Although we were only away for two days, Monday and Tuesday, work on our house proceeded at a feverish pace! Cement had been poured for the basement floor and was completely cured by the time we got to the site this morning. The men were busy working on the plate (aka first floor). They were laying long wooden joists across the entire width of the foundation, resting on the center steel beam. As we learned from Barry (who will be heading up the crew to raise the timbers), additional Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL's) boards will be strategically placed among the regular joists to provide additional support required to support the weight of the timbers. Wood structural panel sheathing (WSPS) will then go around the perimeter of the joists to keep them upright and in position and provide weatherproofing. As we were checking out our basement we noticed that the remaining steel posts had been installed. These are the posts around the perimeter that will eventually support the massive timbers: in essence they are what support the entire house! We took a quick hike up to the northern side of the property and saw that the RV garage was now staked out - more progress!!