Richard Schwartz and Bill Crawford, cabinetmakers par excellente, did manage to get in with the cabinets as the snow fell.  I arrived about a half hour after they did and had very little time to chat.  The crew unloaded the cabinets and drawers admidst ohhs and awwws and acolades. They are truly works of art.

I tried taking pictures of both of them and got a blurry one of Richard but Bill turned his head just as I snapped the shutter, so I got a picture of the back of his head.

Back of Bill Crawford and Todd with cabinets all around

The crew had stayed up until 9:30 PM last night working.  The tile in the Great Room is down.  It is better than I had imagined it would be. I love the margins where the floor tile marries up with the stone of the fireplace.

Where tile meets stone. I love the textures and colors

James was upstairs painting on primer.  Mikey was making baseboards upstairs.  Jack wandered around looking for some one to play with him.

Jack with toy rubber hedgehog in his mouth seeking a playmate

Johnny was clearcoating doors and lightly sanding between layers.  He could hardly contain himself from wanting to clearcoat drawer fronts. There is a before and after photo.

Johnny clearcoating a drawer. Try comparing the one that has just been covered with the naked one next to it.

For maybe 20 minutes the sun came out and I said: Here comes the sun.  The crew spontaneously broke out with a chorus of “Here come the sun, little darling.  It’s been a long cold, lonely winter.  Here comes the sun.  It feels like years since you’ve been here.

Mikey and I had a conversation about letting the house freeze in the winter, which I plan on letting it do. Or at least prepare as if it will freeze. It is a topic that has caused me much to ponder about in the middle of the night. The big thing we need to avoid is mold and getting a damp smell permeating everything.  I think I finally concluded that I will leave two or three wall heaters (very energy efficient) going at about 45 degrees, all three ceiling fans working and a dehumidifier in action – if we can figure out a way to get the water from the condensed moisture to drain outside in such a way that the out-take pipe doesn’t freeze. I’ll be curious to see what the electric bill will be. Mikey is now reassured.  He loves this Project. 

Todd and Bobby promptly started installing cabinets.  I sat about mostly in awe of the cabinets. I’ll pick out drawer pulls this weekend.

Ann in awe of the cabinets

About noon Parr Lumber delivered the stringers and more concrete for the deck and left immediately. It started with a rain/snow mix and quickly became very earnst about snowing. 

Deck stringers and concrete arrive. Parr delivery man promptly burns rubber to get off the mountain and the snow falls.

I pulled out about 12:30, taking the Trillium Lake road out.  By the time I reached the summit snow was sticking on the asphalt and I went down the mountain at about 40 mph.  No one passed me until I got to Rhodedendron. I paused for lunch at Calamity Jane’s and drove the rest of the way home in the rain. 

We’ll have to wait and see if we can get back in on Monday.

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Did a drive-by lunch fish sandwich from Burgerville and polished off a Joe’s Donut maple bar from Sandy on the way up the mountain. The view of Mt. Hood on the way was exquisit — crystal clear, nearly leaping out of the skyline. 

Stewart was on the site, moving stuff around.  The “snake” reject duct-work was gone, much to my delight.  Todd, Stewart and I talked about the raillings for the second floor.  Originally we hoped to have all brass railings, but there wasn’t enough brass, so the three railings (one of either side of the fireplace and one near the top of the stairs) and all will be wood/brass combos. 

Pencil drawing on Hardbacker board shows design of the second floor railings

Todd and Bobby turned the corner on the Great Room tilework, moving at last from the hallway into the Great Room itself.  The tricky part is laying tile around the fireplace.  Bobby (another very patient person) tried about ten times to get a pesky tile to fit and became victorious. 

The tile that is on the lower left is the one that was particularly troublesome to fit.

The routine is: vacuum floor; measure for tile; Bobby cuts the tile on the breezeway; cut tile returns to its spot where either Todd or Boddy lays down cement; tile is placed with red U-shaped spacers taking the guesswork out of spacing; repeat

Yesterday the decking crew had boxed in the deck.  A picture shows where the Dennis and Mary firepit will go in a corner. 

This will be the corner of the large back deck where the firepit will go.

One picture is in black and white because it came out an odd blue.  It is of the lower front deck where one of the wheelchair ramps will go.

More great tile work in the downstairs bathroom in the form of the backsplash for the sink. The plan had been to also incorporate 2″X2″ brown tiles into it as well, but Todd decided it looked dumb and nixed it.  Glad crew is willing to make such decisions without my input. 

Backsplash for the downstairs bathroom sink

Johnny was spending his time today and his time yesterday caulking and clearcoating interior windows and doors.  Something like four coats on inside the front door now.  It glows. We made a choice to buy that terrific front door with the agreement the other interior doors would be inexpensive.  Johnny has coated the downstairs doors with two or three coats, sanding between each one.  Very smooth now and warm. The closet doors await his touch.

If any of you want to make a visit before the gates close, now would be a good time.  Allen has heard predictions of 2 to 3 feet of snow at Timberline in the near future.

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I met up with Stewart at JOIN, a project SJM is doing to create a space to help put homeless people back to work and in housing.  It is on Halsey and 81st.  Of course I got mildly lost.  What did I do before cell phones? It was good to see Dan, Jimmy and Jeremy briefly. They are eager to get back on the mountain and make the deck happen. Amen to that brothers and sisters!!!! 

Very pleasant to ride up the mountain instead of drive it.  Also good to have Stewart’s ear for over an hour. 

Mist all the way.  We went in the Trillium Lake road. Stewart flipped the truck into four wheel drive but found it unnecessary to keep it there. The tire ruts were down to bare road, but elsewhere there were three to four inches of slush. Clumps of snow were falling off trees. We made it to the Project and Stewart backed the truck in to facilitate off-loading doors.  Just as we stopped there was a big kerplunk on the the top of the rig.  Stewart and I both thought we’d hit something, but we were STOPPED!  Just snow falling off a tree.  If we’d been 20 seconds later it would have landed on the ground. 

Ever ponder about similiar situations to that? 

Inside the house was warm.  Without the ceiling fans (they are on order) the upstairs is more than toasty whereas the downstairs can be cool in the corners.  The little space heaters in each room do their jobs.  The interior window framing is simply fantastic…all of it with wood from trees once on the footprint of the house.  They will all be clearcoated and “honey’d up,” making the wood tones similar to the ceilings.   

Todd was working with Bobby in the upstairs bathroom, having installed the chair rail tile above the white subway tile and was starting on the harlequin (think Picasso) diamond tiles in the bathtub surround. The color of the harlequin tile is cappuccino and they alternate mat and glossy. James was in the Raven’s Nest loft sanding drywall in preparation for priming paint. 

Upstairs bathtub surround with its mat and glossy harlequin tiles, chair rail and subway tiles

The tile in the downstairs shower had been grouted. That bathroom is so classy. 

Mikey was back with Jack, Jack being back to his happy self. 

I sat and watched a bit.  Todd, Stewart and I discussed this and that: a back splash for the propane/electric cookstove that will be up against a fireplace wall — what is should look like. What the interior stairs will look like (wood all the way up – probably darkish in color — prefinished if possible).  I have three inherited vacuum cleaners (one each from Papa, Aunt Ruth and Stepmother Helen) and am planning one for upstairs, one for downstairs and one for the garage.  But I don’t want anyone to have to haul a vacuum cleaner up or down the stairs.  Using an old fashioned broom, one will be able to sweep stair crud down the stairs and the landing and vacuum or sweep it up at the bottom.  We talked hardware and doors.  By the time I get back to the Ranch there will be a bathroom door.  Good-bye honey bucket. Huzza. We also taked about upstairs carpet.  The floor is going to be one color of gray carpet but there isn’t enough to do the loft.  Fine.  We’ll put in carpet up there that is sympathetico. 

Corey, our contact at Parr Lumber, got laid off.  Well, we have done out best to keep Parr Lumber in business. 

The breezeway has blue tarps hanging on both sides to keep the snow off it since that breezeway is tile-cutting-central.  It gives the breezeway an erie blue light. 

Interior doors going to the outside are being primed so they can receive a coat of semi-gloss — easy to wipe finger prints from. 

The back bedroom now has a door

Johnny playing his drums in the back bunk room. All the musicians on the crew love the acoustics

Johnny was working on the ceiling of the entry way.  Absolutely amazing.  I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad we kept the old rafters showing, though Johnny has done much of the work to make them pretty, upside down. 

This is Todd's favorite window. You can see the breezeway beams through it.

Entry way with its exposed old growth beams

Bill Crawford, cabinet maker, called to say he couldn’t get a trailer rented for Sunday so they will have to rent it Monday, load it and drive on Tuesday, a day behind what he and Richard had planned.

Jimmy drilling holes in concrete foundation to attach hardware for deck post supports

The fire is burning to rid site of debris. The blue rectangles are a reflection from the masked French doors

The cousins and partners were planning on coming up tomorrow to work on firewood but with the soggy snow everywhere I suggested they come another day, but, as I’ve said many times: we are running out of daylight.  It will all work out. 

Stewart and I left about 2:30 with stomachs rumbling and stopped at the Still Creek Inn where he had a jumbo burger and me a BLTA. By the time we finished eating the mist had turned to rain.  What is it about the Still Creek Inn that makes that happen…increase aqua out pourings? 

More yakking on the return trip and then a brief tour of  JOIN.  The projectis, of course, being done on a shoestring, trying to make it as “green” as possible, using recycled materials and bringing in natural light. 

There is a piece of the JOIN project that is being rented out starting November 1st.  A big room that will be filled with cots.  I think it is called a 7 to 7 where homeless individuals and families can come in a have a warm place to sleep on cots at 7 in the evening and then be gone by 7 in the morning.  I thank my lucky stars I’m not one of those homeless people.  Stewart is putting a last layer of clearcoat on the chipboard floor tonight… probably take him 4 hours after a drive up and down the mountain.  In spite of it being chip board it looks warm and inviting. 

Here come some pictures, some blurry.  It comforts me that I’m not the only one to take blurry pictures.  Thanks, Stewart, for taking the upstairs shots.

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At 7:30 I let the cats out at home.  It was cool, but fine.  I decided to curl up back in bed and re-awoke at 8:30 with the rain streaming down the windows and the wind whipping everything up.  A front had come through.  I managed to get both cats happily back inside, showered and headed up the mountain in the driving rain.  I find it is hard work to drive a big vehicle like a Highlander and keep it from hydroplaning.  By the time I reached the Barlow Trail historic sign the rain was starting to turn to snow.  I made it easily in to the Ranch via Still Creek campground road. 

Bobby, Todd, Johnny and Mikey were hard at work.  Jack was on duty as well, but in the course of the morning he up-chunked, having gotten into something that upset his stomach.  He hung close to Mikey and even found comfort in my pats.  Not his usual self.

The crew is working on framing out the interior main floor windows.  They are really beautiful.  Only the trapazoids haven’t been started on.  Todd says he expects to have all  the downstairs window frames finished today.

The rain, by now was really snow and was starting to stick.  Johnny was calking the transition in the Great Room between the wall and the ceiling on a high ladder.

It is the first snow at the Project where I could watch…nicely warm. I heated up my left over pizza in the garage and watched the end of Perry Mason.  There was close to an inch of snow on the ground by now and I decided an exit strategy was prudent.

I left Todd with my extensive list of things left to do and rolled out.  The Highlander isn’t especially good in the snow so I took the road towards Trillium Lake.  Managed to pull onto Highway 26 with no problems and proceeded to make it back down the mountain at 20 miles per hour, seeing the big rigs stopping to chain up at every pull out. By the time I reached Welches it was back to rain and by the time I was back at my casa the windshield wipers were off.  By the time I decided on a post-white knuckle nap at home, the sun was shining.  

It is the first snow at the Project where I could watch…nicely warm. I heated up my left over pizza in the garage and watched the end of Perry Mason.  There was close to an inch of snow on the ground by now and I decided an exit strategy was prudent.  

I left Todd with my extensive list of things left to do and rolled out.  The Highlander isn’t especially good in the snow so I took the road towards Trillium Lake.  Managed to pull onto Highway 26 with no problems and proceeded to make it back down the mountain at 20 miles per hour, seeing the big rigs stopping to chain up at every pull out. By the time I reached Welches it was back to rain and by the time I was back at my casa the windshield wipers were off.  By the time I decided on a post-white knuckle nap at home, the sun was shining.

Woods behind the garage with snow falling

Finished kitchen window

Detail of finished window

More window detail

 

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Once again rain was predicted but did not make an appearance while I was there. Instead it was a crisp fall day.

The walls of the roll in shower had been tiled except for an inch or
so where the wallls met the floor and Bobby was working on that.  I
really like the way it looks. Classy!

Todd was working on framing the interior windows.  First he was
putting together a four board box that fits in, right next to the
window and comes out to the wall.  He’s using left over tongue and
grove.  He said he always orders between 6 and 10% too much for a
project, especially when working in an isolated location like this
one, so what t&g was not used in the Great Room ceiling or for deck
ceiling, is now going into window framing. I did take a picture of the
inserted frame in the back bedroom, but the camera ate it.

I also took a picture of the tan paint in the Great Room.  It is a
little more green than I had envisioned, but I still like it very
much.  Camera ate that one too.

Johnny was working on priming the laundry room walls and between the old growth rafters.  It looks terrific and I’m pleased we spent the
time and money to keep those Welches timbers in view.  Once again,
thanks to Tom and Burt for saving that old wood for the project.
There were others too…Randy and his sons and I really shudder to
think how many times SJM crew moved pieces of it. In the picture of
Johnny admiring his handiwork you may see some white on the beams. It’s plaster “mud” and will easily come off with water. And the kitchen cabinets are being made from those same dear old timbers too.  And maybe some wooden blocks from Lil’ Girl Kea.

I’ll include a picture of Tom and Burt hooking up the skidder to take
down the shed that was made of the Welches timbers and corregated
metal for the roof with an “eco turf” topping. And another one of the
shed on the ground.

That was today’s crew: Todd, Johnny and Bobby.  The promised deck crew may be a myth. Ditto for the deck material. GOK where James was.

I slipped into the Gresham Home Depot to buy tile for under the deck’s firepit and to find a black electronic lock.  Not sure if I succeeded with the lock.  I’ll have to hold it up to the front door lock to make certain if the color is right, but it will be easy enough to return.

The falls colors remain achingly beautiful to me, especially the nursery plants between Sandy and Gresham.  My mom once made a large rug patterned after agricultural fields as seen from the air — rug has long since vanished, but that combination of color and pattern
inspires me to do some drawing. Let’s see if it happens.

Laundry room ceiling

Back bedroom window frame under construction

Tom Rutledge hooking up his skidder with Burt Darneille assisting

To the left of the red dumpster (where much of the contents of the shed went) is a puff of dust and all the timbers buried under the "eco roof."

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