then, the second story goes up

These are not just sheets of plywood. These are highly engineered weight-bearing panels with an insulation rating of 30.

boiling the sap

I tapped five sugar maple trees and collected about 35 gallons of sap. Then I retreated to my man cave behind the barn to boil it down. This year I added a hydrometer. The thicker the liquid the higher the hydrometer floats in the stainless steel tube. Notice the grass getting a spring green color. At times I had to set up wind breakers. After dark a rabbit hid about 15 feet away in the plowed ground and watched. For a fleeting moment nature and I enjoyed the magic.

then, the walls go up

After the Sabbath, come Monday, the walls go up. Some assembly required.

next, the first floor

Say good-bye to the cellar as the floor covers it. Notice the large opening in the cellar wall? The non-electric house will use that to bring sunlight in, down through a huge window well--common practice I'm told. Even church services are held in such basements. While the house is going up, though, we'll use a Japanese electric generator for power. It's lunch time, and the carpenters drop their tool belts.