Other things

Len neglected to mention that he also put up a whole lot of snow stop on the roof this week.  And also went out and stacked up a whole lot more wood and took 3 loads to the dump.  Here are a few more pictures.

This should keep the snow in place

No more snow dumps we hope

Off to the dump

More inside work this weekend.
Cath

Any excuse for cake

Thanksgiving weekend and Chris and Kyla are out for a visit. Kyla and I finally found the trail that goes all the way around the marsh. We traded bikes on the way back and all I can say is I am glad I have my mountain bike and not Cathryn's city cruiser.

Kyla on the cruiser for the start

Me on the cruiser heading home

 Not only did we celebrate thanksgiving with a great feast but we decided to give Chris his birthday cake a little early.

The candles say 42 instead of 43 as it wasn't quite his birthday and we couldn't find a three.

I was in charge of cutting the pie

Holiday or no holiday there is always something to do at the Aune project home. Kyla and I got busy on trim until it warmed up outside.

A little filler over the nail holes

Nice weather, split a little wood

Lots of heat in this pile

This is the big stuff that we piled the first year we were here

I'm on to more trim since everyone has gone home. I have to create the window sill for the two basement windows that are in the foam foundation. The sill is 9 inches deep so I am combining two pieces of the regular size to get that depth. First thing is to match them up and mark them.

Here are the pieces marked side by side.

My biscuit cutter

Next I use a biscuit cutter at all the marked places so they will match up later.

Cuts a half round hole

These are the little biscuits (size 20) in place with glue

Put the two halves together and voila, a wider section.

I'll be doing more trim, the loft and master bedroom, tomorrow so I'll take some finish photos then.

Len

Handrails R Us

Well I wasn't just lazing around, just too busy to blog. I decided to finish the back wall of the shop, insulation and wallboard, so I could put up my proper shelving and add a bit to useable floor space. It worked out great and since I am working on deck rail top plates and interior handrails the added length was a bonus.

Lots of room for finish planing on rail tops

 Then I decided to make my own handrails for interior stairways. I had one fir 2 x 12 left so I ripped it to 3 inches. Then I ripped each of these into three strips.

Ripping the fir

 Then I stained the middle one and re-glued them for a rough start.

Glueing before routered edges

Clamping

 Now onto something else. I wanted to get the upper window trim done and scaffolding taken down before Thanksgiving when Kyla and Chris would be here.

Just getting started

A little air nailing

The interior pieces first

The final trim and hole filling for paint

After many years it is finally done

 Back to the railing and, oh surprise, you can't get a 16 foot anything up a stairway with a corner at the bottom. Answer, put it in through the window over the motorhome and then through the suite between some unfinished studding, bend it to almost breaking and pull it into place.

Over the motorhome

Bend it through the wall and pull.

Finished rail, now if someone would only do the drywall

Finished to the basement just needs flooring on the left sill

I'll be continuing on window trim now and then onto flooring.

Len

Boy that week went quickly!

This is just a quick note to say, wow, is that another week that just passed?  We have a few pictures of Len's latest work, but I need him to explain it to you, so it will have to wait a bit.

This is my pumpkin harvest - all off one plant.  The largest is only about 8" wide.  Oh well, cooked two down and got enough for a nice pie for Thanksgiving.

Next year I will get the plant in the ground a little earlier 

This is on Len's list of things done this week: handrails for 2 stairways inside the house, the top finishing boards for the deck rail and the inside window trim.

He is up the scaffold as I type, finishing off the upper window trim.  It looks very nice, but you will just have to trust me on that until I can get a decent picture.

The fall weather is gorgeous!  Here is another example of what we have to put up with, day after day.

Cheers for now,

Cath

A Week of More Fiddly Bits

I got home late on Friday, eager to see all the progress.

It seems it was a week of things that don't really amount to VP.  Len caulked, painted and touched up paint.  In addition, he took most of Friday to fix the parking brake on the Flying Club airplane and then drove up to Williams Lake to pick me up at the airport.

Len found these planks which he will use on the top of the rails

So today Len continued on the shop clean-up by getting some drywall and putting it up on the back corner walls.  The plan is to get the shelving up against the wall to give him enough room to work on the long rails that will finish off the railing.

Drywall goes up

The back is almost ready for shelving

There is a window behind there somewhere

 I wandered around the area and took some pictures which show that, yes indeed, fall is here.

Trees turning 

 In the meanwhile, the fall light was just gorgeous today, so we took a few photos of the exterior of the house.  Due to the location in the trees, it is hard to get a full shot of the south side, but here are our best tries for today.

From below the garden

From the septic field - garage and deck

The south face

From the driveway

I didn't get this posted last night, so now this is Sunday morning and we are going for a hike in the Walker Valley with some friends from Vernon to enjoy some of the lovely fall weather.  Stay tuned.
Cath

The fiddly bits

Well we're nearing the completion of the outside of the house for this year. I might be able to finish the garage doors from the inside and have them ready for unveiling in the spring but any work on the shop will be next year. So I am finishing all the little leftover bits. Today I did all of the sealing of the hardi board siding and completed any final wiring as well. I changed all of the grey plug covers under the soffits to simple brown plugs and covers. The waterproof ones are not required under soffits.

This plug, for christmas lights will be in the fir covering of the covered deck

Waiting for the final deck ceiling

 My next job was to check all the gutters and downspouts in preparation for winter. This one by the bedroom had to be moved because of the new rail post.

Last job before supper was to strap the deck. One of the findings of my engineers last visit. All done and good to go.

Straps at the dog kennel

More straps, I feel safer already

So tomorrow I will be painting all of the caulking and probably start on the gate for the railing by the kitchen. This will be part of a small landing and stairs off the deck to the garden. 

Len

Sunday Salutations

Well the deck rail is done for now.  The final touches will wait until some of the more pressing outdoor chores are finished.  In celebration, we took a few hours off today and went to a bluegrass jam in Lac La Hache.  Then Len flew the club airplane from 100 Mile House to 108 Mile so that it is convenient for going to Williams Lake in the morning.  I am flying over to Victoria, so Len offered to ferry me up to the airport there.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the completed work.

We will put skirting around the hot tub base - another day

On the deck

Still have a great view

Another beautiful day in paradise.
Cath