Moving Ready or Not

At the end of August our house in Junction City finally sold. It had been on the market for a year What a relief. However that meant we had to "move" to Peoria Rd. Storing all of our furniture and personal effects atop the garage was challenging and the hardships of full-time trailer life hit home. OMG! this was the incentive we needed to get the house finished, so for the next few weeks it was nose to the grind. Our tennis and golf gear only gathered dust.

At last cable and just in time for the US Open. Sarah claimed to be working on interior trim...for TWO WEEKS!!!

In the beginning we relied on the generosity of friends for laundry services. We advocate line drying.

Kirk and Tim pulled out the portable mill and ripped boards from the old walnut tree that we had to cut down to start construction. We hope to incorporate it into the house somehow.

Finished board.

Closeup of grain.

When one lives in a field, mice and voles are common, but we could not fathom why and how mice were leaving their trademarks at the top of our walls and not on the floors. One night, Kirk went to the house with a flash light and saw some very cute mammals roosting in the bedrooms.

Once temperatures rose to over 95 degrees Kirk decided it was time to get weatherized. He was obviously determined that we would ALL lose weight. Sweat, sweat, sweat.

Tim in good form. Sweat, sweat, sweat.

Chief stacker. Sweat, sweat, sweat,

Buried

Kirk made a concrete pad for the propane tank which will supply the top of our kitchen duel fuel stove.

Annual debris bonfire manned by members of the Raiders football team.

Full blaze.

Utility room complete with washer, dryer and two water heaters. One water heater for radiant floor heat and the other for hot water.

Bath Time

This bath tub was another Craigs List find and it appealed to us not only becasue of the good condition it was in but also becasue it is 6 ft long. (and it was cheap)
Hauling it up the stairs however was an expensive operation as we all needed massage and chiropractic services after we had completed the fourteen stair climb to the second story. It took six of us and once in place it was unanimously voted a one way bath tub trip.

Tim and Thomas using their Raider Football weightlifting skills to full advantage.

Thomas, Tim, Mark and Kirk setting the tub on the custom made pedestals.

Kirk showing a little leg.

Sarah painting outside of tub. Looks like Cadbury's milk chocolate.

Skinning boards or bath tub pedestals?

Finished product, complete with candles, soft misc and a glass of Pinot.

Potty Talk

Things to remember when using a port-a-potty:
1. Never put sunglasses on your head and look down unless they are attached to a string
2. Even fancy pots like the ones used for Chelsea Clinton's wedding smell when it is 90 degrees.
3.Water freezes at zero degrees. Port-A-Pottys are VERY cold in the Winter.

Departure day for the "Pot" warranted a big celebration. It had been here for three years since we started developing the property, thus we had to wait until we had a functioning WC inside the house before we could have it removed.

The Loo leaves.

Macarena.

Ironically soon after the Port-A-Potty left we had a plugged septic system in our new tank.

Kirk the plumber to the rescue with hose and gloves. Simple fix by cleaning the filter.

Our mudroom has a small bathroom which got the first dual flush toilet. These models are Eco friendly and use a lot less water than conventional one handled toilets. We used dual flush toilets in the other bathrooms too. Sarah's favourite, Caroma Sydney Kirk's favourite "Anyone you like dear providing I do not have to install it".

Super Bowl!

Cabinets and Cupboards

Cabinets for the house were made by JB Woodworks in Harrisburg. We first approached Jim the owner with a plan over a year ago. I am sure that after the ninth monthly phone-call to just "check in" he had given up on us, but we affirmed that we are old and slow and upheld our part of the bargain.


Kitchen in place. All the cabinets you see in these pics are made from rustic Alder.
We know that Jim did not take a year to build these cabinets and he installed them in one day. Obviously he is younger than us!

Sarah found a hammered copper farmhouse sink to complement the style of the kitchen.

Oh baby can't wait fill these beauties.

Tim's bathroom.

Master Bathroom

Grout is Great

Tiling we rapidly found out is an art form. There is a lot more to holding the pattern consistently than big tile, little tile. Grout colours come in as many colours as paint and it was easy for Sarah to visualize tie-dye mosaics. As for the knees and the back, well this is just another craft for the young guys.

Finished kitchen with Travertine tile. Cleaned, sealed and immediately muddied.

Mudroom. Travertine

Finished medallion in place.

Herewith the umpteenth "Sarah" idea, a.k.a. "Oh honey could you just add a ......
The dormant math brain had to do a little overtime.

Tim's bathroom. Walk in shower, built for wheelchair access. Porcelain on the walls. Travertine mosaic in the shower pan.

Master bathroom. Porcelain on the floor.

Tim's bathroom floor. Travertine on the floor in the Versailles pattern. We were seeing double long before we finished this room.

Master bath, shower pan in Travertine mosaic

Kirk doing the prep work before tiling. Ask him about cortisone injections in his knees.

What a Difference a Deck Makes

Back in the day when we asked for work party volunteers, 20 strapping guys would show up. Now that the novelty has worn off we welcome the die hard loyalists.

All decked out.

The deck cedar came from a tree in the Willamette forest where Kirk used to work. It is so rewarding to finally see the fruits of our labour incorporated into the house.

This photo shows the tree shortly after it was felled.

Kirk made a new entry ramp to access the house. Sarah shows off her rowing skills

Kirk did all the prep work before the boards were laid.

First Deck Hand,

Transition

Gary and Chuck focusing on their nailing pattern.

Lovely bottom!

Views of completed deck.

East side of house, outside the French doors.

Front view

Master stainer with deck hand.