Saturday AM or really Friday Night ... 2am anyway

Both Batch Plants have been operating throughout the day today since about 9am. Of course there are always bumps in the road, and we have had our fair share. An overcast afternoon helped slow the curing of the concrete providing a better bonding between older and newer concrete - as we pour in strips. Joe Miller and Fred Genhiemer will be happy to know we have been keeping the completed areas "wetted down".

  As of this hour we are 53% done. Production has increased this afternoon so hopefully we will be done late Saturday night or early Sunday morning if things stay on track.
  Here is a short time lapse from yesterday:

   

    

Below is a 5 minute video showing the Batch Plant Process (video shot last night):

Update 4:30am - Concrete continues, truck explodes

Still Pumping Concrete
Working away, a little on the slow side but but overcoming issues like forklift breakdowns, Concrete trucks with a full load of concrete that stop turning the drum, a batch plant out of order, oh ... and a concrete truck that exploded.

 Yes, not quite as dramatic as it sounds, but it did get everyone's attention! The first of the concrete was being pumped on the backside of the platea when a loud BANG was heard, I looked over toward the trucks parked along the front of the jobsite and there goes a part off of one of the trucks rising into the air. Everyone instantly paused, and waited to see if something else might happen or someone might cry out for help or some other issue. Thankfully no one was injured and no real damage was done to the truck, apparently a pressure regulator failed on the air pressure system ... but it sure sounds interesting huh?

Here is what was happening at 4:30am:

CONCRETE!

After an initial false alarm that things were to be off and running at 10am, concrete work started at 4:30pm on December 10th. 

Here is a short video of that moment:

Update Thursday at 2pm

See video below:

Preparing for Concrete 12/7/15

Here is a video update from

 Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Concrete starts Thursday, Cilantro Soup in the meantime!

Much preparation is underway, the "crunch" is on! Concrete is scheduled to start Thursday! ( a day earlier ... ahead of schedule? ... loving the concrete company we contracted with who is from Santiago - up north) - not the typical time frame of DR jobs!

  The first trucks arrived today starting the delivery of the 11,000 bags of cement we will use for the  concrete mix. The drilling rig also arrived and got the water well drilled - less than 40' to water! 

Leighton richards Cilantro Soup

While we are doing the last minute prep needed for later this week, I want to thank Leighton Richards who submitted Cream of Cilantro Soup (pg 66 in the famous "Second Serving" Cookbook, 2011 edition (hint hint) from second Presbyterian Church, Roanoke) recipe.

Two DR bunches of Cilantro

Stacy has made some batches with the abundant cilantro that we are growing at the jobsite and also available at any speedbump along the highway just east of San Juan (for a whopping 25 pesos per jumbo bunch ... 50 cents).  OH, its good! :)

Stacy's ArtWork - drfitwood, corals & urchin

Merry Christmas!

More updates soon.

Thanks for your endless prayers and support!

A DR Poinsettia .... TREE

Be aware of all God has provided to you, a son of God who deserves nothing but has been given a life in which to give everything. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We have had a fun day so far overloading the kitchen with many dishes being prepared with unlimited awesome help from the Ohio Northern team!
  I hope everyone has a wonderful day acknowledging all that we have in our lives from family, friendships, comforts, food, and God our Father. 
  Be sure and eat too much! 
 

All Turkeys who visit the site are required to wear hardhats

Birds on the Grill!

Laura took this picture of a Poinsettia TREE near El Cercado!

Some of the girls from Ohio Northern making CARABOLA juice!

Happy Thanksgiving from the jobsite!

Stacy, Isabelle and Courtney got a bunch of vegetable and flower seeds planted at the jobsite

stoking the coals in the grill

Stacy's pecan pies - not many of these here in the DR !!