As Winter approaches, we are pecking away at lots of projects. It's ever-frustrating to not have more complete, but progress is better than nothing, right? [Sorry, no new pics to post. They are trapped on my phone. Mac and Android are NOT getting along. Couples therapy required. I am confident they will work our their differences for the benefit of the kids. Sigh.]
Here's our progress report:
1) Charles's room is STILL not finished (started in July), but I finally finished painting the walls and trim and ceiling. There are no straight lines and no smooth surfaces in that room, so it has been a real challenge. A few touch ups will be required once the floor is painted, but it looks SO much better. And hubby has been wrenching away at the endless number of staples in the floor. We are SO close to having that horrible task finished. Furniture and finishes are ready to go.
We finally had to turn the heat on November 1, and we keep the Tavern and Bunk Room zone at 54, so Charles has moved over to the day bed in his sister's room (main house zone is a balmy 62) to avoid cold toes. He has been so patient through this process. Can't wait to have him move back into his own room again!
2) The window replacement project is coming along. We acquired, painted and replaced the five front windows on the front of the house. And the four for the first floor in front are primed and waiting for exterior paint today. Nice to have the later-kitchen/porch as a no-need-for-drop-cloth painting space! Hopefully, hubby will have time to get those installed early this week. It only takes about 45 minutes each, now that he knows the drill.
We also splurged and bought three replacement casement panels for the old kitchen. Those windows were literally falling apart, and we faced the potential of wide-open breezes this Winter if we didn't do something there. They too are primed and waiting. Hubby needs to seat the hinges before I paint, but we'll have those in before the weekend. He did a great job reglazing the massive three-panel interior "storm" window for that space.
There is a chronic problem of high-velocity roof-run-off in that corner so those windows get blasted. Architectural changes are needed, but we have not gotten our heads around a solution yet. All in good time.
We've also been puzzling out ways to reuse panes and storm windows elsewhere in the house where updates are "futures". Whatever we have leftover, I am hoping, will come together into some sort of a cold frame for my gardening habit.
3) Not one japanese knotweed went to seed on or near our property this year. It remains to be seen what comes back or shows up in the Spring. Here's hoping all of our efforts made a dent. And that the goats can polish off the stragglers in the Spring.
4) The big dig worked! The basement is tolerably dry and the portion of the pieced-granite foundation adjacent to the new grading and hardscaping is noticeably more stable. The stepping stones have settled into the walkable gravel surface, the setting sand has done its job around the bricks, and the second round of grass seed is busy germinating on the slopes and in "the hole". Temporary mostly-Fall plantscaping is pleasant and surviving the stress of planting just prior to first frost. All good there.
5) Firewood won't be a problem or purchase this year. Our selective clearing has left us with a relatively seasoned supply. And we succeeded in budgeting to fill two oil tanks to brimming last summer when the prices were lower, so we are starting with both barrels loaded, as they say. All told, we are in a better place as far as budgeting BTUs this Winter.
Again, we are keeping one zone at 62 degrees and one at 54. The latter has the benefit of a convection fireplace for evening warm-up. When the sound of the furnace firing up literally sounds like CHA-CHING, you learn to wear more fleece and sweaters. I can think of so many other things to spend money on than fuel that burns. Like more new windows and future insulation!
6) This Winter, we will be giving serious, definitive thought to what form the new kitchen, mudroom (old kitchen) and old-yucky bathrooms will take. Lots of variables and not much common ground between hubby's ideas and mine aside from basic locales and progress imperatives.
Perhaps we will put out some new polling questions soon?
