movin on up

After a week or so of rain, we were finally able to continue on with construction. Piper, with the help of friends Rory and Kip, framed up the north and south walls of the smaller two bedrooms and lifted 5 trusses into place. The trusses are assembled in two pieces, the peaks have yet to be attached. I built two trellises for our peas to climb last week, and if the deer don't devour them first, we hope to be snacking on peas in the next week or so.

Wade in the Water

Heavy rains held off a full day of work, though wading through inches of water, a wall was still raised with the help of good friends in town from out west. Seeking a better vantage point for an picture, I climbed up to sit atop the main support beam and discovered a fantastic surprise- the letters WPA stamped into the grain.

joist a day at a time

I arrived home from a trip to Rochester to find Piper nailing in the last of the floor joists. With the help of some friends, he was able to get all the joists in place, the last big beam up in the living room and the utility room framed up while I was gone. What a difference a few days makes! Tomorrow he'll start framing up the last walls and get ready for the roof trusses to arrive.

joist the two of us

I was able to join Piper midday to help finishing sanding and painting the last of 28 4x8 beams that make up 14 floor joists. The 2 gallons of paint made it to beam number 27 before running dry -- a job that will be finished when we paint the underside of the flooring. I brought home a few samples of painted pine to experiment with distressing the joists. At the end of day, Piper pointed out these two creatures gearing up for battle. I can't help but wonder if really it's the beginning of a beautiful courtship.