Post Hole Porch Prelude....

The last big truck came to Shangri La Ti Da with supplies for our garage, deck and upstairs screened in porch.

I can remember how exciting it was to get the first load of house building supplies as we started this adventure!  And getting the last load was pretty exciting, too!

Still need a few garage roofing supplies, but not a BIG truck full!

And then the fun began.  Post holes.  Four to start for the upstairs porch and then 10 more....LATER...for the garage.

Here are the tools.  Nothing fancy or electric. 

Good old fashioned human power.

And here is where the porch goes....

commence digging!

I was in charge of the spud bar to

loosen up the dirt...and I use the term 

dirt very loosely, because it was anything

but loose....lots of hard pack and clay!

That spud bar weighs about 305 lbs!  

OK.  Maybe there is one digit too many

in there....but not by the end of day 2....it 

weighed at least 305 lbs. by then.

My little husband had the clam shovel to 

pick the dirt up and out.

Hole 32+ inches deep and 12" square.

Bricks in the bottom for the post to sit upon.

See that one nice band of topsoil....about 5" worth and it 

got covered with the dirt dug out from the house hole...

but it was a nice little break.

Our good friend, Rick, came to help and that was such a blessing.  I could have done what he did, but then we wouldn't have had anyone to take the pictures!  

Get it level and build supports.

Yep.  Still level.

Put in some concrete...

...and some more concrete.

Those things aren't going anywhere for awhile.

Ready to see how much it is starting to look like a porch?

I did a happy dance!

I love working on the house with my little husband.  And I love when help comes, too!  And I love that I can start to see my porch.....ahhhhh.