Sorry that this here blog has not been updated in a few. We are busily trying to finish up the framing on the second floor. The house is so solid now, I am really impressed and glad. I heard stories from Greg and Seth (no relation) about putting up the roof stringers. Because the roof was bowed somewhat, the two of them spent something like seven hours sledgehammering the new roof stringers into place. There are homemade braces for the stringers, and new tools made out of duct tape, a part of an old tool, and a broken handle...I can't explain it better than that and neither can they. Seth tells me he has some black and white photos of some of their homemade tools in action. I'll post as soon as he gets them to me.

It's time to bring in the big guns.

Seth is leaving for a month's long drive across country, I am traveling back and forth to Florida a lot right now and Greg is sewing as fast as he can upstairs to keep ahead of his orders. With that in mind, I called in my contractor friend Larry to have one of his guys come over and start framing out the bathrooms and the bedrooms. I think I said before that Larry has old 7 foot tall solid oak doors from a house in Belfast that he would be happy to barter to me. I want to reuse these doors as pocket doors for the two bedrooms upstairs so that one can have both doors open to take advantage of the views and cross breezes from both rooms. When I asked Larry how long it might take to frame up the rooms, he told me 3 days! I would be far ahead of schedule if that was indeed the case. It would make me very happy! I am starting to get overwhelmed with rental inquiries about the place, so it makes me think that summer is right around the corner.

More soon!