Earthworks

Suffered through the head last weekend to get the geothermal lined underground with lots of help from the tractor. Managed to wrap in up just in time for a dinner at the beach! First of the season. Took to the shovel and measuring tape to get the trenches dug for the foam forms that will hold concrete and gravel footings and insulate the greenhouse. 5 feet below grade is pretty far down.

Ran out of fasteners for the insulation and I can't seem to find any more in town, so I will need to make some out of sticks. Just to hold the pieces together until they are packed in with dirt. It took a long time and some help from Abigail to get the corner stakes placed. Then I needed to find a level all the way around. Used a water tube for that. Very accurate. Neighbor Rick said he did this on a job site, got some crap from a different builder who brought his expensive laser down to check his work, and walked away in surprise saying that he had never seen such an accurate measurement. I went right around the perimeter and when I checked the last stake with the one I started with it was dead on. This will tell me how high the concrete needs to go at each anchor point. 

Abigail and Amélie had a fun week. Soccer, NMU camp, and finally some time with Grammie and Grampie! We will drive down to pick them up today. Naomi managed to pass her first test at NMU. A prerequisite course for her potential MBA, and the background she needs for the marketing course she will teach this fall. Off to a good start!

A bit of shade for the pit.

Extra room underground for the tubes to snake around.

Filling in the hole.

Morning for digging, afternoon for filling it right back in.

Finally, some help!

A bit of insulation. Hopefully it helps.

Hand digging the footing trenches.

Leveling out the anchor points.