Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Oops

I'm very excited about the plaster being completed - really feels like we're heading into the home stretch here.   But there was an odd moment when we looked at the stairs to the new basement and did a double take - wasn't there a light there?  Surely we must have drawn a light to help us find our way down!  But the ceiling is beautiful, flat and even. No sign of wires or a junction box.

A quick check of the plans confirmed that, yes, a light was drawn there, and the electrician confirms the box is there.  Somewhere under the beautiful new plaster.  Hope it's perfectly centered so it can be found again without too much pain and damage!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Irene

Well we found out Saturday morning just how much stuff had migrated out of storage in the pod to scatter itself around the yard.  Actually it all fit pretty easily into the shed, and the boats were moved up to higher ground and tied to trees easily as well.  

It was the construction stuff that was more worrisome.  We moved some wood inside, and tidyed loose scraps, but besides closing the door on the dumpster there wasn't too much to do but keep our fingers crossed.



The level of the water at the pond had dropped 4 or 6 inches.  Interesting, because I didn't think the previous owners had sold the pond, so I wonder who has (or assumed) that responsibility.  The poor beaver lodge was completely out of the water - wonder how that impacts them.

 













If we hadn't been so busy moving potential projectiles around, I would have loved to take a rake and cut back on the seaweed. oh well.

During a break in the storm midday today we did a tour of the perimeter.  Luckily, there was not much damage apparent. 



















The tarp had come off this beauty, another gift from the previous owner that one of the workers offered to take for scrap metal - we had happily agreed because we couldn't budge it. 

 We also found some erosion along the side of the porch and foundation.



 



 
















Looks like the silt fence did its job, though.

 And, one big branch down.

  












All things considered, though, it fell in a pretty good place - we can get in and out, no damage to the house, shed, or garage, and we had moved the zip line from this location a couple weeks ago.

Hope you all are safe and dry as well.






Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Vistas

Plaster is up, primed, and painted, so as a result the scaffolding, second floor remainders, and rogue columns have now exited the building. 

Here's the same angle, about ten (sunnier) days ago.

From below, the columns that have been there for 30-40 years are gone - no longer needed.

I couldn't find a 'before' version of this angle - it would have just been a blank wall with a couple random columns, but here's an earlier progress shot that looks back at all the columns.



I'm particularly excited that the 'temporary' columns are gone.

Funny enough, during the touring, inspecting, and purchasing, no one - not the brokers, the architects, nor the bank inspector, thought to look below the moving blankets that covered the bottom two feet of these columns.  We saw all the toddler stuff from the family living here, and naturally assumed the blankets were for the protection of the toddler.  Live and learn.

At any rate, here's that view now.


And the final shot, looking down from the stair landing leading to the kids' rooms.  They've gotten so used to treking by here that maybe we'll just skip the railing. 














If you look carefully, you'll see the white paint card selection has outlasted the 'temporary' column from the earlier picture!