A Weather Break!

Doesn't look like Kev and I will be staining today! It stormed and rained off and on all night! We got about an inch of rain overnight and the sun isn't shining yet. Needless to say the property is wet. Late last night, just before dark and all this rain, Peter and I checked things over on the lot. The sand is all in and almost completely packed within the building. The building is backfilled all around the outside and they are ready to haul in the gravel. But looks like it might not be today - maybe later if the sun comes out and dries things up a bit. We'll have to wait and see. We are weather dependent like all the farmer friends in the area. And only God knows what each day will bring us! Those two and a half years of waiting patiently to start construction was just part of the lesson in waiting on God's timing! Even in the few short weeks of construction He has shown us over and over again how He can bring together the different elements beyond what we could ever hope for. Things we should be waiting for are being manufactured for us in unbelievable perfect timing! It can only be His doing - there is no other way to explain it!

We seem to have spent a lot of time at the lot yesterday. DB Bobcat was busy backfilling and compacting the material in the building, the Geotech fellow came and tested the "Standard Procter Moisture Dry Density" (looks good!), Co-op came and DROPPED off the tongue and groove decking and Fortis came and installed the meter for our power. We now have our own power!!

We had lots of fun watching the fellow in the skidsteer filling in the building with sand. In the first picture you can see him balancing precariously on two wheels while making his way over the sand bridge on the wall to access inside the building. In the next picture you see the other skidsteer backfilling behind the building (the track side). Our dirt they are using to backfill has coal slag in it so it is very very black! Good thing we are adding some decent topsoil to try and grow some grass.



In the third picture you can see a white dump truck bringing one more of the numerous loads of sand. I didn't get a better pic of the name on the truck - but this driver is special to us. He is our long standing neighbor Bill Armstrong. He is in his 80's and still going strong. He does trucking for Danny (DB Bobcat) when he isn't down south. Many mornings we see him driving off to work! He is an incredibly quiet and kind man who just keeps going! And the fourth picture shows the owner of the company, Danny, packing sand along the walls with a tamper, and a young fellow, Jason, in a roller packing everywhere else. Kev told us he graduated with Jason.



One of the fun things about doing a project like this - besides seeing God work in ways we would never dream of - is interacting with fellow business owners in the community. The fellow we've been working with concerning our lumber etc. is a former neighbor from Red Deer. Our electrician, Lorne, knows our "Dirt Man" and ribs Danny about actually using a piece of equipment. Danny graciously keeps men working for him that otherwise would not be able to work elsewhere. This person knows that person and has worked with them before. We see this fellow in Tim Horton's off and on. Even the lady working at the A & W wanted to know what we were building. I like small town living. It's amazing the opportunities that have presented themselves to be a Christian business and share what makes you different, and become part of the lives of fellow businessmen beyond "business".

One Step Closer!

The shed is done! And a cute little CPR shed it is. Now we can lock up some things which should make it easier so we don't have to haul stain, sawhorses etc. back and forth! Looks like tomorrow Kev and I will be back there working on the next project to be stained - the decking (in place of soffit).



We are one step closer to power! Our transformer came yesterday - and we are so thankful it is smaller than we anticipated! It's one of those necessary things to have on site but doesn't really contribute to the overall visual appeal of the property!



Even now while I am typing up this post, D.B. Bobcat is busy on our site backfilling. I didn't think I would ever be so excited to see a couple of skidsteers move around dirt. Notice my men have trained me in the correct terminology! Next posting will have some pictures. Time to quickly do some work for PJB Design. Somehow that doesn't stop in all the excitment of building!

Siding 12, Stain and Sun!

This week has been a busy one for Kev and I as we've been getting the 30 large and 2 small brackets stained for the station. Peter stopped by at coffeetime yesterday and brought the camera so we could at least get a picture of this stage of the process. We had help one afternoon from a buddy of Kev's, Tyrone, also a football player! Just his brute strength alone was a break for me. Those are heavy brackets to move around!

If you could get a peek at my fingernails and knuckles right now you would get a good glimpse of the beautiful deep green/brown color we've chosen. Who needs nailpolish! We are very happy with the choice we made! You will just have to come and see for yourself! But you will have to wait until they are installed and get their second coat of stain. Right now they are re-positioned under huge blue tarps protecting them from damage (willful or unintentional) until they make their resting place on the building.

And yes, in the pictures you can see Kev in his bare feet. The old runners he could wear and get messy were too small. Rather than get stain on his sandals, he kicked them off at the edge of the tarp. If it made him cooler and happier - whose to argue - certainly not me! In fact he looked more and more comfortable the longer we were out there!

One more morning and we will have them done! But this is only the beginning of the staining that has to happen yet!

They Arrived!

I know it's been a few days since our "big excitement" happened on site - but I have been busy, busy, busy as you will find out as you continue reading this and the next few posts.

They are here! Our brackets and timber frames have arrived safely from B.C. We had the world's best trucker(s) drive them out here for us. Central Alberta Trucking Services Ltd. brought our long awaited and much anticipated wood structures to us! We are so blessed to have been able to utilize the services of this company! While we were "flying" down to Three Hills to pick up Kevin last Friday - Allen Patterson and Norm Koop were carefully bringing our load of timbers home to us!

Then last Saturday morning bright and early we hired a local fellow (Darren Gill) to bring his Zoom Boom (all these funny names!) to the site to unload them off Allen's truck. It was early so these two gentlemen could still have breakfast with their respective families and make it to the Lacombe Days Parade on time. You mean there was a parade in town this past weekend - and we actually had Lacombe Days? The celebration weekend went right past our family this year - but for good reason! Next year is a new year!

In the one picture you see Peter talking things over with Darren about placement of the lifts of timbers. In the other picture you can see Allen and his youngest son, Adam, tidying up afterwards by rolling and putting away the straps used to hold things in place while driving.



That was early Saturday morning. The rest of the weekend Kev, Peter and I spent building a small storage shed on site. We experimented on the shed using potential colors for the finishes for the building. Kev did have to work some of the time at his "other" job and we did enjoy a pancake breakfast and church service in the park (Lacombe Days!) close to home with some friends. But we did get it finished! Sort of! We still need to get doors on it. Otherwise what is the point of having a place to lock up supplies etc. while under construction! All these things are on the side of running a very busy and active business that is paying the bills! I think our little shed turned out quite nice - and we love the color choices we have made. What a good idea to take care of two things at once - colors and storage! And I think the gentlemen had fun working together on the project. And Kev got to use his grandfather's tool belt and buy himself a good framing hammer! A sunny and warm but rewarding weekend! Speaking of Kev - I just have to include one picture Kev took from the air last week. This is a fantastic shot of Lacombe. From the air it is just as beautiful as from the ground! We are so blessed to call it home! He even managed to zoom in a get some shots of the station project from the air! Amazing!

So Much is Happening These Days!

It's almost hard to keep up with the last few days and all that is going on at the site - much let alone get it posted!

Yesterday the footings were formed and poured. Today the ICF forms for the foundation wall are being assembled and later this afternoon the concrete truck will be back to pour the wall.





Those are the facts. Now - some of the interesting little details that have made things fun! While the orange thingy (I know - I know track hoe!) was digging he found an old abandoned culvert. BUT what we found even more interesting is that the concrete truck when pouring the footings could actually drive over the railway tie "bridge" built over top! We watched and the ties moved very little as he drove across it. Amazing! Railway ties are strong!



And then to top it all off - in the middle of working and checking on the building progress Kevin (our youngest son) flew into the Lacombe from Three Hills and then the other "camper" in the plane flew back out. He has spent the last five days in Three Hills at a Flight Camp. He did every step needed to get here and it sounds like his instructor (do you call them counsellors seeing as it is a summer "camp") is impressed with his abilities. What more could happen today to top off the week. Yes, one more thing - but I will make that post after that exciting piece of the construction process happens! You just have to read more about that later! In the meantime enjoy these extra pics of Kev flying!

They are Digging!

Yesterday we went over early in the morning to the building site to meet with the survey company - Beta Surveys - to go over staking out the station. Now we (I) should be able to get a better idea of how everything is going to be situated on the site. Another visible sign of something happening!



This morning was an even earlier morning on the site! After two and a half years it's with mixed emotions I watched DB Bobcat's track hoe start clearing our site. I would have called it a big orange digger thing-a-ma-jiggy, but Peter is giving me input into the correct terminology for such things as this! So he is very involved in this blog site - just behind the scenes!

We have waited what seems like forever to reach this point. So much so I find it almost unbelievable. That's one reason I took the picture with the sign. It's our sign, it's our land! It's really happening! In the picture you can see the orange thingy (pardon me - track hoe!) clearing out the "junk" within the building area. There used to be a train spur line running right through the new building! That was before the grain elevators came down. Plus too there are lots and lots of weeds etc that have made our building their home for years now. The other day I even found some sort tiny yellow flowers growing in among the taller grasses and weeds! Sorry - they needed to go to make way for the building! I will be planting flowers next year to take their place out front of the new station. I look forward to that!

Brackets!

It's just like Christmas! Today we got the digital photos from B.C. showing us the brackets we have been so meticulously planning and getting engineered! After a trip out there, numerous phone calls and e-mails back and forth - we have pictures! These photos were sent to us from The Canadian Timberframers plant just south of Golden, B.C. It looks like the fellows just might be enjoying building the brackets as much as we will be to get them!

To get a bit of perspective on the size of these timberframe units, imagine me (Lorraine) standing beside the upright edge of the three brackets placed side by side. I would be able to just peek over the top of that edge! Now imagine 30 of these side by side being trucked out here - along with two smaller but indentical brackets AND all the members to be assembled for our office timberframes in the roof system! That will be one amazing truck load! That will be the ultimate in gifts if a few small pictures today feel like December 25th!