Epic day of siding.
The day started with a slight rain, and I really didn’t want to go to work. I did though, and the sprinkling stopped after just a few minutes. I started setting up to work on the high reaches of the front of the house, then decided that we would work on the back of the house. It is so much lower and easier. I was all set up and prepared by the time my helper was due to come. Unfortunately he was nearly two hours late. On the bright side we got a whole lot done in the time we had. This involved working into the dark. I pulled out my big LED lights and they helped a lot. We would have finished the back, but even with the lights it was getting a little tough to see and we had reached a particularly challenging section of windows. We packed up, I dropped tools off at the storage unit, then returned to the cottage to clean and pack up. From there I drove home. A very long but very good day.
Forklift drama, more siding.
I’ve kind of been slacking on taking pictures lately. Will try to improve. So I started on the siding this morning when the guy from the roofing supply company came to pick up the excess shingles. Unfortunately he got stuck. It was several hours and a massive tow truck later before he was extricated. I worked on the siding some more, then my helpers came and we got most of the siding done on the front of the house Hopefully tomorrow we will finish everything on the front of the house. We just have about three more runs to go, although they will involve going up on ladders.
The roofers came back.
The roofers returned this morning and finished up pretty quickly. It looks fantastic! This afternoon we continued to work on the siding. Getting closer!
The roofers came.
I was working on the siding this morning when the roofers texted to say they were on their way. I wrapped up my work and cleaned the site as best I could in preparation for them arriving. They arrived a couple hours later and worked until dark. They finished everything but the ridge. It looks pretty good. I had to pull their van out as they got stuck leaving. On my way back from getting some stuff from the cottage I saw the beautiful sunset at Laurel Lake pictured below.
Little snow, big fire.
I woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow. It was actually still snowing a little when I headed to the job site. My demeanor was a little off due to the cold and wet, but I got to work on the siding. Actually first I got a fire going in the water trough I had bought. That was a huge boost for my spirits, and when my helpers came they appreciated it too. We had a productive day, finishing up the ends of the house and starting on the front.
Recovery, pumpkins, preparation.
Liz’s parents left this morning and we didn’t do too much the rest of the day. Mainly just processed the pumpkins they brought down. I cubed and froze some, and baked and made puree with the rest. I also made a couple of dishes in the slow cooker. After Luke went to bed I drove up to the Mountain.
Fun with all the grandparents.
There was a little bit of a Black Friday hangover this morning. But we worked through it and were soon watching football. That didn’t go so well. Such is life. My parents came down for a little visit around lunchtime. Not much else happened.
Happy Black Friday!
Well, turns out that I’m one of those people. One of those people who gets up at the crack and rushes to the stores the day after Thanksgiving. Just before six I left the house and drove to Lowe’s. It was busier than expected. I had $600 in store credit from buying appliances and so I bought an air compressor, a couple of trailer jacks, and a bunch of other little stuff.
I returned to the house and then we all went to the park for a walk. Unfortunately the tires on Luke’s stroller were out of air, so he was carried a lot and also did some walking. He didn’t mind though, and picked up lots of sticks along the way.
After the walk my father-in-law and I drove up to the Mountain. We stopped for lunch in Lynchburg, which was disgusting. We saw my parents and sister at the cottage then drove by my house project. We also visited a couple of nearby tiny house developments before going to Lowe’s in Tullahoma to get a couple of headlamps and replacement thermostats for the water heater. We arrived home in time for dinner. Luke was wearing a new outfit that my mother got him.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It was a pretty good day. Unfortunately it started at about 4:30 when Luke woke up. We spent the day reading, playing, then finally eating.
Very productive last day of the week.
Due to Thanksgiving this was the last work day of the week. I got a little later start than usual due to being lazy and stopping by the lumber yard for some materials. I finished up the stairs and railings and then was starting to pack up when my helpers texted that they were on the way. So I went to the cottage and picked up some siding. We were able to get in a bit of work, going into the darkness. My new lights are very helpful. We put up a bit of siding and caulked a lot. I felt like we made great progress, although to be fair we focused on installing siding on the easiest parts of the house. It will be considerably more difficult when we are working higher up and around windows and doors. After packing up I dropped off tools at the storage unit, spent a few minutes with my family at the cottage, then returned home. The drive was long, but uneventful. Liz and her parents were waiting for me. We chatted a little while then called it a night.
