When last we left you, our hero (WW) was awaiting pouring of
the foundations, I was supportively feeding him (unreported, but true) and
Benson was resting. Benson has asked that photographic and interview sessions
be terminated as they interrupt his repose.
As I recall, the next day (Tuesday, June 24) was the holiday
known in Quebec as la Fête Nationale or the Feast of St. John the Baptist. The
lads appeared, as always, at 8:30 a.m. (“Do we look French?”) and it poured.
They braced forms and it poured. They sanded beams and it poured. They quit at
about 3. It was just too wet. In fact, there was local flooding and one town
declared a state of emergency. This pouring is also why there are no photos.
The photographer, who shall remain nameless, doesn’t do pouring rain. Nor does
her dog (who will, likewise, remain nameless…but well rested).
The next day broke clear and bright, holding the promise of
perfect foundation-pouring weather. The foundations were poured. It looked like
this:
Matt and WW review the foundation
forms.
Notice gaps for windows and doors.
Construction is all about forethought.
Notice gaps for windows and doors.
Construction is all about forethought.
Michel the pumper truck guy shows
Eric how to control
the flow of the concrete. He (Michel) has the pumper’s
remote controls at his waist.
Eric guides the nozzle while Michel guides
Eric
(and remotely controls the flow).
(and remotely controls the flow).
A poured foundation.
In the meantime, I pondered what passes for our garden. Some
of it looks like this:
A small sampling of our kale forest.
This almost-ripe strawberry
disappeared under mysterious circumstances
soon after this photo was taken. (WW had the grace to look contrite.)
The next
day, Thursday, the lads and WW prepared the foundations for back filling. This
involved removing the inside bracing and laying plastic across what will be the
floor. Around the outside, they applied a very sticky waterproof membrane. They
also built The Dam, to contain The River That Runs Through It. Their labours
looked like this:
Matt working with the protective
membrane.
Eric and Matt trim membrane at a corner.
The Dam before removal of the braces.
Then the
stone slinger came back. Stones were slung over the entire floor space (the
first layer of stones having been covered with plastic) and all around the
outside of the foundations. A French drain was laid around the entire outside perimeter
and further stones were flung. Then a matting was laid overtop to prevent silt
from working its way down to clog the drain. It looked like this:
Return
of the stone slinger, this time slinging over plastic sheeting
which is covering the first layer of slung stone.
which is covering the first layer of slung stone.
The inside slinging was easy; a lot
of the outside stuff was done
by Eric, Matt and WW with shovels. Hot and heavy work.
After the stones had all been slung and distributed,
the wooly matting was laid.
Next up: a great big shovel.
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