Bob and Tom worked on screwing down safety "kicker boards" for our ladders to rest against, so they don't kick out while in use.

Since our girder positions were marked yesterday, we moved an end to one side so Paul could begin carving the saddle notch. He's already made a few vertical cuts. Now he's popping out wood chunks with a pry bar.

With one end of one girder not needing a saddle notch, Bob drills two holes for rebar pins.

Paul works on shaping the notch with the chainsaw wheel.

A look at our rough work so far.

This notch isn't quite right yet.

To roll the log up and out of the saddle notch, we used a come-along wrapped around the top of the log.

Paul watches as the log gets rolled back into the notch.

Instead of rolling the log out of the notch, which tended to cause it to rotate slightly, we decided to pick it straight up.

Tying the lead rope off to a pin and pulling at an angle like Jillena's doing here, it was much easier for one person to lift the heavy log.

John fills our smaller water tank from the truck...

...so Jeff's friend, Fred, can pressure wash a log. Fred lives in Maryland and just showed up unannounced. He was "in the area". What a nice surprise that was!

Because the second floor girders are oriented opposite of each other, they appear uneven. But that's an illusion. They're both level when measured from floor to their top surfaces.

Bob drives two more girder pins while Tom looks on...again.

The last end to make a notch for. The end has been picked up by both block and tackle sets while the notch is carved.

Finished! Now to begin course 11. We decided to start with the West wall, which meant putting up this log in 3 sections.

These logs seem like sticks compared to what we've been lifting.

Swinging the log around so it's oriented properly.

Lowering the first log section. This one will be a butt end so it's already been cut to length.

Checking this log section for plumb. It's difficult to see here, but the plumb bob is being steadied near the inside corner of the bottom log...

...while Aaron holds the plumb string against the inside edge of the log section we just set.

Paul watches as Aaron drills the first hole near the end of the log.

Paul shows Aaron how to drive a pin one-handed with a 6lb. hammer.

A bit difficult to see, but a sketch for a side saddle notch has been made on one of the log section.

To cut the notch, a few cuts are made perpendicular to the log...

...making sure not to cut deeper than the sketch line.

The a rough cut is made to take out the long pieces.

Then the chainsaw becomes a planer, making passes across the rough surface to smooth it out.

Planing the upper half.

Aaron helps guide the "pass" section of this wall into place.

Paul drives a pin in the corner of this log piece.

Aaron drills a few more holes along the rest of the wall.