Finally a Update

Yea!! I finally updated the blog for all you followers. I'm sorry I've been bad, but it's been a busy summer and a wet one I might add. My whole focus this summer was the staining of the house, which I have finished just this week. What took me so long was the combination of the three stains moving the ladder and setting up the scaffolding which I did buy myself. I must say it does look much better. My camera is a bit off on it's colors. If you see a pink sky it is not your imagination it's just the camera. I would have posted sooner, but I hated to post bad pictures. I'll try to post some better ones later. We have moved in permanently now since we rented the house. We have a nice lawn now, upkeep is going well. I have to do the lawns in Middlebury as well so it takes a little time to complete them both. The docks are on land now and the day's are getting colder, and work on gathering firewood is underway. Natasha is doing fine and seems to be much better than my last post. I've spent some time fishing and kayaking this summer so I've been real busy. I lost a huge large mouth bass this summer when the line broke just as I was landing him. I got a real good look at him as he slipped back into Fern lake with the lure in him mouth. He was probably a 8 to 10 lb class fish a real monster to me, hopefully I'll catch him next summer. I'm still working on some small projects inside that need completing. We also moved items from our storage shed to the basement so we could empty that. We have closed with the bank and are now making payments towards the log home. Until next time, I'll try to update sooner, I promise!!!!

Closet Door Installed

Work continues on the log home. I finally installed the closet door in the front entrance. We could not fine a door that would fit the opening we originally had so we bought two 36" wood doors with panels and made the opening two feet smaller. We decided to do it this way because the custom door we would have had to order would have cost around 500.00 per door and our total for two I installed were just 160.00. I have a little taping to do but the results look great and we saved money. The slate company has not returned any of my calls so it appears that they will not be supplying the slate we need for the fireplace. We are looking at another source for the slate.

Another Fireplace Update

As you can see the stone work is completed on the front of the fireplace. Patti and I completed the work on Sunday. We used a combination of stone we bought and some stone from the property. The sides and bottom still need to be completed but that will go quick. The front was larger and more complicated. We are still waiting for the slate for the base. They don't seem to be calling back and giving me a time frame for the piece of slate. If it doesn't come soon I'll go with plan B and use smaller pieces. We spent last Saturday raking and installing the water fall near the front entrance. Patti was working hard to get this done. The snow is just about gone on the property and the lake is almost open. It won't be long before the good weather arrives so we can finally enjoy our new home.

Latest Fireplace Update

Last weekend we had a chance to put some more stones up on the fireplace. We have a short distance to the top the bottom, and sides to complete. That should not take to long. Hopefully this weekend we will get a few more stones up.

Fireplace Stone Work

Work continues on the fireplace. I just could not wait for the slate anymore, so last Sunday Patti & I started to put up the stone around the fireplace. I left a space for the slate to slide in at the bottom. In the three pictures it shows the different stages during the day. All the stone work was done in one day. It was sort of tricky to install them and make sure it looked natural. It was like putting together a puzzle at times. Most areas it seemed like we had to try just about every rock we had to see if it would work in that spot. Now that we have the technique down we can move a little faster. You can only do so much in one day because of the mortar needed to dry. We made it to the mantle in just the first day!! We are still waiting for the slate to come. The picture does not show the sides which need to be completed.

March Update

We have been working on the fireplace and the moldings in between our busy schedules. The stairway steps are done and now the railings are left to fabricate and install. We still need to put in closet doors and finish the moldings and fireplace. We have been spending weekends at the lake working on every project we can. The framing for the fireplace took some time to complete as well as the design and fabrication of the mantle. As you can see the stone will be installed soon. We are waiting for a piece of Vermont grayish green slate for the base to be cut before I can install the stone.

Latest Update

Your long awaited update is n here for your pleasure to read. The bamboo floors were completed in January as well as the plumbing and heating by Macintyre. We have had many snow storms to dig out from, but work continues to complete the log home. The baseboard trim was completed in the down stairs bathroom and the green room was also finished as well as the hall way. The larger bedroom which we call Casey's red room is about half done with only the ceiling trim left. Patti painted both rooms and has been decorating through out the house. We spent the last weekend working at the house and completed many jobs and also started a few to boot!! We are making a log bed for one of the rooms from some of the white cedar logs we bought. Although the basic frame is completed the detail work will add to the beauty of this bed.

Work on the stairway is also in progress I've added the bamboo to the face and sides of the steps. and the new log railings are being fabricated. Because the logs are fresh cut this winter they need some drying time before I can install them. We will be putting carpet just on the steps because the flooring is very slippery and the risk of falling is to great. This small area is the only area that will have carpet.
As you can see by the pictures there has been a lot of work completed.

With only a small list of jobs left, the house has become the home of our dreams!

Flooring Continues

Progress on the flooring is going strong. The dining area is completed and the great room is just about done. I have installed the flooring myself and I might say it looks great. Once I get started it's hard to stop after looking at the progress. The wood stove is scheduled to be installed tomorrow morning. It will be installed in the basement and will be a great feature for the house when the down stairs is finished off. I took two kitchen photos showing the progress in there. I just have the edging on the granite counter top and the area behind the stove will need a back splash. Floor moldings will be next and the radiators on the first floor should be installed by next week.

Upstairs Floors Completed

The upstairs floors were completed yesterday. The only thing left is moldings and the railings. Patti & I made a trip to Pick up some more flooring in NH on Saturday. We have eight boxes of flooring left to pick up that will make 43 boxes of flooring. We worked all weekend at the house and completed many projects. Patti worked on the painting and decorating. The hall was painted and the entry way color was changed. I put the 2nd coat of joint compound on the bedrooms downstairs and started the last coat. The closet ceiling was put in the linen closet. Sanding of the log walls to get rid of the strap marks left by sitting in the weather. I started putting up the loft railings of cedar logs last night before we left. Lots of trim work left to do but that will be started after the floor is done. In the loft picture shown you can see the wood shade I made that covers the fluorescent lights. I custom made this shade using pine and small birch branches to attach it to the wall.

The Floor is GOING DOWN!

The flooring is finally going down. Rick & Kate our friends from Lincoln Logs let us borrow their floor nail gun. I started last Friday and as of today the upstairs bedroom is completed and the loft is started. I still have to go to NH to pick up the rest of the flooring. I hope to have it completed soon. I still have a little dry wall taping left in the 1 st floor bedrooms and some molding left to do. Many little odds and ends and the fireplace needs to be completed. I am waiting for the wood stove chimney to go in before I start that project. It's nice to see it all come together, but I'll be glad when I can relax and enjoy it.