On Monday we finished up the forms for our first concrete pour. We put plastic down because it is VERY dry here and the plastic helps to keep the moisture in the concrete longer so we have more time to work with it.
On Tuesday we had our first concrete pour which was 12.5 yards of concrete, but we were just shy of what we needed. So to make it worth our while for the concrete truck to come back out, we decided to add on 8' on the front of the house!! (I'm not complaining.... now I have more room for my sewing nook!!)
On Wednesday, we busted butt to form up the new addition. We didn't have to buy any more materials for the forms because we were able to remove the other forms and reuse them and the metal stakes. Once the forms were set we started wheeling in dirt/gravel which was taking forever!! So we decided to 'work smarter, not harder' - something that Scott says all the time.
So on Thursday, we went into Cody and rented a walk-behind Bobcat (only $100) and it only took about 2 hours to add all the dirt, finish the last form, and level it all off. Then, we added more rebar which we actually drilled holes in the concrete and hammered in the pieces of rebar. We were hoping to have the concrete poured on Friday, but the local company was booked solid. Instead they are going to come out here this next Wednesday.
Friday we went into Billings to look at window and door options. We first went to Home Depot and picked out everything that we want/need!! We are on a VERY tight budget and Scott's original budget was $2,000 total for all windows and doors. It turns out that, in total, they should all be about $1,460 and that includes delivery and tax - Montana doesn't have a state sales tax; however, if you have it delivered to our place in Wyoming (which does have a sales tax of 4%) then Home Depot will charge it. So far so good! Some things have been coming a little under budget and some just a little over.
After we left Home Depot, we stopped to compare prices and options at Lowes, but I wasn't happy with the options so we didn't stay long. However, I did manage to leave my wallet in at Lowes! It was about an hour later when I realized this (thankfully we were still in Billings) and the front desk was so nice that they even locked it up in the change drawer for me!! We feel so lucky that we live in such a wonderful area.
On the way back to our land, just as we crossed over the MT/WY border, we saw a SNAKE!!! I have yet to see a rattle snake but I wanted to see it more closely so I know what I'm looking for in the future. This snake was not a rattler and he was dead. But this looks very similar to the snake Scott saw in the gravel road about a week or so ago. Here are some pictures for you:
On our schedule now, Scott is detailing our wall plans with the dimensions of the windows and doors. He'll be figuring out our materials list for this next phase of the build (insulated subfloor and the walls), comparing prices/shipping from a few different places (Rockcreek Lumber in Red Lodge, Kapor Lumber in Bridger and Home Depot in Billings - all in MT) and then we will make our next purchase! On Wednesday of next week, we will be making our second and final pour on our foundation.
We are slowly, but surely, making progress! I think I'm most looking forward to making the walls. I quite enjoy using the 'chop saw' (as we call it - but it's a miter saw).
We hope everyone has a great Flag Day and weekend!! More to come next week:)
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