Well, the day had an unexpected start, a hubbub on the street. A snapping turtle had come up out of the river, and was laying her eggs at the corner of a porch across the street. She dug her hole with her face and feet. Every time she laid an egg, she'd cover it with her back feet.
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So that was pretty interesting.
We eventually made our way to the building site.
You can see that that huge pile of dirt has become a big pile of dirt.
A lot of the dirtpile was pushed back in around the basement walls.
The is the main beam. It is an LVL beam, which means it is made from multiple layers of wood bonded tightly together. The beam is 40 feet long. This is the first length, the one that caused Tim and I so much grief. His son helped him set it into the notch. It was the best Father's day gift Tim could have gotten.
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Tim was dead sure that he and I would be able to get the two other beams in place. We did. It was hard work, but being able to stand outside the basement wall and see what you were doing from above rather than being inside the basement and working over your head made things a lot easier. (And safer). We got it done. 
The final step was putting the floor jacks in place. They are permanent, and provide extra support for the beam. We will begin the floor joists tomorrow.
We have a turtle hatchery not too far from where I live for ocean turtles but I have never seen a freshwater turtle laying eggs.
ReplyDeleteFascinating story of turtles - we don't have them here in the UK
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. I did not know that, Pat.
DeleteLet's hope that the turtle's eggs will be safe.
ReplyDeleteThe house is taking shape with the beam and supports in
Snapping turtle is its name and not its mood?
ReplyDeleteGood work at the site today then.
See the beak on that turtle? He can snap. I think stories of their aggressiveness are exaggerated. For instance, I heard that once they grab on to something, they don't let go. I actually tried to get a large one to grab on to a stick. I was trying to pull it off the road. I didn't want him to get hit. It did not grab the stick. I was afraid to grab him. So. We waited for him to get across safely before cointinuing on.
DeleteIt is snapper season
ReplyDeleteI would never attempt to build a house for myself as I would have no idea what the heck I was doing. You two are really amazing, Debby!
ReplyDeleteSnapping turtles are so prehistoric looking, aren't they? We had one crawl up ON our little kitchen porch some years ago and I still can't figure out why or how.
ReplyDeleteDebby, when you say that you and your husband are building a house, you are indeed building it.
Great building efforts...it looks really good. Turtle not so sure about...how the heck will the babies get safely to the water? Hope it's a straight shot at least.
ReplyDeleteThey actually will head straight for the water, Barbara. They are born with that instinct. I think it is very cool. In a nearby village, the snapping turtles cross the road to lay their eggs by the raised railroad grade, digging away the lose gravel and stone. The hatchlings head right back to the river.
DeleteGreat experience to watch the turtles.
ReplyDeleteBrave turtle! I hope no one disturbs the nest. Poor things have to lay those eggs somewhere, I guess.
ReplyDeleteNot my favorite kind of turtle, but fun that you got to watch her lay eggs.
ReplyDeleteMy house had those kind of vertical metal supports. You two put all of those house building reality shows to shame. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteSo funny, when I read your headline I had just said hello to a box turtle!😄 Glad you got those monster beams in!! Promise you’ll think at least twice before you do something tricky like the other day🙏-Ricki
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