We’ve had crews out escavating quite a small site between our house and garage—preparing for a new building to be nestled in between them. We knew the first step was to remove the large boulder between the structures. What we didn’t know is that it would take the better part of two weeks to do so—AND that there would be two more, even larger, rocks, to contend with just below the surface.

We drived breaking them apart with a giant hammer but ultimatly we ended up drilling holes and filling them with expanding grout that actually breaks the rocks apart from the inside. Cool stuff. Disolves to (I’m sure, toxic) dust when done doing its work. The largest of the rocks will end up serving as a part of the foundation of those house as it is just below the lelve we need it to be. Onward!

Up at our little house on the mountain, we’re about to embark on a big undertaking: more than doubling the size of the house and connecting it to our currently detached garage.

There are a few reasons for this:

• We’d like to each have our own office. Right now, Jena and I swap in and out of the same small office/workout studio.
• We’d like to host more guests than just two people who want to share a small office/workout studio/guest room space
• We need more storage. With all the gear that comes with skiing (multiple kinds!), climbing, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and camping, space is at a premium.
• At night, walking between the house and the garage means running a gauntlet of bears, coyotes, and—most worryingly—mountain lions. We’d rather not roll the dice on an encounter every evening.

I am sure the progress of this project will provide ample opportunity for sharing on this site.

Here are some “before” shots:

Since, this year (and maybe the next 4), I cannot really stomach looking outward onto the world, to my nation, sometimes even to my community, I am placing my attention upon my immediate surroundings. I’ll be undertaking (and sharing) some large and small projects around the house (in a category, I sorta tongue-in-cheek refer to as homesteading) as well as doing some hiking, reading, and undertaking some creative endeavors with AI and technology. I’ll outline each of these more thoroughly in future posts. Looking forward to it.