On July 8, 2016, my contractor Alex Bain, of Action Construction, handed me the keys to my new house. (And yes, that's a check I'm handing him...)
One year ago, I was whacking weeds on the property,
And a little over nine months ago we broke ground.
Today, July 17, 2016, I've been in the house about a week, settling in, trying to get a few things put away. Jim Medina's car trailer has been storing a bunch of boxes and assorted things, and I'm getting that emptied out so I can go to the kids' house in Alpine and load it up with the rest of the stuff I haven't used in two years. Should take most of it directly to Goodwill or the dump..
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| Could have moved the trailer closer to the house, but it was more fun with the little tractor. |
The contractor's work is done, but mine is just beginning. I have plenty to do in my woodshop before the house is complete, as I'll point out in this quick tour of the house as it sits today, one week in.
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| Still have to build those tapered columns on the front porch. |
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| Brand new couch, with dog blanket. Map tablecloth a gift from my friend Gigi. |
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| The coffee table, gift from Julie Schaefer and "Bubba," does a cool trick for dining on the couch. |
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| Little hobo-with-woodstove on the woodstove from LeeAnn, painting of Venice from Merrily |
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| Tree wall sculpture (gift to myself) |
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| Old faithful recliner - the piece of furniture I've missed most. |
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Mostly I eat in the "breakfast room" where I sip coffee and read The Sun magazine (gift subscription from my old pard Randy Simpson).
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| Laundry room is all set up and being put to good use... |
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| ...but I still like to hang out my towels... |
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| ...on my spiffy retractable clothesline (gift of good friend Kellie) |
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| Back porch waiting for screens (stained glass table gift from LeeAnn) |
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| Former TV cabinet in guest room.. |
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| ...turned computer desk. Given to Jami, then "borrowed" back... |
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| Internet, like everything else here, is off-the-grid. I get mine from a satellite. |
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| Brand new bed... |
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| ...also with dog blanket... (beginning to see a pattern here?) |
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| The old antique dresser, with coin bank from John & Anne Godley (for saving up for a trip to England) |
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| Barn door hardware on the closet doors |
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| "Costco closet." I need to stain all the doors like I did the sliding closet doors. |
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| Pure white countertop by Alex Bain. This cabinet too is awaiting doors and drawers. Plant a gift from Merrily & family. |
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| Love that waterfall faucet |
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| Installed one of those curved shower rods like you find in swanky hotels |
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| Had them install the medicine cabinet so it opens toward the shower... for shaving in luxury... |
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| The home-made kitchen countertops are a combination of quarter-sawn oak and the same marmoleum used in the dining nook. Chopping block a gift from my oldest buddy Bruce Bell. |
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| They'll get all those drawers and doors as soon as I can get them done. The wood parts of the countertops have about 8 coats of finish on them, including two coats of penetrating epoxy, so they should stand up to getting wet. |
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| Trying my best to simulate Greene & Greene Craftsman furniture, I threw in a "cloud lift" in the backsplash. The plugs hide screws into the wall. |
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| Only a Greene lover will recognize this as a detail from some of their tables... |
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| ... like this. |
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| Cast iron sink large enough to wash a small dog... |
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| ... for obvious reasons |
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I'll get all that stuff done... eventually... when I'm not sitting in one of these rockers watching the upside-down sunset or in the recliner feeling that lovely air conditioning, provided free courtesy of the sun. When I do, I'll update this blog, but in the mean time, happy trails, and y'all come to the country sometime...
-Gary W, luckiest man alive. |
