May 23rd, 2007
Set in Concrete


2007-05-22. First milestone complete: foundation laid.

At 6:45 we were awakened by a screeching truck. I thought we’d missed the garbage collectors again but it turned out to be the pump truck for the concrete pourers. The cement mixer arrived shortly afterward. Then Ivan and crew came rushing on the scene.


Concrete begins pouring into the forms.

By 8:35 the concrete was pouring out into the mold, all wet and sloshy. The noise was extraordinary but it was all over in about an hour and a half.

Then Ivan and crew had the task of meticulously tamping and smoothing the cement flat. This took them the rest of the day.

Ivan doesn’t just sit at his design table and leave the hard work to others. He’s, obviously a kindred spirit, one of those people who isn’t afraid to jump right in and get his hands dirty.

by M Sinclair Stevens

2 Responses to post “Set in Concrete”

  1. From Susan:

    So that’s the pond on the right (in the top photo) and a deck will be built over the space on the left? It’s looking pretty cool.

    I’ll bet it’ll go up fast from here (based on our experience last year; the framing was amazingly quick after the long process of getting the foundation dug — and dug and du. and then the rebar put in and tied — and poured.)

    — Susan

  2. From Pam/Digging (Austin):

    Happy birthday, M! It seems like bloggers are aging left and right. 😉

    Hey, at least the garden house will be a really LOVELY birthday present to yourself.