Getting Ready for the Big Stuff

I spent yesterday afternoon cutting back the piñon trees that reach into the building area. Most or all may have to come out, to accommodate the concrete pad and septic system, but at least now I can see what's going on. The trees, at their trunks, are fairly far from the foundation, but I'll leave their fate to the experts.

View of the north side.
The addition will come off this wall, with the roof line of the new part coming between the two rows of windows. The trees obscuring the house will be severely trimmed or removed - sorry, guys. The area of ground seen here will be part of the septic system.

I began moving rocks from the building area as well, beautiful rocks - some solid granite, some porous lava rocks. Today I'll return to start dismantling the low wall of thick light-colored flagstone along the north side of the existing structure, along with thin slabs of red flagstone, gravel and other decorative stones. All the rockwork around the studio is very well done (by a nice guy from Crestone CO named Steve) and a shame to take up, but this is where I'm building, and everything will find a new home in the future.

This is also the beginning of the hard labor I'll need to get used to. Part of my arrangement with John, my financier in this project, is that I myself will do every step I can, or can be trained to do. Not just a boon, but an education.

As the days get shorter, the nights colder, and the chance of big snow greater, the project will become more challenging.