Gophers?

One of th excavations for the footings.  It was quite difficult to dig these holes, unlike Alberta where it is dirt.  There are rocks consistently the size of bowling balls interspresed in the dirt.

We have entirely gutted the interior of the upstairs.  We did not intend to go this far but we realized that the insulation was really not up to standard plus we encountered several ant nests.  In the long run the walls will be more accessible to the electrician and plumber, which will reduce their time on the job.  Replacing insulation and not having to patch drywall will also be better in the long run.

We have to give a lot of credit for the progress of the renovation to Ronnie.  Ronnie is John's helper.  He was referred to us by a local builder who used to work in Lethbridge.  He has a learning disability of some sort, but he works like a machine.  He loves to work, he cleans up immaculately.  He cannot be counted on to measure anything and adamantly states that he wants no responsiblity, and knows his limits.  He comes here on the bus every morning and we make him lunch.  He is so keen, he feels guilty stopping for a cup of tea.  He admires John  because he keeps up the pace and is pretty energetic for an old guy.  He also gives John all sorts of advice on the proper management of the dumpsters.  We cannot throw just anything into the dumpster, construction materials and garbage must be kept separate.  He also tells John that he has to cover stuff up so the junk does not absorb wet from the rain, thus increasing the weight of the load.  He took awhile to come to us because he does not trust new people.  He has been stiffed on a day's pay a few times.  He is on a disability pension and can only earn a limited amount of money, and people have used that as a threat against him.

Today's weather

I should wait until later in the day.  Yesterday afternoon was gloriously sunny, we anticipate some sun this afternoon, and definitely a lot for tomorrow.