My Own Private Idaho: Buzzing 'Round the Hive

The home site today was a virtual beehive of activity. I knew the roofers were coming up, as well as the carpenters. But by the time everyone was up the hill, the site looked like a small truck dealership.

Pepper and I started the day with a long walk on a chilly morning - the first time in a while that I'd had to wear a sweatshirt. As we got down to the lower meadow, I let him off the lead to run around the field and dig into ground squirrel holes. To my surprise, the fireplace installers came rolling in off the county road; they hadn't been due until Friday. I unhooked my ATV from the trailer and rode across the meadow to try to herd Pepper into the back yard. He stopped when he saw me and followed me right back to the old house, the first time he'd done that. Then, it was back up to the house site.

Travis, of Town Craft Construction,
nailing up vapor barrier.

The carpenters were there, wrapping the front porch with vapor barrier and nailing up siding. The concrete crew was pouring front and side stair pads and the garage floor (smoothing it with the longest implement I could imagine; the roofers were shingling the house and porches. Come of the Arts & Crafts gable knees had been nailed up and one of the Arts & Crafts porch columns had been framed.

The plumber had to cut some holes in the wallboard and flooring to install sink vents. And R&R Heating and Air Conditioning installed the fireplace, running the vent outside; the trim will have to wait until the propane tank is delivered and the wallboard finished behind the audio/video shelving.

Tom the plumber (l) and Scott Dawson, Stratford
site manager, locating a spot for the sink vent.

Arts & Crafts column framing

It's amazing how much work has been done in less than two weeks since the modules were delivered to our site. Tomorrow: more framing and siding; completion of the roofing; and the first visit by the electrician - time to deliver all the lighting fixtures we'd bought since spring. On Saturday, once the garage floor has cured, I'll hie myself off to Home Depot to bring in the ceramic floor tiles.