Red, Red Barn ....

Red, red barn
Go to my head 
Make me forget that I 
Still need her so 

Red, red barn
It's up to you 
All I can do, I've done 
But memories won't go 
No, memories won't go 

I'd have sworn 
That with time 
Thoughts of you 
Would leave my head 
I was wrong 
And I find 
Just one thing 
Makes me forget 

Red, red barn

Stay close to me 

Don't let me be alone 

It's tearing apart

My blue, blue heart

Our version of a Barn Raising ....

We somehow managed to get the team to the house for a 'Barn Staining Party. Well, actually not much of a party as we never even got lunch for everyone. Anyway ... we fueled Mia, Grace and Patrick with moral supports and got a good bit of the first coat done.

Mia tried not to show it ... but I think she really enjoyed the work. Brie of course, didn't even pick up a brush the entire day!

Grace and Mia stop to pose, but Patrick just keeps working!

Of course, Kim wanted her own 'side' to stain and just hung out in the back of the barn. We had several visitors during the day, and each time, I had to go get 'little miss focused' and bring her around front to meet people. Strange, as she's really the social one!

Kim took the opportunity to do a little laundry.  Instead of squatting by a stream, she just used our cooler.

OMG .... we're moving .... AGAIN!

Mia's thinking ... didn't we just move last summer?  Here we are with the first load coming up to store in the barn. My new master plan to move in small stages hit a glitch when I realized that it cost about $10 more per day for a huge truck vs. a small one like this. I'm really looking forward, as I think Mia is, to settling in for years vs. months!

More septic progress

Lee has made a lot of progress on the Septic System. These pictures show the special Septic Sand is now in place. I'm not sure what is next, but we can see the top of the sand and since the top soil will be six inches above that, I can really see this blending in with the grade like I mentioned last week.

Lee has started the septic

Lee has now turned his attention to the septic system.  Here are a couple of pictures showing his progress.  The top of the stake indicate six inches above the level we need the 'special' septic sand, so in other words the top of the sticks is where the ground will be.

Lee already understood, because I brought it up every time I saw him, that I was paranoid about us having a big 'septic mound'.   So, this time, he took me down to show me the grade and I'm now pretty comfortable that, with a reasonable amount of fill, he'll be able to overcome the mound and blend it in the rest of the property.  After a season or two, I don't think we'll notice that the field was ever there.

Getting close on the framing

You can now see that the roof sheathing on the North and South side is done.  The windows have arrived and are in the barn.  We're hoping that the framing is done and the windows are in by the end of the month.  This may not include the front porch.

Kim's walking through the great room and Brie is headed out the front door. You can see most of the Douglas Firs have been put in, so the framers can finish up the center section of the house now.

The picture to the right is from the North side of the house in the back looking up towards where the back patio will be.  Lee has built a retaining wall so we can have the slope in the back stop and create a flat area near the walk out part of the basement.

Barn just about complete

Jason from Superior Doors put the garage doors on last week and Art put on the other door and finished the siding on the front.  All that's left now is to finish the roof and then, hopefully next Saturday, we start to get a coat of barn red stain on it.

Notice the long Douglas Fir laying in front of the barn.  That goes into the frame of the great room next week.