unfortunately the crew was diverted to another worksite for the day so our two walls from yesterday sat lonely and waiting.

Of course we were able to keep busy on our topsoil pile. \240By the end of the day, we had put quite a dent into it and we are feeling hopeful that we will have enough to finish the front section at least.

We know that the trusses are coming on Friday (and we are keeping our fingers crossed that they can make it down the lane way), so Frank is planning to have the walls finished up this week. According to his plan, not just ours.

End of day shot. \240Not many changes today, but definately more to come this week.

A great deal of progress today!

Lisa went to London today until Sunday to visit with her son Matthew who is moving to Boston in a few weeks for work. \240Not knowing when the travel restrictions will be lifted, it was important for her to see him before he departs mid August.

That being said, I am the blogger today. \240The bar has been set pretty high by Lisa, so I hope that I can be a suitable fill-in until she returns.

Walls, walls and more walls! \240Today, most of the exterior walls were completed and lifted into place. \240There is a section of the back wall that is complete but will be raised first thing tomorrow. \240The waterside “tall wall” will be put together after the trusses are installed which currently are scheduled for Monday.

The rest of phase 1 of the spreading of topsoil was completed today. \240It has been seeded and rolled and ready for some peat moss top dressing and water tomorrow. \240Then we hurry up and wait for it to sprout! :-)

The adventure continues!

The day started off with beautiful weather and the expectation of a normal build day. \240Frank and crew arrived early to complete the remaining section of the rear exterior wall and to start the interior walls which help tie the exterior walls together and provide the stability necessary to support the roof trusses that were scheduled to arrive today.

The grass seed was spread on the front yard and ready for watering and the rain that is expected this weekend. \240Let’s hope the brown will become green in the next few weeks.

Shortly before lunch, our friends Dave and Teresa sent us a message that they were heading back to Batchawana from the Soo and came upon a truck carrying trusses, probably ours! \240The picture they sent shows the width of the load and why a special permit was required for them to travel on the highway.

The truck drivers showed up on our site around noon and said there was no way they would be able to get the truck down our driveway, where else did we want them dropped off? \240Yikes, there was no plan for this! \240A few phone calls to some neighbours only got voicemail. \240We decided to drop them at a neighbours about 0.4km away hopeing that it would be ok for them to be there for the weekend. \240On Monday, Frank would have a “zoom boom” lift sent out from the Soo to transport them to the site. \240As we were getting them ready to drop off at the remote location, our neighbour Dave who has a backhoe and has done some work for us this spring, stopped to see if he could be of assistance. \240Well, what perfect timing! \240He felt he could transport the trusses to our site with his backhoe if we wanted to give it a try. \240Eight hours later, all the trusses were on site and ready to be lifted into place on Tuesday! \240We are so grateful for Dave and his impeccable timing. \240It was a long process that took 20 trips to carry all the trusses in. \240I had to walk each trip as I needed to stabilize the trusses during transit. \240I tracked my “walk” during the process, 21.5km and 28 000 steps! \240Needless to day, I will sleep well tonight.

Another memorable day!

Another day, another adventure

Each day, Lisa usually starts the journal post with a photo of the beautiful sunrise over the calm lake. \240Well, with Lisa being away one more day, why not start the day differently?

A thunderstorm rolled in mid morning and with the rain it also brought strong south east winds which caused high waves and a storm surge of at least 16”! \240This season, the dock was installed 18” above the water. \240With the surge and waves, well, the dock decking was “rearranged” but the base structure stayed in place. \240After a few hours, the wind and waves subsided and the decking was reinstalled. \240All is now good again.

The high waves also crashed on the beach putting the erosion control measures we put in place earlier this year to the test. \240The good news is that it was up to the task of protecting the shoreline. \240However, the waves were so high that they reached past the shoreline and in a small area washed away some of the grass seed that was just spread last week. \240It only took a few minutes to reseed this area, it could have been a lot worse!

Lisa will be home tomorrow morning. \240She missed the adventures of the trusses on Friday and the storm of Saturday. \240It seems that with Lisa away, the “wheels fell off” here!

We have pictures to remind us of the experiences which is a little less stressful than living through them. \240:-)

A quiet day on the bay...well sort of.

After our busy weekend that we both had, a quiet day was definately welcome. \240Although it was quiet, there was still a great deal of work done.

Davey was here today with Coulter and Angie. \240They were working on interior walls, closets, etc. On the exterior walls, there was work done on finishing sheeting of the walls.

After lunch, Davey started to build his own scaffolding that would be used tomorrow for access to the trusses as they are put in place.

With the storms that passed through on the weekend, the air was much cooler today. \240 A great day for a bit of catch up laundry and banana bread baking. \240Nate was here to work for a couple of hours, and with his help, the pathway that was dug up for the weeping tile was cleaned up and smoothed so that it is now walkable.

We took advantage of the quiet afternoon to also do some re-wiring in the beach house. \240Nothing major, Ed had wanted to move the electrical panel and we moved the plug for the fridge to make better utilization of the space.

It was wonderful to go south and catch up with so many, but it felt good to be home, and getting back into our daily \240normal routine.

Today was definately a WOW day!

Davey, Nicholas and Angie arrived earlier than expected at 7:30 am, before we had even gone for our walk. \240(We were expecting the boom truck for 9:00 am). They wanted to get the support beams up and mark the walls for the trusses. \240We headed out to do a quick walk and passed the boom truck at 8:00 am so we quickly looped back. \240This would be the last of the big trucks required for the build. \240On the way into the driveway he had a bit of an issue turning around at the corner and knocked out a dead stump that has been grazed by several trucks so far. We can now happily remove it and get it out of the way.

The weather gods were certainly looking out for us today. \240It was a cool morning around 10 degrees, perfectly calm, a great day for working. By 9:00 am they had the first truss connected to the boom truck and they were starting to lift it into place. \240When they started to take inventory of the trusses, they had discovered that the one they actually needed first was of course at the bottom of the pile. Davey always just seems to go with the flow and said, no problem we will make it work.

Davey and Nicholas were like monkeys, literally hanging from the rafters. \240Once they had each truss set in place, they would quickly nail them with great speed and efficiency. \240Angie was the guide today. \240The boom truck would hook to the peak of each truss, and Angie had a rope tied into the \240corner and she would help to guide it into place. \240There was a couple of times that the larger trusses started to swing and I thought Angie might be launched with it. After all trusses were in place they then had to lift what should have been the first truss over the entire roof. \240The boom operator wasn’t sure if he would have enough length, but thankfully he did.

By about 1 pm, all trusses were in place! \240Even the boom truck operator (Jamie who was also here with the cement) commented that we was surprised for a small crew how quickly they worked. \240After a quick late lunch, they were back up on the roof nailing in supports as needed just in case we get a wind over night. At the end of the day over a cold beverage, both Davey and Nicholas commented that it had gone much smoother than even they had anticipated.

We are sitting here now in the great room. We have a roof over our head, it’s just not quite waterproof yet, but we can start to get a feel for the space.

End of day shot: Lots of changes today.

A very quiet day on the bay.

We awoke to the sound of rain on the roof of the garage and wind in the trees. \240It was a good morning to roll over and catch a few more zzz’s. \240It was not a surprise with the weather that we did not see Frank and his crew today as the next job is sheeting the roof and the wind/rain combination would not have been fun while hanging from the trusses.

It is good to have a quiet inside day once in a while to get caught up on our ordering and planning. \240After this was done, Ed kept busy watching the newly planted lawn grow as it lapped up the rain. \240I started to work on my next quilt project.

We had one of two Soo Mill shipments today of pressure treated lumber for the deck. \240Apparently every lumber place in the country is out of pressure treated due to the high demand caused by Covid projects. Our sales person called us last week to alert us and we tried to order as much as we thought we might need (and a little more). We will do as much as we can when the time comes and hope the shortage doesn’t last too long as some of the items we needed are already on back order.

Our plumber was working in the area and stopped by to tell us our shower unit for the ensuite bathroom is back ordered as well. We placed the order in May. \240The original timeline was July 6, then July 23, and now they are looking at September. \240Once again, they are blaming the delay on Covid.

Through all the little speed bumps, we are grateful to be moving forward. \240We are trying to accept and enjoy the journey each day brings rather than just looking forward to the destination of moving in.