Just like giant Lego

...but heavy as, well, concrete - and not nearly as colourful.
Blockwork began for the foundations on Monday 18th October and seemed to keep rolling on for weeks.  We designed the house to have a bit of character - what that boils down to from a builder's perspective is corners and levels.  Split levels muck up all your bearings and make it seem like you're doing 3 houses instead of just one.  Corners are just annoying - they take time, slow the flow, stop you getting on a roll and force you to recalibrate constantly.  Eightmangana has 3 levels and corners galore...

Lenny the expert brickie in action.  Nothing this man can't do with bricks and mortar - although for a man who doesn't swear, eightmangana brought him close at times...

View from the "front door" - little yellow mushroom crop growing nicely.

But progress was made and things kept moving along.  Something that resembled a fortress in grey concrete rose slowly from the mud and we started to get an idea of where and how this place was going to sit in the landscape - a little bit higher than we first thought but starting to take shape.

Catapult, anyone?

Main blockwork continued until Friday 29th when we filled up everything done so far with more concrete to reinforce it all.  No pump this time, just wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow emptied bucket by bucket down into the walls.  One of those jobs that feels like it goes on for ever and might never stop - but you just keep going,  encouraged by the concrete truck driver standing by his vehicle saying "Reckon I've got about 10 barrows left..." every barrow-load for 2 hours.

Once again, the boys float to the highest point available - no falls so far!  Future workshop area shown here.