It's that time of year again -- Irises have popped up all over.
I get to appreciate them once per day when I walk the dog. Otherwise I have been singleminded and long-houredly plugging away at getting things in order for a move in one of these weeks. I had a local fellow build the cabinet boxes .... of all things... And they arrived all in a jumble, as these thing go:
Fortunately I know a thing or two about installing cabinets, so I headed into it enthusiastically.
I also hired a wall paper hanger to put up the cool paper that you see on the side of the tall cabinet below:
And in its main role (pun intended) which is to cover the panels that I've created to mimic a pocket door with our patio door:
Here the boxes are pretty much in.
And here the lights and appliances are starting to appear:
A couple of weeks ago my neighbor and steel worker Jack Erkkila brought the balcony frame that he fabricated according to my design. He has a truck with a crane that gently dangled it where it needed to go.
I wish I had more pictures but pushing it into its place was a job for all three of us present and that left no one to take pictures. The house sustained not one scratch or bump, and the pieces landed right on the bolts I had placed and lined up perfectly with everything it's supposed to touch... I was nervous as hell to begin with and just as proud in the end.
The culvert pipe is filled with concrete this time -- no sheathing a post on this side. And Jack also fabricated the railing for the west balcony. All of the railings will get stainless steel wire inside, and obviously decking is yet to be put on the frame above.
Most recently I tried to hire some help in getting the shelving in the closet built. It was as if I am not meant to have a closet, because all efforts at getting it done by others fell through -- some hilariously. Ultimately, I built it with a helper. THis is a pre- clean up end of day shot:
Meanwhile Jim Green & his son -- same guy who put in the road and dug the foundation hole etc etc -- have been coming and laying rocks and terraces.... Making it feel like someday one will be able to relax here....
The walls look a lot nicer than they do on photos... Come see sometime!
Stairway to the heavenly ridge:
If the rain would ever stop we could get started with plants.... but first the soil needs to be worked, and right now it's mud.
More very soon....
I get to appreciate them once per day when I walk the dog. Otherwise I have been singleminded and long-houredly plugging away at getting things in order for a move in one of these weeks. I had a local fellow build the cabinet boxes .... of all things... And they arrived all in a jumble, as these thing go: 
Fortunately I know a thing or two about installing cabinets, so I headed into it enthusiastically.
I also hired a wall paper hanger to put up the cool paper that you see on the side of the tall cabinet below: 
And in its main role (pun intended) which is to cover the panels that I've created to mimic a pocket door with our patio door: 
Here the boxes are pretty much in. 
And here the lights and appliances are starting to appear:
A couple of weeks ago my neighbor and steel worker Jack Erkkila brought the balcony frame that he fabricated according to my design. He has a truck with a crane that gently dangled it where it needed to go. 
I wish I had more pictures but pushing it into its place was a job for all three of us present and that left no one to take pictures. The house sustained not one scratch or bump, and the pieces landed right on the bolts I had placed and lined up perfectly with everything it's supposed to touch... I was nervous as hell to begin with and just as proud in the end. 
The culvert pipe is filled with concrete this time -- no sheathing a post on this side. And Jack also fabricated the railing for the west balcony. All of the railings will get stainless steel wire inside, and obviously decking is yet to be put on the frame above. 
Most recently I tried to hire some help in getting the shelving in the closet built. It was as if I am not meant to have a closet, because all efforts at getting it done by others fell through -- some hilariously. Ultimately, I built it with a helper. THis is a pre- clean up end of day shot:
Meanwhile Jim Green & his son -- same guy who put in the road and dug the foundation hole etc etc -- have been coming and laying rocks and terraces.... Making it feel like someday one will be able to relax here....
The walls look a lot nicer than they do on photos... Come see sometime!
Stairway to the heavenly ridge:
If the rain would ever stop we could get started with plants.... but first the soil needs to be worked, and right now it's mud.
More very soon....
