Monday, May 7, 2012

Everything in its season.


Even though it has been an odd spring with extraordinary weather I have still 
managed to wait until May to plant some of my garden. 
This past weekend was potatoes.  Katahdins.
I cut them on Friday night and planted on Sunday morning before
the black flies discovered I was out there.  The bed had been ready
for weeks because warm weather always makes me want to dig in the
dirt.  Some little voice was telling me not to plant to early, don't be deceived
into thinking that Spring had truly arrived just because the temperatures were
feeling like July.  So I waited.
The seeds for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and winter squash were
planted weeks ago in their snug little peat pots.  They will go in on Memorial Day
just as they do every year.  It comes a little earlier this year than usual 
so it's nice that it has been so warm
It took me less than a half an hour to plant 20 pounds of potatoes - 3 rather long rows-
and I wondered as I was doing it why more people don't plant their own vegetables.
The potatoes you grow taste so much better than what you buy. Sometimes I wonder if it's 
just knowing that you grew them in your yard that makes them taste better but then again how
often do you get to eat any vegetable mere minutes from being picked?

Friday, February 10, 2012

Catching up on a Major Project

It's been a hectic few months so I'll post some
photos of what has occurred in the ongoing project 
that is the house at Fort Pelham Farm.


 This is the plumbing wall with everything out of it.
A serious hodgepodge of plumbing materials.


Once the old floor was removed we used a lazer level 
to see what we were dealing with.  One corner was 6 inches
lower than the other.  Russell made giant shims for us to
level the new floor. 


Mike and Bill put in the special MDF for the floor.  It's tongue and 
groove and gauranteed for 50 years.  Cool.


The studs went up and after a lot of 
discussion the half wall was built.


The seat for the shower was built into the 
half wall.


Sweet.
During the week the plumbers came in and
put in new plumbing for the entire upstairs and 
a new hot water holding tank so we would have 
steadier water temps (and not run out of hot water
half way through a shower).


Mike redid the windows, insulated, drywalled and painted
the walls so we could start on the tile.


The schluter membrane goes up.


We've used the schluter system for other showers.  It's simple 
and works very well.


Now the tiling begins.  We started with four courses of 
13" x 13" tile.


 These are Italian ceramic tiles.  They are very, very durable.


While Bill was tiling I was designing the sink area.


Bill gets to the design courses.  He curses me for
not just using straight tiles.


Lots of cutting and placement is slow.


But look at how beautiful it is.


Mike came over to give Bill words of encouragement.
At this point he needs it - he's making himself crazy with
his perfectionism.


Done for the weekend.


Next Bill has Paul help him lay out the heat mat for the floor.
That's right - radiant heat.

Then the tiles were laid on the floor.  Again 13" x 13".
Now everything has to set up for a week.