Some More Finishing Touches....Again

Remember that list that I said I wrote early one morning...well, it seems we are finding more things to do NOT written on it whenever we turn around to scratch something off the list! But I am very happy to say that I've gotten a vast majority of my 'gardening' done - at least enough to allow me to go the summer in a relative calm state (even though I found all the seeds I bought this spring with the full intention of having a glorious veggie bed & to start repairing my losses in herbs....)

The big news of the weekend is: THE STAIRS TO THE LOFT ARE NOW INSTALLED!!!!!

How to Raise a set of Heavy Stairs:

1) Call everyone in town on a Saturday afternoon & hope someone picks the phone up (offering beer is a good idea).

2) Wait for someone to show up.

3) Stand around while someone comes up with a good (& safe) way to start the show.

4) Figure out who is the tallest person (don't really know how this one fit into the picture as they were all the same height...)

5) Make sure the person standing on the next floor has a good & sturdy rope as they will be holding onto the stairs at some point while everyone switches positions.


6) Communicate, communicate, communicate (usually in loud curses & other garbled languages).

7) Lift with the knees, not the back.

8) Slide the 300 pound set of stairs gently into place & hope it's the right place.

9) Ask someone's opinion as to whether it's straight or not & then tap the stairs around for 15 minutes only to find that the original position was really the best after all.

10) Attach the stairs to the wall & floor BEFORE the guy up on the next floor decides to come stomping down (even if he wants to see if the stairs will remain in place without the screws....)

11) Drink the beer that was offered to the volunteers who didn't want it after all (celebrate!!!)




We would like to thank our stairs builder (the Dude) & our volunteers: Matt, Kevin, Bob, & Kurt.








We now view this work of art daily & we also know the work is not yet completed with them. We are putting down some fir hardwood on the landing & the step on either side - which will have to be varathaned - many, many coats. We also need to work on the cedar posts - the one at the bottom of the stairs & the central one that goes from the kitchen all the way up to the loft ceiling (not shown in picture). Again: many, many coats of varathane.....





The stairs are stunning even without the railing on them & who knows what THAT's going to look like or even how long.....I shudder....






Now that we have access to the WHOLE house again (remember that there were not even temporary stairs for us to use for over 4 weeks...), Phil has been busy, busy, busy (well, me too....). Phil installed the central vac system - made sure all the electrical connectors were working & we got suction!! For the first time, I was able to properly clean the suite floors....a broom really does not get all the dust that comes in. The central vac is nice & quiet inside the house (whooosh) & barely noticeable outside the house. Once the shelter is built around that little part of the deck, no one will know how often (or not) we use the thing!

With access to the loft, we have decided to work in a top-down fashion. The sooner we get the top part of the house done, the sooner we can start to move up....which we have to do in the next 2 1/2 weeks.....

These are the reading lights for our bed in the loft. Not exactly what I was going for, but there are only so many lighting stores we can go to & be disappointed...I hope these work out.

These little lights are also in the loft just about chest height on the slope of the ceiling. Underneath these light (3 on one side & 2 on the other) we will eventually build drawers into the wall. These puck lights tilt down or sit flush in their mounts (so they are facing out on the same angle as the ceiling). ~super cool~



Here's our ceiling fan for the loft. I'm so excited about the deal we got for 2 fans - both the same - in such a 'cool' & 'trendy' look. Very modern & slick. Not too much wobble either - not bad for Phil's first attempt at a ceiling fan. He was so excited to get this dimmer switch for the fan, so that we could control the speed from the wall switch - but the motor humms rather loudly when this function is used, so I think we will just keep it on low & turn it on or off with the wall switch. But, with Phil's research abilities on the internet, he just might find a fix for that too!

We are varathaning the pine ceiling - for protection of the wood against the summer sun. We could already see a bit of difference in the wood along the windows to the wood back in the loft. Phil set back up the scary scaffolding & has been up there most of the afternoon slapping on the varathane. I think I'm becoming sensitive to it - much to smelly. I have the feeling that by the time we are totally finished the house, most surfaces will have varathane on them......


We've also been working on some extra touches.

Like hanging baskets outside. This is my first time with these - only 3 this year & red geraniums, not really one of my favourite flowers....BUT, we shall see what else grows in the baskets & if I can remember to keep them watered. They are on the lower deck & are more for the guests who will be staying in the suite.


On the day the stairs were raised, I was outside bright & early with the 300 pound lawn mower trying to make a bit of definition to the yard. Or at least around my berry bushes (top center) & around some of the 'flower' beds.

Does anyone have an electric mower? What are your thoughts on those? I've heard that a gas mower puts out enough carbon emissions as a regular car does in 5 hours!

See, the yard is looking better - we will hopefully get the use of an extra garbage bin this weekend (was supposed to be today.....) so that we can get rid of the garbage pile which happens to be where I want to plant more berry bushes.....


Today I cleaned off the upper deck & hauled up 2 planter boxes. I managed to find some soil somewhere - although I'd like to get some manure in the next few weeks for them too.

I've got a few small plants for them: lavender & some sort of onion (I've read somewhere that the true test of a gardener is if they can successfully grow onions....), & some sort of ornamental grass that survived the winter in the green house. I planted these poor boxes with a multitude of seeds in the hopes that a few from each will sprout & grow (things like: calendula, viola, corn flower, nasturtium, sage, thyme, savory & parsley). I had thought to put in some bean seeds, but that might be pushing it just a little.... See those cute little white things in each box - Cousin Pauline sent me some cows on sticks & I've finally found a home for them!!

We also now have privacy in our suite!

The hemlock doors were varathaned & sanded & varathaned....you know the routine....& finally I said to Phil that they were ready for installation.

I'm glad that the door frames were hung up properly a few months ago & the door removed for staining. This allowed Phil an easy install job - took about 10 minutes!

First, he had to install the door knob....

Then he had to chisel out a little bit of wood for the hole plate to go in so that the door can close properly.









The doors hang nice & evenly!!

They give better definition to the suite (Phil says that they make the suite look smaller...)







Bathroom Door











Bedroom Door