Longer Days

It was back out to Nordegg again this past weekend for me.  With daylight savings time kicking in last weekend, plus the longer daylight hours of spring, it is now possible for me to head out on Fridays after work.  I also don't have to rush home early in the afternoon on Sundays.  I don't like driving for extended periods of time in darkness.  I find my eyes get very tired and I get drowsy and have difficulty focusing on driving.  An hour or so is OK but I avoid more than that.

I left the city at about 5:30, after finishing up at work and throwing a few supplies in my truck.  The girls decided to stay home this weekend, so I went out to work... again.  It was about 8:30 when I arrived at the cottage and the twilight was just fading.  There were some wild horses standing in the middle of the highway up on Saunders ridge and I didn't see them until I was right on top of them.  Fortunately I was able to avoid them without incident.  This time around I brought out the two bedroom doors, two door jambs, a mattress for the spare bedroom, and a new portable barbecue.  It was comfortably warm in the cottage when I arrived and I unloaded everything from the truck and then got a fire going.

There is more activity out there now that spring is upon us.  Even on Friday evening, a few neighbors were around and by Saturday, even more showed up.  I was unable to start the ATV's in the extreme cold when I was last out a couple of weeks ago.  I was pretty sure I was going to have to charge the batteries.  But, in the mild sunny conditions they both started, and I moved them outside and let them run for a while.  

I set about installing the two remaining interior doors to the bedrooms.  I got the jambs all put in and cut and fit the casing.  Then, when I went to hang the doors, I realized that I had forgotten the hinges back at my shop.  So... the doors will have to wait for another day.....

The portable BBQ that I brought out replaced the old one that we had before and mostly used with our trailer.  It finally wore out after ten years of heavy use and the repair parts would have cost almost as much as a new one.  We have a large BBQ at the cottage, but it is kind of nuisance to drag out of the garage in winter, and way to big for just one or two people.  I set up the portable and it worked just fine.  I made myself a couple of baked potatoes, a nice strip loin steak, and a lobster tail.  It was spectacular... and the first really good steak I've had in many months....

On Sunday, after a rather lazy morning, I put up a couple of shelves that I previously made.  These were small shelves with "antique" brackets that I installed on some of the upper walls.  I put two up so far, but have to decide where to put the remaining two.  I set out a bunch of the antiques that Margarit and I have collected, on these shelves.  Then I went downstairs and continued with the installation of plywood paneling to the interior foundation walls.  All of the pieces are now installed except for the last three that I need to cut at my shop and bring out next time.

I did get out for a couple of ATV rides around the subdivision.  The snow was going fast and it was touch and go for the snowmobile.  Had a brief chat with my neighbor Rob... watched the deer... puttered on a few other chores, and that was about it.  The interior finishing is drawing to a conclusion now.  I still have to finish the last section of kitchen cabinet and bring that out.  When I have the hinges I can install these last two doors.  Then there is baseboard to do in the two downstairs bedrooms.  And I have the wood counter to finish and install in the bay window.  A couple of handrails on the stairs, kitchen countertops, the kitchen sink, and then I am just about done.

After all of that is completed I will move outdoors and work on some outside stuff for a while.  In between, and over the next winter, I will work on two small sections of upper cupboards, a medicine cabinet and a bunch of furniture that I want to build.

Almost exactly a year ago I was out there for four days with my friend Rob.  We stayed at the nearby Cheechako Cabins because mine was just an empty shell.  We had a temporary construction heater set up, and power was from an exterior temporary panel with extension cords.  We worked on the electrical rough in, and wrapped that up after four days work.  Later that spring Margarit and I continued with insulation and vapor barrier....  What a difference a year makes...!!

The dinette area and kitchen, viewed with a fisheye lens, from the corner near the woodstove.  

The two new door jambs I just installed are on either side of the stairway.

This old abandoned house is up near Rimbey and I took a shot of it on my way home on Sunday evening.  There deer were enjoying the mild evening temperatures which spiked up to about +12.

The upstairs living room, with the master bedroom visible through the door.  

Again this one with with the fisheye lens.

 

Yet another fisheye lens shot.  

This one is taken from near the bay window, looking across the dinette and up at the living room.  The two antique shelves that I just installed are visible, as are the two new door jambs.

 

A porthole like view with the fisheye lens.  This one was taken out the upper window.

Our driveway and the remaining snow is visible below, with Eagle Peak in the background.

A final fisheye view.  This one is from the upstairs living room, looking over 

the glass railing and down into the dinette and kitchen.

One of the framers scribbled this guy onto the studs around the door opening of the west bedroom.  The girls named him Tod.  Now that the new door jamb, visible to left has been secured in place, Tod is forever hidden from view.