We have a shell

Here we are on Friday the 13th - only 5 days after folks showed up to start digging the hole - and already the basic outline of the pool is complete.

It is not called cement - nor is it referred to as pouring.... in fact I was told (slowly and patiently by the pool guys) that it is called shooting the gunnite shell of the pool.

A rather large truck loaded with the gunnite gets as close as possible to the pool itself (again it is provind really helpful to have an empty lot beside us) and one man "shoots" the stream of wet watery concrete like stuff over the frame while a couple of his crewmates smooth out the surface and even use trowels to cut out holes for elements like the waterfall, light fixtures etc.

All told this process took less than 6 hours to complete.

One week - and the basic shape of the pool is in place!