New snorkels!

OK-So it's not all work...we did play a little....Elise & Griffin got new masks,
snorkels & fins from Aunt Martha & Uncle Tom
& what better place to try them out than in our river???
We just happened to choose a day after a heavy rain
& the flood gates were open on the dam...
needless to say we paddled like hell
& had a 100' tow rope tied to Aunt Martha, just in case somebody got tired:)
(Or maybe it was for Aunt Martha who didn't have her fins on!)
Definitely got a work out that day!!!

Then there's "The Boat"

Referred to as "The Boat" 'cause we haven't named her, any suggestions after this whole saga?

I'm thinking "Neglected"....how's that ring for you?
Since we've neglected to take time to use it
& boats don't take kindly to sitting for long periods!Tom doesn't really have 3 legs... that's the mechanic in the hole.

The poor thing had to sit for 4 years while we worked each summer:(....let's get it up & running this year! When they went to turn the winches on to lower it into the river, they found out they had froze up....pretty strange since they were designed for outdoor use. Got the parts to repair them...done. Now our boat obviously needed to be summerized, I would have said de-winterized, but my spell check doesn't like either one, I like them both because you get the gist of the story. It was winterized when we put it away....so am I de-winterizing it or summerizing it? So if they're not words I'm using my Bloggers literary license:)

So we'll finish the cleanup & tune up, then take her for a run very soon :)
Wanna Come?
Ohh she's a pretty thing isn't she?

Dance floor extension

Look.......just look at that beautiful new deck.......doesn't it just scream "Party!"

The section for the concrete pad is being stoned (no inhaling required) & leveled, then the pad is poured & smoothed. Now we just need to decide what we want to cover the pad with so it looks like one solid surface, talked to a couple of masons, to just surface coat & acid wash it...YIKES...I could buy a nice used car for what they want for 3/8 " concrete to resurface 185 sq ft! That was after Tom already poured the pad!!! So we're talking cobblestone pavers, maybe Ipe...it's such a phenomenal wood & the area is small enough that we can justify the cost, but used enough that the sturdier wood would hold up, as it weathers the color would age to a beautiful gray like the pressure treated. Or we could paint the surface with a concrete paint, the choices are amazing now... and make it look like all one surface.....and here we go again..decisions, decisions, decisions!

Why is Tom Smiling???

I figured I was in trouble when, after the walls came down on the garage, Tom dubbed it "The Pavilion" and started with "Wouldn't it be great if...."?  Uh-Oh! Wonder where this is going?? Well I have to admit the week the guys (that would be the FIRST week) started on the deck it was in the high 80's & 90's & quite humid, so working under "The Pavilion" made a lot of sense, shade, nice breeze & a place for them to get out of the heat.
So....here's what I'm thinking...."The Pavilion" is going to be here awhile....guess where the framing for the stairs ends? Yep...right up to the concrete pad in "The Pavilion".

Can't you just see the wheels in that brain turning???

Stopped Counting

Decking finally going down.......Look how bright & new it looks:)
& it smells good!

Facing completed on the deck extension & steps....Maybe it's taking so long 'cause the two thirty something workers are busy smoking & watching the fish & the 70 year old Dad (Ed) is working his butt off! Ed is baling hay tonight when he's done working here! This man is amazing!!!

Decking Day 3

Notice the row of squares at the one end of the deck....they'll have to insert support boards all the way across the width of the deck to attach the deck boards to since they're going to go in a different direction.
These guys aren't in a big hurry, they measure, cut, nail one board at a time.
Tom's description..........SLOOOOW.........completion in one week looking iffy.

Decking Day 2

We've extended the deck around the tree & it looks like the bow of a boat....
unfortunately had to cut my bird bush back considerably.
(There's that whole "we" thing again.....OK....so all I did was I cut the bush & take pics...don't even have Eva for an excuse anymore")

but it certainly opened up the view........

The stairs will be framed up off the end.......

The framing for the stairs........
And it's only day 2!!!!

Looks like the brick will need some painting now that we can see it....
I can handle doing that:)

Need Destruction before Construction.....

We got a phone call on the 5th of July from the guys who were going to re-do the deck (finally, we re-did last Aug.!!!) they can start tomorrow instead of next week do we want them? What are the chances that a contractor not only wants to come early, but actually shows up?!? Or better yet.... OUR chances, you know our luck with contractors.

(Go to Blog post for 08/27/09 to see why our deck looks like this diseased thing)

They actually did show up on time, even a couple of the neighbors were taking bets....I should have gotten in on it for a change, but with my luck if I bet with the house, we'd still be waiting & I wasn't jinxing this!So all the deck furniture & plants are shoved to one side...let the destruction begin!!!!
OK-controlled destruction-because we're going to be able to reuse most of the wood.
We decided to stay with the pressure treated after we finally said "We need to make a decision!!! It's June!" We discussed Redwood,Cedar, Composite, Pressure Treated, Ipe´, Travertine tile (and boy was that one gorgeous...with this cool new installation system it was beautiful!)...a mix of two or three...maybe a design..... build a Pergola or a grill station,or both, maybe built in benches; we'd been batting ideas around all winter, looking at a multitude of planning & deck design books & still hadn't made a decision. Enough already! We're doing pressure treated! Our deck next door was great & is still there 24 years later! So our game plan.....they'll pull up the plywood, chipboard & some other old deck boards, reinforce the under decking since the boards are now going to go in another direction, then install the new deck boards. We'll also extend the decking to build stairs to the property next door...no more jumping off a 3 ft concrete wall:) They're also going to remove a 3 ft section of the deck & extend the concrete patio. 10 x 17....Just the perfect size for an intimate dance floor:) Tom figures it should be done in a week....there's 3 guys & him...so piece of cake right? I'm not betting on this one either.....

A Garage with a View.....take 2

Well...only 2 weeks to get to this point, almost all the junk is gone! It has certainly opened up the view; not only from the shade garden but also from the master bedroom! Love that river!
So I'm thinking.......... the shade garden won't be a shade garden for much longer...needs a new name & and maybe some new plants....:)