Progress!

Jim has been busy getting permits and quotes for tasks on the property as well as moving equipment and material to the site. We finally have a culvert! That is exciting since it means it doesn't feel as if the car will turn on its side when we drive in. Our general rule is that we get 3 quotes before picking a company to do any work which saves money but adds time. The quotes ranged from $1000 to $2400 so it was very worth the time.

One thing I have learned is that your property really isn't. Want to put in a culvert? Get permission. Want to build a barn? Get permission. Want to build a shed? Get permission. I've visited countries where the shed we are building is the equivalent of a family's home. The homes those families live in would not even be allowed here. It is a very strange thing. We were told that we aren't allowed to live in the barn. Oh darn. 

The shed we are building has been a huge learning experience. It takes a long time! In between getting permissions, work, school, running, traveling to the Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico, traveling to Germany etc., fitting in the time has been difficult. Still, Jim managed to make some progress with clearing the area and getting material to the site. That required getting the trailer and tractor and transporting it from an hour and a half away. He's a hard working man!

He also happens to have a tremendous amount of physical strength. It is amazing to me how easily he lifts things that I could not fathom being able to pick up. Along with site prep, he also put together the building plan and list of materials. He initially dug the holes and put in a straw man plan for the shed, and yesterday we spent some time (with the help of his parents) getting everything square and in place. As Jack said, it was a real teamwork experience! 

Before...

After!

We have a large list of things to do which makes my head hurt. The immediate items to complete are finishing the shed, picking a contractor to install the barn, and doing something about our tick problem. In the meantime, I have to visit the chiropractor as my back is not a fan of all the heavy lifting we did yesterday. I'll bet I won't forget my back support belt next time. Ouch! 

Jack and Glo heading down the "driveway"