Baby, the rain must fall

So I went to a Cub game today. (They won, 4-0....good game.)
We have not had rain for most of June and the forecast for today (Friday) was chance of showers in the afternoon.  It rained at 9 a.m. in Rochelle and at about 11:30 in Chicago.
What does this have to do with the house?
I didn't get home until it was dark and could not take pictures on Friday.
Actually, it was dark....bright...dark....bright.
As I was listening to the radio on the way home after dropping off Dan, they National Weather Service issued a tornado warning.  Now folks, a warning means a tornado is possible.
The sky was funny colors.
Emily was at work.
So Jackie and I went into dog saving mode.
Drove like a mad man (ok, the guy ahead was doing 45 and I could not pass) and tried to get the dogs in the basement.  Dizzy immediately went to the back door and crouched.  I recognized that as the universal sign of a dog ready to shit.  So I opened Em's back door and sent Dizzy and goofy Cooper out into the lightning, thunder, and spitting rain.  Then I went and got my cell phone from my car which was safely in Emily's garage because hail was expected, and I heard Cooper barking quite loudly.
Jackie was calling them......"Cooper....Dizzzy....Cooper....Dizzy....Terry the gate is open!!!"
Sure enough, lightning flashing, the sky a wierdish bluish green, thunder, rain.....and two dogs running free in the front yard.
Luckily Dizzy stopped in the middle of the road and I just walked up to him and took his leash.  Cooper soon followed.
The lightning was intense and the sky ever darkening and changing colors.  That's when we found out is was nigh impossible to get four dogs into the basement.  So we hunkered down in the laundry room....no windows at least.
Happily, luckily, the storm soon passed, the tornado warning expired, and all is well.  At least I assume so.  We did have some wind, and I did not check the house.
But here's how it looked Thursday afternoon.

Garage on the west side

The patio will be out this door

Front bedroom

Front of the house

If there was a lake in back, you could see the lake from the front door

The grassland behind the house

Houston, we have walls....

The crew was really working today.....walls are up and they have started on the interior of the house.  Hard to believe that someday we will be living in this.
Of course, no trees, grass, bushes or flowers......but that will come.
Today we had to decide on window blind colors....we are getting Pella windows and some of them will have the blinds built in, which reminds me.
A woman just stepped out of the shower when her doorbell rang.  Wearing nothing but a smile, she yelled through the door, "Who is it?"
"Blind man,"  came the answer.
"Well," she thought to herself, "he can't see, so I don't have to worry about putting anything on."  And so she opened the door.
"Yes, what do you want?" she asked.
"Wow!!"  said the guy.  "Just wondering where you want your blinds?"

Tuesday had the first walls going up

Looking toward the back bedroom

Wednesday the crew was working on exterior walls and starting interior walls

Basement access. looking east 

Back of the house, where my porch would have been

Taking shape and notice...not a cloud in the sky

Thursday it is supposed to hit 100, which is about 37 C.  The crew will start early and knock off before noon to avoid working in the heat of the day.  

Now that's progress!!!

When we left June 4, we had a big hole in the ground.   It wasn't quite finished, but the work was  on going.  Three weeks later, we have a poured basement and decking.  Walls and a roof can't be far off.
We are starting to get excited.
And I am continuing to worry.
Money.......the sole bane of my existence.  Well, not sole.  But a bane none the less.
We found a supplier for made in USA lighting fixtures.  The website says made in USA.  All the fixtures start with the statement these are made in USA.  So I guess when I e-mailed them and asked what the country of origin was for their products, I might have looked a little stupid.  (or a lot!)  Anyway, we think we are going to order fixtures from them in the next week or so.  We seem to have hit a time when they are also having a sale, and this means considerable savings for us.
I was looking at the foundation and thought...geez, this looks small.  One month ago I thought the footprint was gigantic, now it looks small.  I remember this happening with other new projects, my perspective gets a little off and I can't tell how big, or little, something is.
I am going to update this blog on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Mostly it will be pictures.  That way people can follow along and listen to me carp about money and other stuff.

Foundation after being poured

foundation, south east corner

basement, looking north

north half of basement....beam splits

south half of basement, hopefully a great room someday

decking going on

escape window in corner, looking in basement window

looking in basement window

joists

house looking from west to east, garage on left