The black water pipe passed inspection so next came the fun of burying it. Had to screen the rocks with a shovel and mesh screen to keep rocks off the pipe. Once that was done the dirt & rocks could be pushed back into the trench with the tractor.

Ended up with a couple scoops of big rocks that didn’t go back in the trench. Will be used in gabions.

We hosted a blacksmith club meeting so we poured a small section of the 2in concrete floor and installed a toilet.

Next: seal the plywood and start laying out the Pex tubing for the infloor heating and cooling. Eventually tile will go over the 2 inches of concrete.

The trench work is done. Time to drop in the pipe and call for an inspection.

Digging the trench for the pipes to connect the house toilets to the septic system. The septic tank is 4ft below grade so even with the guest bathroom the poop will flow downhill. So far the biggest rock has been 30 inches. Backhoes are great!

I had a bad mountain bike crash in August. Knocked myself out and had to be rescued. Mashed the two small fingers on my right hand. I’m on the mend and back to work on the bedroom.

Adding 2 strips of 1/2in wood to the framing. This will allow space for another inch of foam insulation.

The east wall of the bedroom overhangs the ravine so building a rock gabion wall to shade it (as we will do on the rest of the house) would be very damaging to the ravine so we are doing a double wall.   I’m welding on 2in strap to which 1×2 wood strips will be attached.   Corrugated steel will be attached to the wood and steel.  You will also notice the sprinkler is on keeping the area wet to prevent any welding sparks from starting a fire.

This container will be the office.  I needed to cut the door opening so the container doors on the end can be welded shut as that area will be part of the master bathroom.  Eventually this door (and all the interior doors) will be metal “saloon” style doors.

The entire side wall of the bedroom container has been removed creating a 16ft wide bedroom.   The bathroom door has been cut out.

The bedroom door has been cut out and framed with 2in tube steel.

We need storage space as we start to empty the house containers so we can cut openings.  This was the pile of stuff on top of the shop container.

We pulled everything off (except for the heavy onyx slab that will eventually be part of the kitchen island) and put down 2×2 tube steel with heavy plywood on top.

2 foot deep shelves running the full length of the container on both sides.

An electric hoist on a trolley makes getting stuff up and down a breeze.

It’s been awhile since the last update.  Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour in November was the best ever.  We had over 1,000 people visit.  In March Dief had his prostate (cancer) removed so he is just now able to return to working on the house.

The bedroom pop-out is now enclosed.

This is looking down through the perforated steel decking out side the bedroom.  This will lead down to a platform for the hot tub.  The stairs, bridge and catwalks in the house will be of the same material.

Gandalf closing up the gap between the bedroom ceiling and the shade rood above it.

The bedroom expansion floor and ceiling are mostly done,

This space between the containers with be the bathroom,

Started putting down the decking in the yoga studio.  This will give us some place to put the stuff that is in the bedroom container.  It has to be emptied before I can cut the wall and doors out.

Rains create serious ruts in the driveway.  Starting to pour 5 inches of brown concrete in 1 to 2 foot wide strips.

Built a dirt ramp so Maggie’s T-bird can make it over the concrete (eventually the area between this steep driveway and the garage and shop will be concrete).   Where did I get the dirt you ask?

Dug a hole so I could stand up this cool torn I-beam so I could use the dirt for the ramp.  Why are you standing up I-beams you ask?

We have been creating a vertical garden with I-beams, posts and barrels.  Keeps the critters from eating the plants.

This is how I keep cool when pouring concrete when it is 110.

Now that fire season has arrived the Town of Cave Creek requires weekly “hot work” inspections before I can weld or grind outside on the house,  They make sure my sprinkler system is on and the brush is wet before I do any welding or grinding,

Most of the plywood is down for the bedroom expansion.  Next the walls and roof will be added.

Little WhoWho aint so little.  This is the “mess with me and I’ll beak your face” pose.