prairieman

Overall: What else can we say ? We are living in our new home ! ! So-SO many things yet to be completed to actually finish the home, but we are good with that. I’m a couple days late publishing this week’s post – we have no internet at the new house, and was super busy moving and getting out of the leased home. I forgot about the blog until Monday evening.

Monday: all day moving prep at the Arlington Rd rental. Moving wonky things ourselves rather than spend a lot of time, carefully packing a difficult piece – that only needs to travel 14 miles.

Tuesday: Happy Anniversary to us ! Married on this day in 1981. This is one to remember for sure. Our activities today ? same as yesterday. Movers will be here at 8AM on Wednesday.

Wednesday: The company: 2 men and a truck – brought five men and two trucks. The entire crew were really hustling, taking them over 4 hours to load, and just over 3 hours to unload. Got a basic furniture layout in the great room and the bed setup in our bedroom. First night on Howard Ridge !

Thursday: 2 men and a truck arrived at dad’s house at 1PM as scheduled. We completely filled dad’s finished basement to look like a warehouse last year when we had to move. Could barely squeeze between rows and stacks of boxes and other household belongings. Took the guys a couple hours to load and about the same to unload. Still have my entire shop of tools and materials in dad’s garage, but there is still room to park one car in an oversize 2 car garage. Asked dad to be patient, as I won’t have the shop building in a condition to accept the stuff in his garage until the shop is put away and organized. The weather today was horribly hot and extremely humid today – had to close windows and turn on the AC. Thunderstorms here overnight.

Friday: spent the morning  trying to make sense of the mountain in cardboard boxes in the shop.   Went to Arlington Rd to begin moving the rest of the household goods we didn’t want the movers to try and load up.   Nice weather has returned.  82 degrees, low humidity, and cool temps in the house with ceiling fans running and windows wide open.

Saturday: spent the moring in town buying towel racks, and other essential stuff. Another truck load of belongings taken from Arlington Rd to Howard Ridge. Mowed dad’s lawn, and worked on a detailed plan for the walk-in pantry. Another day with windows open and ceiling fans keeping it cool and comfortable in the house and shop.

Sunday: Moving boxes in the shop to open up a space for wood working tools and a workbench to begin making the shelves for the pantry. Installed handles on the kitchen cabinet doors. Went into town to pick up dad for Sunday dinner. The rental on Arlington Rd was only 3-4 miles from his home in Blue Ridge, compared to the new house which is a 12 mile trip. The extra miles are trivial, compared to the joy of great food and conversation with dad, so the Sunday evenings at our house will continue !

Howard Ridge Blog summary:

Mission accomplished. We completed the construction of a new custom home and work shop to our specifications. After spending the past 4 nights and 5 days here; we both absolutely love it. While this would seem to be an appropriate end of the blog, I’m have decided to keep it going for now. I have benefitted in a number of ways (primarily recalling specific events w/o relying on memory). Starting next week, the Sunday posting will be a single paragraph, briefly listing the specific tasks accomplished toward completing the house and shop.

Overall: Hallelujah ! ! Objective achieved ! We have an approved final inspection and occupancy permit ! Two men and a truck local movers are scheduled for Wednesday, to relocate our household furnishings from the crappy leased home to the place we intend to live; for as long as humanly possible.

Monday: Kyle continued working the screen in breezeway project. Ralph was here for a few hours, connecting appliances. I worked on shop electrical receptacles and collecting pieces of styrofoam and breaking down cardboard boxes. Dropped off the styrofoam at a friend’s place of business, who has a large commercial trash dumpster.

Tuesday: Chris arrived early morning and was done at lunchtime. All of the plumbing is now complete and in working order. Kyle completed the breezeway, and that will be the last project he performs for us – for at least the near term. We have discussed this moment several times over the past few weeks. Kyle already has carpenter work waiting for him. Once we have settled in after our move, received the final draw for the loan, paid the remaining bills… we will see where we end up with cash. I’m prepared and eager to DIY all of the projects to finish the house, but if we can afford to utilize Kyle, the pace of completing projects will be quicker.

Wednesday: Hauled the remaining cardboard to the local recycling center. Completed the final wire rope runs for the deck. Had a few that wouldn’t tighten/tension up adequately. General clean up in the house, removing all traces of construction work. Joe was here to help hang the last 3 shop light fixtures in the shop.

Thursday: Disassembed the scaffolding in the shop and relocated the scaffolding and other construction materials and tools to the local storage unit I’m renting. Cleaned and straightened the shop building for tomorrow’s inspection.

Friday: Lonnie (Brown County Blg Insp) arrived on time. Spent about 15-20 minutes walking through both buildings. Had a couple questions, which were easily answered. We walked onto the deck, and he measured the overall heighth of the deck railing cap. Called me over and asked what I saw on the tape measure. He said what I already knew: building code is clear – a minimum of 36″. He and I both saw 35 & 5/8″ ! I told him what I was feeling: “Lonnie, I am completely crushed.” I never checked the overall heighth when Kyle and I were fitting the deck rail cap. Then I said: my mistake and you know I’ll correct it. He said: send me a picture showing the modification and a 36″ inch tape measurement. Then handed me the occupany permit and checked off the remaining blocks on the building permit. With that – we’re approved to move in ! ! Mark the date: July 14th. Construction complete (but not 100% finished)

Saturday: Spent the day, moving bulky items to the house. Worked through the inventory of RTA cabinet panels and hardware we have that will not be needed. Also have a few items we need to complete the kitchen cabinet project. Because these are RTA cabinets, which means each cabinet is a kit of parts and they are modular, allowing flexibility. The Menards software that compiles the individual list of parts, makes assumptions about how each cabinet will be installed and used. No problem to return excess material.

Sunday: Carole and I spent part of the day at Howard Ridge. Hauled a couple more loads of stuff too difficult to pack. I completed the RTA cabinet parts inventory, to determine: what we need to keep, to return and to order. Will visit Menards on Tuesday with material and a list. Carole worked on RTA cabinet assembly for the cabinets that were in the way of the plumber last week. Back at home relaxing for the evening. Only a couple more days in this leased shithole…

Overall: Ended the week with kitchen countertops installed as planned. While there is a VERY long list of details yet to be done; from kitchen cabinet handles, to towel racks, closet shelves, clothes rods, curtains, and on AND on…. here is the short list of what must be done next week before the building department’s final inspection on the 14th. 1. complete the deck railing project. 2. connect wiring and final install of kitchen ovens, dishwasher & cooktop. 3. Connect and install washer and dryer. 4. Connect drains and water supply to kitchen and laundry sinks. I’m the guy completing the deck railing project this weekend. Chris (plumbing) has promised to complete his stuff on Wednesday. Ralph & Joe (electricians) said they will be here on Tuesday. Movers are scheduled for the 19th, as we feel confident about the final inspection/occupancy permit result next Friday.

Monday: Kyle and I worked kitchen cabinets in preparation of granite install on Friday. The guy measuring for the countertops last week, said we were responsible for supports for the great room side of the island. The granite will be cantilevered about 16 inches and needs to properly supported. Spent Friday, researching materials – steel or wood. Quickly determined wood as the winner. Came up with a design for Kyle to reproduce using 3/4″ thick oak boards. We will need three supports.

Tuesday: Kyle produced the oak supports overnight in his woodworking shop, and they look terrific. Some island cabinet disassembly was required to fit the supports and modify fillers previously installed between island base cabinets. I spent most of the afternoon, flattening a small mountain of cardboard boxes, and loading them into the truck. We will have every bit of construction related “trash” (cardboard, styrofoam and boards) removed before the 14th. They are inspecting the structures, but I firmly believe how the site looks in appearance is an indication of our build quality and detail.

Wednesday: Dropped off – a lot – of cardboard at a recycling center located on the way to the site. I don’t want to pay for a rolloff dumpster from a cost standpoint, nor do I want to send cardboard to the landfill. The first of several trips.

Thursday: Ralph and Joe were here today, installing ceiling light fixtures and wiring receptacles in the shop. Kyle and I installed a wood deck railing cap, using treated lumber deck boards. All that remains is installing the 1/8″ wire rope. With 4 men on site, I used the opportunity to move the raised hearth – a piece of cut limestone, 36″ wide, 60″ long and 3″ thick. On week 56, we used a tractor with fork lifts to get the hearth from the trailer up to the deck, placing it on a moving dolly. I also visited Mike and Cindy Baker, who donated a beautiful Vermont casting wood stove to the project. Mike & Cindy replaced this vintage and well used stove with a new and identical example last year. We made quick work of getting the stove from Mike’s shop (a 1/2 mile away) into our great room. I think the stove weighs more than the limestone hearth… Wood stove installation will be in the future, sometime before winter.

Friday: Granite installers arrived around 8am and were done around 9:30. Obviously… having kitchen counter tops in place makes the room look finished. Kyle worked on screens and screen doors for the breezeway and I worked on deck railing wire rope installation. A really beautiful day, and was so pleased with how close we are to completion, decided to drive the convertible home instead of the truck. I had no idea rain was in the forecast until watching the late evening news. whoops… Covered the car with a tarp and went to bed.

Saturday: Woke up to a downpour, but the tarp was doing it’s job; keeping the interior dry. In the 9 years I’ve owned this BMW convertible (bought cheap without a top) have only had to deploy a tarp 3 times. Had I been “weather-aware”….. oh well. Spent the morning getting caught up on the computer, to include this week’s blog. Rain ended around noon, I left the house an hour later. Worked on deck railing wire rope.

Sunday: up early and out to 6619. Spent some time with a cup of coffee on the deck. Thinking mostly about details; framed art, the large task of moving into a new shop, that sort of thing. Carole and the dogs arrived around 10am. We continued the casual relaxation – and conversation – on the deck, watching birds. We finally got up from our comfortable seats and went to work. Carole assembled 4 ceiling fans and I installed them. After she left, I loaded each and every piece of styrofoam into the truck. I’m fortunate to have been provided a dumpster to get rid of this material. Tomorrow afternoon, I plan to flatten every box and haul 100% of the cardboard we have accumulated. Next week should be interesting !

Overall: A mention of severe weather concluded last week’s post, and angry weather has been a factor this week. Electric power has been out since Thursday at Howard Ridge and our leased home. Final inspection for this construction project has been scheduled for July 14th.

Monday: I worked on deck railing post installation, while Kyle continues to install pocket doors. I visited the local propane dealer. Told him I corrected the source of the pipe leak. He said a technician would out later in the day to redo their leak check. The guy did a pressure check, confirmed a leak free installation, and filled the tank with 400 gallons of LPG.

Tuesday: Ralph and Joe worked a few hours today, getting both main panels squared away. Still have appliances to connect and shop light fixtures and wire up a number of shop receptacles. Kyle continued working on pocket door installation.

Wednesday: Retreived my table saw from dad’s garage and brought it to the shop. Believe it will make it easier to cut the long panels for the pantry shelves. I worked on west breezeway steps to the backyard yard.

Thursday: The guy who measures projects so the shop is able to produce accurate fitting granite countertops was on site to perform his role. Kyle installed the last pocket door. We left the site earlier than normal due to the power going out during a strong afternoon thunderstorm. Departed for home, and only made it a couple hundred yards before encountering the highway blocked from very large downed tree limbs. Turned around to get the chain saw. Returned to find another person already cutting limbs. She was driving east toward Helmsburg. We quickly cleared the highway, shook hands and bid each other farewell.

Friday: No power at Howard Ridge or at home. Spent the day working on paver installation for the west breezeway and installed thermostats for the hydronic slab heat. Called Lonnie at the Brown County building department to schedule the final inspection. We are first on his to-do list, Friday July 14th.

Saturday: Made an early trip to Howard Ridge to see if power was restored. It was not, nor has power been restored to our leased home. Spent the afternoon at dad’s house (because Thursday’s storms had not disrupted his electric service). Ended up spending the night.

Sunday: Power was restored overnight to both locations. Spent the day at the site installing the horizontal wire rope that will be our deck railing system. Interesting hardware to work with. Mike Baker was helping me today. The two of us were able to get a lot more done with the deck cable installation, than I would have accomplished myself. Thanks Mike ! Expecting more thunderstorms this evening.

Overall: Happy to report we passed a couple milestones this week. All utilities (minus internet) are installed. Water is on in the house and the propane tank delivered and placed. A small setback with propane will be corrected on Monday. The last appliances arrived this week. Marching steadily toward July 7th when kitchen counter tops will be installed.

Monday: Working on interior door prep in advance of painting all 24 interior doors. Took the truck & trailer to Menards to purchase 18′ deck boards which will be used as the deck railing cap. This material is notorious for shrinking as it dries, so I placed the boards in the shop, stacked with spacers between bottom board and the floor and each stacked board above it. Will wait a couple weeks before bringing them out to complete the deck railing project.

Tuesday: The plumber was on site today. Chris hooked up everything for hot and cold water, minus the kitchen and laundry room sinks – both still waiting for countertops. Showers, tubs, sinks, hose bibs, etc. all functional. YEA ! I don’t have to haul drinking water every morning ! Kyle painted all the interior doors using an airless sprayer.

Wednesday: Summer Solstice. Carole at the site, assembling kitchen cabinets. Best Buy delivered the dishwasher, washer and dryer today. Kyle worked on hanging newly painted interior doors. I helped Kyle and worked on kitchen pantry plans and material needs

Thursday: Carole was here today, installing bits & pieces – door & window hardware. Wolford’s arrived this morning with a propane tank. After burying the pipe from the tank to the house and connecting it, began leak check testing and told me there was a small leak beteen the outer wall of the house and the boiler in the mechanical room. Augh ! ! The crew leader said what I was thinking: a misplaced drywall screw, missed a wall stud and poked a hole in the pipe.

Friday: Carole was at the site again today, installing interior door handles, window screens and general cleaning. I set up a pressure test kit – a home made collection of pipe fittings, to include a pressure gauge and a shrader valve. This is a contraption I made many years ago for this purpose. I just needed to adapt it for this application. I removed the propane companies pressure diaphrapm and capped the pipe outside the house. Opened the pipe union at the boiler to connect my pressure tester. Applied 30 psi air pressure, and watched the gauge sink rather quickly, confirming the leak in the house. Decided to check the pipe connection in the mechanical room ceiling first because it was accessible. The pipe is a single piece of aluminum tubing with a plastic outer jacket, going from the mechanical room into the attic, over the Great room, then down the north Great room wall, to an elbow then outside. I put a couple wrenches on the connection fitting, and it moved too easily. Boom ! Plumber neglected to torque the pipe connection fitting ! I went ahead and disassembled the four piece fitting to visually inspect the end of the tube and the connector for damage that might cause a leak. Observed no issues, so reassembled the connector fitting and torqued it. Put 30 psi in the pipe and waited all day for it to drop. Leak fixed ! Will call the propane dealer first thing Monday so they can complete their installation. Having propane to the boiler, means Lucas can commision the concrete slab heating system.

Saturday: Carole and I were at the site all day. She continued her effort, installing window sash handles and filling nail holes in interior trim. I got started with the deck railing project.

Sunday: Slept in (because I deserve it – lol) Got caught up scanning and logging receipts and assembling this week’s blog. Out to Howard Ridge late morning and afternoon. Came up with a long term solution for the west end breezeway steps. Installed the master shower door. Severe thunderstorms in the area brought the day to an early end. Eager to get going tomorrow morning.

Overall: The final pieces (projects) of this puzzle are coming together. Deck railing material arrived this week. The granite countertop installer we hired will measure the kitchen on June 29, and install on July 7. The plumber is expected on site next week to finish up nearly all (minus the kitchen sink) of his tasks. Propane tank should be placed next week. Hoping we can complete everything needed for a final inspection when the granite is being installed.

Monday: Kyle and I joined the eight (8) individual base cabinets that make up the kitchen island. I worked the 3 piece puzzle, aligning the downdraft vent duct, the hole cut for the duct in the cooktop base cabinet and the duct in the concrete slab. Kyle is still working interior trim finishing. Granite installer called to say we are on their schedule to complete installation July 7th.

Tuesday: I assembled the tall cabinet which will house the double convection ovens. Coincidently, Menards called to tell me the ovens have arrived at the store for pick up. Kyle is still puttying nail holes in trim.

Wednesday: Hanna trucking delivered a load of crushed stone which will be spread where the propane tank will be installed. I’m putting down landscape fabric, then stone. I don’t want to fight weeds in the future.

Thursday: Deck railing posts and hardware arrived today. The deck posts for this project have been the most difficult material to source. I have spent many hours searching the internet over the past 3-4 months. Cable deck railings have become popular, resulting in numerous retailers, but all are expensive and overpriced in my opinion. Finally discovered a vendor with terrific prices for posts that included misc hardware sold separately with other sellers. Persistence pays off. Planning to get started on this project next week. Kyle and I installed 2 shower stall panels.

Friday: Kyle and I installed the last 2 shower stall panels, completing the master shower tile floor and walls. Need to install a shower door to complete this project. Kyle’s continued his efforts to finish interior trim. I assembled the tall cabinet intended to be our bar/liquor cabinet located in the pantry.

Saturday: Carole on site today, assembling laundry room cabinets. I applied sealant to all of the shower stall panel joints. and placed landscape fabric in preparation for spreading gravel tomorrow.

Sunday: Spent the day operating Mike Baker’s tractor w/front loader. Have known Mike since 1974 and he lives a 1/2 mile away. So grateful he trusts me to operate his tractor w/o supervision. I used the machine to spread crushed stone where I want to locate the propane tank. After completing that, moved several loads to the west side of the breezeway to be used for more formal steps from the breezeway to the back yard. The rest of the afternoon, I spread stone at the parking area in front of the garage and the length of the driveway. The picture doesn’t do it justice. Driveway looks like a driveway now, not a rough construction road entry way.

Overall: Kyle completed installion of interior trim trim (baseboard, windows & doors) for the house. The shop windows & doors are trimmed out as well. Ordered 30″ convection ovens from Menards, paying for them with 11% rebate bucks. Kitchen cabinets are proceeding nicely. Completed repair, modification and a trial installation of the downdraft vent. Rented a backhoe to complete a list of dirt and gravel related tasks that had been accumulating since late April.

Monday: Carole and I visited the Granite slab supplier our countertop installer uses, so we could select which slabs we want them to install in our kitchen. Kyle is working interior trim install. Having difficulty sourcing deck railing hardware. There are lots of suppliers, but either exhorbitant (my opinion) prices or confusing web sites are preventing me from ordering material. Dry weather is forecast until Sunday, so I reserved a backhoe for Wednesday.

Tuesday: Modified the kitchen island base cabinet by removing the back wall of the box. I needed the extra 1 inch for a little more countertop where the cooktop will reside. We are using a downdraft vent, which goes at the back of the cooktop. Both of these appliances completely fill the cabinet box. The modification adds an inch of countertop at the front of the cooktop. Had a load of driveway stone delivered, in preparation for the backhoe rental tomorrow. The local evening news were forecasting a 70% chance of rain tomorrow ! wait. what ? ! ? I’ve been patiently waiting since late April for the ground to be sufficiently dry so I could complete some important tasks.

Wednesday: Cancelled the backhoe reservation after waking up to light rain. Plenty to do inside. Forecast says, not much accumulation, and sunshine until Sunday. Reserved the backhoe for Friday morning. Kyle is doing a great job, cutting and installing interior trim.

Thursday: I worked on kitchen island electrical work. The induction cooktop is 220v and needs a 60AMP breaker, so large wire is required. Also need a 110v circuit for the downdraft vent, and we have included a couple 110v receptacles. Sourced some slick looking receptacles that will be nearly flush with the island countertop and rise up when a button is pressed on the cover. Brushed stainless like the downdraft vent and cooktop. Kyle completed interior trim install today. Next up – finishing the trim install. Putty on nail holes, caulking small gaps along baseboard trim, and paint touch up.

Friday: Kyle started on finishing trim. I spent the entire day on a backhoe and kept going until the sun started to set. Picked up the machine at 8AM for a 1 day rental, which means 8 hours of operating time. At the top of the list – install a storm water drain at the east end of the breezeway. Also, fill open trenches, prepare the area north of the shop to accept a large propane tank, relocate an eyesore of concrete blocks (extra material from June 2022), move top soil to areas along the front & sides of the front porch, push over and remove a dead pine tree by the house, and a few other tasks. Completed nearly everything on the list, put 7 hours on the machine, and at 7:30 that evening – loaded up and went home for a well deserved cocktail.

Saturday: Worked to complete all of the projects that involved the backhoe on Friday, shoveling dirt, spreading gravel, and laying pavers for a permanent entrance from the driveway to the breezeway. I got started on a similar walkway for the front porch, but ran out of pavers. Finally broke through the internet search frustration for sourcing deck railing material. Ordered posts this evening and will select a supplier for the the cable and end fittings tomorrow.

Sunday: Spent Sunday AM, updating the spreadsheet that tracks everything (lol). I know just enough about MS Excel to create, and adapt Excel to satisfy my simple needs. It has grown from a single worksheet to ten, each dedicated to a specific task from financials to material orders, contract labor, tollgates, and a host of other stuff, so nothing important is overlooked or forgotten. Yes, I’m a mess… I went to the site during the afternoon to complete island electrical rough-in. I want to start Monday with Kyle and I joining, securing and leveling the 8 individual base cabinets into a single structure. The granite installer emailed me on Friday, asking when they could visit to measure and create an accurate template to cut our counter tops. Will call them tomorrow morning after we are done. Was working on the island electrical rough-in and was surprised when I heard thunder which quickly evolved into a solid downpour of rain. Went out to see how my yard drain was working. Was pleased to see it working as I planned.

Overall: Continuing our slow, but steady pace to complete construction. Hired a granite counter top contractor on Friday. They are 3-4 weeks lead time to install. While we wait for them, will concentrate on all of the other tasks ahead of us, hoping the granite countertops will be the last project to check off before calling the Brown County building inspector to perform a final inspection.

Monday: Memorial Day. Took ANOTHER day off… really looking forward to doing this more often. Met friends from Minnesota who were back in Indiana for the 500. Served Ryan & Ann lunch and lively conversation as our first guests to Howard Ridge.

Tuesday: Back to work. Kyle continuing the interior trim effort. I sourced and ordered a shower door for the walk-in shower. Original plan changed. Two of the wetwall shower panels were supposed to have a bullnose finished edge. That way, we could install a shower door later. No bull nose on any of the 4 sidewall panels. So… shower door needs to be dry fitted and marked on the back side, so we can trim the last 2 panels, and install the shower door against the trimmed edge. Encountering problems & coking up with solutions…

Wednesday: Kyle spent the day installing the prehung doors in the shop building. I worked on the downdraft vent that will reside behind the island cooktop. Making sure everything will lineup after the countertop is installed.

Thursday: More of the same for Kyle – interior trimming. Spent the day painting additional quantities of mdf boards purchased this morning. I’m still working on the kitchen island.

Friday: Carole and I met with 2 different countertop contractors to select a winner. I visited both in March to get simple estimates using our floorplan blueprint. First contractor does mostly quartz, which is very popular right now. The other does as much granite as quartz installation. From the first place – we found an affordable quartz style & color we liked. Went to the other contractor and found a specific granite product we REALLY liked. Going with granite !

Saturday: Carole and I spent the afternoon at Howard Ridge. Carole was assembling RTA kitchen cabinets, and I was cleaning the shop building so Kyle can paint interior doors on Monday.

Sunday: A lovely summer day in southern Indiana. The house is totally opened up – all windows wide open with a nice breeze. Carole continuing to assemble kitchen cabinets while I worked through a repair of our downdraft vent. good times… a lovely day, both of us working on the house, both dogs hanging out and relaxed – I mean, how much better does it get ?

Overall: Another good week. We are working a punchlist of tasks that must be completed so we can achieve the goal – to have the Brown County building department give us an occupancy permit (successful final inspection). Our 2 person crew (Kyle and I) continue to chip away at it. The big hitters: install kitchen cabinets & countertops, install bathroom vanities, complete the master bath shower stall, install plumbing fixtures, deck railing, pantry room shelves, laundry room cabinets.

Monday: Menards delivered kitchen cabinets today. Because we opted for RTA (ready-to-assemble) cabinets: we unloaded DOZENS of boxes that Carole and I will assemble to become useful kitchen cabinets. Kyle continued with interior trim work. Me – installing light fixtures.

Tuesday: Our plumber showed up today, to assemble a list of bits & pieces he needs, to install shutoff valves to all toilets and sinks. He also sorted out a drain problem with the kitchen sink. The drain is mislocated in the house concrete slab. He was able to re-position the 2″ drain without much demolition. His drain relocation effort alllows us to install kitchen cabinets along the south wall of the house. I installed ceiling fans today, while Kyle painted additional quantities of interior trim.

Wednesday: Kyle continued with interior trim. I brought the downdraft vent and induction cooktop from dad’s house to the job site and began the task of locating the vent and the cabinet it goes in, and the duct that penetrates the concrete slab where the kitchen island will be. A fun, challenging 3D puzzle…

Thursday: More of the same for Kyle and I today.

Friday: Carole and I attended a one day sale at a local granite countertop installer. Didn’t see anything we felt compelled to purchase on the spot. I already have a quote for quartz from these guys. Travis, Lynn & the boys, Alex & Lacey arrive today from Kansas & Oklahoma for a weekend here. Carole and I are excited to see them.

Saturday: Taking most of the day off. Spent time catching up with material receipt scanning, logging, and database update. All of us made a visit to Howard Ridge to see our progress. Everyone got together for a fun evening at the Johnsons.

Sunday: Up early to watch the Formula 1 race at Monaco, then all of us back together to watch the Indy 500. I was spoiled with another day away from actual work at Howard Ridge. It has been really nice to take a couple days off to get away from the site for some rest.

Overall: Another very productive week. Kyle is focused on interior trim around baseboards, doors & windows. I’m installing ceiling fans, light fixtures, receptacles and switches. Frequent and significant rain are preventing me from getting anything done outside, but that’s OK – we still lots to do inside, and I’m confident June will be a drier month.

Monday: Was surprised to see a large Ash tree on the ground 20-30 yards west of the deck. We are pleased and relieved it decided to fall downhill away from the house. It looked to be a healthy tree, but the exposed root ball had much fewer roots than expected. Losing that very large tree certainly opened up the back yard looking west which is nice. But right now, I’m seeing it as another mess to clean up.

Tuesday: More of the same with Kyle triming out the house. I installed smoke detectors and other electrical stuff.

Wednesday: Light fixtures arrived at our rental home yesterday, so I had fixtures to install today. I created a spreadsheet several weeks when we were trying keep track of light fixture sourcing status. The excel product listed all fixtures (by type) room by room. It allowed Carole and I see see what still needed to be sourced, ordered and installed. Some lights have been easy to select, other fixtures have very difficult to choose. We are rather particular – and on a budget – so price point is a big deal. Out of curiousity I decided to add up everything and was shocked to see a total of 109 light fixtures for the house, shop and breezeway ! We are close to having the remaining few fixtures selected and ordered.

Thursday: Same work for both Kyle and I today.

Friday: Finishing up the week, the same way it started. Lots of doors, windows and baseboard to be measured, cut and installed. Working by himself – Kyle is getting it done for us. Really happy to have him as our carpenter. He really knows his stuff. Me ? same-same. Recall – 109 light fixtures, and switches for all of that, and receptacles, and ceiling fans.

Saturday: Needed a break, so Carole and I drove out to Howard Ridge so she could see the results of our recent efforts. Spent the rest of the day at home, working on an article for the BMW club magazine, and updating construction files, scanning the latest receipts, etc.

Sunday: UPS dropped off more ceiling fans on Friday, so I had planned to install them today. When I walked onto the breezeway and looked at the cut limestone steps, decided that would be a more entertaining puzzle to solve; seeing if I could move and place the steps by myself. Using pieces of pipe as rollers, furniture dollies, prybars as levers, shims, and a trusty Bloomfield jack – was quite satisfied I was able to accomplish that task and without any heavy lifting. Several more pictures are posted on Facebook.