Taking down the fence

We've decided that large animals are not in our future and are going to take down some of the fences in the backyard. Mark already removed the one that separated the pasture from the garden area. Even though it was just wire mesh, it feels like the view is more open with it gone.

Here is a look at the process of removing the fence between the lawn and garden area.

 Everyone was eager to help take down the wire.

Just the posts left.

All gone.

It was a lot of work for Mark, but it makes such a difference in the feel of the yard. Lots left to do, but always nice to have made some progress.

Pruning

This tree is too close to our front walkway and so big that it blocks much of the view from inside. It was adorable twenty years ago.

Mark had trimmed some of the branches closest to the path, but he said that I could cut some of the lower branches off. The trimmings filled two garbage cans.

Much better.

Curtains

 Anja came and helped me hang curtains. We didn't have all the hardware we needed to finish all the windows, but we did put up brackets for five rods. The measuring, looking for studs, finding the right screws, drilling... it was exhausting.

It is so nice to have done. The curtains really change the look of the rooms and make them feel more finished.

New (to us) fire pit

Mark found this fire pit on Craigslist. It's just what we wanted and will be a good way to try to use up some of the wood we have piled on the property.

Wallpaper and paint

We said good-bye to all the wallpaper and borders as quickly as we could.

The cedar planks and curtains came down.

We hired painters to come and paint almost everything. They painted ceilings, closets, bathrooms, doors, and the walls in much of the house. It made such a difference and was so much faster than trying to do it ourselves. All the trim was painted white.

 

After the painting was done, we had the carpets cleaned and everything was ready for moving in.

New (sort of) couches!

After a decade of use, our couches were looking faded and worn. New slipcovers and they look great.

Almost Done

The last week was a busy one: more perlins on Monday, insulation and the roof on Tuesday. Mark helped put up the metal siding on the long sides last Wednesday. On Thursday the ends were sided. All that is left is to pour the floor and apron and put up the big door. We are excited about the idea of a cement truck coming to our house.
Mark is considering some sort of mural for this side. Suggestions welcome.

More building

The shop will shade quite a bit of the backyard from the morning sun.
Today the trusses and perlins were put up. It is starting to look like a real building. The siding will be delivered on Monday.

Whoa

Yesterday we passed our site inspection, so work continued today. The uprights are in place and it seems so tall. It won't take long to get used to it, but right now it is a little startling.
Whenever there is action in the back yard Henry can be found here. He and Nora keep me constantly updated on what is happening.

The Shop : Day One

The "shop men" put in a busy day and provided a lot of conversational material for Henry. They came this morning and moved dirt so that the shop would be slightly higher than the yard. They dug the post holes with an auger that was fun to watch and then they put up the concrete forms and poured cement into the bottoms of the post holes. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Henry's favorite cat.
The concrete forms are up.Post hole. The kids aren't allowed to walk around the yard at the moment.

Coming soon

Construction is supposed to start Monday.

Less to mow

Matt needed a lawn and we had to get rid of some, so Mark and Matt spent Saturday cutting and rolling the sod from our yard and transferring it. Now we have a blank slate for the shop. The kids like the increased availability of dirt.