Tour of the build site
Return to Archived photos page
October, 2003
We are in! We secured a mortgage! But we are a loooong way from being
unpacked and organized!
Mike is still installing trim, molding, and shelving. We hope to paint the exterior
when Sears can get enough cans of base tint to fill our order.
We bought some new furniture but have a long way to go. Kathi is still wading
through instruction manuals for the new appliances. The cats are still cowering
from the deer, which is fine. (One cat managed to escape when we weren't looking
on our very first night and survived the coyotes, so a healthy dose of humility
toward strange critters is something we applaud.) In general, we're all still
wandering around trying to figure out which light switch powers which light and
where everything is.
At some point photos will be posted--soon, we promise.
September, 2003
Deepest apologies from the web staff, but we were too busy unpacking to update the
site this month. And adjusting
to our 26K dialup Internet connection after being spoiled by DSL was
simply too painful. Sigh. Maybe we'll be more patient next month.
August, 2003
This is the big month! No matter what shape the house is in, we'll be
living in it (or in a hotel) by the end of this month!!!
There is still a lot of work ahead, not the least of which will be moving
our stuff. Granite countertops were installed in the kitchen on August 15,
carpet will be installed (we hope) on August 19, and Mike is in the process
of installing wood trim throughout the house. We ordered handles
for our cabinets, and Kathi and Sierra
are still hoping the plumbing fixtures appear before we move. (Though we are
quite attached to our rented outhouse, we don't think it will complement any
future landscaping themes.)
Mike's annual guided fishing trip in Astoria is scheduled for August 20!!!
Kathi is checking hotel rates in case we aren't ready to make the big move
by end of month.
week 2
The granite countertops are in the kitchen, the hardwood floors have had one
round of finishing, and carpet is scheduled for next week. More granite photos will be
posted as time permits, because it was quite the event to watch it being lifted and
positioned--and then to watch them cut out a big hole for the cooktop
in such a work of natural art. Here are a few preliminary shots.
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This photo attempts to show how
heavy...and how beautiful...the island slab is
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It took all available (male) hands
to set the island slab in place
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The sun has set, and the cooktop is
finally installed. Marilyn's smooth-top, electric cooktop looked real good to
Kathi, because it blended so nicely with her granite countertop. Margaret, Marge,
and Marilyn explained how hard it would be
to clean other cooktops, but Mike insisted on gas. Kathi insisted on a really
good model that would simmer grits without burning--a priority only
for folks from the South. Gourmet cook Darrin explaned how hard it
was to keep stainless steel clean (and he also provided excellent advice on
which grill to buy for Mike). This is truly a group event and we'll have to host
a group party to break it all in
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The sink is in (and Mike says it was quite
heavy). We need to find matching granite for a backsplash
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The convection oven is in, 80 cabinet handles
are on order, and other kitchen appliances are ready to install as soon as the
floor is done. The Lus will appreciate the REAR logo
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For reasons we cannot fathom, Sierra
and Michelle will miss the outhouse
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July, 2003
We had come a loooooong way, but still had a lot to do this month.
For starters, Kathi finished painting, and Mike began installing
oak trim and kitchen appliances, which we finally moved out of our current
garage. Travertine and stone tile were installed in the master bath, and
light fixtures were installed.
Special thanks to these folks, who have been a pleasure to work with...
- Dave Alveres' Tailored Tile for doing such a great job in the master bath!!!
- Oak Grove Custom Cabinets for our beautiful cabinetry throughout
the house!!!
week 4
Tilework was completed in the master bath, light fixtures and ceiling
fans were installed, and we ordered carpet for the second floor and the
bedrooms on the main level.
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The travertine in the master bath is very
elegant. Once the jetted tub is working, it may be difficult to
ever get Kathi out of this room!
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We used travertine as a countertop for
the vanity and matching 4x4-inch stones for the backsplash
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We have light but have not selected
a mirror
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week 3
Tilework began in the master bath, Mike installed linoleum in the laundry
room, and Kathi painted her office (Mike calls
it the "Tweety Bird room" because it is bright yellow).
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Much of the travertine stonework has
been installed this week
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Dave Alveres' Tailored Tile is doing a
great job and has been wonderful to work with
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The shower floor uses 2x2-inch stone tiles
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Sierra had to help Mike install the
laundry room floor after he caught her taking this photo, since she apparently
did not have enough to do!
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This shows the laundry room floor and the
information center (with its new countertop). You can also see a little of
the powder room cabinet in the background
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week 1
Cabinets were installed, along with the remainder of the central vacuum. Lorna's
sister Bev drove out from Idaho for a vacation with her husband Dave, and several of
their family members came out to view our progress. The last time Bev was here,
she had to crawl up a narrow plank, across a deep chasm, to enter the house.
This time around, we were happy to offer her some front steps!
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The cherry cabinets are in! It's finally
beginning to look like a real kitchen!
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Crown molding and under-cabinet lighting
still need to be installed, and then the next steps will be granite countertops and
kitchen appliances
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The information center will provide a
place to stash our keys, mail, and assorted stuff when we get home, and hang
a family calendar, without creating an eyesore (we hope...at least
that's the plan). It also has a handy slot for junk mail disposal!
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The laundry room will also serve as a
mud room when we enter the house from the garage
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The powder room is ready for plumbing fixtures.
Too bad you can't see the lovely shade of pale blue that Kathi worked so hard to
pick out...you'll just have to visit in person
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Nicole and Taylor seem to like the
information center idea
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Here's the upstairs bath...we're almost
ready for guests (except for that plumbing fixtures detail)
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With her massive girth, Sierra stress
tests the benches on the south deck
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Mike built a table for the northern end
of the deck
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Auna, Bev, Nicole, Taylor, and Dave offer
suggestions for decorating the living room...
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Same pow-wow, different view...
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Nicole and Bev attempt to keep the girls
entertained whenever the squirrels who live in our burn pile are hiding from
them
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Taylor and Auna say "hi" to the camera
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There she goes...we can't keep Taylor still
for long!
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When you want to put Taylor right to sleep, just
let Aunt Kathi hold her
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Of course Mike has to show the potato gun
to Dave. If he decides he needs to make himself one, he should have no problem finding
ammunition since he lives near Boise. (It might come in handy for clearing the duck
hunters off his property!)
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Mike managed to lob a couple of bakers a
"right smart" distance before he ran out of flint. He'll be restocking at Home Depot
this week!
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June, 2003
We had big plans for June,
which included painting, building handrailing around the decks, installing
hardwood floors, installing tile, and installing cabinets. Kathi and
Sierra fervently hoped that plumbing fixtures would magically appear
during July.
week 3
On the summer solstice, we began installing the white oak flooring.
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
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By lunchtime on Saturday, oak flooring was done
in the hallway and extended either direction into the living room
and kitchen
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As we eat sandwiches on the deck, a couple of
brave friends join us below to dine on yellow flowers (which you won't see many
of in the picture) and assorted greenery
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Mike demonstrates how to use the flooring
nail gun in the living room
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Ron achieves a perfect fit around a door
frame
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By the time Kathi and Sierra bring dinner,
the guys have made a few more feet of progress
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They've just about finished the breakfast room
and are heading into the sunroom
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Mike tells Ron that he just secured a
tiler who comes highly recommended
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Sierra tries to hide her latest experiment
with blonde hair
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The tomatoes will soon outgrow their
pots
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Sierra, Ron, and Minnie relax for dinner
on the deck
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Thomas snuggles up to his dad
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Benjamin and Thomas play "king of the rock
pile"
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By lunchtime on Sunday, the living room floor is
complete
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And so is the dining room
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Steve and Lisa pay us a visit.
While Steve helps Ron in the kitchen, Lisa sorts lumber
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Kathi actually brings lunch at a decent
hour for a change!
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Sierra visits with Steve and Lisa
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Ron knows how to dress for the occasion!
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week 2
Mike and Sam finished the ceiling in the sunroom and began installing
handrails and benches on the deck. White oak lumber for hardwood floors was delivered,
and Kathi and Sierra spent some time painting. We welcomed the Lu family back
from an extended vacation with a big cleanup party!!!
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
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No need to feel left out--there's
plenty of fun for everyone!
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The big pile of wood in the background
will soon be our hardwood floors. Lorna vacuums debris in preparation for
installation (too bad she isn't offering to vacuum our floors every week
after they are installed--in fact, she may be formulating her ideas for
how we can help renovate her house when our house is done)
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Mike finally gets a chance to use his mouse
sander, even though there are no mice in sight
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Don't even think about messing with the
dynamic duo!!!
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Sam says adios to the temporary handrails
(too bad the camera didn't capture his karate kick that did them in)
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Zac gets stuck pulling staples out in preparation
for window trim
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Sierra stretches for the high spots
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Sierra also gets garbage duty--her favorite
pasttime
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The sunroom ceiling is complete! We can now
officially retire the scaffolding
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Kathi and Lorna take a break to model their
new party hats
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Sam and Mike begin installing the
handrails
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Poster child for MADD--and proud owner of
a cedar ceiling!
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Mike and Sam finish the handrails along
the southern side of the deck on Saturday, except where a bench will be built
in by the tomato plants
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On Sunday they tackle the eastern side
of the deck. What more relaxing way is there to enjoy Father's Day?!?
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They set up the framework for a built-in
bench near the master bedroom
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Despite the fact that Sam is our tallest
friend, he needs a ladder
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Kathi provides invaluable critiques (ha ha)
when she needs a break from painting
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Kathi and Sierra like to sing along with
the radio while they paint, pretending that the brush is a microphone. Sierra
got a little too enthusiastic with the water hose right before this photo
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It takes a "real man" to hang over a 2-story
dropoff with no railing
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Sam and Mike install and level the copper pipes
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Then they add the last of the wooden handrails
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Missing no opportunities to pose, Sierra
models the finished product
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While not taking embarrassing photos for
her mother to delete, Sierra pounds nails and staples into the subflooring so
it will be ready for carpet
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Revenge is sweet--in return for causing
us to spend 2 hours reviewing and deleting photos of numerous backsides,
we are posting a photo of Sierra
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Don't mess with a man and his power
tools
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Sam and Mike install the soffit over
the back deck
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Another day, a few more projects completed--and
so far we're still speaking to each other!
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We visited a granite showroom and are
thinking of buying Vyara Gold granite slab for the kitchen countertops
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Here's another view of the granite
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week 2
While Sierra and Kathi painted, Mike and Sam installed cedar on
the ceiling of the sunroom and prepared the materials for the handrails.
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
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The cultured stone and the faceplate for
the fireplace are now installed
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Mike spent Saturday installing half the
cedar ceiling in the sunroom
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Sam couldn't resist the fun on Sunday
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The "garden on the deck" has thrived during our heat wave,
and is conveniently located right where Mike needs to build handrails (at least Kathi hasn't
hauled the rest of the garden pots out to the new house yet)
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Sam prepared 225 copper tubes for building
the handrails on the deck--and probably went deaf in the process
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Sierra proudly painted her room pink, all by
herself!
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week 1
Along with selling our house, cultured stone was installed on the fireplace
and on the front of the house, and
we now have our weekends back so can work at the new house instead of wait
for people to look at our current house!
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
May, 2003
By end of May, one of the boats had already moved in! We were in final bid negotiations
for cabinets, and we were selecting
river rock for the fireplace and front of the house. Kathi painted
selected rooms, and planted some tomatoes on the deck (away from the voracious
deer).
week 4
We had a lot of activity at the house over Memorial Day weekend. Several
people visited, and Vicky in particular put in a very long day of work to help us.
She planted our tomato crop and then spent several hours cleaning our house. (We
post photos that attempt to convince you we all have a lot of fun, but
it is usually hard manual labor and we are fortunate to have so many friends
donate their time and energy--and still speak to us afterward!) Vicky has also
helped fix up our current house for public viewing and taken our cats for
"kitty daycamp" in her garage during our open house sessions. If you have ever
met Stinker, you know exactly why he should not be here during an open house.
On Memorial Day, Sam came out to help Mike with subflooring in the second story. They
worked hard to haul the particle board up the stairs, and we appreciate Sam giving
up his holiday to do that. (His wife Jacquie might not ever forgive us since she had the
day off from work, so we appreciate her letting him spend the day at our house.) We
can't post photos because Kathi took the camera elsewhere for the day, so Sierra
could not take unflattering photos of Mike and Sam bent over nailing down
subflooring.
week 3
Most of the week we have focused on preparing the current house for sale.
We are having an Open House on Sunday, May 18. However, Kathi drove clear
over to Sandy, Oregon (3/4 way to Mt. Hood) in Friday's rain and hail to take
photos of the cultured stone samples we are
considering using for the front of the house and the fireplace.
week 2
Nancy and Sonny came out for a visit and voted on Kathi's paint samples.
In the meantime, Sierra and her friend Michelle went on a "nature
walk". They found a sign on the property line for our neighbor's lot that
was rather interesting.
April, 2003
April showers brought a continually soggy garage floor. Other than that,
the house moved right along.
week 4
Despite the rain, we finally poured a garage floor! Drywall was also completed,
so Mike power-painted the house. Ron, Lorna, Kyle, Zac, Vicky, Tom, and Nancy...we
are grateful for your help, advice, and support. It was not the easiest weekend we've ever spent,
and we can't thank you enough for everything you did. One of these days we're going
to have a party where you get to sit and relax on the deck and watch the mountains
while we do all the work.
week 3
Drywall is installed and subcontractors are in the process of taping and texturing.
These photos were taken on Easter Sunday.
week 2
Drywall installation has begun and is progressing quickly! We took a look
around after a couple of days. (All photos of Steve and Mike are courtesy of
Sierra.)
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Similar view to last week's, looking
right from the house entry: shows
the dining room on main floor, guest room on top floor
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Privacy will no longer
be an issue
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Similar view to last week's, looking
left from the house entry: shows the fireplace area
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River rock will
be added between fireplace and ceiling, with built-in shelves on either side
of the fireplace
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A view from the loft (Mike's office),
looking toward the dining room
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Kathi still worries
about cleaning those high windows
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East wall of master bedroom
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Door exits onto
back deck
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Mike and Steve check drywall curvature
in the wall between the master closet and bath
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Steve offered
to bring fresh salmon, since Mike has not had time to fish, and got stuck working!
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Mike works on the closet side to reposition
the framework
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Master closet wall
(which Kathi likes to call Kathi's closet--ha!)
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Steve checks for results on the other
side--or tries to keep the wall from falling down
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Master bath wall, where
sinks and cabinets will be placed
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Steve verifies that the problem is
fixed
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Success! Time for dinner!
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch...Sierra
learns to powerwash
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Wet Oregon winters
grow an impressive crop of mildew each year
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It took a while, but she did a great
job
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Now we wait for enough
sunshine to paint the decks
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week 1
The insulation is in, and we've been finishing up final details to
prepare for the drywall installation.
March, 2003
Mike continued to work on framing and other details required before we
could pass the framing inspections. Intel kept him too busy to work
on the house for a while, but he managed to get back on track. The
central vacuum was installed, Mike dug trenches for propane pipes, and
by the end of the month we were about ready for insulation and drywall.
We still have not been able to pour the garage floor due to the endless rains.
week 4
We spent this week cleaning up in preparation for the insulation and
drywall installers. Robert brought his tractor out for Mike to work on
the garage floor again (it was actually sunny for two days). He also brought
Pearl for a visit.
week 2
Since there has been nothing exciting to photograph lately, we were
afriad you might think we had quit updating our photos. So we took
a few shots of the basement to highlight recent developments
down there. Caution: You might want to fix a strong cup of coffee
or tea before viewing, as these photos can induce drowsiness.
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This inlet valve for the vacuum is
between the pantry and dining room doors, right where the messy
bird cage will be
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This will
simplify Sierra's job of cleaning up around the birds!
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This view shows where the wood stove
will be, with the ductwork for the master bath in the background. The black
box sticking down over the wood stove site is the stove venting
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Looking
north in the basement
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Taken from the other side of the
wood stove area, you can see ductwork for the rest of the main floor. Mike's
future woodworking shop is in the background
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Looking
southeast in the basement
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This is another angle of the same
view, with Sierra standing by the door to Mike's shop. A door to her left
leads into a bathroom, and just inside Mike's shop, a door to her left leads
into the mechanical room. Our old washer and dryer, in the background,
are waiting to be installed in the mechanical room
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Looking
southwest in the basement
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The furnace is just inside the door
to the mechanical room
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Northeast
corner of the mechanical room
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Another view of the mechanical room shows
the fuse box, the low-voltage wiring box, the area where the central vacuum's
power unit will hang, two suspicious-looking individuals, the newly installed
venting for the dryer, and the tank for well water. The old washer and dryer
will end up in the foreground on the right side of the photo
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South wall
of mechanical room
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February, 2003
In February, we got electricity and running water!!! We planted
200+ seedlings around the property to satisfy requirements
for forest deferral--mostly western red cedar but also some western
hemlock, Douglas fir, grand fir and balsam fir (Christmas trees), blue
spruce, and flowering dogwood. Mike filled and packed the garage floor
to prepare for pouring a cement floor, but it stayed too wet for inspection.
He worked a lot on framing and electrical wiring. We passed our electrical
inspection (except for two wallplates). The plumbing was completed. The
furnace was installed and passed its inspection. We had a little break
on cleanup patrol so that we could rest up for insulation and sheetrock
in March, but we continued to collect lumber scraps and enjoy warm fires
at our current house.
week 4
week 3
week 1
January, 2003
In January, we installed and stained the exterior doors.
The electricians wired the house, and
we ordered major kitchen and laundry appliances. The Lu family continued
to play in the mud with us on weekends for cleanup duty. Their former foreign
exchange student from Moldovia, Eddie Lapteanu, visited them for 3 weeks and
offered his services at the build site in return for food and a chance to play
with the potato gun. (Maybe the whole reason we are moving is to be far enough
from neighbors to shoot the potato gun again!) The kids were
disappointed that someone took their nail magnet, which was carefully
hidden in "Joan's room," so it must have been more of a novelty than we
realized! We replaced it and resumed nail patrol. Mike framed ductwork
and closets and installed low-voltage wiring for telephones and for
satellite Internet and television. Ron and Robert helped Mike install propane
pipes.
weeks 3 and 4
Photos of electrical wiring and propane lines are not very interesting, so we've
spared you.
week 2
week 1
December, 2002
In December, the house passed building inspection and the plumbers installed
pipes throughout the house. The jacuzzi tub was added to the master bath,
and a water heater was installed in the basement. Mike kept himself busy with
jobs, such as installing a door between the garage and the laundry room. The siding
was installed by the end of the month (while we were taking a break in Florida for
the holidays).
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We should send this photo to Better
Homes and Gardens! After a long, hard day of laboring, every one of us looks
longingly at the jacuzzi tub and wishes it were working
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The elegant master bath
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The kids picked out a new toy from Home
Depot--a magnet on a stick for picking up nails. Yet somehow Kyle always gets stuck
with the task of pulling nails out of lumber because he's the strongest
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Why does Zac get to have all the fun?
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The kids decided to take a break when
Lorna and Kathi weren't looking
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Relaxing after a long day
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November, 2002
In November, the framers finished the roof and windows were
installed. Mike and friends battled the only significant rain we
received all month (which was a deluge) to get the shingles on the
roof. Mike built the side and back decks, installed glass blocks for
a master bath window, and installed tiedowns so the house would pass
earthquake inspection.
Sierra and Kathi became accustomed to spending some quality time
at the site each weekend picking up debris and recyclables, sweeping
up sawdust, retrieving nails, and collecting leftover lumber for firewood.
Some of our friends joined us, because it's hard to keep folks away when
you're having this much fun!
Special thanks to Lorna, Kyle, Zac, and Vicky for helping on weekends.
Special thanks to Bill DonTigny for visiting twice from Seattle just to
wear himself out! And special thanks to Ron, Robert, Lisa, and Steve for
their help on the roof.
week 5
Mike took the week of Thanksgiving off work so he could "relax" at
the build site. He got a lot accomplished.
week 4
week 2
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The rains finally arrived
with a vengeance on the weekend of 11/9. A few brave souls challenged the elements
on Saturday to add tarpaper and shingles to the roof. Many, many, many thanks to
Bill, Lisa, Robert, Ron, and Steve!!!
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Maybe they should be building an ark instead
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Right to left: Ron and Steve stretch
their sore muscles on the dining room table, Bill collapses for a quick
nap, and Mike contemplates the complexities of the universe (or maybe
the ceiling)
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It's only marginally drier indoors at this point
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Bill models the newest in raingear
fashions--or is this The Jetsons?
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Only the studliest roofing installers are man enough to
wear this gear
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By 4:00 on Saturday, the north side of the house
was looking pretty good
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How do they keep from sliding off?
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Then they headed for the highest peak
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Time for more of a challenge
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Kathi was beginning to feel a little
left out of the party on the roof (but not enough to set foot on it)
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Mike DonTigny's school for aspiring mountain goats
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Since the sun is nowhere in sight, you
can finally see what the back of the house looks like
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They put shingles here first because
it was the scariest
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Ron's wife Minnie brought Benjamin and
Thomas out to see Daddy working on the roof
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We can't wait to climb up there and
help when we're grown up...maybe next year???
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The crew was hard at work again on Sunday,
11/10. Ron and Bill were glad to finally take a break for lunch
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Mike promised us chateaubriand and lobster bisque
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Steve seems glad to sit and relax
for a while
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Like Kathi knows how to cook that stuff--get real!
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Even the general contractor/slavedriver
managed to climb down from the roof for a few minutes
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Why is everyone sitting around--get back to work!
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Mike thought he knew how
to get the heavy tarpaper up to the roof without actually carrying it
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Bill loads up the tractor
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Kyle, Zac, and Sierra were back on
lumber scrap patrol
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Do any of you have a license to drive that thing?
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Folks made a lot of progress on Sunday
because the rains held off until late afternoon
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Still practicing for the mountain goat 101 exam
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The inside of the house was much drier
on Sunday, thanks to all this hard work!
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When this gets boring, we should sign up to
install girders for skyscrapers
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If the degree of filth is directly
proportional to the amount of work performed, Sierra got a lot done on
Sunday!
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Let's see if Tide would pay to
clean our laundry on tv
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week 1
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Everything but the garage and portico
roofs were framed by 11/2
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View from beginning of driveway
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Walking counter-clockwise around the
house, this is the southwest corner (garage in foreground)
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You can almost see Sierra and friends on the
new side deck
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Here's a better view of Sierra, Kyle,
and Zac on the side deck. Looks like Mike hadn't trimmed the ends of the lumber
yet
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Future safety inspectors wondering where the
railings are
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Heavy shadows make this hard to see, but
here's the back. It looks like sunny Florida, but felt more like sunny
Minnesota--in January!
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Kathi needs to show up early enough to
get the morning sun sometime
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That pile of lumber is beginning to dwindle
down in size
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Northwest corner
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Somehow we hoodwinked our friends Lorna,
Kyle, and Zac into helping us clean up the place!
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Our first lunch on the deck
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The kids had lots of fun (?) loading
the trailer up with lumber
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Hope the Major League pitching scouts don't all
show up at once
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And sitting around when they got a chance,
which wasn't often
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Front stairway
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Mike was a busy guy
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Building the back deck
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Here are some of the folks who framed
the house for us--they have enjoyed looking at the web site, too!
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Robbie on the roof over Kathi's office
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Unfortunately, the shadows were rather
strong that day, too
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Scott on the very top of the house
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A little free advertising (if you get
out your magnifying glass) for Ten Penny Construction
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Ted Steber on the top of the house
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October, 2002
A lot happened in October! The house started out as some forms for basement
walls and ended up almost completely framed. To detail the major accomplishments,
the foundation was poured, the plumbing was installed in the basement, all
three floors were framed, and the roof was partially framed. Mike waterproofed
the basement walls, put in a french drain system, and backfilled
around the house. Things moved along at an amazing speed after waiting
so long to get started!
week 4
week 3
week 2
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As of 10/13, the basement framing is
almost complete, and Mike has coated the walls with a tar/asphalt moisture
barrier--Here, Mike and Sierra check out the view they'll have of Mt. St.
Helens from what will be the sunroom when the main floor is put in
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If I squint real hard I think I can see it!
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Mike contemplates how to organize his
lawn mowers in the southeastern corner of the basement
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Will Kathi notice if I try to sneak in a new tractor?
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Back view of the house on 10/13--taken
right into the sun for your viewing pleasure
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This can't be Oregon!
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Picnic on the estate grounds, right before
Kathi went on litter patrol, as Mike shows Sierra his new technique for prying
off bottle caps
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Hammers are versatile tools
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Sierra introduces a very special guest suite
in our new home
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Joan's room
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week 1
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By 10/6, you can see how the
house is situated on the property
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Long-range view
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Side view looking south--the garage
foundation is in the background on the right
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Side view
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Back of the house--this will be the entry
into the daylight basement
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Back of the house
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This shows the corner of the garage foundation
(to the left) and the view along the front wall toward the north
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Close-up from garage
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The plumber has begun preparing to install
pipes
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Plumbing is started
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Plumbing is completed
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Pipes are in
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The slab is poured for the basement on 10/9
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Polishing the slab
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September, 2002
During September,
we finally began building. We put in a septic system, the electric company ran
wiring out to the site, and the forms were built for the basement walls.
week 4
weeks 1-3
August, 2002
We broke ground on
August 9 to dig a hole for the daylight basement. By the end of the month, we were
the proud new owners of a big hole in the ground, and still waiting for the house
plans to be approved so that we could begin building.
April, 2002
During the summer of 2001,
Mike had about an acre of the property logged to make room for the house and outbuildings.
He also hired a Caterpillar earth mover to create a driveway and make the build site
accessible. In April, the weather dried out enough that Mike could decide where to place
the house. He was expecting the house plans to be done by the end of the month (which did
not happen) so that we could begin building in June (which did not happen). While he was
waiting for the plans, he took a photo tour of the property so we could remember what it
looked like before we started on the house.
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View from the beginning of the driveway,
looking northeast. In the background we'll be able to see Mt. Adams and Mt.
St. Helens on a clear day. The green patch in the background is a neighboring
strawberry field.
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View from driveway
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View from the house site toward the
northeast.
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View from the house site
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Looking north from the woods toward the
build site and driveway. The path was cleared by the Caterpillar to help us
access the south end of the property.
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View from the woods
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The southern end of the property, where
Mike envisions building a boat shed one day. Kathi envisions some fruit trees
as well. The deer probably like Kathi's idea best!
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Southern end of the property
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Looking south across the build site--the boat
shed will be located on the other side of those woods. Mike would like to build a
pond in those woods, as there is a stream running through them.
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View toward the south
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