Weather Vane Poll results

Well, thanks for all of you who voted on a choice of weather vane. The choice that won was 'WHALE' with 'EAGLE' & 'MERMAID' a tie for second by only 1 vote difference. I've got several sites that I'm looking at for options & it will probably be something I put on my wish list to be accomplished in the next couple of years...

The idea of putting a large metal fixture on top of the roof that gets blasted every winter by nasty storms may not be such a brilliant idea - the option of putting it on the covered porch to the side would be better. We shall see what happens. I might try to merge a weather vane with a windmill that I want to build for the yard - need to get something Dutchy into the landscape as well.....

The boys are back at it.....meaning they are working & I should get some photos again.

The glass block window has finally been installed & the roof is being patched up. I heard the torch blasting this morning, probably melting the ice that was on the scaffold but I'm sure it's being used to also seal down the shingles. Hopefully it won't take them too long to finish - the weather is colder now & I'm always concerned that someone is going to slide off the roof & land on his head. Plus, that tarp flapping in the wind is getting to be rather tiresome - no sleep for me when I hear it going.

Phil got out the other day with Malcolm & they sawed up a large yellow cedar log which we will use for our stairs going into the loft. They just need to find a way to move it from the lot it's sitting on to the house - I think the pieces are 18 feet long!! I'm sure there are other things going on - insulating, etc. I just haven't gone out to check it.

Well, I'm going to work on my new Garden Journal & start planning this spring & summer's projects for planting....No time like the present to get into it - February is almost here & that's one of the best months to be outside in the gardens - a few weeks of sun & warm weather before the spring rains come!!

Christmas Update

Finally, I've got some photos to share with you just before the holidays. Phil has been very busy this last week - our workers are completely unreliable & this has put a lot of stress & pressure upon Phil's shoulders. He's holding up very well, but it doesn't make for a very festive holiday when neither one of us can remove this project from our thoughts for very long.

As you see here, there is insulating going on!! Yeah!! The tarp is still on the roof (unreliable crew - just not doing the work) but the roof does not leak & since we've had heaters & hehumidifiers going for a couple of weeks, the wood is dry enough to take the next step.

A few months ago, our guy at Home Depot called us up about a sweet sale on knotty pine for our ceiling. They've graciously held onto it for us til we asked it to be delivered last Saturday. We will be putting a protective coating on it before installing it - Sikkens or some type of varnish....But the whole idea is that I/Phil won't be touching the ceiling for many years down the road & with that huge wall of windows, we need something with a bit of UV protection.

Phil did put in some Christmas lights - this shot was at 10:30 this morning & it's extremely dreary outside. This shot is from the loft down into the living room with the pellet stove in the corner. It's very cosy up in the loft & since the ceiling was insulated, it's brought the space down a bit - it was very open before. And once the pine is installed, it will be a wonderful little haven....


Here's Phil in his office. I'm still trying to convince him to put R-12 insulation in the wall between the office & the kitchen so that in the next couple of years when we build a Murphy Bed against that wall, guests will be a bit insulated from the noise in the rest of the house.


Here's the west wall - all the siding is now done. But they haven't finished the supports for the decking on the first floor that goes from the front down along this wall to the door on the side.....I don't understand the hold up on the deck (other than Phil's comment that they would damage the wood because they are.....opps, can't write that word in.....let's just say, disrespectful of our property). You can also see the tarp still on the roof & the last window on the second floor to be done - it's the glass block window & they've been promising to do it for over 2 weeks. Today is supposed to be the day, but it's been 2 hours since they said they'd be here & I don't think they'll actually come in.

This is the last wall to be of concern to us. There were 2 windows & the sliding glass door that were damaged back in November with that horrible storm. Thank goodness we have builders insurance!!! The large window on the right was replaced on Saturday (now it's tempered glass) & the sliding glass door was also replaced. If you go back to some previous photos you will see that this new door is larger!! The other door was standard size & sat down about 4 inches below the top window line. Didn't look very nice & the carpenter wouldn't install the door up to match.....What they (Phil & carpenter) didn't realize was that the door opening that was framed in was for a custom sliding glass door......So, since we had to have it replaced, we now have our custom door & it fits & looks much better!!! The last window to be replaced (above the sliding door) wasn't ordered for some reason, so now we have to wait another 4 weeks for it to come in. But from what Phil said on the phone to the carpenter, that wall can now be completed because the window will be easy to slide in. So, the windows need trim, flashing & then the siding & soffits can go up. Can't wait for that to get done!!

So, I'm sounding bitter - because I'm very disillusioned. I love that we are building our own house & while it seems to be taking WAY TOO LONG for you 'mainlanders', it's actually going very well for being in West Bamfield. I would definately build another house - just anywhere else but here & with a proper crew & proper contracts.

Phil & I are headed to Okotoks Alberta to take care of Katrina & James for whole week!!!!!!! Can't wait, it will be such a blessing to have time with them & clear our heads of the problems we encounter. Phil is so stressed out (& we both know that NO WORK WILL BE DONE while we are gone because they are.....opps, still can't print that word) but Phil has decided to cancel on our idea of going down to Mexico for the rest of January.........I really do not want to have to go back to the house so soon, so I just might have to look for a cheap last minute deal on a holiday by myself & get out of the country!! Anyone interested in joining me??? The earliest we can book out is the 15th of January & I'm up for pretty much anything!!!

Seriously - call me!!

Oh - & there is only 2 more days on the 'vote for your choice of weathervane' - I need a few more votes & maybe in January while I'm wasting my time on a sand dune, I'll figure out what it will actually look like on the house........

Verbal Update

Ok - yes, it's been 2 weeks since I've been over to the house! I'm going to wait til the end of next week, but if Phil takes photos in the mean time, I will post them.

Today we had the bank appraiser come to check on our progress. We need to be at a certain stage before we can receive any more money to continue. I believe this was the 'lock-up' stage - meaning siding, windows, doors, roof, soffits all done plus the electrical all roughed in. From what I understand we are there - except that the roof is being repaired from the storm damage & the front wall with all the windows doesn't have siding or soffits because the replacement windows will not be in until close to the 20th (we can't put the siding on til the new windows are in place & the soffits can't go up because the blue tarp is still in place until all the roof repairs are done).

My dream of being in the house for Christmas will not be fulfilled & I'm a little bummed out. That's why I'm not going over to see what the workers are doing - I'm spending all my time over at another reno project where we are working on the finishing stages of the place & I'm learning how to do things that will actually help in our own home, if & when we get there.......

So - I'll ask Phil to take photos so that you won't miss out on what I've been ignoring.......

Photo Update

Ok - as I was returning home from work on this wonderfully snowy morning, I stopped at the house & took a few photos for an update:


This is the east wall that Phil, Norm & Malcom worked on week before last.

Yes, that is snow on the ground.....




This is the south side of the first floor - & they got underneath the deck done as well. Looking very sharp.







This is the west side, again only first floor.




The hydro was hooked up this past week - probably Wednesday as neither one of us was around at the time. We are waiting for the electrican to return to hook up some plugs so we can use our own power!! Maybe then I'll get some Christmas lights up over there & try to get over the fact that we won't be celebrating Christmas in the new house.

As I'm typing, the snow is still coming down!! It started yesterday morning - off & on all day & at some point in the night, there was quite a hail storm. When I went into work at 6 a.m. Bamfield was peaceful - quite a magical walk to work. I'm only hoping that as the flakes of snow are getting bigger & coming down thicker, that the power stays on & we can continue to enjoy a nice winter wonderland.....