Jason and the boys started putting up 5" x 5" pressure treated posts for the foundation. These were certified for below-grade installation and were obtained somewhat locally. They were big and heavy. They're anchored into the ground with crossed rebar and concrete, then back filled with soil, which is tamped into place. They're darned sturdy!
This was quite a project, as each hole could only be started by the tractor auger and had to be finished by hand digging. Missouri is not known for good soil, and the house site seemed to be clay and rocks, some rocks almost the size of boulders! It was crazy! Thankfully we had a pretty mild winter with only a few small snows and lots of rain showers. The yard was pretty mushy and there were many times we could only drive to the end of the driveway and park. Another item on the list, more gravel!
Meanwhile I was working nearly full-time and dreaming of being able to quit and stay home. I was never going to have a successful garden if I was working all the time. I was making plans for the garden, where it was going to go, what seeds I needed to purchase, and wondering HOW I was going to get my tomato seeds going. I only had a mini-greenhouse, one that goes indoors, and there was really no room for it in the cabin. Jason surprised me one afternoon after work, he brought home a pop-up greenhouse! I was SO excited! I waited for a day that was warm and not too windy to set it up. It was almost February and I really had the gardening bug.
Michael's 16th birthday came and went, we had a small party for him here at the house with a friend or two over. They played video games, and then helped us set the beams in place on the foundation for the first floor. We do tend to use the boys' friends for free labor, in moderation. :)
The progress of our foundation took about 4 1/2 months. Probably could've gone faster, but when it's just one man and two teen-aged boys, and then add in winter weather, it was slow going.
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