I am slightly behind because I unexpectedly ended up working last Sunday and didn’t have time to put up a post. I am gulping down coffee this morning because we had an absolute cracking large thunderstorm last night. Lots of thunderbolts – I am pretty sure that at least one fell nearby because the was barely a quarter second or less difference between the bolt and the thunder. No damage to the house or electronics fortunately
At my house, a ton of very visible stuff has been done – so lots and lots of pictures! We are not quite complete with some plumbing, electrical and lighting still to do. But lots and lots of site work.
The site guy Paul has is an absolute artist – he has done a fabulous job. I have already gotten feedback from neighbors who have commented on how nicely the finished driveway has come out. A smooth build up of layers, topped off with gravel (crush-and-run?). He added in a cross driveway water drain in case it gets REALLY wet and very, very nicely built up the whole thing. Apparently in a wet winter, the end of where my driveway is now historically was a puddle of epic proportions. I think that we have alleviated this pretty well. Such a clean job – nice!
The propane tanks are now in and mounted, with a buried line to the generator. The kitchen backsplash is installed and looks great. The island overhead lighting system is mostly done – just pending the installation of the LED lights. The second in floor electrical outlet is roughed in too. Still to come is the toilet in the master bath. We are getting close as the final items tick off
Ok – pictures of the outside site work
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- A picture my Dad took of the early site work to complete the driveway
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- Early work on the drain across the driveway
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- Installation of the cross driveway drainage. At this point it is only partially complete
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- smoothing things out
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- Early work on the drive way. The site guy is fantastic! That may look like tar/asphalt in the photo – but it is not. Just very dark earth that is still pretty damp
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- mid way progress building up the driveway to be level with the septic field
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- More midway pictures
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- Foot of the driveway with the electrical distribution box mightily protected by rocks. Also the space alien looking sensor for the driveway lights attached to the short concrete bollard
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- I am not sure what kind of plantings to put in? Maybe high bush Blueberries?
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- Electrical outlets
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- Final cross driveway drainage placement
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- Chomp – Chomp – Chomp
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- A seriously big machine. When you look at the results the site guy got out of such a huge piece of equipment you can clearly tell he is an Artist !
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- Gravel !
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- A picture my Dad took midway through the driveway work. I think this is from the point by the midway electrical bollard
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- A picture my Dad took in the early morning – showing the sun dapples. My photos are normally mid afternoon after going to the Town Transfer Station (aka – “The Dump”) on Saturdays – so a bit of a different feeling here
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- Finished grade of the car port with a perfect layer of gravel
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- looking down the rear steps, with the blue stone treads. Note the fantastic blue stone cap on the half wall
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- Looking up into the car port. The ceiling of the car port came out really, really well !
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- More excellent use of rocks – helping even out the slope to the generator – and not incidentally protecting it from people backing into it
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- The propane tanks for the generator are installed, along with the below ground feeder line.
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- Backside of the generator looking at the rock wall and propane fuel for the generator
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- general walkabout of the house looking at the storage underneath
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- Back of the house and the well head
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- Note on the right – the under the house lighting. We went a bit strong on that but I think it will be very helpful and will look cool on a snowy night
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- more walk about of the house. Where the rocks are is pretty close to the lot line. I am going to use them to delineate the lot line with Kimballs (replacing the weedy pine trees). I am also planning on planting a set of native Concord grape vines on an arbor. John Bakewell and I arranged that I would keep the area between the barn and my property free of invasive plants like poison ivy, buckthorn, bittersweet etc… and that I would pay to have some new trees planted on their property in replacement of what was taken out. They were suggesting to John fruit trees – I am thinking apple trees? they don’t get too tall and are pretty
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- What is left of the dirt and rock. Still lots of good rocks to line off the lot line between me and Kimballs so I can fulfill my commitment to make sure the line is very clear (aka – my yard does not creep into their land )