With Tyler working full-time at Bocoup, I've taken on the role of contractor for our house-construction project. We're still going to work together on the building process, but I'm doing the vast majority of the scheduling, calculating, ordering, and decision-making myself. Today, I sat down with Charlie and spent a good three hours making a timeline for the buildout.

Tyler and I are headed to a straw bale workshop in Road Island from April 7th through the 13th, and we'd like to hit the ground running when we get back, putting what we've learned into action. In order to do this, we're shooting to have the frame raised before we leave (and before we head to Boston during the first week of April). This is extremely optimistic (it's still winter around here), but it just might be doable.

Over the next couple of weeks, there will be much work to do. First, we'll be moving a huge pile of Durisol blocks from where they are currently sitting on our cottage foundation. We purchased them last summer so we could use them as toe-ups (to raise the first course of straw bales off the ground), but we've since decided to go a different route.

The blocks are now a hindrance rather than a help, and they're taking up much-needed workspace on the concrete slab. Once they're out of the way, we'll have to clear snow from the work site. Though warmer temperatures have melted plenty of it, there's still at least a foot up there. I'd rather raise our frame in snow than mud, though.

After the site is cleared, we'll prepare it with tarps and sawhorses and scaffolding, then load up our sanded and stained timbers (currently in storage at Jeremy and Hercilia's house), and bring them up to the work site. Once all of that is finished, we'll be ready to assemble the frame we cut two years ago!

Planning with Charlie was a wild success—he's almost as enthusiastic about this project as I am! Having Charlie's cheerful attitude and 30+ years of building experience was reassuring, and having our workflow hammered out on a giant paper calendar was very helpful as well. It's hard to believe, but we're actually going to start building our house in just a few weeks!