Anthony William's crew arrived early this morning.  They installed the membrane and cabling.  They were finished by 9:30 a.m.  It looks good.  It's time to pour concrete. 

The water lines are almost finished.  There are still a few that need to be done.  Chris Cantwell, the plumbing, electrical, and framing contractor told me that he's going to install a manifold to combine several lines.  Right now I'm going to check on the required diameter for the toilet vent pipes.  I'm also going to check on the water lines.  They look to me to be PEX tubing but I need to be sure.  I have 1/2 inch lines coming in and a 3/4 inch line.  I'm thinking the 3/4 inch is for the manifold or water heater.

Jonathan and Silvia left this morning along with Mika.  They were here testing food for their wedding reception (less Mika, she would have liked any food).  I think they got a good caterer.

The plumbing has started.  They worked on it until it got just too hot to do anything, especially on a Saturday.  I'll bet they'll be back tomorrow.  Most of the pipes you see are the drains.  I don't see water coming in yet.  The water pipes are made of a different material and are red and blue in color.  I saw rolls of red and blue pipes laying on the ground.  I don't know when the concrete trucks are coming.  If they are scheduled to arrive on Monday the plumbing has to be completed before then.  I hope they can do it.  Well, maybe the concrete is scheduled for Tuesday.
Note that there's not a cloud in the sky.  I finished reading a book by Elmer Kelton about a month ago.  It was called "The Day it Never Rained" about the drought of the 1950's.  Man could I relate to everything the main character was going through.  IT'S HOT!!

It looks like the slab prep is ready for the plumbing rough-in.  Much of the plumbing supplies needed have been dropped off by the slab.

It's still a little weird (and worrysome) seeing the slab prep.  It just doesn't look like an almost 2000 square foot structure.  This evening Janice and I will take out the tape measure and check the dimensions.  It's just too hot to do it now.
I know that seeing only the slab makes the structure look small.  Everything should fall into place once the framing begins.

Cutting beams.  The trencher is in the formal dining room.  If a trencher can fit in it I think Janice's table, chairs and two hutches will fit.

We rushed to move the cattle into the pasture we had fenced off in the spring.  We needed the pasture to recover and grow some grass.  Well, now the cattle are in there eating their forage.  We rushed to get a trough in there with a float and water.  We had to trench across the road a little, place a PVC pipe in it, run a hose line through it, and then cover it up.  So far the montrous trucks have been able to drive over it without damaging the hose.  However, there's still the cement trucks coming!!  You can't see the fence line.  Eric, Jonathan, Janice and myself put up a three wire electric fence a while back.  Note the T-post with the little yellow insulators. 
I've been shocked numerous times by that damned thing.  I should go to it in the morning when I wake up, grab the wires, get one hell of a shock, and walk back to the bunkhouse wide awake and bug eyed.  To hell with coffee.

They came by and dropped off the fill dirt.  The sides are complete.  It's starting to look pretty good.  I had an MOV of them dumping the load but good old Wildblue didn't let me download it. 
IT CAN'T HANDLE THE DOWNLOAD!!  I really do feel like Jack Nickleson with Wildblue.

The dump truck just about distroyed our gate.  It started to close as it was pulling in.  The trailer not only caught the gate, but it did something to the automatic gate opener.  They tried to fix it but it looks like a new gate and possibly a gate opener are in the future.

We Begin - The Slab

I just learned that one of the guys working out there digging a trench around the perimeter is a student at Texas A&M.  His father is out there also, one of Anthony's workers.  The father has worked for Anthony for a number of years.  His son was admitted into the Architectural program at A&M.

We Begin - The Slab

Anthony and his guys showed up at 7:00 a.m.  Janice and I were up drinking coffee.  Anthony had four workers with him, all Mexicans.  Las jentes Mexicanas son las mas fuertes del mundo!!  Anthony left and the four guys are doing all the slab framing.