As much as we hoped that the workshop construction would go quickly (and it did), there always seemed to be some factor that slowed things down. Because we are mounting the solar panels on the roof of the shop, the south facing roof is large making for a fairly high building, so Rob once again spent a lot of time moving scaffolding around (and around, and around) the job site. And some jobs simply took longer than anticipated.
Still, things definitely did progress! The framing for the front roof looked great to me. Unfortunately, the rafters were not aligned properly at the top, so Rob had to rip most of them out and redo them. It's important to have them in exactly the right spot, as they can't be seen when Rob is trying to drive 13" screws through plywood and foam - we need to know exactly where they are.
The back roof frame went in much more easily.
Having been through this process with the house last year, Rob knew what he was in for, and had worked out ways of moving things by himself. In this case he used the tractor forks and a form he had built to help move the plywood up to the roof more easily.
I always like the view from inside, before things get closed in.
With the plywood up and taped, Rob was hoping less water would come in to the shop when it (eventually) rained.
We quickly added the roof wrap and thought that things were reasonably waterproof (silly us). The forecast called for rain so Rob decided it was a good time to made a quick trip to head out of town and visit family. Unfortunately, it works out that when there are no walls the house is not really weather proof. I came home from work after a violent rainstorm to find huge amounts of water inside the building. It had mostly blown in through the sides due to the high winds, but also cascaded in after flowing down the roof wrap, and spewing in through the open framing. I spent a good hour standing in deep water with running shoes on, trying to sweep and squeegee all the water out towards the door entrances. On the plus side, I then went out and bought myself a magnificent pair of rain boots later that week (I obviously needed some)!
Yup, the scaffolding has moved again.
Last view of the framing before the plywood goes on.
Closing in the sides helped with the rain situation, but caused some new problems because now the inside became rather dark, and made it harder to see when working. It got better when the windows were cut out again,
And I did begin to get a feel of just how nice this workshop is going to be!
It's always good to see the piles of plywood on the ground go down, and the sides of the building go up.
Our metal roof arrived on time this time. As before, it was delivered by a rather enormous truck that couldn't get to our job site, so Rob opted to have it dropped off near the main road and moved it himself with the tractor. Or tried to. The load was simply too long to fit between two trees on the road so we once again loaded it on the trailer (sort of) and managed to transport it to the job site without any damage. As a bonus, I got to drive the tractor home which almost never happens!
Then it was back to taping seams and continuing with the shop.
As much as we want to just get this built, there are always little details that have to be taken care of first. Rob had to apply the EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) or - as I call it - the cement type stuff that goes over the pink foam all around the concrete base, and then he could install all the base flashing.
A layer of house wrap (oops - it's all upside down Rob !) and then we began to put in the windows. Unlike the house windows, these windows arrived on time, as ordered, intact, and with screens and opening handles. That's all I'll say about that.....someday I may be able to write about the windows in the main house. Maybe.
Rob was able to put most of the windows in himself, but he needed help with the larger one. Our good friend Bob once again showed up to help out. Thanks Bob! And then it was time to start putting on the layers of pink foam again. This is not Rob's favourite job. The pieces have to be cut and if a saw is used (which is necessary at times) the foam dust is highly irritating and there is no way to avoid it. He's tried wearing dust masks of varying types, but when it is hot and humid out, this stuff just seems to stick to you no matter what.
In an effort to not waste cut-offs from the house (and to not throw cut-offs into landfill) Rob used some leftover pieces on the sides of the workshop. It saved us from buying more too, but it did take him a longer time to fit them all in, and there were times when he wondered if it was worth it.
As always, we tried to take time throughout the day to enjoy some of that fabulous summer weather. Jet enjoys a long walk three times a day, each one followed by a hearty game of fetching "wubbas" and spinning around with his jolly ball. There were a lot of days though when it was far too hot for him play so he had to be content with a slow walk in the woods, and a bit of playtime later in the evening when it cooled down slightly. It is always a delight to be able to walk in the shade of the forest on a hot day.
I was happy to spend time on my new benches down at the river's edge, where a multitude of frogs hang out. I soon learned that the longer I would sit, the more frogs I would notice, and soon it became a bit of a game to see how many I would spot.
When it got too hot, Rob and I would both head into the river to cool down. The river was unusually high this year, despite the low amount of rainfall. At one point I thought my benches would float away, but the levels soon dropped again, and they stayed where they were!
We took some time to visit with friends this summer too. When our friend John kindly offered to have some salmon and halibut sent to us following his west coast fishing trip, we took him up on the offer. We had the frozen fish shipped to our friend Elizabeth, who then proceeded to cook us up a fish feast! A toast to good friends....
As summer began to wane, we always took extra time at the end of a long work day, and headed for the river. Our favourite way to unwind and cool off is to take our deck chairs, and plop them into the river a few feet out from the shoreline. We sit where the river has a nice ledge, our feet in the cooling water, and enjoy the sound of the river flowing over the rocks. We watch the fish jump from time to time, and the dragon flies as they scoot just above the water. One day something bumped my leg and it was a beautiful big snapping turtle going by us. This is the spot in the river where we most love to sit:
Early in September, Rob felt a familiar twinge in his lower back. He's had problems with it over the years, and it usually doesn't last if he's careful. You would think it would happen when he's building, climbing, and carrying plywood.
But no - it was when he was smoothing down a little piece of tape. Luckily after a few days rest, he was able to get back at it. But both of us did lament that he lost almost a week, and it was just the nicest weather....
Mid September, we were still in the river on a warm evening. But eventually, we knew it would end. The squirrels have been super busy in the cedar trees, dropping the cones until they litter the forest floor, and then collecting them later and storing them. They know that summer is ending.
On my walk, I heard a noise in one of the hawthorn trees, and spotted a chipmunk busily collecting the haws too.
The woods are slowly taking on that golden glow of early fall. Sunrise is at 7 a.m., and we no longer wake up early to the sound of the birds calling. Sunset is at 7 p.m. and some nights I don't get home from work before dark. The geese are flying south, and I think the hummingbirds left this week. They know that winter is coming...
As do we. We ordered our firewood, and I've been busy splitting it, and am almost finished. We hope this will be enough to keep both the cabin and new house warm this winter.
We ordered a "tandem" of wood as well, to keep us going for another couple of years, but it needs to be chainsawed into lengths before I can split it. Rob and I think we might be able to get to it in late November or early December if the snow holds off.
We now grab sweaters and hoodies when we want to sit for a few minutes and watch the sun go down, at one of our other favourite spots - the point in front of the new house.
We spend the evenings inside now, and while I have been preparing the photos for this blog, Rob has been continuing to research some of the many things we need to think about, and trying to plan and schedule. He has narrowed down the fastening system for the solar panels, and is trying to finalize how he'll heat the workshop. The concrete floor in the new house still needs to be acid stained, but we aren't sure we'll have time to do it this year. The wood for the ceilings still needs to be "whitewashed" as well.
There are always the usual "fall" jobs to be done. I'll pull out my potted herbs and habanero peppers, garden ornaments and chimes, and put away the hummingbird feeder soon. I've washed and sorted my summer clothing, and it's all back in storage, and the fall clothes are here and put away. Winter coats and mitts will be next, but hopefully we won't need them for a wee while yet! Houseplants are back in the cabin after their summer on the porch. We don't really have room for them, so they are piled on the dining table for now. More things need to come in next - anything that can't be frozen over the winter needs to be inside.
We still don't know whether we'll manage to get our solar panels on this year. We aren't sure that even the metal roof will get on in time. Rob is trying to get the foam on the roof this week, then he will put on the second layer of plywood, and the wrap that goes on top. He also needs to build and install all the gable ends. After that - well we will see what the weather brings. The work days are now a little shorter. The mornings take longer to warm up, and the sun sets earlier and earlier.
There is beauty all around us, and rather than lament what didn't get done, we try to enjoy that beauty, and remind ourselves that this is why we came to this pretty little spot, in the forest, by the river. We both look forward to being in the new house, but we know it will be a while yet....
