Concrete walls just about finished and Jeff's work

Today our concrete crew consists of just 2 men. We are in the final phases of the concrete walls. The crew got rained out on Tuesday late afternoon but was able to come back to sunny skies Wednesday and today. We had a really dry month in April and May, so the moisture in June, what we had, was a welcome relief. Even if it slowed our building process! My boys had great fun playing in the mud, even had a mud fight one day and took a little swim in an area that filled up with mud where our corner pillar will go.  Jeff continued working on the office and bathroom area on Wednesday. Waiting now on our stalls to be delivered and installed on the cow deck. Our building crew is suppose to come sometime next week to start building the loafing barn, looking forward to that!

Some of water standing on pad that the concrete crew had to deal with. Fun playground for boys though!

Footer area for the pillar to rest in that filled with rain water.

Boys taking a little swim after their mud fight. Its not as deep as it looks, only about 23".

Removing mud and muck from concrete footer where pillar will go. My boys thought this would be great fun. Boys really enjoyed swimming in it before Grandpa took the hoe and removed the dirt/mud beside it to let the water go.

Getting area ready for final footer to be poured.

Pouring concrete into tube to make pillar.

Working on center wall.

One pillar poured, another to go.

Shawn went to work early Wednesday so he was able to see the crew pouring.

Overview of walls.

Our crew today.

Wall on the far right is the outside wall, wall on far left is the feed alley wall, and wall above is wall to separate feed alley form bedding alley.

Upper side of barn showing the very outside wall, bedding separation wall, and shorter 2' feed alley wall where the headlocks will be attached.

Jeff moving along.

Children watching concrete crew, Jeff, and me taking pictures while Jeff works in the background.

Utility wall and other side of the bathroom finished.

Working on hallway

This is our utility room.

This is the bathroom to be.

This is going to be our office.

This is hallway leading to either the utility room or the sick pen.

Extra concrete from walls finished out bulk tank area. This is the drain for bulk tank #1.

Bulk tank drain #2.

This is the area for the people foot bath leading to the loafing area.

Bottom right is our dry cow barn, upper left is the parlor. You can see the concrete walls for the loafing barn beside the parlor.

Posted by: Dora