We've started taking long breaks in the early afternoon to beat the heat. It's been in the 90s in the sun and well over a hundred in the solar shed. Our pale Seattle skin and nocturnal eyes have a hard time with direct sunlight.

We got down to the land at around 5:00 on Saturday with the car and trailer packed full of tools and equipment. We were actually dragging the safety chains on the ground as we drove, we were that weighed down. Most of Saturday night was spent preparing the camp site for our extended stay. We drove into packwood and ate at the pizza joint there (one of three restaurants in the area.) As an added treat I slept on an air mattress - a first while camping.

The concrete was poured on Thursday and the beam bases that were embedded use bolts and not nails. First thing on Sunday (at the crack of 11) we first drove into town to pick up the proper bolts and some misc. lumber for the changes we will be making to the front porch. The rest of Sunday was spent putting up the posts and finishing up the double header around the perimeter. Sunday night is when I discovered the camera hadn't been recording for the last day and a half. At least we have pictures from the normal camera.

Monday (today) we moved most of the 2x8 lumber into the dome foundation so we wouldn't have to haul it over the wall when we bolt in the last wall section. When that last section is installed we'll need to use a ladder and a wood bridge to get in and out.

We measured and chopped all the posts to their correct height which involved being covered in a blizzard of sawdust. It wouldn't have been bad if I didn't just slather myself with sunscreen. We also built a couple of sawhorses and a table to stage all of the joist cutting. Once it hits 4:00 or so (when it cools down) we'll start building and installing the main beams.

On a side note, it looks like the lumber company ran out of 10 foot 2x8s and instead gave us 18 foot pieces. That must have cut into their profit. It also means that we are going to have a lot of wood scraps left over.