The “squeegee” delivery turned into a bust on Thursday. The company I talked to could sell us the material but would not authorize their trucks to drive it up our mountain. Their excuse was that the road was not well maintained enough to put wear and tear on their equipment. I kept my comments to … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 114

Step by step, our new home is taking shape. Our contractor has added dirt to the base of the yet-to-be basement ahead of the slab pour. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunCleaning and leveling the base layer. But, before the foundation can be poured, drainage will need to be added around the outside of the newly cured … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 112

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the beginning of this journey. On October 18, 2020, First Reader and I were given two hours to pack what we could fit in four vehicles and get off the mountain. Family members drove up to help us pack and get all of our cars out of harm’s way. … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 110

A lot can happen in a few days. The first round of cement has been poured, and the frost wall is in. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunThe frost wall on Wednesday. The forms for the basement went up at the end of the week. They are ready for the next stage — pouring the cement. (C) … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 106

The countdown begins. Tomorrow is the day our house construction is supposed to start. Last week, First Reader, Best Riding Buddy, and I took a motorcycle ride up to see our new home one more time and pinch ourselves again to make it feel real. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunFirst Reader by the front half of … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 104

Even though we have our building permit in hand, it seems like nothing has really changed. Our next hill will be work crews, materials, and additional equipment as we compete with others rebuilding from recent fires and floods. With our project about to ramp up, we’ve been a little busier than usual with clean-up activities … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 102

Tuesday morning, two months and twenty-six days after filing our application, we received word that our building permit was approved. It was entering the final stage of issuance—processing the last of the paperwork by dotting all the ‘t’s and crossing all the ‘i’s, then printing out the official piece of paper. By noon, I was … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 101

Another week and we’re still stuck in Permit Approval Hell. We seem caught in the middle of an ongoing dispute between the county and our builder. Isn’t that special? 🙄 Despite the continuing delays, we made it up to the property this week to clear weeds and try to pull more nails and other tire … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 100