The END...for now...

This will likely be my last post...at least for a while. For all practical purposes, the house is FINISHED. We have been issued a certificate of occupancy and can start moving in at any time. There is still the pesky little problem of selling the old house, but that's out of my hands so I'm looking onward and upward.

We are very pleased with the outcome and think you'll agree...it's a pretty fine looking home! Rather than walk you through the last few months in words, I'll let the pictures do the talking. I took several yesterday (after the final deep cleaning and before we start filling it with our crap).

I hope many of you will come visit and see for yourselves. As one friend put it, getting out of her car she felt like she was going on vacation. We can't wait to be living there full time and we can wait to see many of our friends and family out there in the months and years to come.

I'll be back in touch soon to let you know how life in the hills is treating us. In the meantime, enjoy the photos and let me know what YOU think!

All the best....

The NEVER-Ending Home Stretch

Can't believe my last post was all the way back in April! And, I was all hopped-up about being in the home stretch WAY back then. This time, I really, really mean it. The bathtub is being installed in the master bath today...the front door should be stained today, as well. The closet folks...yes, there ARE closet folks...will be out to do their very expensive magic on Monday. With that, other than a few little "punch list" items, the inside of the house is, for all practical purposes, FINISHED!

The outside looks absolutely awesome...better even than I had imagined it! There is still some landscaping work (OK, LOTS of landscaping work) to be done, but much of that will be done a little bit at a time as the mood and a little inspiration strike me!

Don't know if I'll keep up the blog after moving day(s) or not. I might try writing about LIFE in the Boondocks for a while. If my daily (or semi-monthly) posts get too redundant..."another beautiful day of quiet and solitude. I think I heard a leaf fall this evening, but I can't be sure..." I'll just shut'er down till I have something worthwhile to say.

Yesterday there was a sighting of a LARGE black bear crossing a road in Saddle Ridge. I found bear "scat" (such a nice eupemism) directly next to my house last week. So...maybe there will be some interesting wildlife encounters to share.

Thanks for coming along on this little adventure with us. Hope to see you soon in the Boondocks!

The Home Home Stretch

We are nearly 90% complete (according to the last inspection by the bank!) and are getting excited about moving out the woods! The last few months have been fun, but a bit stressful. One would think picking out light fixtures and other minutia would be the fun part. And, perhaps it would be were it the ONLY thing we were doing at the time. I am happy with all our choices and love seeing the place come together. Already it looks much more like a house than a construction zone!

We have faucets, sinks and toilets...and, by next Tuesday we should have running water in the house. The downstairs has been painted and much of the upstairs has at least been trim-painted. Door hardware is installed and doors are hung. The ceiling in the basement is complete. Tile work is 95% complete...a little more grout and some last-minute wall tile surrounding the bathtub. The concrete floor in the basement will soon be stained and carpet, the last of the flooring, will be laid in the guest bedrooms.

All lighting fixtures have been ordered. Many have arrived and a few have been installed. It's awe-inspiring to walk into the house and flip a switch and actually have something happen! It will, of course, take months to learn which switches operate which lights.

I'll keep you all posted...but it's not too late to start making reservations for a night or two (or more) in the Boondocks!

Getting Stoned

OK, getting stoned in the legal sense...

We have stone on our fireplaces and on the wall at the bar between the kitchen and great room. The cabinetry continues going in. Take a look at the awesome job Hopps Woodworks has done on the column at the end of the bar. And, how about that built-in next to the indoor fireplace? And the awesome mantles.

Tile work continues. Counter tops have been selected. Light fixtures have begun to arrive. Mouldings and trim paint are going up. We're getting down to the wire...and still have our current house to sell! Keep those fingers and toes crossed on that one!

The Home Stretch/Light at the End of the Tunnel/etc.

It's hard to believe it's been over a month since I posted anything new to this blog! Much has happened in this 30+day hiatus! Most of the stone work has been completed on the exterior. Stone is still to be installed on the chimney outdoors and on the two fireplace facades as well as the face of the bar between the kitchen and the great room. We have hardwood floors (hickory) throughout the main level of the house now! The photo was taken in what will be my office...it was the only space not covered with cardboard for protection so you get the best idea of what the floors look like from this vantage point!

We also have kitchen cabinets -- well, most of the kitchen cabinets. Hopps Woodworks has done an outstanding job on the cabinets. They are red oak with some Arts & Crafts details...and these photos don't really do them justice. We have lots of special touches. There are built-in spice cabinets on either side of the range hood within very easy reach. That's an indulgence we've never had...spices have been stashed in drawers, in wall racks, etc., but never neatly tucked away right next to where they are needed! There is a very cool sliding pantry that will be built-in to the wall just behind the refrigerator. It's an outstanding use of what was fairly useless space before. There is a special cabinet built for the microwave which operates like a drawer. The microwave will slide out and food can be placed in from the top. A huge space saver in my efficient little kitchen! And the shelf is in place for our big beautiful white porcelain farmhouse apron sink. There will be a wine fridge at the end of the island tucked inside a cabinet. And there's a cabinet that opens to the dining area where we can store liquor and bar items!

The built-in entertainment center has been installed, as well. As soon as tile floors are done (by next week) all bathroom vanities can also be installed. We're working on picking out counter-tops right now along with light fixtures and bathroom hardware. Even door hardware will be a challenge.

Our garage doors arrived damaged and had to be sent back. Temporary doors were installed instead so the garage is secure. The openers are unbelievably quiet...and we even have a keypad on the exterior so we can get in with a code! I know...most of you have probably had those for years, but this is our first real foray into the modern era!

By early next week we should have heat! The propane tank was delivered after many delays (trucks breaking down, freak snow storms, etc.) and is situated in a giant hole in the ground designed to minimize damage should it blow-up! Gas should be connected to the house shortly and heat will be available for folks continuing work indoors.

The devil is in the details...and he's knocking at our door right now! Lots of decisions to be made over the next few weeks. And, meanwhile, we continue to market our current home. It's no fun living in a place that has to stay clean all the time! We've had lots of activity, some pretty serious interest, but NO OFFERS thus far. Hopefully we'll sell it sometime in February so we don't have that looming over our heads!

Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!
Quite a lot to report since the last post! We have a screen-room on the side porch. It's not your grandpa's screen-porch. It's a "system" that is made of maintenance-free aluminum framing and screen panels that make it easy to replace damaged screen (anyone who has been around dog noses and screens know exactly what I'm talking about).

Stone work on the foundation was started just before New Year's Eve...and continued through today---New Year's Day! After a very pleasant holiday brunch with good friends, we visited the house and were surprised to find four young men feverishly putting up stone!

And, trim carpentry on the interior is underway. There is really nice crown molding in kitchen, dining room, hallway and office. And, several of the windows have been trimmed-out, as well. Wire mesh has been put on the fireplaces in preparation for stone. Cabinets are under construction and will be ready when the floors are installed.

Decisions this week will be tough...interior paint colors, finalizing flooring, etc. We've started looking at lighting fixtures on-line...that opens up a whole new world of excitement AND challenge.

Stay tuned...the adventure will be winding down before you know it and then we'll get on with the business of LIVING in the mountains!

"PRIME" Time

Seems like yesterday we were excited by the first swath of the bulldozer through the pristine wilderness we'll soon call home. Then there was a big hole in the ground that became a walk-out basement. When framing began we were almost ecstatic!

Now 90% of the exterior is finished! As soon as the water line is run from the well to the house so the stone will be installed. When the railing is put on the deck and the screening is put on the porch, the only thing remaining will be landscaping.

We're inside now...and just in time. We just had the second measurable snowfall of the year which is two more than we experienced all last winter. Interior stuff has gone very quickly. Not only is the sheetrock on the walls, it is finished and PRIMER has been applied to the entire main level. The ceilings throughout the main level are primed AND painted.

We're in the final stage of selecting all the flooring...a bit behind schedule, I might add! The first quote was breath-taking...and NOT in a good way...so we had to drop back and punt. The only other major decisions will involve light fixtures...and then there will be a long list of "minor" decisions.

Enjoy updated photos above and I'll try to update the blog a little more often. Happy Ho Ho, Everyone!