We're Getting There - Nov. 5 - 10/09

After the toilet, the next biggy was the shower!!! No more frigid trips through the frosty grass to shower in the trailer - never knew what a luxury a mere shower would turn out to be. Shower curtain or not, we were in! The backhoe made short work of the cement sidewalk coming from the parking lot. The old chimney from the wood stove was the last step in the living area before delivery of the new propane fireplace - no more cold mornings soon. Mike and his guys worked on the outside during the wonderful fall weather getting the dormers finished before the snow blows.

OMG - An Almost Kitchen - Oct. 9/09

Mike and John unloaded the first part of the kitchen!!! This is BIG. I was trying to not get my hopes up with respect to moving in, but this finished that. It seems like it might actually happen now. The last (hopefully) dumpster was delivered to clean up the construction mess. I think we can see the end ...

Porch Update - Oct. 03/09

Our last post about the porch was when the vapour barrier was all that was inside. We now have our gorgeous new pine walls and ceilings and just love it. We've been enjoying it already - saw our first thunderstorm when we didn't have to go inside, but could get the full effect from out there.

Progress - Sep. 14/22 '09

Mike and Dustin spent the day working on the dormer. Their calves must have been screaming by the afternoon. We finally got to painting!!! This is HUGE - actually seems like sometime soon we may have the house back. It was a full eight days of painting.

A Glimpse of What's to Come - Sep. 11/09

When I went out to feed the dogs this morning and looked towards the lake, this is what I saw. It looked hauntingly like a first snowfall in December! Yuck! A great reminder that we want to be getting into our new place quickly.

We're Getting There - Sep. 8/09

Here's the porch now - pretty well complete from the outside. They still need to add the plastic board at the bottom to finish it off plus the soffit and trim around the roof. The stairs will go off to the North side. They're working hard on the drywall -often look like ghosts when they come out for a break. I'd get a picture, but they might hit me. On Tuesday John's sister Karen and her oldest, Laurie, with her three little ones, came for a visit. The kids were all swimming (brave souls) and I imagine it was a quiet drive home.

Using the Porch - Aug. 30/09

The kids came up today and the weather wasn't good. Rather than crunch us into the trailer during the rain we decided to take chairs, the animals, and a little heater and spend the afternoon on the porch! If we weren't sure about the new windows, etc. before, we sure are now. We love it!!! With the windows and insulation, it's so quiet we'll have to crack a window to hear the wind in the trees and the waves. Our seasons will certainly be extended.

Look at it now - Aug. 24/09

The porch is going up by leaps and bounds! The roof was put on Friday and today they got the windows and door cut out and installed. They added the Typar and now we're just waiting for the inspection - hopefully tomorrow. It looks totally different from the old porch - it's going to take some "getting used to". I don't imagine it'll take long once we have a few chilly days this fall when we can still use it.

Hydro hookup/Wallboard delivery - Aug. 24/09

We are LIVE again. Can't believe it. There's even one plug inside that we can use already! Seems like we're just getting closer and closer. The wallboard for the downstairs was delivered this afternoon and they've gotten part of the downstairs done already. We'll be painting before we know it - oh, joy!

Porch Progress - Aug. 19/09

What took three and a half hours to destroy is now in it's second day of reconstruction. They filled the holes in and built the floor one day, and put up the walls on the second. It's so exciting - things are really starting to take shape!

Back and side deck - August 14/09

Mike and Dustin spent the day today building our new back and side deck. It's recycled PVC so John won't have to paint again. We're thrilled with how it matches the siding. Ain't progress grand?

Hydro meter and mast - Aug. 13/09

The electrician and his helper arrived to install our new meter and mast. They also had to change the electrical panel inside to accommodate hooking up a generator - oops!

Busy Day - August 12/09

Big doin's today. Mike and his crew got the framing in place for the sonotubes for the new porch (is it really going to happen?). The cement truck arrived in the early afternoon, just after Marilyn, Dave, Caleb and Claire popped in from camping at Murphy's Point for a visit, a fish and a swim. While the cement truck was still there, a huge truck also arrived to deliver the lumber for the porch. They'll let the cement cure until early next week, and then get started on the porch. They also got started on the drywall upstairs today. We'll be wielding our paintbrushes before you know it!

New Siding - August 7, 10 & 11/09

Mike brought the siding in the back of his pickup and they were off to the races. They gradually covered the designer pink with our chosen "clay". They also got the back door installed after they finished the framing for the back deck. In the picture of the Hamilton's side you can see the hole for the new window we're having put in the corner on the lake side. That will make a huge difference with the breeze from the Ferry.

"Booming" the Wallboard - July 31/09

A huge truck arrived with the wallboard for the upstairs. Mike had cut down the dorm window to allow them to "boom" it in, rather than hefting it all upstairs. When it was delivered, they patched the "door" into the dorm, added the sheeting, insulation, and finally the windows, completing the back wall. We now have designer pink on three walls.

Walls changed to designer pink - July 30/09

The guys worked long days this week - they stripped off the old siding, put up new sheeting and turned our cottage into designer pink with the addition of the insulation. They have also installed our new windows in all the walls except the front, which will have to wait until the porch is done. The excitement is building - it's really starting to take shape - making us all the more impatient to put this behind us and get back in.