Jeff drills the rebar holes in the log with the bottom side up.

Here you can see how this hole is offset from the center of the log marked by the string line. This is because the rebar pins were not all exactly centered on the wall.

We're ready to set the log now. The overhanging log (called an overdangle) in the front will get cut off when the 4th log is lowered down on the pins. This will give us a more accurate mark for the cut.

John carves out a shallow notch to fit over the safety chain which is still wrapped around the lifting pole.

No Jeff! Those are HOSE cutters, not nose cutters!

Jeff taps a 1" piece of vinyl tubing into the slightly overdrilled hole in the sill plate. These are the vinyl collars that go around the rebar pins in the sill boards.

Getting ready to lift the north end of the log.

Jeff ties the block & tackle lead line to the tractor.

This log had to be pulled away from the wall to clear the north log's overdangle.

The other end had to be tugged a bit to clear the south log, too.

Jeff signals to John on the tractor to lift it just a bit higher until the log clears the top of the rebar pins.

The log got set back down to get rotated slightly so the holes would be vertical. It had moved a bit when the lifting began.

Resting on the overdangles while Jeff, John and Tom break for lunch.

John taking a call on his cell phone.

Looking south down the top of the log just before picking it up again.

That's not a toy, Tom!

John and tom line up a few pins as Jeff operates the tractor on this block & tackle set.

Last pin to align. Just a slight nudge and we're good.

Jeff jumped on the south end to help get it to drop. This was the toughest log to get to set down because the pins on this wall received the most damage from the fallen lifting poles. Even though we attempted to straighten them, even the slightest curve would still bind in the overdrilled holes.

Our friend Jim flew by again today to say "hi".

Now that all the pins are fed through and the log is lowered down to the north and south overdangles, John makes a cut to take off the north one. The south one will remain.

Jeff tries to help the log slide down on the pins more.

The south end seemd to bind a big on the adjacent log, so John tried using the reciprocating saw to shave off a bit.

The first quarter moon rising through the east guy ropes.

John was able to get this end to drop a bit, but not enough...

...so he tried the small chainsaw to get a better bite.

Didn't we see John jumping on a log earlier? This log just would not sit down on the wall.

On to more extreme measures. By securing a chain to the lower end of the lifting pole, and passing it over the log on the wall...

...and attaching the other end to the tractor, we were able to pull the log down tight to the sill.

After that, it was just shaving a few large knots off the bottom so the log would sit as tight on the sill as we could get it. Next, Jeff used the 4" grinder to knock off the excess rebar so the pins were all at least 3" tall over the log.

Looking down the log at the job ahead of pounding the rebar pins over and down into the grain.

About a half hour later, and a really sore shoulder, the log was anchored to the sill.

Finally, we had the first, and most difficult course laid.

While John watched his grandson, Jillena was able to come out and see the progress for herself. It had been months since she'd actually been on the site. "So this is how high up our porch will be? I like it!"