A big difference from even a week ago. The snow has virtually all melted and we've got our muddy property back.

The sump pump leans against the electric conduit as it pumps the water out of the pit just outside the sump outlet.

We began the day by picking up where we left off last weekend - pinning the second log of course 18.

We had a very windy day earlier in the week, but the only effect at the house was that the ladders blew over. One ladder left an icy imprint on the floor.

Matt holds the square to check the pin length.

Driving another pin. For this course, we have been pinning right across window locations, since this course should be about high enough for the window headers.

Matt just never seems to tire out.

Almost finished with this log.

Preparing to lift the next log. Matt lowers a pulley block down the outside of the north wall.

Our next log is all trimmed and both pulley blocks are hooked up. (The log blends in a bit with the dirt.)

The stone-filled pit outside the basement entrance was full of water so we decided to pump it down. That block of ice on the wall was floating right up at the top of the corner sump crock (bottom of picture).

A look at the wasteland of a front yard. There will be much work to do in the Spring.

We're ready to lift the pulleys with the tractors to get the log closer to the house before lifting it up along the wall.

Matt ties off the fall line of one block and tackle to the White. The other is tied to the front of the Ford. Because of the mud on the west side of the house, we had to rig the lines so that we could use both tractors pulling in the same direction.Now that the log is

Now that the log has been lifted closer to the house, we did some final knot trimming and repositioned the chain slings.

Since the butt end would be the "pass" end once up on the wall, this end needed to go up inside the overdangles first. To make sure the log didn't bump the overdangles on the way up, the sling is positioned as close to the end as safely possible.

With the opposite end resting on the ground, we began lifting. In this picture, the pass end is almost high enough. It just needs to swing over to the corner so it can sit on the upper overdangle.

By positioning this sling down the log in the opposite direction we want the log to move, and picking up on this end a little...

...the log swings in the right direction...

...and is set on the overdangle.

Jeff heads up onto the wall to help guide the log onto the wall while Matt works the tractors. Can you tell what they did "wrong" in this picture?

Matt hopped onto the other tractor and lifted the butt end up high enough that it swung in toward the lifting pole, then lowered it down onto the wall. Jeff's pass end remains resting on the overdangle. They got the pass end plumbed and pinned at the corner before calling it a day.