Siding going up

The siding is a Hardie Cement board lap siding. The color is called Timber Bark and the trim is a Cobblestone. The roofing composite is called Woodland Brown so we really blend into the mountainside. No longer can anyone see the house being built on the hill

Looking into Kitchen/Breakfast from foyer hall

The Foyer

Another Kitchen view

Kitchen Floor Tile

It is a beehive at the house!

Quite a few people at the house this week. The countertops were templated and should arrive for installation next Tuesday. The interior trim is still going up, the roofers are roofing, the siding finally arrived along with those installing it, the painters are back touching up nail holes and painting the exterior trim and porch ceilings. The tile guys are there as well getting tiles laid in the kitchen, hall and breakfast room. Once the countertops are placed on Tuesday, the tile backsplashes and the master shower will be started.
The weather has been a little wintry, but it is predicted to dry out this coming week to allow the front porch and the the patios to be poured. We continue to press onward to be in the house by Thanksgiving. We are hopeful, but time and weather will tell. It is like a mudhole up at the house with all the rain and snow we have had. It gets cold, precipitates and then, warms up to turn the clay and dirt into a mucky mess. Pictures to follow.

Roofing - FINALLY

I know I have been telling you for weeks now that the roofing composite was going to be put on. Well, the roofers finally showed up. It is going to take them several days, I'm sure. Today they only completed one side of the garage.

Bathroom floors

We have chosen a very cool vinyl for all our bathrooms, laundry room and pantry. This product looks like real stone, is warm to walk on and very easy to take care of. Best of all, very affordable , especially when we have to stick to a budget.

Interior Millwork! Did you notice?

The gentleman installing the window trim and the doors is fantastic. His work is great! The window trim actually makes the windows look bigger and they are already quite large. We are still in awe of our view and really can't wait to share it with our friends and family who visit.

Bar / Island Cabinets

This island bank of cabinets is a darker stain, Auburn, on Beech wood. The main kitchen cabinets are Alder in Autumn stain and there will be some dark accents put into the kitchen at the end. The cabinets in the bathrooms and the great room are also the darker, Auburn stain. Just trying to mix it up a bit and add more interest. Our designer with Dowdy Custom Homes is incredible with her ideas and suggestions. She is a big reason we choose our builder. I really needed help with choices.

Kitchen Cabinets

Most of the kitchen cabinets went in today. The rest of the cabinets should be completed tomorrow. The crown moulding is going to be later because we decided to add another piece per the designer to give it a shadow appearance. Once it arrives the cabinet installer will return.

Master Bath / Devine Roast color

Interior Painted Walls

The main part of the house is a color called Devine Peanut. The office and master bath is Devine Roast and the entry is Copper. I love these colors because they are so warm and inviting. The basement bathroom is Caribou, and will get paint on Monday. Enjoy the tour.

Ready for more cement

Garage floor is now ready for the cement pour. With the mud, it has been very difficult for the guys to set up frames for the front porch. If the weather reports are true and we are supposed to stay dry until Wednesday, they will finish the framing on Monday, and cement is coming on Tuesday. On another note, for at least 3 weeks I have been telling you that the roofing composite and siding was going to be put on. Yes, we are still waiting on those. I spoke to the roofer yesterday and he comfirmed Monday for the roofing material. We'll see! Also, got a fly to tell me that our siding order came in incorrectly and had to be reordered. Now, why didn't someone tell us that, so I wouldn't be so frustrated each day.

More Gravel

We decided to spread the rest of a 10 yard pile of gravel on low spots in the road as well as the lower area of the driveway. Rich hauled and dumped with the tractor and I raked it out. Also, today we dug out more of the ditch along the side of the road. I am including pictures of the "clay mud" that forms with the rain and this is why we spread gravel. If those young guys who work the job would keep their "macho trucks" out of the mud, the road would stay in really good condition. Yes, I did make it clear to the contractor to tell everyone to stay on the gravel! Did you really think I'd be silent on this one? HaHa Our 500 gallon propane tank was installed last week. They were the smart ones to do the work before the winter weather decided to start.

Snow Melted

By yesterday afternoon, the snow had melted, but the rain continued so it was a muddy, mucky mess at the house site. Rich and I spent about 3 hours spreading gravel on the upper driveway so the sub trucks and cement trucks could get up there and turn around without making a complete mess of the driveway. We plan to spread more today in the areas of the road where soft spots are forming due to the weight of the delivery trucks. The drywall was completed last week and the painter is working his magic. I am hoping he will be done today also and I can take some good pictures to show the interior. I love the colors we have selected, very earthy.

OMG - Snow on the ground

We woke up this morning to about 1 inch of white stuff. It is also raining and sleeting off and on, so it won't last long, for today anyway. It is staying quite cold today also, high of 35 degrees. Today, at the house, the painter is priming all the walls and they are framing for the front porch and garage floor concret pours. Will take pictures tomorrow and add them on.

OMG - Snow on Icicle Ridge

Yes, it snowed today on the mountain tops around us and snow is predicted for us after 11pm tonight into the early morning hours. It was very cold today. Tomorrow the high - 36 degrees and the low- 36 degrees.

It's Getting Colder

Well, our beautiful Indian Summer weather is about to go bye bye! And I'm not ready for the winter yet. Today, our high temperature was 50 and tonight we are to get down to 20 degrees. It will be our first freeze. I'm sure there will be some mountain rain and snow. Just another reminder to the contractor to get it moving along.
This upcoming week the plan is to spray the texture, prime and paint. I've selected all the wall colors for the rooms and am really excited to see them work the magic. Paint is such a great way to express yourself and I've selected some very bold "natural" colors. They range from a golden wheat to olive-brown, and terra cotta to gun metal gray. We haven't seen the trim/siding guys for two weeks! Where the heck are they? I might have to fire some people up AGAIN with another email. It seems so close and yet so far away!!!!

Front Door and More

Today, the front door was installed. The power was turned on so the well pump and furnace could be tested. All worked great. The heat will be on so the taping and mudding of the drywall will dry faster. We are coming up on winter weather! Snow level is at 4000 ft. Our property is at about the 1900 ft. level. The house is wrapped in black insulated paper instead of the recognized white Tyvek. The black is a better insulator for COLD weather. More pictures will include the garage and the staircase as well as some basement pictures.

Front Door is in

Hard Day at the Fruit Stand OR

As Rich would say - "Two fruits at the fruit stand!"

My friend Kristie, runs a family fruit stand just down the road from our property. Her Dad and brother have pear, cherry and apple orchards. Kristie and her husband have pear orchards. They have the absolute best Asian Pears. I help her out on the weekends. We have so much fun just talking and helping people buy fruit. We laugh a LOT. I'm cheap help: "will work for fruit!" She has return customers who come over from Seattle just for her Asians.

Nik at Ithaca College

Nik continues to be very busy at school. He works 3 nights a week at a Pizza Restaurant as well as staying on top of his classes and school work. Right now, Nik is doing the set design for the December production "Eurydice" by the Ithaca College Theatre. This is a story from Greek mythology, one of Nik's many favorites. Rich and I are going to Ithaca in December to see the show. Can't wait to see Nik!

Andrew and his job

Andrew has been hard at work now for one week. He is enjoying himself, loves having an income and is learning the fine points of fabricating parts for the machines Van Doren builds. He is looking forward to taking a "Solid Works" class for computer drawing. The company is sending him to the class. He will also be traveling around the west to observe the installation of the machines. So, all is well with him and of course, Rich and I like having him around.

Laundry Room and Looking out Great Room Windows

Dining Room/Kitchen and Breakfast Room

Master Bedroom and Great Room Fireplace

Drywall Pictures

Looking from front door into the Great Room. And looking from the Great Room to the Front Door.

Drywall hanging is complete

Two solid days of hanging drywall and it is up. The house is really taking shape now. I can tell where I have wall space and the rooms look bigger. The gravel for the driveway has been delivered also.

Tractor/Road work yesterday

Yesterday, Rich and I worked on the road. The cement trucks pushed quite a bit of dirt and gravel into the ditch. We want to have it cleaned out before the rains start and of course, the snow melt in the spring. The weather has turned to Indian Summer, chilly nights and mornings with afternoon warm ups. It has been about 40 degrees when we get up and into the 60's by mid afternoon. Perfect weather for outdoor work. Rich ran the backhoe and I was dumping rocks and clay over the side of the hill using a wheel barrel. All the while people were working like bees on the house. I keep sharpening my pitch fork and reminding them that the snow level is falling. We can see snow on the mountain tops around us.