...Bringing in the sheathes...

After a week of various ailments slowing us down (Dan had strep, I've been laid low with allergies, and Hunt is getting just plain exhausted) not to mention some iffy weather, we've been back at it, and today the house will be nearly fully sheathed! This is a good thing. Hunt and Dan created framework for the upstairs gables and found that they needed to accommodate some funky measurements, but it all came out well and looks great.
This past week we also ordered our appliances: Kenmore everything: gas stove, fridge, washer and dryer. It just makes it seem as though the end of the tunnel is in sight!
After today, a needed break. On Friday Hunt and I will head down to Westport, Massachusetts to spend the night with our friend Sidney. On Saturday we wend our way to Pinewoods Camp, near Plymouth, Mass., for English Dance Musicians Week! We are very much in need of the break. For most campers, this will be a week of rustic cabin living. For us, it's a major step up- running water, flush toilets, showers, 3 meals a day- bliss! We may even take in a few classes around our plans to sleep, eat, swim, canoe, schmooze and RELAX!
While we're gone, Dan and friend, neighbor and First Day Cottage-dweller Rich Popovic will continue work on the house. They plan to wrap the house in Typar, put up the insulation, and maybe get some windows installed! What a wonderful prospect to return home to!
We get back Labor Day weekend and hope that the roof can go up that week or soon thereafter. Hunt says "The back of the work is broken"- we are starting to think about actually living in the house, and can see that all this hard work is going to pay off!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

a house! We've had day after day of sunny weather, and progress is being made! Hunt and Dan are now measuring where the windows will go, and sheathing around all the rough openings, and now we have a shady spot to sit when it's time for a break and some iced tea (or our current summer favorite, an "Arnold Palmer": 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade, which I make from fresh-squeezed lemons and local maple syrup!). We've met with our plumber, Art Sussman, and are making plans to have the house enclosed in time for him to come do his work in late Sept.
The visits are winding down, but we're enjoying having neighbors stop by. Today Laurie and Jonathan Smith came for lunch and a tour. So, when are you coming?

Sudden burst of speed...

Wow! What they say is true- it DOES move faster once the rafters go up! Many thanks to John from First Day and his friend Neil for doing the big muscle work on the rafters for the wing- no more joists! Now we've taken just a few days to sheathe most of the wing, and it looks so beautiful from the inside (outside it's a little more patch-work, but that's ok, 'cause it all gets covered up soon with TyPar and insulation!). As I write (from the coolness of the library) Hunt and Dan are creating window framework for the end of the wing, which will then get sheathed and we will then have a whole room that looks practically finished!
We have loved our visits from friends- come on along and see what we're up to! And let's all keep being grateful for the glorious weather!

Slow and steady...

It looks as though there will be a few good work days this week (after a chance of rain this afternoon) and we are making progress! We have built and placed one rafter for the wing, or "T" part of the house, and spent all day yesterday cutting the rest of the boards for the rest of the rafters. Today is assembly day, which may overlap to tomorrow, and hopefully by the end of the week we'll have those rafters and thus the entire frame will be up! After that, Hunt and I are going to take an R&R day, go to the beach or the mountains or???

We've had some great visits- both of Hunt's sisters, Deborah and Julie, were here on Saturday for lunch (who forgot the camera? I forgot the camera!). My sister Janet (and Mom and Nicki, also on a forgotten camera day) has come north for a week, and it was great to see her and for her to get a chance to see the progress. And our good friend Gary from Gainesville, Florida came for 2 nights and helped in many ways. You come, too!