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The new name reflects the next chapters in the building of our home.

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Short Weather Break

Front Porch Completed

The Columns Frame the Front Door Nicely

We'll need to Bring in Top Soil When the Weather is Warmer

Columns have been added to the side Porch

Side Porch with Mahogany Deck

The weather took a break long enough to have the front and side porches worked on. Columns were added and the mahogany decking was put on. Combined they give it a really nice look. The steps are sort of left hanging in the air but it gives us a good idea of where the final grade (top soil) will be. That will have to wait for warmer weather though.

The weather with its ups and downs makes for slow outside work.  This cold just seems to bring frustration with it. But I know things will start moving again.

Eye of Winter

Need Mud?

The Yard is Now One Big Mud Pile

The Stone Wall base is under the Black Plastic Wrap. This helps 

to keep the Water Out so that it won't collect and Freeze under the Base

The New Side Patio will be Going Above It

The Weather has Taken a Break Long Enough to Start the Side Porch

Porch from the Kitchen Window

We'll need to Bring in more Gravel for the Side Patio to Raise the Grade

Night Shot (Best I could do) of the Wood Ready to Go up 

for the Back Deck

If you’ve ever been in a hurricane and you have had the eye pass over you, you get to see the most amazing thing. The winds stop and the fury turns to calm and the clouds open up to an amazing  (and welcomed) blue sky. It looks like a perfect afternoon. Of course that is until the other side of the storm hits.

I’m feeling like that with this winter. We’ve had days of single digit temps causing pipes to freeze  and where it actually hurt to go outside along with a snow storm that dumped a foot of snow. Roads have had black ice in the morning making the drive to work interesting.

Until this week. Temps have been as high as the 50’s and other than some rain here and there turning everything to foot deep mud, it’s been pretty nice. I think it must be the Eye of Winter. And while I’m sure the other side of winter is coming, the builders are taking advantage of the better weather and are working on the porches and back deck. The mason is back on site too. I’m not sure how long this weather is going to last, but unlike normal where we complain about the weather, we’re not doing any of that. Now if could I just get the sun to stay out later so I could get some after work pictures…

Enjoy your weekend.

Go Patriots!

The Elves Have Returned from the North Pole

If you look closely you can see the drawing for the 

Front Door Trim

And the Trim Work is Up

Side View of the Front Door

Wainscoating Going Up in the Dining Room

 

Door Trim, Wainscoating & a Column That 

Really adds to it All. When we saw it in the Drawings

we knew it would look great. And it is.

Transom Window over the door to the Kitchen

Mullions will be Added

The Stair Trim has Begun

0 Degree Weather and Plenty of Snow

I think it's Going to be awhile before the Outside Masonry Work

Starts Up Again

So I’m pretty sure now that Christmas is over it’s safe to say that the elves have been relieved of their toy making duties and have now returned to work at our house. Thank you Santa.

Truthfully, it has nothing to do with Santa. Or the subs. It’s all about proper scheduling. And if the backroom doesn’t get it right and schedule the subs properly then the work doesn’t happen. Plain and simple.

Speaking of subs, we’re fortunate that we have true craftsmen doing the interior work. Finish work is not easy. Corners must be mitered correctly. Doors must close correctly and everything must fit together perfectly. This is what everyone sees and when it’s not right, most, maybe not all, but most will notice. And that’s what they leave with. We know when we have visitors they’ll see the fine workmanship of the carpenters who are putting the finish trim work in our house. We hope they like what they see. We do so far.

Enjoy your week.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from our Home to Your Home

(Via)

Had a visit from a Red Tail Hawk

That was Playing with It's Food

It used It's wing to block Escape

Only about 15' Away from Me

A little Wild Life Video

Note the really steady camera action and ya, that

was me whistling. It didn't care.

A Visit to Newport for Dinner

New Fangled Christmas Tree Stand

2" PVC Pipe stuck in a Hole in a work stand

Happy New Year!

I was on vacation last week which happened to coincide with another week of no contractors on site. While most would attribute it to the holidays (or lousy scheduling), I’m wondering if they knew I was on vacation and with my propensity to ask about the why’s and how’s of their work they beat feet to other locations. I tried to make the best of it.

With winter less than 10 days old I’m already feeling cooped up. So I told my better half that I was going to do some work outside over at the other house. She looked at me with that look of “What could he possibly be doing outside in 20 degree temperatures? But he’s driving me crazy…” “Ok, have fun!”

I thought I would go fill in a hole that needed filling with the material that was stacked next to it. The same material that had been soaked with rain, turned to mud and then subjected to 20 degree temperatures. I figured I could use my heavy steel pry bar to break it up. Ya, no. A couple of hard bangs on the frozen dirt that had the cold steel vibrating through my gloves into my hands told me that wasn’t happening. It’s funny how you can so quickly change your mind from what you thought was a really good idea to thinking that was a really stupid idea. So I figured checking the mail was going to be something else I could do.

When walking to the mailbox out front something caught the corner of my eye. Holy gadzooks (my better half made me change what I wrote originally). It was a big Red Tail Hawk and it was only about ten feet away from me. Now most birds fly away as soon as you get within viewing distance but not this one. It wasn’t concerned at all with me because it obviously had not listened to its mother growing up and was playing with its food. Not being sure how protective it could be of whatever it was playing with and having grown up watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Animal Kingdom (back when we only had three TV stations), I knew its talons could make quick work of my face. So I backed off a bit and watched. I have to admit it was pretty cool watching this large bird play around with something in the grass and completely ignore me. I watched for about ten minutes and then decided to move off in case it got bored with the small thing it was toying with and started looking for something bigger to play with…

2013 is now a memory. Outside of an economy that is still in the doldrums and a do nothing congress, it was a good year for me personally and I’m thankful for any blessings that came my way large or small. I hope the New Year brings an even better year for all of us.

2014 is starting out with today’s Pro Jo (Providence Journal) headline reading “Region Braces for up to 10 inches of snow” I’ve gotta go brace. Whatever that is. I think it means get more coffee.

Enjoy your day.

Enjoy your New Year.

Christmas Eve

Barrington, RI Congregational Church

Built in 1806 using timbers from the 

Orginal Church built in 1711.

Children's Christmas Eve Service

If you look closely you can see the old doors on the pews.

The doors kept the heat in the pew space when the families brought 

small coal burners with them to stay warm.

Christmas Eve with our First Tree

Merry Christmas to All!

The Christmas Lull

In 2011 We started with this

Thought we were Going to Do This

Had this happen in between

Now we have this in Lull Land

Christmas Cookies

My better half made some Christmas cookies with plans to bring them into work and give them to friends. I had other plans for them.

Shortly after making them she asked “Who has been eating the Christmas cookies?” What? We’re not supposed to eat them? Crap. 

Now truly, my contribution when invited to help making them was putting boobs on one of the snowmen (women?) after which I was told that my help was no longer needed. I thought it would be funny. The funny part was she wasn’t amused. Much.

So with there only being two of us I did what I had to about the missing cookies. I said, “You know, someone has been drinking my beer too. I wonder if the same person that ate the cookies is the same one that’s drinking my beer?” I pretty sure she didn’t buy that…

Back to the house.

Twas a few nights before Christmas and all of the contractors have headed for the hills. The house work has come to a complete stop. 

It wouldn’t be so bad if it hadn’t come to a complete stop a few weeks ago. Much of it is due to scheduling conflicts. Some of it due to the Holidays. We had a good meeting yesterday with the builder to go over a few items that we had concerns about including the apparent stop work that was only missing the picket signs. They have a sub that needs to wrap up a few things outside in order for the house to move forward. Fortunately, our Project Manager, Joe, is on top of this and we have a commitment to ramp back up next week at the start of the New Year. In the meantime I’m going to have to drink a lot of Christmas Cheer to feel better about this lull.

This will make our third Christmas owning the property, paying mortgages and trying to make something out of it. It’s been frustrating but we know 2014 will be “The” year.

In celebration of our two year anniversary of owning the property, I invite you to read one of my older blogs. It will make you laugh and like a Christmas Carol, it is the Ghost of Christmases to come.

http://www.theimpatienthomebuilder.blogspot.com/2013/04/flashback-our-first-week-you-cant-make.html

Enjoy your weekend