Best Summer Ever

Only one thought comes to mind when I look back on June ....and July ...and August and even September - Best Summer Ever! It was the summer of our childhood memories.  Hot, humid, sunny days, and delightful warm nights. Endless days of blue skies.  Early morning promises of fine summer days, and a scent in the evening breeze that told us that more lovely days would follow.  After the past two summers of colder than normal temperatures and so much rain, it was a total surprise, and hugely appreciated.  I know the lack of rain caused worries for many, was stressful on the trees, and caused grief for some of the farmer's crops. But it sure made it easier for us to work on the workshop. There were times of course, when the high heat and humidity probably slowed us down more than it helped us. But on the whole, we can't complain; it really was a long and entirely lovely summer.

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....

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.