Amazing how 3 posts can change the whole feel of the front of the house - cozier, makes you want to pull up a chair - if we weren't back into the deep freeze (1 degree Christmas morning).

These are 5"x6" Alaskan Yellow Cedar gluelams, misordered by somebody at Harbert Lumber. (yellow cedar is the most decay resistant softwood - better than red cedar). Gives a contemporary twist on New Mexico territorial architecture - or some such nonsense.

Kitchen soffits framed, which will define the space at counter depth. Also soffits in the corner window seat, entry closet, etc. Next is putting the Alaskan Cedar posts in front of the house. Still single digits every morning, and highs in the 20's , so not ideal working conditions!

The way cool garage door installed, and the biggest snow here in many years (9", drifting over 2ft.). And 10 below zero this morning as well! In the midst of framing interior soffits, but it's just too stinkin' cold right now...

Windows in(the Marvins, especially the douglas fir ones, are beautiful), EPDM rubber roof on, cap flashing going on the mini-parapet at the edge, a garage door and soffits soon will have us all dried in. Mechanical (duct work for the geothermal heating & cooling) going in next.

Pumpin' out the watts!

No net meter yet, so we're not selling power back to Xcel, but it is producing more than we're using - from 11 to 1 today we were over 3600 watts, saving well over 30 lbs. of CO2 production in the system's first day of operation. Kind of cool to be running compressors, saws, etc. and have it all coming from solar power!

Racks for the PV panels installed. And yes, that's snow on the Bookcliffs. In Grand Junction. On October 28th.

Facia, soffit, stucco, siding, roofing done on the front overhangs, ready for solar panels (to beat the Nov. 5th deadline to get our full rebate from Xcel). And thanks, Ray!

Finally Freaking Fully Framed !!!!

From this

To this

Trusses up in less than 4 hours (by Lance Cue & crew & Sterling Crane - Geezer Construction stops at the plate line...)

Arrival of the trusses. On Monday we'll have an erection.

Interior walls framed, waiting for trusses.

Another view from below

180 degree panorama from the tower window (click to enlarge!)

A view from the wildlife area between us and downtown, and carpenter Desmond helping Grandpa! (notice the LA smoke still lingering in the valley)

Roof trusses are ordered, over 20% less $ than a year ago (thanks, recession!). Two weeks to finish interior walls, etc.

Even cooler! Raised two of the tower walls today, with Kirk helping myself, Danny, & Tom. A little hairy, getting the wall jacks (16ft. tall) on top of the 10' x 15' platform (which has a 5' x 5' opening in it for a spiral staircase), and raising an 8' x 15' wall - not alot of room to work!

Even cooler looking from down under the cliff.

Nana and the Danso Kids at the front door.

The Geezer Construction crew - Tom Merrill, Danny Miller, myself, Kevin Betts.

Lifting a wall with our magical Tranzporter Wall Jacks

Living - Sunroom area

Looking from bedroom wing to living-dining-kitchen

View from the North

The garage header finally in place - not as bad a lift as we thought - 3 - 16" LVL's almost 19 feet long.

Rising majestically out of the desert, the big 44 ft. wall went up this morning without a hitch, Danny & Kofi pumping the jacks while I stood around and worried and Joan took video. Only 2 exterior walls to go. Then a garage header, beam for the tower, interior walls, etc. etc.

Dining room walls framed, and a view out the "Grand Mesa Window".
The "Tranzporter" Wall Jacks are awesome, very little effort to lift heavy walls. We'll get some action shots when we raise the 44 footer!

We have a wall! (okay, it's only the 10 foot north dining room wall, but it's a start!) When the wall jacks arrive next Tuesday we'll really start our erection!

The newly poured garage slab, and piles o' lumber awaiting our wall framing services.

The subfloor is complete, we're backfilled, and the garage slab is about to be poured. Over 100 yards of dirt mixed and wetted by Marc Davis to backfill and especially fill up the garage hole, then compacted with a little remote control roller. 87 sheets of Roseburg fir tongue & groove 3/4'" plywood did the trick on the floor, a little complex with all the changing patterns, but done in a week with Danny & Tom glueing & nailing as I cut pieces. (the 97 degree temps were hard on "Geezer Construction"s crew - we knocked off about 2pm every day).

Ready to frame walls!

RAINBOW!