It was a good day for building of forms and tying of rebar today, clear and sunny. Cheerful. Also a good day for barbecuing of hot-links and drinking of ale.  

Setting up for a long, productive day of work... fueled by hot-links!

Tried my hand at free-hand chainsaw milling to make some form stakes. Not too pretty, but they will get the job done, and only cost me about 20 minutes and some chainsaw gas. Inspired by these guys:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C2_TLh_BuU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02QWRo1W4II ...they make it look so easy!

Finished milling...

Rustic, but still functional. I felt like I was getting ready to fortify the defensive perimeter to keep the savages and wild animals at bay... 

Did I mention that it was a beautiful day?

I took a break from working on the slab and cut a test piece out of Diablo. This is going to be beautiful when I turn it into lumber! I was supposed to be milling today, but the mill-guy was stuck on another job and had to postpone for a few days.

The stakes did a great job of stiffening the forms. Also, all of the rebar is tied in place and supported by dobie-blocks. Now, I just have to set two screed boards, and I'm ready to pour concrete! Tentatively scheduled for next Saturday.

Swedish torch keeping the chill off as evening rolls in. I'm loving these things. They burn for a surprisingly long time, keep the mosquitoes away, put off an impressive amount of heat, and radiate good cheer wherever you put them. It's like a campfire that you can pick up and move wherever you want it; easy to pick up by the base where it's not burning. Like a cave-man space heater.