The Winter Flock and Other Visitors

Raccoon prints on the brick terrace.

With the change of seasons, I went out and bought a new set up of bird feeders and ten pounds of bird seed.  The old ones had facded and worn out so much I thought it would be a good idea to just replace them, and I've let the old hummingbird feeders hang out for too long.

Our winter flock at Hawksbill Cabin includes a mix of titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers - they are the regulars.  On some mornings, I'll see a bunch of junkos mixing in, and there is a crowd of sparrows off someplace in the woods that will get word of the feeders being refilled, so they'll show up.  Less regularly featured are some cardinals, blue jays, and flickers.

Red berries popular with the cardinals.

As I was taking care of the chore with the feeders, I noticed some paw prints on the deck railing that surrounds our brick terrace.  On closer inspection, these are raccoon prints - we have had a few over on that side of the house closest to the stream; I've seen one once or twice scampering off into the woods as I approached.

But that's not the worst of it...at least these critters were outside.

When we arrived at the cabin Friday, as I was unloading the car and making the last haul into the house, I met Mary out on the brick terrace.  She said, "There is a snake skin on the sink in the kitchen.  Of course, the next step for me was to go in to investigate, and then figure out how to get the reptile back outside.

The first thing I noticed was that this skin was just a piece of a whole shed, and it was brittle and yellowed.  So, not fresh - I've seen them keep a grayish tint for a whole season.  Still I carefully opened every cabinet door and every drawer in the kitchen - no sign of a snake.  What I did find was a mouse nest in one of the lower drawers near the stove.

We pulled that out - it was sitting in a little box that we used to store candles - and proceeded to clean and disinfect everything that the mouse might have scampered over.  We replaced all of the D-con.  And while we did this, we analyzed the construction of the mouse nest we'd found.

Included with the usual materials, such as paper towels and other scrap materials gathered from around the house, were more pieces of snake skin.  I found this very interesting, as the snakes usually hunt the mice...asking around, people gave me varying opinions about this, including the very creative "it's a kind of mojo to keep other snakes away" explanation.

Here's what I figure.  Hawksbill Cabin had been infested with snakes for several years before we bought it.  The elderly fellow who lived there at first wasn't able to keep up with things, and so the termites got out of hand and then the other "pests" moved in.  The folks who bought it from his estate were in over their heads on basic maintenance chores, and so the snakes and termites continued to live amongst them.

It wasn't until we moved there that the wildlife was given notice to move along (for a hint at the extent of our repairs, take a look at the "Big Projects" label).  There was some big time clean up to do along with the repairs. 

Still, there are a couple of nooks and crannies in the house where an old snake skin or two might lay hidden, and that is what I figured happened here.  In the mouse-frenzy associated with building winter quarters, the snake skin was just another material going into the creation of a cozy den. 

We didn't see any other traces over the weekend.  Hopefully Mary is all settled down by now, too.

The Remodel that Goes on and on

Quickly on the heels of our kitchen remodel, Mary decided to take on the master bath and make some improvements that she had planned for a very long time.  New tile, reglaze the clawfoot tub (from '80's pink to original white), and new wainscot paneling, among other things.  She added a small project to build in knee-wall closets make it more attractive to the contractor.  We thought that if we jumped into this right at the end of the kitchen it would be done quickly.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

No such luck.  Here we are entering the third month...only a little progress to show each day.  My hypothesis is this job is too small and the contractor is mixing it in with some other small jobs.  At this point the project has nearly taken as long as the kitchen.

Anyhow, here are some photos...the new tile, in the old style; the clawfoot tub (note the stained glass windows we are retaining), a look at the new paneling, and finally, the kneewall closet in progress.  It is cedar lined with heart o' pine floors, like the rest of the upstairs (downstairs is oak).

Hope to be done with this next month.

Yes, That is a Toilet...

...and yes, it is in the middle of the master bedroom.  With the kitchen remodel complete, we just couldn't stop there.  Mary had seen some innovative features in one of the bungalows up the street, similar to ours, and thought that since the upstairs bathroom was overdue for remodeling, we might as well go for it.  So for a few weeks, we are sleeping in the guest bedroom downstairs.

As far as the innovation goes, what she has organized is a knee-wall closet.  See, the 1929 bungalow we have, and the four others up and down the neighboring two blocks, were designed as "story-and-a-half houses" - the upstairs footprint is about half of what the downstairs is, with a lot of lost space in the eaves of the roof.  At least in ours, one side is taken up with the central a/c and ductwork from a renovation in the '80's, which is when we think the bath was last done.

To get a sense of the idea, here is a photo of the space where the new knee wall closet will go, in its current state of "demo."  And also, here is the cedar planking, along with some of the wall trim that will go in there when it is complete.

Next on the agenda is the master bath upstairs.  There is a pedestal tub, a skylight, and some nice stained glass windows.  This space is a little pop-up dormer that we think is original to the house - although that is not the case in all the neighboring bungalows.  Note the color of the tub...that's what gives us the idea the renovation dates to the '80's...it kinda makes me want to put on some Katrina and the Waves.

Mary has contracted to have the tub reglazed (that's done already, as you can see in the photos), put new tile down to replace the white 8x8's - a new hex style that is something like the vintage tiles that might have been original.  Later, she's arranged to have wainscott paneling put in to update, and the skylight will be replaced with a working one.  The new sink and faucet have already been delivered too.

So I guess we are about halfway through with this project, since the tile seemed to be the long pole in the tent.  But I can't wait to get that toilet back where it belongs.

Kitchen Complete

For a few weeks now we've been enjoying the newly remodeled kitchen at the Alexandria house, but I got carried away by some business travel that distracted me from posting an update.  So here are some photos I took last weekend while Mary made brunch for us (and Tessie helped).

First, of course, is the new row of cabinets that runs along the wall where the doorway to the dining room used to be.  We had the stove moved out from the corner and moved the door over.  Now all the traffic stays to that part of the kitchen and there is a lot more work area.

We also had to move the fridge as part of that plan - shown here, it is now on the opposite wall.  So not only is the triangle more compact, you can open the doors wide to get a look inside, and there is still room for cabinetry above.  Now it's a little known detail, but after the returns were installed to house the fridge, Mary went back to the designer to work up some details on the enclosure, settling on buying a few more cabinet doors and having them mounted here for the finished look.

I'll skip the pantry for this post, but it is a nice area with additional storage.  Mary has organized me into this space for my breakfast preparations.  And she also organized me into this space to feed the dog.

Then we have the sun room.  We finally reconciled the closets that had been built back here - the area was originally the back porch of the house, and our neighbor has told us childhood stories of playing back here.  We took out the old door and then centered a new sliding glass double-wide door on the wall.  We've been using this room for summer dinners and breakfasts since we moved here in 2003, so this little makeover is going to be well used.  Second view is looking towards the bump out window, which we kept for all the plants.

Tomorrow I will post about the big project going on upstairs in the house.

Good Fences

"He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors.'
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors?' Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense."

-from Mending Wall, Robert Frost, 1914.
reposted from http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15719

It occured to me I have a couple of home projects to post on - I never wrapped up the kitchen remodel, for example, and then we have a big project going on upstairs in the Alexandria house.  I will put those posts up later in the week.  For now, I want to post about a project that has been on the to-do list for a couple of years:  putting in a new fence along the west side of the front lots.

A couple of years ago, our neighbor developed his lot on the west side of us.  We'll leave aside for now our feelings about how he chose to do that; what's done is done and it was his property, after all.  Unfortunately, things didn't end with that, and in getting to resolution of the situation, let's just say the old line from Frost's poem is what kept coming to mind.

Our neighbor's intention was to sell the house he'd built; since it was delivered right into the teeth of the recession, that's been a challenge, and he has pursued a rent-to-own strategy.  We've watched three of these deals come and go, but it was the first that inspired us to put up a fence, a practical three-rail affair, after buying a legacy easement back between the two properties where an alley might have been constructed.

Since the first tenants, who were very difficult and showed progressively worse behavior to the neighbors (and the landlord) over the six months or so they were there, we've been thinking that a fence along the property line would help to create a sense of respect for each other, so we've finally had it built after surveying the property line last fall.  The new fence extends from the road back to the northwest corner of the westernmost lot, ending along the lean-to "carport" of the shed, in a clump of bamboo that we allow to go wild for privacy.

The current neighbors are nice enough.  But "Good fences make good neighbors," and in this case we want to maintain a good relationship.  The fence is nothing personal...no offense meant, Mr. Frost.  

Alexandria Kitchen Weeks 10-12

I guess it has been a few weeks since I posted on the kitchen remodel - since before I went to Japan, as a matter of fact.  Gone are the days of big changes, we're at the stage where it is grinding along as the finer points take longer than the big bulky ones.  It's looking good.  I just wish it was over.

Here are the photos, as usual, but I will skip for now the pantry update and the sun room.

First, the space where the fridge is - used to have a base cabinet and wall cabinet here, with a small counter top.

Then, the wall with the sink.  Now the cabinets are all in, the diswasher reinstalled.  Soon there'll be a pendant lamp here to give us light over the sink.

Last one of these, the wall where the door to the dining room used to be.  Now this is all counter space around the stove.  The goal of the remodel was to improve the "triangle" - which seems to work.  Now if we could just get our contractor to wrap it up.

Last two, I took these to give an idea of the detail - you've got a view of the counter top and the backsplash in one, and a second that adds the cabinet and hardware.  This is a white matte finish on maple.

Kitchen Updates, Weeks 6-7

While we were away during the holidays, progress was still being made on the Alexandria kitchen.  Here is a quick update, starting with the compass point photos:

This is the center back wall, where we are moving the refridgerator.  As a matter of fact, as I am writing this, the fridge is already installed in the return shown here, which was built for it, but that's a photo that will have to wait until the next update.

Here Is the window wall, where the sink was and will be.  The opening in the cabinets is where the dishwasher will be reinstalled.

Here is a photo of the wall where the doorway to the dining room was.  Now the cabinets are installed, the range hood is up, and the opening there is for the stove.  We've vastly improved the "triangle" and circulation in this room.

Final compass point, of the wall with the door to the basement.  This area will now serve as a ckind of hallway, a passageway from the dining room into the kitchen and sun room., with a doorway off to the basement.

Next two are of the pantry.  As you can see, we've greatly improved the storage possbilities in this room.  There will also be a counter top with work space, and you can see that the microwave will find a new home here.

Last photo is of the still crowded sun room.  But even as I write this, that area has more progress to report, which I will post on next week.

Alexandria Kitchen Week 5, Part 2

Here are the compass points photos.  As usual, here is the wall where there was a base and wall cabinet - should note, the fridge will go here when we are done.  Then the kitchen sink wall with the window, the new wall - cabinets are mounted here, and we've moved the stove out a bit to the middle of this wall.  Finally, the wall with the doorway to the basement. 

 

Obviously, still a ways to go.  But this is clear progress.

Alexandria Kitchen Week 5, Part 1

A couple of things are starting to come into focus.  The new kitchen floor is in, and the walls that will be exposed when all is said and done have their coats of paint.  But there is still plenty of work going on...this will be the first of two posts this week. 

Here is the landing on the stairway to the basement, showing the new oak floor.  Most of the kitchen floor has been laid, but it is covered with boxes and cabinetry.

Here are the pantry and the sun room.  As you can see, very crowded, pressed into service as storage for the Christmas weekend, and because snow is forecast and we don't want anything left outside.

Alexandria Kitchen Week 4

We’ll start the post today with a quick note about posts next week. Since we are going to be out at Hawksbill Cabin (and it looks like we are going to have quite a big snow), the posts will be scarce, so I will probably break the kitchen update for week 5 into a couple of posts.

Starting here with the “compass points” series, you can see the wall where there used to be a base cabinet and wall cabinet. Here are paint samples – the drywall work is done and it’s time to paint before the new installations begin. Actually though, I should mention that the refrigerator is moving over to this location…also, we’ve chosen a green paint, similar to the one here but a lighter tint.

Then we have the wall where the sink will be. We’ve worked out lighting schedules now and there will be two little lights above the sink, as opposed to a single can light like we had before or a pendant.

Next the new “long” wall, where we replaced the original entryway into the kitchen, moving it a few feet over into the old fridge space to improve circulation…and then the fourth compass point, the wall with the doorway to the basement.






The pantry is next. It is still waiting for its turn in the spotlight, and is mostly used for storage right now. It will have a pantry cabinet and work space when all is said and done.

Finally, the sun room – as you can see, there is too much going on in there for me to take the usual two photos. But they’ve begun framing out the new door here – we are changing the old door out for a double wide, sliding glass door. This will give us more window light back there. It’s already a cheerful space despite the northwest exposure, so the door should add to that.

This coming week is going to be one with a lot of progress. They will paint, put down the new floor, and begin installing cabinets, so the place will look very different in next week’s update. In fact, yesterday, they put down about a third of the new floor in the kitchen.  So it looks as thought so much will have been done (he says optimistically) I think I will go ahead and plan on the next kitchen update post being a two-parter.

Morning Wood

We are about halfway through the kitchen remodel.  I think. I hope.

One of the highlights this week has been making some decisions about materials for items we were waiting on - now that construction has proceeded to this point, we were ready to finalize our choice of flooring, paint colors, and lighting.  While I'll post the usual update next week, the floor we chose has already arrived.

As I mentioned, it's a wood floor...I think the shade is "butterscotch" or something like that.  And it's going to be filling up the dining room for a week or two while the cabinet installation begins - hopefully next week.

Alexandria Kitchen: Week 3 Update

Since I broke my Moto RAZR last week, I've needed a few days to get a handle on how picture taking is going to work with the new iPhone.  So here's a first go at a blog post with photos from the iPhone...the camera is much better here and the photos are usually hi resolution.  I've saved them down to ten percent of the original density - thus there is some graininess, but hopefully, they will serve.  I'll keep working on it and get the hang of it.

This week, the major accomplishment has been to finish the framing of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and getting the wall board up.  Since I took these photos on Monday morning, boxes for the light switches have been cut out and other progress has been made...but I will save that for next week.

Here are the "four points" in the kitchen as of Monday morning.  Starting from the wall where the base and wall cabinets were, then the window where the kitchen sink was, the new wall that used to be a door, and then the doorway to the basement.

This one is the dining room side of the new wall, where we moved the doorway to the side.

Here are the two sun room views.  Next week you'll be able to see some big changes in here.

Finally, here is the view into the pantry.  There will be new cabinets and counters in here, so it can be used as additional workspace.  All of that is coming, soon enough.