If there’s one thing I’ve learned about building a 64×60 dream shop, it’s that “Victory” is earned one post at a time. This week was a massive milestone: we officially have posts in the ground and concrete in the holes. It’s starting to look like a building!
The Backhoe: A Back-Saving Investment
I said it before, but that Case 580E backhoe has been the best investment I’ve made in a long time. It did an incredible job on the dirt work, but its real value shone when it came to moving material. Setting these 20-foot posts by hand? Not happening. The backhoe took all the heavy lifting out of the equation and probably saved us a week’s worth of back pain.
The Learning Curve (The Pain)
Setting the first post was a classic “Pain” moment. We struggled for about an hour trying to use the hook on the side of the boom, but the strap was too long and we just couldn’t get the height we needed. We had to pause, re-evaluate, and change our strategy.
Once we switched to a shorter chain and strap attached between the bucket teeth, we found our groove. We went from an hour per post down to about 20 minutes. It just goes to show—if you’re hitting a wall, take a second to look at the puzzle from a different angle.
Working with Dad
Having my dad up here to help has been one of the best parts of this whole project. He recently retired, and I think I might be enjoying his retirement more than he is! We’ve had some great conversations every morning, and watching him work is a reminder of where my own work ethic comes from. He’s always the first one to suggest something helpful—like getting a fire pit going in the snow. I rolled my eyes at first, but man, having that fire to warm up by was a total game-changer.
The Muddy Victory
Pour day was an absolute battle. We had some great friends come out to help, and even though some of them had never poured concrete before, they jumped right in. It got incredibly dicey with the mud—I really thought we were going to lose a concrete truck to the muck. We ended up burning through four sheets of plywood just to get the trucks back out of there.
Because of the conditions, I made the call to skip the fourth truck. I have one post left to pour, but I’ll handle that with a sonotube and my own mixer. Mixing 40 bags of concrete by hand sounds like “Pain,” but after seeing those trucks almost get swallowed by the mud, it’s a victory in my book!
What’s Next?
The shop is finally shaping up. Next on the list: backfilling the holes, tamping everything down, getting some gravel in here, and starting the framing. Once the bracing is out of the way, this space is going to feel even bigger.
I’m one happy camper right now. We’re one step closer to having a place where we can truly “Wheel it, Wreck it, Wrench it, and Repeat.”
Stay tuned for the framing—it’s going to be awesome!
— Josh
Days of Pain and Victory 
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