Harrisburg to Enfield

Lickdale CG transient sites were full or nearly so yesterday. Several were leaving at 0530. We left at about 0800 and ran into some snow squalls along I81 in PA. We mostly had good weather along the way. The 18" of snow they had in Virginia was mostly gone. Just the plow rows along the edge of the roads remain.

Oh and for those traveling through Virginia tank up with diesel before you cross into NC where the price is about .25/gal higher than VA.

We are camped at the Enfield/Rocky Mount KOA. A nice place and far enough form the slab that you don't get the road noise.

On the road again

Well folks you will see a little more activity of the next several months as we are traveling again.

Currently we are at Lickdale CG just off I81 X90. Nice place to stop as you head up and down the road to get to somewhere else.

I misjudged our fuel usage, perhaps it is the Vermont winter blend, and put 31.?? in my 34 gallon tank. I had less than 300 miles on the clock. I usually get 12 mpg or better towing.

Stay tuned.

Shopping day

We spent the day shoping for various items. At Lowe's we picked up a 5' folding table to use as a sewing table until I have the place and time to make a sewing table with a recess for the sewing machine. We also bought 6 mini blinds for the 2 guest bedrooms among other things.

Our next stop was Modern Design where we purchased 2 stressless chairs. Next was Wal Mart and Home Depot. We bought 12' of shelving for the garage and some 16" braces for the installation and balusters to make a gate for the deck.

We back tracked to Camp Johnson to meet with the Family Assistance Center folks. We had a nice visit there and gathered some more information.

Finally we made a stop at Hannaford to fill the lauder.

We also ordered a kitchen table and chairs from Tempo Home Furnishings in Essex. There is about a 12 week delivery time so the order will be held until the end of December. We'll pick it up when we return from FL.

I installed more shelves as well as added additional wall 'C' straps to the shelves I installed earlier.

We're in

We moved into the house yesterday, Wedbesday, when they installed the solid surface counter tops. The one with the sink was estimated to weigh over 700 pounds.

Today the plumber installed the sink fixtures and hooked up the dishwasher.

We, Suzette really, unloaded boxes and got things orginized. I put up some curtain rods and mini blinds. I also remo0unted the cell phone amplifier antenna to get a more reliable signal so we can have this internet access as well as better cell access.

Tomorrow we have the final inspection by the bank and on Monday the gas cooktop will be installed.

More unpacking

Today we installed shelving in the basement storage room and an additional shelf in a spare bedroom. Suzette continued to unpack and organize the dining room as well as her knitting supplies.

I also installed some room darkening shades in the master bedroom.

First night in our new house

Last nite was t he first nite we stayed in our new house. The master bedroom is mostly together. There is one dresser that I am working on fixing the finish. The shellac had bubbled due to sun exposure and I am using denatured alcohol and 000 steel wool to restore the surface.

Suzette has been working on the dining room and living room.

Today we did some shopping for curtain rods and closet maid shelving for the storage room.

Wednesday is the big day, the counter top should be installed.

Tomorrow we will continue with the shelving and getting the rooms together.

No new pictures today.

We've got a lot to talk about....

Well there is a lot to talk about but I don't have the notes I need to fill in all the blanks since the last post. We thought the counter top would be installed this week but it will be next week, we hope.

Siding has been completed. Yes they had to deliver yet another load to complete the job. This time we received a new lot number that did not have the color problems of the 2 previous deliveries. A few days of siding work over a 3 week period.

On Monday the 2nd we took a water sample to a lab to be analyzed and yeah good water.

On Saturday the 7th we winterized the camper and moved it off the lot so it was out of the way for final grading. We moved in with friends in Morrissville that evening. As we were working on the camper and doing laundry the septic alarm went off. Oh shit. Calls were made and the tank folks showed up and found that the pump had failed. So now we have a new septic pump.

Sunday Dick and I drove to Virginia to retrieve our stuff from the storage units. I had rented a 26' Peneske truck and with the help of Lindsay we had the truck loaded by the end of Monday. I also had to rent a 12x6' U-Haul trailer to get the last of the tables and chairs, which we loaded on Tuesday morning. As soon as the trailer was loaded and the storage units were swept out we hit the road for Vermont. We made an overnight stop in Oneonta NY and were at our house by 1 PM on Wednesday. By dark the truck was unloaded. Dick and Tom helped with that. We returned the truck on Thursday and when we got back to the house the Dish guy, M.R. Satalite, was there to do his install.

Today we returned the trailer and the final grading was completed.

Now counter top! That should be Wednesday 11/18. We will be using the next several days to get a house inorder.

Click here for pictures.

Getting ready to move

The camper that is. We will move the trailer off the lot on Saturday so the grading can be done starting Monday.

Yes that means that we are almost done. All the flooring is down and the siding is being put on. The only inside jobs are the kitchen counter and the related plumbing.

We'll get some pictures on our web album soon.

Get'er Done

We have done more flooring. Getting closer to the end.

Switch and outlet plates have been installed as well as the exterior fixtures. The microwave, washer and dryer were installed. Well there is still the dryer vent to be completed.

Another day

Today the cabinet maker, Charles Tinker, arrived along with the counter top guy to make the template. Next week, counter top. We also had painters continuing to work on trim and the electrician finishing the inside fixtures.

We worked on the floor and Suzette did a lot of cleaning.

The oven was installed today also.

Click here to see pictures.

Nearing completion

Stupid me, mistaken made a change so a new date.

We have had a lot of activity since I last posted.
Much of the trip work has been done and the kitchen and living room flooring has been laid. On Friday and Saturday the electrician was here and installed the last of the breakers in the panel, installed the switches, outlets, basement lights, kitchen lights and laundry room ceiling fixture.

Today the kitchen cabinets arrived and were installed. They are well built and very nice. No skimping on materials.

As we were leaving on our shopping trip the siding folks arrived and installed some siding on the South facing gable end.

We purchased our vanity mirrors and some additional trim molding, not included in estimate.

Click here for picture albums.

Another step closer

The rep from the Credit Union came to look things over and create a completion report so we can get the next draw. Casey and team finished our front porch steps and then returned to working on inside finish projects now that the vinyl has been installed.

Bamboo floor

Today we picked up our Bamboo flooring at Taylors Color World. Jerry helped deliver the 42 or so bundles of flooring. We need to let it acclimatize for 3 days. We opened all the bundles and spread several around. Jerry, Casey and I went over the flooring layout and checked dimensions.

Jerry's installer was here today putting down underlayment in preparation for the vinyl in the baths and laundry room.

The shutters also arrived but we hadn't looked at them yet. Something for tomorrow.

Casey and Ben worked in the basement putting drywall in the utility and storage room.

We also got a call that our couch and chair would be delivered on Thursday. Now where do we put them while we install the bamboo?

Click here for today's pictures.

And so it goes

Time to bring this blog a little more up to date. Although a lot has been done it only looks like a little has been done. The drywall was finished, window jam extensions were made and installed. Interior doors have been installed. Two coats of paint on the walls. Basic white. The garage doors and openers have been installed. All the outside trim boxes for the vinyl siding have been installed so the siding can be installed this week.

Other plans for this week include our picking up the bamboo flooring, installation of luan plywood for the vinyl, electrician should install the outlets, fixtures, and switches.

Look at pictures here and here.

Some pictures of play time with James are here.

Kinda like Christmas

Yesterday I noticed that the well was not producing very much water and the pressure was 0 when a faucet was opened. I told our builder this morning and they checked the static level in the well and found that we had about 330' water column. They called the well drilling company and they sent a technician. He arrived about the same time the interior doors and molding arrived. While the supplies were being unloaded the well was being checked to insure the power was proper and that the pressure switch was working properly. It was determined that the well pump was defective. So 300' or so feet of well pump pipe was pulled. The tech checked and found that the pump was attempting to run on the start winding. So it was a warranty replacement.

While the well was being addressed Casey and crew were working on the deck. A little before noon Total Home arrived with our appliances. They were unloaded into our garage and checked for shipping damage. All good.

Tim was putting the final touches on the drywall taping and will be back tomorrow to do the sanding.

Click here for pictures.

Rain again

We have got the camper pretty well setup behind the house. Yesterday was more taping of the drywall, preparation of the wood for the jamb extensions and the plumber arrived to finish the foil foam insulation of the radiant heat.

Today was more drywall work and the insulator arrived to finish off the insulation of the basement. We did a little shopping but mostly just hung around and watched the weather.

Late this afternoon a truck arrived with the lighting we had ordered through Efficiency Vermont. So it was like Christmas opening the boxes to see if the items looked like the internet pictures. Good we didn't have to return anything.

Click here for pictures.

The Last Few Day's

Saturday we did the laundry and started to get the camper ready to take to Ehler's RV to have the state inspection done on the camper as well as pack the wheel bearings and do a warranty service on the fridge. We got a call from Ann and Wally so we went to meet them at the house. All the sheetrock had been hung and some taping has begun and the celuose had been blown in to the house area. There were still a lot of bales in the garage. After they left we had lunch and then returned to Apple Island.

On Sunday we had gotten most of the outside stuff taken care of for our trip on Monday. We got a call from Donna and Jerry and they wanted to take a ride and see the house. So off we went. We found that the remaining insulation has been installed but other than that there was no change from Saturday. Donna and Jerry asked us to join them for dinner so off to Morrisville we went. We had a nice dinner and visit with them and returned to the camper about 11 PM.

Monday we finished getting hooked up and went off to Ehler's and then the house. We talked to Casey, Terri, and Ben to get an idea of when to have the Bamboo flooring arrive and decided to put it off for a week. So that makes it 10/15 that we will get the floor. We should be able to begin installation the following Sunday.

We watched Tim, the taper, do his magic with some special tools that he has. Some really neat stuff that does an excellent job quickly.

While we were at the house we decided that we could bring the camper and put it in the back yard. With that decision made we went for lunch and headed back to Apple Island to pick up the stuff we had left and get the car. As we were leaving Apple Island I got a call that the camper was nearly done. We were headed that way so Suzette went on to get some groceries while I went to wait for the camper. Well it was done when I got there so I paid the bill and went to wait for Suzette.

I got the camper hooked up just as Suzette was leaving the grocery so we headed to the house. Tim was still taping so we reviewed how we would get the camper where we wanted. When Tim left we pulled to the back and jockeyed the camper into position. I took us over an hour to get things where we wanted, level, and power hooked up.

No pictures today. Watch this spot tomorrow.

House

We went to the house and met with Wally and Ann. We had a good visit while we talked house stuff.

Much of the insulation has been blown in the main area. The garage attic will be insulated also.

Click here to see pictures.

House

We went to the house today and they were still hanging drywall, all the small stuff. There was a fellow there taping and cleaning up. 160 bales of cellulose had delivered before we arrived, maybe yesterday afternoon. Casey and team were continuing to get the garage closed in and the windows installed.

The insulator person arrived and put insulation around the can lights before he blows in insulation tomorrow. We went to the basement and wow was it warm.

We took a ride to the Notch and stopped for a visit with Jayne D. Steve had injured his shoulder and will have surgery next week.

Click here for pictures.

Drywall

When we arrived at the house today to await the representative from Efficiency Vermont to do the thermal bypass inspection. What we found was that the front door was installed and the drywall installers were busy putting up the rock.

Hummmmm. I didn't think that was supposed to happen until Thursday. The thermal bypass inspection was to happen before the drywall was installed. As it was it worked out quite well. Lindsay from Efficiency Vermont and proceeded to look things over. She took a lot of notes and said that everything on the main floor were ok. However when we got to the basement and told here that we were not going to finish it now she said that to get our energy star rating and our rebates we needed to put sheetrock on the exterior walls. So we now have a task for next year. The project will be kept open and when we get the walkout basement perimeter walls sheetrocked we can get the final inspection and incentives next year.

All in all I think the inspection went quite well.

Click here for pictures.

Tuesday Shopping and unShopping

We didn't go to the site today. Instead we went to the storage unit and picked up some lighting fixtures we had bought at Lowe's. They were not qualified fixtures from an Efficiency Vermont viewpoint. Our next stop was for groceries.

We next went to Lowe's and had not problem returning the fixtures. We bought a Porta Cable pancake compressor. I had sold the one we had in Virginia and wanted one so I could use a finish nailer at the house as well as keep the tires on the truck and camper at proper pressure.

When we returned to the camper we ordered several qualified fixtures from the Efficiency Vermont online catalog. We bought 3 ceiling fans, vanity lights and a chandelier for the kitchen.

Insulation, doors and windows

Today the rest of the windows were installed and the insulation installer arrived a day early. That threw a little curve to Casey but he adjusted well. Two of the doors he wanted to install had damage so they will be going back. Casey closed the openings with plastic to keep the weather out. Yep rain again tonight.

I did get the coax run for the satellite antennas. My only contribution for today.

We called Taylors Color World to let them know that the Luan where the vinyl will be installed is wet and not to install on Tuesday. He also told us that the vinyl we had selected had been discontinued and he did not have enough in stock to do our job. So off to Morrisville to look at alternates. We also discussed the bamboo flooring and changed the delivery date by a week. That should give time for the sheetrock to be installed and painted.

We are back looking at our lighting plan. It looks like we will take some non energy star fixtures back and buy energy star. Efficiency Vermont will give a rebate of $800 if we install 10 qualifying fixtures and will also give rebates for some non qualifying fixtures where we are using CFL.

Pictures here.

Roof, roof, ...

On Friday we went to the Shelburne Museum to see the motorcycle display and the Tiffany glass exhibit. Of course we toured the Ti, the 50's house, rode the carousel, and looked at a number of other exhibits.

They had some neat bikes in the round barn on all levels. Some custom built, antiques, old race bikes, neat stuff. The Tiffany glass was much more than lamp shades. It's the glass and how the choices worked together as art. A good day.

Saturday we went to the Milton ski and board sale and ended up buying some modern snowshoes, just in case we have snow before we leave for FL. Then it was off to the house. Casey's parents were there and Casey and Ben were shingling the roof. The others were picking things up and handing things up.

Friday evening M.R. Satellite left a roll of dual RG6 for me to install from the antenna location to the central area in the mechanical room.

We left and went to Underhill for their annual Old Fashioned Harvest Market. We met a few old friends and even saw a Scout, John Pastore, that was on our 1987 Philmont Scout Ranch trek. We had parked at the Browns River Middle School and when we left there was a loooong slooooow line trying to get to VT15 so we headed for Pleasent Valley Rd and went back to Cambridge and 104/104a back to I89.

Today we went out for breakfast and then to the house. I wanted to seal up a few things before the insulation gets installed. I also wanted to run the coax for the Satellite antenna but my drill motor battery was not up to the task. Back to the campground to get our laundry done and watch the Dover race.

Todays Pictures.

Power, Gas, Water ...

A lot of activity these last few days. The electrician finished his rough in as did the plumber. Today the porch roof was built and they went back to roofing. The fuel company, Jack Corse, arrived to plumb in the gas and install the tank. So now we have gas.

The power company arrived and installed the meter and turned on the power so now we can get electric bills. Oh good.

The excavation company and well company came and installed the pump, tank and line from the well to the house. The supports for the porch were installed also.

The windows, doors and some other supplies arrived a couple of days ago and are in the garage awaiting installation which may happen over the weekend.

Today's pictures.
Yesterdays pictures.

Rain Rain

Electricians and Plumber are working inside since it was raining. Casey and crew were cleaning up and caulking where the wall plate meets the floor decking. We stayed until a little after one waiting for the satellite guy to come and take a look at the house and recommend where to put mounting blocks for the dish as well as discuss wireing with the electrician. The satellite guy suggests dual RG-6 to each room location but the electrician only wants to run a single.

We made arrangements to meet tomorrow and at least get the location of the mounting blocks done. Perhaps I can get the M.R. Satellite to install the wiring.

Yesterday we purchased more lighting fixtures and some plumbing fixtures to replace what the plumber had speced. We should get a credit for what we bought.

No pictures today.

Electricians, plumbers, framers ...

On our way to the site we stopped at the storage unit to pick up some lighting fixtures so the electrician could take a look at them. From there we went to Tinkers to get some cabinet dimensions so the outlet boxes could be properly set. Wow we will have some top notch cabinets.

When we arrived Rock, the plumber, was working on installing the boiler and radiant head manifolds and zone's. Tomorrow he should begin the installation of the radiant tubing for the main floor.

The electrician's crew was bust setting boxes, drilling holes and running wire. The best looking wiring job I have seen.

Casey and crew were busy tying in the garage roof with the house roof. We hung for a while and then left to buy some groceries and fix dinner. While Suzette was starting dinner I went out to get one of our propane tanks filled.

After dinner we went to Lowe's to shop for a couple of plumbing fixtures that we wanted and the Rock was unable to get from his supplier. We also bought more lighting. Only a couple of more fixtures to get. Of course there are still bulbs to get. We have to take a count on what bulbs we have purchased so we know how many more we need.

Pictures here.

House Progress

That's what keeps us busy.

Since Russell Supply is on our way, more or less, we stopped to pick up a couple boxes of Senco nails for our contractor, he paid. We can do gopher work so they can do the real work.

When we arrived at the site the electrician was there installing the meter and breaker boxes. While he was doing that Casey and crew were installing drip edge along the rear of the house. That done they were installing the ice and snow shield when the boom truck arrived with some more lumber and the shingles. Once the truck was unloaded and the shingle bundles were placed on the roof it was lunch time.

After lunch we met with the electrician and went through each room discussing switch, lighting, and outlet locations. That took longer that I thought it would but it was time well spent.


Pictures here.

Moving along

Today the plumber finished the drains and vents and was working on the water supply when we left. The power company arrived and installed the cable from the box to the house. Casey and team worked on the roof over the breakfast nook.

We didn't get there until late since we had some shopping to do. We looked at vanity mirrors, returned a utility sink to Home Dumpy and went to lowes and bought another one along with the faucet assembly. We get to return the faucet assembly since it is not the correct one for the sink.

We had a lot of discussion with the plumber, Casey and Terri on what we wanted for fixtures. Somewhere in the discussion the finish of the fixtures got lost. The plumber quoted chrome and we wanted a brushed finish. Since the tub/shower and shower are installed we will let them be chrome and the faucets will be a brushed finish. We will purchase the kitchen sink fixture because we couldn't find what we wanted in the catalog that was available.

Siding arrived today as well as some other materials.

Tomorrow the electrician arrives to do his thing. I'm sure there will be more discussion there.

Pictures here.

Plumbing Rough in

Today was the day for the plumber to begin his work. Our general worked on the smaller walls to get ready for the electrician later this week. Blocking was placed for cabinets, towel bars and related items. Also over the weekend the basement was studded out.

Pictures here.

Under roof

Today the remaining roof sheeting was placed on the house section. The garage was not finished since it gets tied into the house roof. They wanted to delay this work because of work that needed to be done before the plumber arrives on Monday.

So the rafters were tied to the walls, ceiling and wall nailers were installed as well as strong backs on the gable ends.

We helped where we could, handing stock to Casey, Ben and Terry as well as removing bracing and keeping the work site clean.

We had a nice visit with Jess and Sullivan when they stopped by.

Link to Pictures.

Rafters Up

Today was the day for the installation of the roof trusses. I helped with hooking the trusses to the crane as well as handing roofing sheets to Ben and Casey. A long day followed by a great dinner with Arleen, Tom, Jess and James.

Pictures.

Getting ready for rafters

Today was spent getting the gable end rafters prepared, clearing the work area, getting the scaffold up and laying out where the rafters go. Although we spent the day at LaBarron we didn't have a lot to do.

On our way to the site we stopped at Tinkers Cabinets to give them the new figures on the range hood as well as look at what they have done. Man the drawers look good. All nicely dovetailed. Many of the face frames were assembled and are looking good.

Today's pictures.

More like a house

We went to the house site yesterday and found that the garage was framed on Saturday. I did a site survey for cell service so I could get information from 3gstore.com on what antenna/amplifier I should install.

Today we returned and the Adams were framing the breakfast nook. Taylors Color World, Jerry H. was also there when we arrived and he measured for the flooring.

Then it was time to close in the garage and basement area.

Today's Pictures.

Interior walls

Friday when we arrived they were working on the interior walls. By the end of the day all the full height walls were up. Two 4' interior walls were being left until later to allow more work space when the roof trusses are installed.

Next is to stud the garage and basement and get the trusses ready for installation on the 12th.

Friday's pictures.

4 walls up

Today the exterior walls went up. Neat stuff with the wall jack's.

Late afternoon and evening were spent at the fair, well expo, in Essex. We took in the Marine Corps Band and got our fill of fair food.

Back to the lot tomorrow.

Today's Pix.

Watch a wall being raised.

Good news

Today we purchased our appliances and set the delivery date for 10/1. There were a number of rebates, not instant, that we qualify for and we will get that paperwork in as soon as t he appliances arrive. After lunch we visited the local propane supplier, Jack F. Corse, to set a date for the tank delivery and interior gas plumbing.

When we arrived at our house site we were greeted with a standing front wall. Also the cabinet maker, Charles Tinker, was there to review the plans and how it layout looked. Charles and Casey went over everything and made measurements on the floor and double checked dimensions.

We stayed around until a little after 3 PM while the back walls were being built. I helped carry stuff so Adam's could keep working. Suzette lent a hand pulling staples that held the wrap from the 2 by as well as move stuff.

On our way back to the camper we had a phone message that our construction loan had been approved and the closing would be as soon as possible, likely after we receive our commitment letter.

Today's pictures.

House facts

Just in case some of you were wondering we are building essentially the same 3 bedroom ranch we had in Virginia. We changed the roof line to be more suitable to the Vermont winters but kept the same floor plan.

Last year we purchased 7.4? acres in Cambridge Vermont. A deed requirement had us expand the house to 2000 sqft. We have decided to use hot water radiant heat both in the basement slab and living floor. We are going to use 2 Velux Sun Tunnels to bring natural light into the bath rooms.

We also want to take advantage of the incentives offered by Efficiency Vermont for building an energy efficient home.

Stay tuned.

Moving along on the house

Yesterday the floor and rim joists were set, some grading was done and some caulking along the rim joist.

Today the subfloor decking was installed and the lumber was delivered to begin the wall construction and sheeting. I did more caluking of the rim joist and will finish that tomorrow or Thursday.

During the lunch break we went over the calendar so we knew when to have the appliances, flooring, can lighting delivered. The plan is to be ready for the plumber by 9/9, electrician by 9/14, insulation 9/16, dry wall paint and trim begins the week of 9/21 with floor covering beginning the following week. So it looks like completion will be mid October. Wow, they have an aggressive schedule. The next couple of weeks look like GOOD, no rain, weather.

Today's and yesterday's pictures.

Starting to look like

The last 2 days have seen a lot of activity. A lot of the basement framing has been constructed. We have a well that is 350' deep and produces 40 gpm. We had watched the well driller most of yesterday only to have it "come in" about a half hour after we left.

Today they poured the garage floor and have enough of the basement studded that the floor joists can be installed on Monday. The septic drain field was "capped" with topsoil today and a lot of rough grading was done on the left side of the lot.

We were on our way home when we saw a red Austin Healy 3000 approaching. Knowing it was Wally we found a place to make a U turn and met them at the lot.

Click for today's pictures and here for yesterday's pictures.

A bee hive of activity

It wasn't supposed to rain until after noon today. Just can't believe the weather guessers. We decided to go to the lot just to see what was going on and give Casey Adams Construction their next draw. When we arrived there were 2 cement trucks there as well as Charles Tinker, our cabinet maker. Charles wanted to know when he could take measurements to start on the kitchen cabinets. He also talked to Casey about the vanity tops so he could start on them.

One of the cement trucks was just finished and the other had just started to pour their load for the cellar slab. We thought that was going to happen on Thursday. The cement contractor decided to risk the light showers and get the cellar floor in. He wanted to let it cure some before tomorrow's forecast sun. So it goes.

While we were there a large tractor trailer arrived with the roof trusses. That wasn't expected either. So Ben moved the big shovel and the driver moved the dump that were in the way of off loading the trusses. That big rig backed down the drive with no problem and deposited the trusses on the ground where they would be handy for the crane to lift.

Terri arrived and we reviewed the window plan with her so she could make that order today.

By 11:30 the well driller hadn't arrived. They were delayed with tire problems. Maybe later today or tomorrow. So we went for mail and lunch. After lunch we went to Essex and stopped in at State Farm to check on our construction risk policy. That policy will be effective tomorrow.

Framing should start tomorrow.

Today's pix.

Another day of progress

Today the septic system installation was completed and inspected. Also the insulation was installed along with the pex for the radiant slab in the basement.

The well driller should start tomorrow, they may have arrived after we left today.

The slab should be poured on Thursday.

On Monday night we played bingo again and won about $20 which covered most of our expenses. We had an enjoyable evening.

Pictures here.

An update

Saturday we went to Mo'ville to see Henry, aka Jerry, at the store and wish him a happy B'day. We then decided to go to Green River to check out the boat launch and just get the lay of the land. While we were there watching some kayaker's return from their day's paddle we got a "hi what are you doing here?" from Sherry our Hairdresser. She was camping with family near by. After a short visit with Sherry and her cousins we headed for home.

That night was a Taco dinner at the resort and also a Halloween costume contest. We won the Adult title dressed as tourists looking for our cruise ship. Oh, we were the only adults, other than staff, that were dressed up.

Sunday was just a down day but we did get the laundry done and the dog washed.

Today was shopping and back to watch more of the build. The stone was placed in the cellar hole to get ready for the insulation, radiant heating piping and cement on Wed. The power and phone conduit was installed and the septic tanks arrived and they were also installed.

See pix here and watch the stop action movie.

More progress

The forms have been removed, foundation sealed, plumbing rough-in, backfill nearly completed.

Next week should see the drain filed completed and the well should be drilled. The garage and basement floor should also be poured. The basement will have radiant heat so the pex will go down before the pour.

Stay tuned and follow pictures here.

Foundation poured

We missed the cement trucks by a couple of hours. We had some appointments to take care of and got to the site about 2:15 and found the forms were full of cement.

The next site visit will be Thursday.

It looks like we will get a few passing T'storms as the cold front goes thru. We saw 91 on the car thermometer.

Follow the construction here.

Oh the frustration

June and July were mostly wet. Mostly it was a time of great frustration with building a house. Basically nothing significant happened other than changing the design, restaking the foundation, then finally getting a quote we didn't want to afford. So we told the contractor we were DONE. We contacted a Realtor to consider selling the lot and purchasing a house. Our new Realtor, Diane, found us some potential properties and also suggested we consider a different builder. That was an excellent suggestion. We met with the builder recommended and after a lot of discussion decided to build. So now there is progress.

The house has been sited. Foundation dug, footers poured and the foundation forms are up. We decided not to use ICF's, integrated concret forms, or spray foam insulation becasue they are to costly. So it will be standard 2x6 construction with the basement walls studded and insulated.

You can follow along looking at our web album.

Reflections on Belle Isle

I've been slacking for a couple of months now so it is time to get things up to date.

We had spent nearly 2 months at Belle Isle State Park in Virginia working as camp hosts. This assignment was a quite a bit different from what we had done at Lake Anna and Smith Mountain Lake state parks. At Belle Isle the main task was to man the camp store on Thursday afternoons and all day Saturday and Sunday. We had limited responsibilities in the campground. We divided the work so that Suzette handled the campground and I manned the store. Since it was early season most of the time in the store was major boring. Since much of the store work involved web applications, Reserve America and VA Fish and Game, there was a large frustration factor with the internet. They used Hughes Net with a repeater from the Visitors Center to the Camp Store. Even though there was clear line of sight the internet connection was frequently dropped. Major frustration.

We did get in some kayaking and did get to see some baby eagles. We did not get to see them fledge but they were fun to watch.

We also made a side trip to Tangier Island which was quite interesting.

There are photos on our web album. Look for the one labeled BelleIsle.

From Stump Pass to Apple Island Resort in Vermont

Yes it has bee a long time since I posted any update.
We left FL on April 3. We had overnight stays at Crooked River SP in Georgia, a KOA park near Charleston SC and then a few days at Myrtle Beach SP to celebrate Suzette's B'Day before we made our way to Belle Isle SP in Virginia.

We were camp hosts at Belle Isle from April to the last week of May. We did a lot of kayaking and made several new friends. We enjoyed our time there and the staff was wonderful. We left Belle Isle on the 28 of May and arrived at Apple Island a few days later.

We have a POB, new VT drivers licenses and registrations of the car and truck. We will do the camper a little later as well as one of the motorcycles. Maybe I can get some summer riding in.

We have made several trips to our lot and have the foundation, driveway, septic, and well staked out. We have had several meetings with appliance folks, the kitchen planner and our builder. A few days a go a few test holes were dug to hopefully identify possible foundation issues. We didn't find any concerns.

I did get on a Wednesday night race on Sundance and again this Saturday. It is nice to be on the lake again.

I will recap some of our activities while at Belle Isle later. To view pictures of Belle Isle take a look at our web album.

Stump Pass but no kayaking

We met Rich and Linda at Stump Pass but decided not to kayak because the wind was really blowing and the current was running hard. So what to do? Walk the beach, what there was of it, to the pass that gives access to the Gulf. What a nice walk. Not much for shells but we did find a lot of sharks teeth.

The waves were really breaking onto the shore and forming little rivers as they flow back to the Gulf. When we arrived at the Pass we saw about 8 dolphins "playing" in the channel. Nice marine show.

Once we returned to the parking lot we ate lunch and chatted. We decided to not kayak since we didn't have a lot of time to play.

Once we returned to the park we decided to get in some pool time so off we go. We visited with some of our neighbors while we bobbed around on noodles. Once we were sufficiently wrinkled we got out to dry off in the sun before returning to the camper. When we got back I looked at my cell and found we had missed a call. Ann S. said they were going out for Chinese and wondered if we wanted to go along. Well of course we did so it was dinner out.

After dinner we visited and had a couple of glasses of wine.

Another nice day in paradise.

Today's pictures are here.

Another full day

Today we spent a few hours at the glass studio where I was able to solder my project together. Suzette cut and ground glass for her project.

After lunch we went to the Reds VS Bo Sox game. Not much of a game. Many of the first line players were on the field for the first 7 innings. At the end of 7 it was Reds 1 Sox 0. By the end of the 1st half of the 9th the Sox had 2 runs. The Reds had nothing to offer in the bottom of the 9th. Go Sox.

Once we returned to the park and got ready for the volunteer thank you dinner. It was a very nice evening with an excellent food and drink and a very good comedian. We and the other 338 volunteers had a very nice time.

Tuesday

Today we spent the morning in the glass studio working on our projects. After lunch we defrosted the fridge since it has been running for over a year and there was considerable buildup in the freezer compartment. Since we had depleted most of the refrigerated items it was time to replenish so off to Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie.

Once everything was put away we fed and walked Logan and headed for the pool.

Then it was supper and back to the glass studio to continue work on our projects.

What have we been doing for the last month or so?

Well it has been somewhat of a routine. Kayak on the best days, go to the beach when we want to, do our weekly shopping. Clean the coach, walk the dog, wash the dog, wash clothes, go to the Stained glass shop and work on projects.

Yes Larry also took the beginner class and is working on his 2nd project, Suzette is working on her 6th project. Suzette has also made several pine needle baskets using shells for the center. Larry used the dremel tool and a diamond tool to make holes in the edge of the shells so they could be used in the baskets.

We have returned to several of the paddling venues to spend enjoyable days on the water. We have seen dolphins, eagles, and many other birds.

We have attended a shell show in Sarasota, a seafood festival in Placida, a street fair in Englewood.

James came for a short visit and we were able to kayak with him as well as a couple of good dinners out.

Look at our online photo album here .

Another paddle day

We decided to try a new launch site that is in the Sarasota County Blue way's trails book. We got there and it was a long walk to the canoe/kayak launch and then there was a large mud flat before we reached the water. Also the wind was blowing pretty good and it was still cool. So we found another launch site in the book. We ended up at the end of the road and in a private yard. No launch there. So we headed back to the main road and went to Aingler Park. This is a pay to park boat launch/park along the river. We put in and headed up river for a good distance. While we were paddling along my cell rang in my dry bag. Damn. Thinking it was son James to report on his surgery I fumbled for the phone and answered. It was Ann, they had arrived at Sanford Lane and she was just checking in. After we talked with her we decided to head back to the launch site and have lunch and then to head for the ICW, down river about half mile.

We had a nice paddle up the bay and another river/creek. The tide had turned and the current was pretty good going up stream. When we turned to head back we did get a good push in unexpected directions when we approached the bridge.

As we neared the launch the cell rang again. This time it was James reporting that his operation had went fine and he was doing well. Good news.

Pictures from today.

Pappa Rot Z

On Monday 2/2 I volunteered for a "job". Since we had decided to give ourselves a Christmas present of a new Nikon D60 Digital SLR. Man what a camera. So with the new camera I decided to become one of the park photog's. That does get me into events for free and the pictures I have taken have found there way to the park's cable TV channel. It's been fun. The main event I have covered has been the Blue's Brothers Review.

Suzette continued to work in the Glass Shop and started a class on making a lamp shade and I started the beginner class in Stained glass. While Suzette does her glass thing I have been out taking pictures around the park and turning them in to Gary, my park contact.

The only paddle we did in the last couple of weeks has been at Turtle Beach with Rich and Linda. The weather wasn't the best so we spent time shelling on the beach. Finally the weather cleared enough for us to paddle. So we did our usual down to where Midnight Pass was and did some more shelling.

Suzette did get here lampshade finished and I have my beginner project ready to solder.


I'm sure I have left a few things out but take a look at our online picture albums for ones that I haven't posted here.

Stump Pass again

We really like paddling at Stump Pass. We frequently see dolphins and of course Osprey and we can get to the Gulf if the current and wind are in our favor. Also the shelling is quite good. On this trip, with Linda and Rich we had a pretty stiff breeze so we didn't go out the inlet. We did however find a lot of good shells and sharks teeth.

As we were getting ready to launch a car with VT tags pulled in. Suzette and I started calling "Wood Chuck". Linda asked if we knew them. I said I must know them they are from Vermont. So I went over to meet them. They are from Shelburne. And would you guess they worked at IBM. Oh yeah I knew them, Vic and Linda Brenner. What a small world.

No pictures just good times with good friends.

Time to ketchup again

Well not real ketchup but catchup, like bring this thing up to date. So I will make several posts today to catch the highlights of the last few weeks.

Following our paddle at Robinson we met Bill Crowe and Dwight and went to Myakka State Park to paddle on the Myakka river and visit the alligators. We had a nice paddle down the river to near where we would have had to portage so we paddled back to the launch. We saw a lot of alligators and other wildlife.

Robinson Preserve

After stained glass class we headed to Bradenton to purchase tickets for a Pirates game. There weren't any decent seats left for the games we considered going to and the parking at the park is poor. We decided to skip Pirates games there. So we headed for Robinson Preserve and paddle. We launched and found the entrance to the preserve through a short mangrove tunnel.


There was an area with more mangrove tunnels but we didn't feel we had time to explore and the tide was a little low and we were not sure how far we could go.

We reached an area that was blocked off for the Eagle nest so we had to return on the same route.

We did see this Imm White Ibis.

All in all a neat area but you need to insure the tide is in.

More pictures here.

Nokomis Beach

On January 24 we were to meet Rich and Linda at Nokomis Beach. Since the Gulf was flat we decided to paddle to Venice Inlet and go out to the Gulf. We spend about 45 minutes paddling around before returning to the island just inside the inlet to eat our lunch.

Heading out Venice Inlet

Larry and Rich on the Gulf

Our lunch stop

After lunch we headed back to the launch area looking for the "kids". We met up with them and headed up the ICW to above the draw bridge and see if we could find "begger". "Begger" is a dolphin that is known to hang out above the bridge. We did catch several glimpses of him but he didn't approach our kayaks.

Life on the ICW

The weather was cold. I know it's realitive

Well for Florida we had a couple of cold weeks. But that really worked out pretty good since Suzette was taking Stained Glass class and I was taking a class in bowl turning.

Suzette completed her class project and then did a project on her own, the sailboat below. Once she decided on the pattern the glass had to be chosen. So off to Glass Crafters. So much glass to choose from.

The lighter bowl was the first bowl I did in the class with help form the instructor. The darker one was done more on my own. One thing I learned is that making a flat bottomed bowl is a lot more challenging than a rounded bottomed bowl.


On Friday the 16th Mati, Judy, Suzette and I went to the Tampa RV show. It is a large show and we spent a lot of time going thru the vendor area before looking at a lot of the high end rv's. It was interesting to see Spartan chassis as well as a RV with nothing inside but plywood floor. One could easily spend 2 days at the show.

Don Pedro Island and other things

Our next paddle was at Don Pedro Island SP. We put in at the land base which had about a 150 yd portage. We used a set of wheel's that were at the park and used our dolly for the last kayak.


It was a fairly short paddle to the island and we were directed where to put in by a tour operator. They have a kayak/canoe rack on shore.



There were not many folks on the beach since it is only reachable by private craft or a local ferry operator. We went to the beach and took a long walk looking for shells and sharks teeth. We found lots of both. We returned to the pavilion and had lunch and then went for another walk on the beach.



I just couldn't take it anymore. So into the chilly Gulf I went. It was a long way out to get to waist deep. I took a couple of strokes and walked back to shore to continue our walk looking for shells and teeth.



We took the long way back to the land base and realized that our paddle from a few days ago at Placida. More boats were on the ICW on the return trip.

There is a lot of thin water in these parts. Here I decide to just get out and pull the kayak to something a few inches deeper so I could paddle.


Rich and I double carried out kayak's back to the trucks and talked with another yaker for a while. See these pictures and more here.

Saturday we went to the Crowley museum and nature center for their festival and met up with some of the park dulcimer players there. Interesting place.



More here.

A paddling we be go'en

Other than dinner out for New Years, grocery shopping, laundry we have been doing a lot of paddling with Rich, Linda and friends.

After Lido we went to Gasparilla Island on the 28th and put in at the boat launch at Placida. Not bad but very busy. See the pictures here. We did see several dolphins, at least 4 eagles, Osprey and other birds. One of the other neat things was this starfish that Rich saw and I took a picture of with the water proof camera.

Star fish taken with Hero underwater camera

Star fish, we put it back.

After our paddle we went to the park to look at the Lighthouse and do a little shelling.


Our next outing was to meet Josh, Angie's husband, for lunch at the Coffee Carousel in downtown Sarasota. Following lunch we went to St. Armonds and walked around the circle and looked in shops. Then Rich drove us on several errands. We had a fun day with them.

New Years was a prime rib dinner Boon Docks, the in park restaurant. We had planed to go to the pool side bar for the evening music and New Years celebration but since that didn't start until 2100 we went back to the camper and just petered out. Part of the excitement was to watch the 2 dvd's on the new Nikon D60 camera we purchased for Christmas.

We had planed a New Years Day paddle but it was quite windy so we decided to postpone. Suzette and I decided to make it a beach day and went to Turtle Beach. We took the new camera and I took hundreds of pictures while Suzette hunted for shells. Since the picture files are 2.5 meg I only uploaded a few to Picasa Web and put a couple here.

A Great Blue Heron takes flight.

Fun in the Florida Sun and surf.

Our next paddle day was Jan 3 and since it was to be just the 2 of us we decided to return to Turtle Beach and paddle across the bay to see if we could find the entrance to the rivers on the east shore. We had just made it to the ICW when my cell rang. I fumbled it our of the dry bag but there was no message. A check of the missed revealed that Linda had called. I returned her call and she said she and Josh and Angie were coming to Turtle Beach and would be there about noon. Suzette and I decided we would just circle the preserve and that should put us in place to meet them near Midnight Pass. During our paddle we saw several rowing shells, dolphins, and a rookerey. We stoped at the pass for lunch and a look at the Gulf side. We decided to paddle back toward the launch site. Just as we were to round the corner there they were. So back to the beach, Midnight Pass, we went. We spent some time on the beach and then paddled on down the ICW for some distance.
See the pictures here.

We decided the next play day would be Sunday the 4th and that we would meet at Blackburn park. Suzette and I arrived about 45 minutes early so we checked out the area. This launch site is also used for the Sarasota Rowing Club and there were quite a number of folks out. All were returning from their mornings outing. We figured they wanted to be off the water before the zoonies arrived with their power boats. Some stink potters seem to think that the more wake the better a paddler will like it.

Linda arrived as we were getting our kayaks to the water. Rich wasn't feeling well so he didn't make it. We headed down the ICW looking for the creek that would take us to Oscar Scherer State Park. We found South Creek and proceeded on up. We were on a flood so it was easy going and we made it all the way to the little rock dam in the park near where we were camped last year. We met a few other kayakers and conoeres but didn't see much wild life. On the return trip we stoped at the launch area near the park's contact station and had lunch. Then it was back to the ICW and the mangrove islands along the western shore. Not much to rave about but we had a good paddle and spent hours on the water. What could be better than "...simply messing about in boats."




See all the pictures here.

Monday was stained glass class for Suzette so no paddling.

Tuesday was our next play day and we decided to return to Stump Pass SP since we liked the area and there was a chance we could make another paddle into the Gulf. What a day. We saw a lot of dolphins and had to deal with the wind and current but we had a good outing. We found a number of shark teeth. Rich and I paddled about a 1/3 mile out into the Gulf before we turned and rode the current back in.







All the pictures from our Stump Pass outing are here.