In The Trenches

The buildings are up, doors, windows, gutters, and cupola.
The white stakes and pink tape indicates a tentative plan for board fence and gates.  I needed to figure this out to be sure I didn't put the water pipe where I will want a fence post later.

The next thing was to spray foam insulation inside the shop shell.  We chose a high density polyurethane foam.  It has a high R value, adds some structural strength, and has a more durable surface.  Some of it will be left exposed so the harder surface is important.

Of course, I had nothing to do with process.  This work was done by a local insulation contractor.

My next thing was trenching in the water line, the power, the grey water drain and the gutter drain.
The water line runs from the main line (that we found when the water company turned it on) to a small manhole with a T and valves where it branches towards the shop and stubs off for the future run to the house.  Between the valves and the shop, I installed a frost-free hydrant.  I rented a walk behind ditch-witch trencher to dig the trenches, almost 300 feet total.  That all went pretty well;  finished a bit early and was going to return the machine so I could get a jump on cleaning out the trenches.  As I was running it on to its trailer, the handles jerked up sending a lightening bolt of pain into my shoulder and then dropping down slamming the fore mentioned shoulder.  Well, I got the machine back to the rental place and then a trip to urgent care.  No broken bones, but no more work for a while either.

This should be a clue why I haven't updated in a while. 
After a bit of rest and massage, we returned expecting to find caved ditches full of mud or baked clay.  Actually, things looked almost as I left it.  I did hire some help with the physical digging (my shoulder is still pretty jacked 2 weeks later).  Al (from the foundation insulation digging) and Grady (Ellie's wedding planner, among other talents) saved my health.  It still took quite a while to get all that pipe and wire in the ground.  I used 1 inch PEX tubing for the water and made the connections with shark-bite fittings.  They are very cool and incredibly easy, but expensive.  The pipe just shoves into the fitting and it locks in.  That's it!  It can be released with a little tool.  I did have a problem with the transition from the main (schedule 40 pvc) and the pex.  I had to buy a special fitting to make that transition ($38).  All good.  No leaks.  Fill in the dirt.

                                                            Jasper kept busy, hunting.