October was the "for sure" time that the addition to the old farmhouse was to be complete. There were times when it looked promising, but then, two weeks ago, our carpenter took off for a couple of weeks..... No matter, the electrician, who was to do the electrical "trim out" on October 8, called to let us know it would be October 23 before she could be here...she had a two week vacation that popped up too. At least she called to let us know...
And so, we spent our time without contractors painting trim....miles and miles of trim.
Painting trim outside
Painting trim in the garage
Now the original plan was to paint trim in "batches," painting enough
for the carpenter to install in one day's work, and repeating that
process until all of the trim was painted and installed. However, with
no carpenter to do the installation, Joe devised a method to store the
freshly painted trim in a temperature controlled environment....not an
easy thing to do when each piece of trim ordered by the carpenter was 16
feet long.
First layer of painted trim
Transporting trim to old farmhouse addition
View from inside the truck
Joe unloading trim
Miles of painted trim awaiting carpenter
We completed the painting of the trim during the first week of the carpenter's absence, every day thinking that he'd surely be here the next day to start installation. The weather was, after all, beautiful.
On October 22, the electrician showed up, a day earlier than she'd arranged to be here. Unfortunately, we were not completely prepared for her, in part, because the carpenter still had some "blocks" to install to facilitate the electrician's installation of the outside fixtures. Joe called the carpenter to find out when he planned to return to install the blocks so the electrician could finish her work. The carpenter promised to return on the 24th, and the electrician agreed to return on the 25th to complete the electrical trim out.
Fans, lights and more fans
Exterior trim out
Installing light fixtures
I should not have been surprised when the 24th and 25th went by without either the carpenter or the electrician making an appearance. Late in the afternoon of the 25th, the electrician called, leaving a message that she'd run overtime on another job, but that she'd spoken with our carpenter and he'd assured her that he'd install the necessary blocks over the weekend. She promised she'd show up on Monday or Tuesday (29th or 30th) to complete the job.
Enter Sandy.
Local weather...continuous coverage
Yes, preparations for Sandy began in earnest on the 25th. By Saturday the 27th, we were as ready as we were going to be. All animals had been relocated to their winter quarters to weather the storm, and all hatches were battened down, as best they could be in a forever-construction site. At 7:00 PM Saturday the rains began. It rained and rained. The wind gusted and blew, but not too badly. We waited, completely prepared for the inevitable loss of power. Every time the lights flickered, we knew this was to be the time.
Minor flooding
Goats and Chickens ready for drier weather
It rained for 73 hours straight, without letting up. Sure, sometimes the rain was lighter than others, but, when it finally finished raining last night, (that would be Tuesday, October 30th) at 8 PM, we were very happy to see it end! Our rain gauge (aka big plastic bin) reported about 15 inches of total rainfall for the storm's duration. We had a few downed limbs, and some tarps blown off here and there, and the upstairs bedroom door to the service deck on the old farmhouse was blown open and the new subfloor took on a fair amount of rain, but in the greater scheme of things, we were VERY lucky.
Drainage ditch approaching capacity
Benson...is it safe to venture out yet?
Water on subfloor after wind blew door open
Judy opening trenches clogged with leaves
Now, while it is true that the worst of the storm passed us by on Monday, Tuesday it was still raining and the wind was still blowing. So it seems only natural that at 9 AM the phone would ring and the carpenter's wife would ask me if we had power....turns out the carpenter decided this was the day to return to the job .... well, Joe convinced him it made little sense to come on such a rainy day, when our property was so soaked and no outside work could reasonably be performed. All agreed that he should show up today instead, which he did.
And so, on the very last day of October, the carpenter installed the exterior blocks for the electrician, and has begun installing the interior doors and all of the painted trim. Perhaps we will have a completed addition, at least, by the end of the week? Well, of course, we still haven't seen the electrician......
Carpenter on the trim
Closet exterior trim
Closet interior trim
We did do a few little "fun" things while the contractors were on their vacations. We did manage to paint the old window frames and then Joe installed the new "stained glass windows" in the stairwell windows of the old farmhouse. It will make a lovely filtered light in the stairwell during the day, and it looks pretty cool from the outside at night.
Windows, painted and clean
Joe applying the "stained glass"
As he balances on the scaffolding
View from outside
From inside stairwell in daylight
November is going to be crazy busy for me with work, several trips out of town, etc. so, if we do, indeed, have a completed addition by Thanksgiving, I will be most thankful. I hope to have our first Thanksgiving dinner in the old farmhouse with my kids, their spouses and my granddaughter. It would be nice if the whole house were finished by then, but I'm going to be happy just to have the addition complete. The kitchen, while not complete, is at least fully functional and the addition has the dining room, the family room and a small office/guest room. So, we will be able to enjoy Thanksgiving in the old farmhouse, regardless of its state of completion.
Soon, soon.... patience is a virtue....
And for Hallowe'en, which brought no trick-or-treaters way out here, I was able to enjoy a cute picture of my sweet Eloise, dressed like a troll, playing with her Mama's trolls, saved from her own childhood....
Troll Eloise, playing with her "babies"
Oh, and another of the sweet Eloise sitting on a really neat bench.
Today is September 30, 2012. According to the contract for the addition on our old farmhouse, today was the target day of completion..... Guess I am accustomed, at this point, to the fact that nothing actually IS completed on time -- or on budget, for that matter. Still, we are getting close (how many times have I said those words? How many times have I WRITTEN those words?) But we are getting close. The drywall is hung, and mudding is almost finished. We are supposed to be painting both the upstairs of the old farmhouse and the addition this week. I am crossing my fingers we will be able to.
Old Farmhouse December 2009
Building Roof
Interior Walls Going Up
Windows Installed
Siding Being Installed
Siding Being Installed
After painting, the rest of the flooring will be installed, followed by the installation of the interior doors and all of the trim work for the whole house. Oh, and somewhere along the way, I suppose it would be a good idea to install the oak stair treads and risers that we purchased last November...back in those silly days when I actually BELIEVED our carpenter when he said the work on the old farmhouse would be completed in 13 weeks....(that clock started in September of 2011... not sure WHICH 13 weeks he was referring to, but to my way of calendaring, we have well exceeded the 13 week estimate.)
Joe Taking Delivery of Heat Pump Units
Ductless Heat Pump Being Installed
Electrician Adjusting Some Fan Block Placements
Getting Rough-In Electrical, Rough-In Mechanical, and Framing Inspections
Our next target for completion (I seriously am growing weary of setting target completion dates) is in time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in our HOME rather than in the garage apartment where we have been living for two and half years. Still, the doubting Thomas in me is secretly (or not so secretly) imagining we'll be lucky to be in the house by Christmas. Fingers, toes, and eyes are all crossed that we will ONE DAY be in our house, enjoying freedom from work schedules, and delays.
Insulation in Place
Drywall Delivery
Door to Door Service!
Mudding, First Coat
Mudding, Mudding, Mudding
September 2012
It's been an interesting September. The gardens have slowed way down, but we did manage to enjoy a decent grape harvest from which I made grape jelly....delicious. I canned sweet potatoes (some of them were WHOPPERS). We are still picking some tomatoes, peppers and eggplants and we are eating the figs as soon as they ripen on the trees....maybe next year I'll start preserving some.
Big Sweet Potato
More Grapes
Grape Jelly Batch Number 1
Fig
I spent a few days up in Maryland, helping my mother get all of her furniture and packed belongings returned to their places after she had her main floor remodeled in August and early September. It was a big job which I have not yet completed, but I will return in a couple of weeks to finish the job of hanging pictures on the walls, rearranging furniture, etc. The good news is that Mom is happy with the results of the remodel.
I had an interesting experience this month. Since our 17 year old dog passed away this summer, we have decided we need to get another dog...or two. Our preference is to get two puppies that can be raised with the other animals, learning to protect the chickens and goats, and learning to get along with the cats. All animals are "outside" animals with night/winter quarters in heated, protected areas. All animals, are confined to fenced yards, except the chickens who fly over to free range and the one cat who chooses to enjoy the whole farm as his territory. So, I decided to adopt from the local animal shelter.
Happy Goats Eating Weeds
Now, the last time I adopted from the local shelter, they were operating out of an OLD building, with workers who looked as if they worked there because they loved animals....certainly not because they would get rich by working there or anything. However, that was in 2007 and this is 2012. There was, apparently, a HUGE drive to build a new facility for the animal shelter and when I drove up to it for the first time, I was shocked. It looks as if a LOT of money was spent on this place....bricks in the front walk attest to the donations from local wealthies and not-so-wealthies. As I opened the HUGE glass door and walked in, I was immediately struck by the differences. The smells, for example, did not give away ANY hint of "animals" ...NONE! And the workers now look like nurses in a medical office, wearing the uniforms of the typical doctor's office employees.
"Choice" adoptables, such as the Amazon Parrot, proudly sit in their cages onto which are attached price tags of over $400.... I start to get the picture that I have entered into a different environment.... Still, I am interested in looking at the dogs available for adoption.
The woman behind the front desk inquires as to my reason for being there and then informs me that I need to sign the "guest" register. She also informs me that since they close in 10 minutes, there is insufficient time for me to see the dogs. Really? I can't even look at the puppies? Well, she agreed to let me look at the puppies which were in the Puppy Room, but cautioned me to, "use the hand sanitizer when you enter before you touch any of them." OK.
Yes, they had some puppies, but none that I thought were ideal for our interests. Nevertheless, she (front desk lady) handed me an application and told me to fill it out and bring it back when I was ready to adopt. I took it, and promised to return.
The following week, I returned at a respectable time of day, armed with my completed application. I took a look at the new puppies and found two litter mates that suited me. I put their names on my application as the puppies I would like to adopt. They assured me that the approval process would take 24-48 hours.... 10 minutes after I left the facility I received a call from a guy who told me they needed to get vet records for all of my pets from my vet. He asked that I contact my vet and have him send them over. No problem. However, while he was on the phone he mentioned that on my application I had responded to the question of whether these puppies would be housed indoors or outdoors with, "outdoors."
Well, to make a ridiculously long story somewhat shorter, after nearly a week of nonsense, in which my vet sent ALL records for my cats and my now deceased 17 year old dog, the guy told me that they REALLY prefer to adopt puppies to people who will raise them indoors. Their rationale is that when they get these dogs BACK at the shelter, if they have been kept as outdoor dogs, they are not housebroken and they tend to be "dirty." Ummmmmm, this is a farm. The animals are cared for and are healthy, but they are animals, and they seriously prefer to be outside. In my lifetime, I have never had a dog bolt INTO the house when the door was opened, but they certainly love to bolt OUT of the door.
Nevertheless, since I was unwilling to lie on my application, I was not allowed to pay the $300 they were going to charge me to adopt the two puppies. Sadly, what I'd thought was a win-win opportunity for the pups and for us was not to be. Double sadly, I am pretty sure I will not return to the shelter to try to adopt any animal. So, no dogs on the farm right now. But I have confidence we will find the perfect dog/puppies when the time is right.
Another interesting September event was the decision by the first of our hens to go "broody." Day in and day out she sat on her eggs. Day after day she scooped additional eggs into her nest and day after day, I removed the newer eggs, allowing her to try to successfully hatch the seven original eggs.... However, in the end, the chicks never actually emerged from the eggs. On day 26 she left the nest and did not return. Inspection of the remaining four eggs (three disappeared during this setting process) found two completely formed, but not living, black chicks, and two pure liquid UGH eggs. Well, maybe she will have better luck in the spring. We shall see.
Broody Hen
Unhatched Eggs
I wrapped up September with a trip to Rochelle, VA to spend time helping my daughter and son-in-law for the weekend, taking care of my granddaughter while they both worked their extremely busy schedules. My daughter's floral design business is doing very well and she had 5 weddings and 1 event this weekend. My son-in-law is a wine maker for two vineyards and they are in the height of harvest activity right now. Me, well all I had to do was chill with little miss Eloise for a few days, which I don't think can be considered a burden!
Eloise Learning to Walk
Hi!!!
Passed out on Gammis Bed in the Guest House
A rather funny thing I discovered while she and I were on our own last
night is that she LOVES the Lawrence Welk show.... funny to see her so
mesmerized by the singers, musicians and dancers. Makes me wonder what
is going through that developing brain behind those big blue eyes!
Big Blue Eyes
And so, though I'd really expected to be able to post more often in September, here I am, once again, on the last day of the month, finally taking time to capture some of my September thoughts. Perhaps I'll write more often in October...but, no promises!
