I'm sure it will be warmer soon ....

As I read through the previous blog entry, I was once again surprised at just how much work was completed on the house in the past few weeks.  Lately, we have been living and breathing nothing but "windows" and I had totally forgotten that at the end of the last blog we still did not even have the house wrap on!

The weather has not been kind to us; the temperature kept dropping and there was little sign of any sunshine. As much as we kept hoping for a reprieve, it didn't happen and Rob kept working despite the cold and snow - he just bundled up in more and more layers of clothes and did his best. But nothing could keep his hands warm. Gloves just don't help much when you are handling metal scaffolding and whenever more dexterity was needed, the gloves had to came off.  Keep warm became a mantra. With Christmas approaching I was working more hours at the store and away from home more often, so I wasn't always there to keep him stoked with hot drinks and warm food while he worked.  I found myself stocking the freezer with numerous lunch-sized containers of hearty homemade soups and these helped to warm him up each lunchtime but he was also clearly burning up much more energy than he could possibly take in and his weight was actually dropping - and there wasn't a lot there to start with! Despite it all, the housewrap went on and the windows got flashed (a photo of Rob "flashing" the windows was not available)....

Rob put plastic around all the window openings in an attempt to keep the house a little less drafty and to keep it sheltered from the rain and snow. Each time he worked on a different window frame, he had to remove the plastic covering and then install the flexible flashing that protects the rough opening and wall. It was difficult to keep everything dry so that the flashing would stick. If it was cold then it was usually snowing and the snow slid off the roof and onto him and the window opening. If it was warmer, the water from the melting snow dripped onto him and onto the frame as well. He was unsure what to wish for and I could see his patience was wearing just a little thin (luckily, he has absorbed a little yoga through Elizabeth and I so all was calm)!

We had a few delays in the arrival of the finished windows and missed a little "window of opportunity" (no pun intended) when the weather warmed up briefly and the snow melted. It sure would have been a good time to get the windows in! But they didn't arrive and the weather turned colder. There were days when we began to wonder if we would ever get them in this year. Finally, the first delivery arrived - and we were pretty glad to see them!

We couldn't wait so I helped lift and fit the window on the east side of the bedroom (one that was manageable!). We were pretty excited to do this first one.

We worked together and hoisted it into place, just to test the fit. It quickly became clear that Rob would need a little more help with the larger ones when they arrived - these windows are heavy!

By now the sun was setting (i.e. it was dark) so we could not actually finish the installation and had to wait until the next day. Unfortunately, I had to work and missed all the excitement of seeing the first one truly installed - but I did get a photo of it later on!

We had another delay in receiving the second batch of windows - pretty normal for this type of thing. We can't thank our friend Bob enough for coming out on the cold, cold days and moving the scaffolding around, only to have to go back home when the delivery was cancelled.

Needless to say, it ended up being a cold day when they finally did arrive but Bob came back to help again.  In the end, all the frames were installed but some were missing the glass due to an ordering mix-up. These were temporarily filled with plywood to keep them square and the company will come back to install the glass later on.

It's quite something (for me at least) to go from seeing building plans on a computer screen, to seeing things actually in place.  For example, I couldn't really picture how the kitchen window would look once it was installed so I couldn't wait to see how it turned out! I have always admired the kitchen at my brother and sister in laws' mainly because I loved the big windows in front of their sink - I definitely wanted something similar in our house. Now, as I stand inside the new house and imagine prepping food or doing dishes, I look up and can see trees and sky and river.... it's perfect.

The dining room has two sets of windows. One faces south which allows all that lovely warm winter sunshine in (with the same view of the trees and sky and river that the kitchen has), and one faces west with a view of more trees and more river (the river actually flows around the corner of the house).

Below is a view of the dining room window - but from the outside!

The big living room window went in last. Rob had worked hard on the living room window designs. He changed the shapes, the layout, the size etc. so often that I could hardly remember what the finished design was. Rob wanted a seamless window above and below the beam with something to complement the timber scissor brace - and I think he got it right !!  We'll know for sure once the final pieces of glass are in - but so far everything looks wonderful.

The north corner window (the one on the right below) faces a rather special area that attracts a lot of wildlife. We are really looking forward to curling up in a chair and watching whatever goes by!

The bedroom (below) has less glass but we included the same type of upper peaked window as the living room (there will be glass in it eventually).

There are no interior walls yet but this shows the mudroom and the bathrooms - and an upstairs window.

As soon as the windows were installed Rob cleaned up, took the scaffolding down, tucked things away, and installed a temporary door at the entrance to the mud room. More snow was on the way and it was pretty clear that the house is as closed in as it is going to be for this year.

Despite the lack of insulation it already feels warmer inside (especially on a sunny day).  When the sun comes in to the dining room, I can feel myself basking in the light and watching the river flow (well it's flowing right now but that is only because we had a thaw at Christmas - normally at this time of year I would just watch the river ice!).

This November photo is more normal for this time of year - the river is slowing, filled with ice, and the hoar frost coats the trees at the river's edge.

But on Christmas Eve the fog arrived, a sure sign of warmer weather.

A few days of above normal temperatures, (seriously - it was much warmer than we had most of November!) and the river bank was clear of snow again with just a narrow band of ice at the edges.  Sadly this won't last though, as colder air will be arriving in time for New Year's.

December is always a reflective month for me. I'm not sure why - perhaps it's the absence of bird song, the stillness and quiet all around us. We spend more time in the cabin, as we ready ourselves for the winter ahead. As Christmas approached we reminisced about Christmases long past - the late night drives home while listening to Christmas stories and songs on the car radio and the times we had visiting family and friends - eating, drinking, gift exchanging..

This year we talked too about Christmas future - when we look forward to being in the new house, with room for a Christmas tree, and some of our old familiar Christmas ornaments strung up, and a place to put some of our Christmas-themed stuff. This was our third Christmas here in the cabin, and I suppose we are missing some of the things we used to do ... The first year we were here we pulled out some of our decorations and tried to tuck them here and there amongst the boxes and things we have piled here.  Packed them all back away a couple of weeks later. This year we opted to just wait until next year.... Unpacking in the new house will be like an entire Christmas in itself!

We are reflective too as we look back over the past year, and take time to think about all the work that went into the new house.   This time last year we had barely finished the concrete pads, and covered them all up with straw and plastic before they were buried in snow. And they remained that way for far longer than we had imagined!  We can't help but hope that spring arrives earlier in 2015 than it did in 2014.

But spring is still a bit of a ways off.  And we are pleased with our accomplishments, and trying not to wish that we had got more done.  We walk to the house several times a day, and go inside, walk around and talk.... plan....and dream.   We've been so close to the project that I think sometimes we forget just how special this place is.  When the two people delivering the windows arrived and one went into the house, I don't think I'll ever forget hearing his voice exclaim - "come see - you won't believe this place - it's incredible!"  And it is .... absolutely lovely and incredible indeed.....

For the next couple of months, the physical work on the new house will largely cease.  Rob is already busy looking at plans for building his own doors, and researching wood stoves, chimneys, concrete stain, types of gas stoves, wood boilers, solar designs (batteries, chargers and you-name-it) .  He's been redoing the workshop design, and finalizing the interior house designs.  I think it will be a busy few months!  But we are also taking some time to relax, read a little, and enjoy the warmth of the wood stove. Taking our cues from some of our four legged friends....like GB

and Jet (he of course is an expert at finding his own comfort wherever it may be)!

Snow arrives early

Well, we didn't quite manage to get the house closed in before the snow arrived.  In keeping with the weather trend we had this year, we had plenty of rain and cloudy days despite promises of sunshine. Below normal temperatures continued too, and Rob began to worry about how he was going to pull this off. He continued to work, no matter the weather, and anytime that the sun did shine - we did a happy dance. The weather systems have been fickle though, as I would experience a glorious sunny day while I was at work, and thinking Rob would have had a good day, arrive home only to be surprised to find he had been fighting against sudden pop up storms all day.  Wind has been another factor (we try to avoid being up on a roof with a sheet of plywood in our hands in gale force winds). Still, the first layer of plywood began to go in, and whenever possible, Rob would tape the seams as he went along to air seal the shell. 

I don't do heights very well so my photos are all from the ground but Rob was able to take a few photos from up high. Below is a view from the "upstairs" (no, I won't go up there either - at least not until there is a solid floor.... and stairs...maybe a railing.)

The first time I looked up and saw the roof  above me, I realized how much this house has in common with our old dome. I've been missing high ceilings and a feeling of spaciousness, and this house will certainly have lots of both!

When the clocks turned back, I could no longer make it home before dark, and it was harder to see what had gone on every day. The flash from my camera managed to light things up for me a bit though. Although Rob felt like progress was slow, things were still moving along!

Rob rigged up a way of loading the plywood onto the tractor forks and raising it up so he didn't have to haul all the plywood up to where he was working.

Here is a view of the living room from the kitchen. Well - you have to use your imagination a little.

Looking from the living room, the kitchen is on the right.

Finally, the roof is in! Well, there are still lots of layers that will go over it, but the first layer of plywood is in.
Rob will be adding layers of foam, strapping and more plywood before the metal roof goes on but that will have to wait for spring. We had hoped to finish it this year, but weather delays and the extra time needed for sanding and finishing timbers put us a couple of months behind schedule.

Once the plywood was nailed down on the dining room and kitchen roof,  Rob moved on to our bedroom section. Each plywood seam is taped with a special air sealing tape which complicated the installation. Every time it rained Rob had to wait for things to dry out before he could continue taping.

As the temperatures dropped, Rob rigged up some tarps to try to block the wind and weather a bit.  Despite the tarps, the inside of the house was often like a mini swimming pool as the rain kept pouring in.

Applying the first roof underlay. This will allow us to get through the winter without too much water damage to the house.

The underlay is also taped to help hold it against the wind and to provide a second air/water barrier! Thank goodness for knee pads.  And the safety harness.

Our friend Bob (the blip on the roof) showed up on some pretty nasty days to lend a hand (he claims to like working in the cold)! Thank you, thank you, Bob.

With the tarps in place I could begin to imagine what it will be like with walls in!  We sat and had tea one afternoon, and the sunshine coming through the plastic even warmed us up a bit. The house uses passive solar design principles and maybe it might actually work as planned!

Rob and Bob often worked as late as they could into the evening but it was still a short day. They really pushed to get the roof wrapped because it would provide some shelter for the rest of the work (plus it is difficult to work on a roof in the snow).  As they moved around the building they had to keep moving the metal scaffolding, which meant dismantling it and building it up again. There was also wooden scaffolding that Rob built to circle the building which gave a good solid platform to work from. They definitely tried to make sure that work in one area was completely finished before moving to the next.

The plywood sheathing begins to go on to the walls, taped up the same as the roof!

Tea and cookies in the living room. A bit drafty still, but it's beginning to be a bit drier inside at least.

Looking through the door from our future mudroom, the house just glowed.  This is one of my favourite shots. I don't think Rob minded that I said it reminds me of a glorious barn. He didn't look so keen though, when I said perhaps we could keep a pony in it.

Our bedroom!

The plywood going on around the kitchen windows.

This is the north wall. As the house is designed to be energy efficient, there are fewer windows on this side. However, as it faces a beautiful area, often filled with wildlife, we had to put in a few!

Bundled up in my winter jacket one afternoon, I was admiring the oak tree leaves on the ground, and the soft autumn light.

And then it got a lot colder, and it snowed. And snowed. And then the high winds arrived again. Snow and ice on the scaffolding made it too dangerous to climb up so work continued on the lower levels.  

Rob rigged up a little shack on the concrete pad of the workshop (to the right), and set up a little kerosene heater in it to warm up his hands periodically. With wind chills of minus 14 this week, he needed a little warmth once in a while!

Jet has been missing Rob, and every evening tries to get a little sympathy (and a little treat tucked into his Kong "red bone"). He has the sad eyes down pat!

Rob takes a few minutes to go out in the snow, and together they play their strange game of Jolly Ball and Wubbas.  It's a cross between soccer and cricket - they both kick the ball around and Jet sometimes shakes his wubba toy and whacks the ball. It makes sense to them but Jet doesn't play this game with me. Must be a guy thing.

Ice is forming at the edges of the river, and on the rock  I'm not quite ready for this river to be frozen.  I love to listen to the sound of the water, and scan the shoreline for animal tracks.

Our firewood is now all stacked and ready for us. We are hoping that 8 face cords will be enough, as we ran out the last two winters. I split it all with a wood splitter, and Rob took some time one day to stack it. Which is a good thing as when I stack it - the piles seem to fall over. Snow tires are on the truck, and our winter clothing has all been brought out of storage and into the cabin, and swapped out with our summer gear. We're ready!

Sometimes it's hard to remember to take the time to admire the beauty around us. On a day that saw us unhappy with the cold and the snow, and feeling pressure about getting the house closed in, we took a few minutes to go out, and enjoy the first real snow fall. It is only mid November, so it seems a bit early, but the first snow fall is always lovely and worth celebrating. We took a walk in the woods to appreciate it and are both glad we did. After all, it isn't just about the house we are building, but also about the place we are building it in.