The roofers have been here for the past three days.  I believe they will probably finish putting on the roof tomorrow.  It looks really good.  This morning I told them that I didn't want any of the roof vents in front, I needed them all in back.  They told me that they had planned on installing them in back.

The electrician dug a trench from the pole to the house and buried a conduit with the electrical wire in it.  It took quite a while to dig that trench.  The house is now ready to be wired.

Things are moving too damned slow.  We got all the siding that was needed, they started putting it up, and then they left without finishing the job.  We got part of the soffit for above the porch.  They are going to order the rest tomorrow and it should arrive this coming week.  They also need to finish the porch floor.  Right now I'm trying to calculate how much trim is going to be needed for around the windows and doors and the corners.  Once I figure it out we'll buy it and have them put it up.  The roofers are supposed to arrive tomorrow to begin putting up the metal roof.  I'll believe it when I see it.

 

The carport came out pretty good.  You can see the costly LVL's holding up both the roof trusses and the porch roof.  Although there are two metal poles, the distance between them will allow my truck to fit.  Actually, my truck and Janice's Mini Cooper will fit in the area between the house and the inner pole.  The main reason I wanted the porch roof to extend further out was to keep the rain off of us going from the carport to the porch steps (I know, what rain!).  The entrance to the carport is located to the right of the house, basically where the date on the photo is located.

 

We've been at a stand still for two weeks.  We haven't been too happy about this.  Today I spoke with the contractor and they will be installing the fascia board on Monday.  I told him that I had scheduled the roofers for this coming week and that they may begin on Monday.  I also told him that we would be buying the siding this weekend and leaving it on the trailer under the carport.  I have the HVAC person coming by tomorrow to look over the house so he can give me a bid.
I need to get going on the house.  WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE GUYS!!

It seems that everything has come to a stand-still.  I believe it's because the LVL's (Laminated Veneer Lumber - strong, can take weight at longer spans) that we ordered for the carport overhang haven't come in.  However, I thought they were coming in this past Friday.  I'll have to check. 
My sister Deanna told me that the Ranch House reminded her of an Australian Outback house she had seen in the movie "Quigley Down Under".  She was right.  I was inspired by several designs when I tackled the Ranch House, Australian Sheep Station houses in the Outback, Quanah Parker's "Star House", and typical old Texas ranch house design.  The Ranch House is a conglomeration of all these styles.  


Australian Sheep Station above, Quanah Parker's 'Star House',
and an old Texas ranch house.



Today is the anniversary of our moving out to the ranchito.  We sold our house in August 2011, moved to the Candlewood Suites for 5 weeks, and then to the ranchito and RV on October 3rd.  The bunkhouse was finished about a week later and the RV moved next to it.  Janice, Eric, and I built the corridor between the bunkhouse and RV and our temporary home was complete. 

I took this picture in March after the Spring rains.
In June the green was gone when the drought returned.

Today they continued with the vapor barrier.  They also installed all the windows.  I have to admit that they are really nice windows.  We were both very happy with them.

The moisture barrier is being put up.  They installed one window.  It looks pretty good. 

They're working on the deck boards on the porch.  Man it's a big porch.  I walked on it with Janice and I kept repeating "damned, it's a big porch".  I really like how they are installing the corners. 
They are going to finish the back porch tomorrow.  They plan on finishing with the OSB and then wrapping the structure with Tyvek.  After that, it's time for the windows.

"Damned it's a big porch."

Great looking corners.