8-9-10

Mary (Dan's sister) is here and she is helping us get organized!

August 6, 2010

The rain came.

Compacting

After back filling the ditch, Tony, the excavator, is compacting the soil.

Back filling

This view is to the East.

August 4, 2010

Digging the ditch from the house to the cistern and connecting the hose to the cistern.

Finished Foundation

The guys came back today and removed the forms from the stem wall. It looks really good, no voids, etc. Next up is backfilling once I get the water line stubbed in.

Stem Wall Poured

The stem wall was poured this morning. The crew will be back Monday to remove the forms.

Ready for More Cement

The forms for the foundation's stem walls were installed today. The county inspector passed them and the concrete will be poured in the morning. YIPPEE! Another milestone.

July 27, 2010

Today was the pouring of the cement for the footers.

July 26, 2010

The foundation contractors are finishing installing the forms for the footers this morning. We'll have an inspection today also. The green pipe next to the contractor is a 6" PVC pipe to allow for installation of a geothermal system in the future.

July 22, 2010

The excavator has completed the trenching for the foundation. This view is to the south.

July 21, 2010

Digging the trenches is the next step. This view is to the south and shows where the garage will go.

July 20, 2010

Dan is discussing the layout of the house with Tony, the excavator.

The land has been cleared and is ready for the trenches. This second picture is a view to the west.

Blue Building

The "blue building" arrived today...guess we are ready to start!

July 19, 2010

The long awaited Building Permit is finally here! Tomorrow starts the excavation.

Surprise

What a surprise to find that Gus & Nancy and Matt & Rosie came to spend a few days with us at Dilley Ranch Road. We enjoyed dinner & breakfast (twice) in our "dining room" in the shop.

Ditch

Dan dug this 120 foot long ditch from the electrical panel to the area where the house will be built. It is about 2 & 1/2 feet deep. That bobcat made short work of this project. The pipe in the ditch is for the electrical wires which will be connected to the panel to provide juice for the house.

Guess Who?

This bronze bust of America’s 16th president stands 12 & 1/2 feet high and rests on a 30 foot tall granite pedestal. It is the largest bronze head sculpture in the United States and is located in a rest area along interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming. Robert I. Russin built the 4,500-pound bronze bust in Mexico during a period of 11 months using some 10 tons of clay. It was cast in more than 30 bronze pieces designed to be bolted together. It was shipped from Mexico to Laramie.
"The statue came up from Mexico with armed guards from the Mexican Army, because they were afraid that someone was going to steal it", according to the late sculptor's son, Joe Russin.

Water Play

Uncle Zac and Noah had fun playing in Noah’s pool. Noah spent most of the time filling one container with water and then pouring it into another one. Uncle Zac sure enjoyed the super duper squirt gun.

art

A drive one day this spring led us to Salida, where we found an interesting shop that had handmade furniture & art.

Music in the Park

Each year, during the summer, the Canon City Chamber of Commerce sponsors "Entertainment in the Park." The first night featured the Southern Colorado Community Band, which played Big Band tunes.

Shelf Road

We took a ride on Shelf Road and ended up in Cripple Creek. Notice how narrow the road is.

The Painter

Fun at Grandma's

Dilley

On April 24, 2010 we moved to Dilley. We are living in our RV while we build our passive solar home. Our new address is 856 Dilley Ranch Road, Canon City, 81212. It is located 12 miles north of Canon City.

For Sale

This says it all. 12297 W. Ohio Drive, Lakewood, CO was our home for 22 years. In March we put the house on the market and had a contract on the first day.

Brian & Micah

Brain Prahl, my nephew, and Micah Mello, my niece, came from California to be with us when we celebrated Mom's life. Brian is looking at a picture album and Micah is posing with Dan. We were delighted that they were able to come.

Dee Prahl

Family and friends gathered to remember Dee. Pictures of her life and some of her art were shared for everyone to enjoy.

January 16, 2010

January 16th was the day when we celebrated the life of Dee Prahl, our beloved mother. Her 95 year old brother, Ralph, flew from Delaware to be with us. Here you see the 3 Prahl kids, Karen, Ralph, and Harry.

Brother and Sister

Dan and Mary are enjoying pictures and stories of Dan's early years.

Beautiful Couple

Hat

Who is that cute little guy in that BIG hat?

Boxes

This is the first load of boxes that we took down to the property. Plenty more where these came from.

New Shades

New shades in the family room add to the value of the house.

Murphey Bed

The Murphey Bed is finished and installed. Dan did a wonderful job!

Peek

Here's our cute little Noah.

boots

These boots are made for walkin.