Busy busy busy

Well we are back in the messy stage again.  

Here is a shot out front.  As you can see we have lots of vehicles, trailers, tractors, and piles o' stuff.  

Here we are looking across the street.  Our neighbors wanted in on the fun so they decided to rip up their front yard and have a new driveway put in.  Hence the backhoe in the picture.  

Here you get a better idea of the mess they created.  Between the two of us we made the entire street look like it was being rebuilt.  

So the big news came in the form of a design change.  We are making every effort to build the path up to Oma's house a ramp versus a bunch of stairs.  The bridge across the pond has always been interesting.  We were going to go with a big tube covered by dirt and rock at either side.  Very heavy.  

Well I dug out the old tube and discovered that the pond was actually much wider than we thought and we did not want some big heavy bridge that would shrink it back down.  Net result a new plan was born and now we are bridge builders.  2 I-beams and 12 bags of concrete later we have a bridge that show off the pond much better.  Casey will finish it properly with teak and rails but you get the idea.  

 
Path prep continued today.    The view from the bridge to our house. 

Here is a view from the top of the bridge towards Oma's house.

 And from the mid-point looking towards her house.  Now you can see stairs going to the front door but should she require a ramp it is designed into the plan to be added across the front easily.   

 Annette was busy staining the ceilings.  Very nice!!!!

And she is so proud of her work even though is is over 100 degrees up there!!!

Casey started laying the floors.  First the paper goes down.....  My shot of the actual floor was crappy so I will get a better one for the next post.  

Pressure is on....

We have been just a bit busy.

The first bit of news is what is adding to the pressure.  Oma got 5 offers on her house and yesterday we signed the papers.  If all goes well 45 days from now it will be sold.  The buyers actually gave her another 60 days to move out - rent free - but our hope is that the cottage is done and we won't need this added cushion.

On the cottage front, the big news is the ceiling.  Casey found and is installing something called "beetle kill aspen".  It has a blue grey tinge to it.

Here is day 1.  He started at the back of the living room:

Here are a few shots of the living room finished.  It still gets trim but you get the idea.  This is from the porch door.

This is from Oma's chair looking into the kitchen:

This is looking up and over Oma's chair:

 You will also notice we have lights on.  The lights and plugs are about 90% complete.

The front entry and completing the porch has also been a point of focus.  The porch was extended out to make a landing for the stairs and then decking was added.  Here Andrew is working away:

The other major news has to do with getting the yard and walkway back together again.  Step 1 remove all the crushed flagstone.  Annette sold it on craigslist and away it went:

Work starts on the new patio and walkway today.

Annette has also been busy building stairs and walkways over by the kitchen.  Here are the stairs going up the retaining wall in the back:

 And the future flagstone path to the waterfall:

Alien Invasion and they aren't too bright at that...

So the alien reference is obvious.  But what is this about their intelligence.  For that we have a story.

 I'm driving back from the shop and pulling a U-turn at the Whipple intersection when my phone rings. It is Casey but I cannot answer the phone as I am in the truck making a very tight maneuver. I finished the turn and called him right back. It turns out he had locked himself in the bedroom while he was painting. Now to be fair, while he was in the bedroom the wind blew the door closed and there are no door handles.  Having a broken leg makes jumping out of a window a non-starter.  So I tell him I am on my way.  I get home and there is a Mercedes SUV in the driveway.  Not sure who it is but we have lots of visitors.  Turns out that Casey had called Annette when I did not answer and she called the next door neighbors.  They were on their way to the farmers market but turned around and rescued the poor boy.  

Obviously the texturing is complete and painting has begun.  Casey put on the primer and then did the finish coat yesterday.  Looks nice.  

Before that they were working trim.  The front of the house is almost done.  

With the painting done Casey will start the "lid" which normal people call a ceiling.  I can install plugs and switches.

Slowly we move forward...

Yesterday felt like a bit of a bust although things did get done.  Work progressed on the trim.  The texture guys blew up their machine and were unable to complete anything more than the bathroom.  We did fill the truck for a dump run so the place looks less cluttered.  Casey and I met with Sione to discuss the pathway to the cottage and the repairs on the flagstone deck.  Drain pipes were completed in the back and holes dug for the stairs.  All the ceiling material was moved from the front to the back.

Today we have a bit more action.

Andrew is working trim, Casey is approving the last few windows for production.  Gutters are getting installed and the texture is getting done.

Here is the gutter unit set up in the street

Completed front gutter

Andrew working the trim

Living room textured

Here is the texture Oma chose. Very nice and round corners no less.

 Texturing the bedroom

Things progress

Sorry that I have not been keeping very current.  We have been working our butts off up at Oma's house in Sebastopol getting it ready to go on the market.  Today was picture taking day which meant we had to have it all together.  As Annette has been saying all afternoon, "we did it".  House is listed as of Monday.

Work continues on the new place.

The mudding and taping is finished and we are ready for the final top coat on Monday.  Then we will paint and I can finish up the electrical.  If you are wondering why there is no sheetrock on the ceiling that is because it will be done with Aspen from Colorado.

Kitchen....

Bedroom....

Hey where did the door go?  

Casey and Andrew have been hard at work putting on the porch rail and then the siding.  The following pictures show the progression all the way until today.  Casey is starting the trim and will install the batten boards on the siding.

View from our bedroom window...

Sheetrock!!!

Doors and windows are in and so is the sheetrock.  Taping and mudding will go through Wednesday then it is paint time.

Side doors

Bedroom door

Window seat

Kitchen

Window seats

Front of great room

Bath

 Bedroom

Front of bedroom