The Life for Me

The installers began the work on Saturday, but they will need to return to complete some finishing details and install the hearth (same material cut to fit). The maple/ubatuba combination turned out really nice. It even works great with the green walls.

Say that ten times fast... Craig, from Riner's Cabinet Shop, delivered and installed the cottage cabinets today. They're made from wormy maple (same as the house) and have a clear coat finish. They look great. It was a bit tricky to get everything into such a small space, but the floor-to-ceiling size, pull-out shelves and lazy-susan should help to maximize the usefulness of the space.     

Sorry about the poor image quality... All the window and door trim has been installed and painted. Tim - you have done an amazing job on the whole building. Thank you. Kitchen cabinets are being delivered and installed this weekend. Tile work will begin this week and roll into the first part next. The only thing after that will be the counter tops. I've been told that templating, cutting of the granite and installation will be done within two weeks after cabinet install. Keep your fingers crossed.

I've gotten behind in my picture taking. This shot shows the wormy-maple floor in the loft after it was sanded, but before the poly went down. The ceiling has also been completed. New shots to come shortly...

You can tell by the dry dirt that this picture was taken a week or so ago. Pete's Backhoe Service (Pete is featured in the hole with the tank) did a fantastic job getting the tank in and tying it into the drain field. Won't be long now...

Hardwood floors have been installed (wormy maple - same wood as main house but in random widths). Some painting has ben done. We are still on track to have it finished by the end of the month.

First shot shows the back of the cottage. I decided to tuck the stairs under the porch since the laundry is in the basement, and that will keep them out of the weather. The porch ceilings turned out very nice with the tongue and groove pine . I need to find some type of protective stain that can be applied without masking too much of the grain. The last shot is a view of the house from the back of the cottage.

We added a little "flair" to the corners.

Changing the roof pitch to 12/12 and opening up the loft brought the necessity for another window in the front. Light good. Dark bad.

The stone and brick chimney is finished as well as the stone wall inside. The roof is done as well. Yes, it's moving right alone. Siding, Insulation, HVAC, flooring, and sheetrock will follow in the next two weeks. Now where are those kitchen cabinets? Craig?

I have to say I'm a little jealous. The cottage gets the direct morning sun almost an hour earlier than the house.

Although this picture doesn't reflect it, the stone work on the cottage chimney is nearly complete. The stone runs from the sill plate to the eaves, and then the chimney runs up the rest of the way in brick. We are trying to use up some leftover materials. Hopefully it will look nice when completed.

The windows are in the cottage - framing the views of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The chimney will get started in a couple of weeks and by the end of October it should look just about finished from the outside.

No really. I came home from work one day and there is was. A young little cottage. Obviously a preemie – still has some developing to do. This is a picture I took late one night. Sorry about the quality, but I didn't want to wake it up by using the flash. The sunset is the view off the back porch. Looks like it will be a nice place to grow up.

That's right. This picture of the flowering Prickly Pear was taken in good old Afton, Virginia. Does anyone know if consuming the prickly fruit is dangerous to live stock?

There's nothing quite like having a party to motivate you to finish a house project. We broke out the brushes on Saturday and got a coat of paint on the kitchen walls. Slowly but surely, we will get this thing "done".

Not the best photo but, it shows a different view looking south/southeast down the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shot was taken on November 15. The recent winds have stripped most of the leaves from the trees. Winter is around the corner. Get your sleds ready!

Here are a couple of photos from October 20th. It will be interesting to se what things look like once the rain passes. I'm very thankful for the rain. The shot on the bottom is looking up through one of the persimmon trees.

Don't worry, it hasn't left yet. Actually it has not really gotten here. Some of the maples have started to turn, and there is a hint of yellow in the poplars. There is stil a lot of green. It will be interesting to see how the dry climate will effect the colors. Here are a couple of photos taken on October 11th and 12th. I will try to get a couple of pictures posted each week for your viewing pleasure.

What's that strange buzzing noise? Why that would be the hummingbird that some how ended up in the house yesterday. After becoming thoroughly exhausted it decided that it would be happy to climb onto the long stick that my brother held near it (his second hummingbird rescue). After enjoying a few sips of sugar water from a measuring spoon it regained its strength and took off out the window with a happy little chirp. What an amazing creature! It was fun to see one so close.