Stage 4: The Foundation of a Dream

Stage 5: Framing a Dream

Stage 6: Dreams need a Structure

Stage 7: Dreams take hard Work

The Kiwi is the 
national symbol
of New Zealand
 

The kiwi fruit was renamed for their 
national bird.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Rebar is put around the perimeter of the house. Each piece is a long bar that is bent into a U and fastened in the bottom of the trench with wires. It is a dirty, tiring job to get into the bottom of the trench to fasten the bent bars. Craig thankfully takes over this task to give his poor ol' dad a break.

The boxing around the rebar and perimeter of the house is used to hold the liquid cement in place until it hardens. Then the wooden boxing is removed and can hopefully be used for building other parts of the house. Again, Craig helps to finish this task as well.
 

It's a rush to get all of the rebar, boxing and water piping finished before the cement trucks arrive - the next morning.

But as with any good Kiwi lads, Grant and Craig work into the night to finish the job - with as much humor as could be expected under such conditions. New Zealanders are affectionately know as Kiwis.

After almost a month of working flat out everyday to prepare the job site - with sore fingers, aching backs and late nights - Grant (im)patiently waits for the first of the concrete trucks to come rolling up our no-name road.
 

After maneuvering the concrete truck into what will one day be the court yard and carefully placing the chute over the boxing, the driver releases the first bits of concrete down the chute - AND THE FIRST CEMENT FOR THE SILVER FERN RANCH has been poured.

But as they continue, the pouring gets ahead of them and one driver helps with the pouring ... 

But things are getting worse ... The boxing is not strong enough to hold the liquid cement and it begins oozing out of various places in the boxing. Grant tries desperately to use dirt to shore up the boxing.

But things are getting worse ...
 

Grant frantically works to control the overflow when one of the corner junctions bursts open.
 
 
 

One side of the boxing begins to give way under the immense weight of the cement. The ol' reliable tractor is used to hold up the side of the boxing.
 

As with so many nights working on the ranch, this is a late night. 
 

and sooooo yet again, the Kiwi lads work late into the night.

Not only do several of our neighbors come to visit and 'inspect' our job site, but both Jack and Wobbles feel we also need supervision.

The  tedious work of removing the boxing begins, as well as evaluating the cement that had oozed from the boxing.
 
 

With removing the boxing, the foundations of a house takes shape. The oozing from the boxing is not that bad, so all-in-all the foundations for our dream house have been successfully placed. 
 

As Craig and Grant take off the boxing, Debie gets to clean up the work site - while being teased by the Kiwi lads that her outfit makes her look like a gnome. ...
 
 
 

The next big task is filling in the foundation area where the cement pad for the house will be laid. Although Craig will not be around to finish this job, he at least gets a little practice on the tractor.
 
 

In the next page the cement foundation is prepared and laid, again with help ... this time from one of our neighbors ...