The Garage and its many uses

In the countryside around our farm, the garage is not merely a place to park your vehicle.

On a hot summer's day, take a drive and chances are you will see any number of families in their garages. They're sitting in lawn chairs facing the road, listening to the radio and reading their papers or just watching the passing cars. A nice pitcher of iced tea is on a table close at hand. Of course this is only one use. In our area the garage is usually heated and equipped with a workbench. It also becomes a man den in the winter and an acceptable way to escape from the house (wife) and look busy even though the main work being done turns out to be the depletion of the garage refrigerator stocked with cold beer.

Last weekend we moved the bar a bit further when we turned the garage into a kitchen. In order to meet various contractors & suppliers we had to stay overnight and since the upstairs bedrooms are still usable, and there is a johnny on the spot, a fridge and a microwave.... The chest freezer was a handy work surface and Bob provided some chairs and a table. All went well until we had to wash dishes - and ourselves. SOON, I hope, our mobile home will arrive as fields are getting drier and I do not want husband getting too comfortable with this setup!

Anyhow, having to stay over Sunday, on Monday morning we did get to see some quite amazing bulldozer work by Kirk Hastings who turned up at 8 a.m. to backfill. How anyone can get a 4 ton dozer to handle dirt so delicately and quickly while manoevering around various concrete pillars and supports without knocking them silly is beyond me. When complimented, Kirk said we were lucky to get him on a Monday instead of a Friday. For certain an awesome amount of concentration is required for this job!

One last chore before leaving Monday was to dispose of yet another racoon. This critter was quickly demolished in the wee hours of the morning by Bruiser, seen sulking at not being able to gloat over his trophy. Bob threw it up on the garage roof, then later put it out in the field where the local buzzards will find it and Bruiser won't.
Today, Tuesday, framing begins as Peter's crew build the platform for the first floor.

Above: Kirk Hastings uses semi-surgical skill to backfill between garage and house foundations, a job complicated by all the supports for the deck that will go up after the house is built.
Next: Bob and Peter check over the foundations now waterproofed with DELTA-MS.