ONE MORE TIME

They did it again. Yep. Broke the water line for the third time - fourth if you count the fact that the one repair didn't hold and it broke overnight.

Worker Bees A'plenty

It's been busy on Hammond Drive! After the water line was broken, then fixed - it burst sometime during the night Thursday/Friday.


We had big equipment and guys from the earth movers, of course with volunteer "supervisors" from the water company. . . .







We had hand digging too. Note the supervisors still in place. Rumor has it that there was some tension between those actually doing repairs and the self-appointed supervisors. I wasn't there, so it's just a rumor.









But, it did get done. This time all repairs held. The trench you see will carry power, water, cable, and phone to the house. We are still waiting on final paper work from So. Cal. Edison. That behemoth does not move quickly.









While all that went on outdoors the cabinetry went in around the fireplace. The shelving units at the side will have doors and adjustable shelves. I'm quite pleased with the look that to me is reminiscent of prairie or craftsman styling.









And, the cabinet guys kept working to finish the installation so the painters could start on staining.











And, that would be Jimmy and company taping off in preparation for the staining. See the shelf above the windows? That's to accommodate the "stuff" I have collected (Scottie would say the "crap") over the years that seems to belong in a kitchen.


The two lower shelves will hold coffee and tea fixins and favorite mugs.





George was doing some drywall repair himself, this in the laundry room that is located within my studio.


Scottie even joined in the fun - marking where an incorrectly placed light needs to be moved to its correct spot.

And. . .




Somehow - in the midst of all this - I managed to turn 60!! Scottie and my daughter Monica pulled of a great accomplishment by Monica flying into Fresno without me knowing she was coming. GREAT surprise. Son Jeff was busy with grandson Jeremy's debut in a singing part in Atlanta. Monica needed her inhaler to cope with cat allergies and the weight of Buck, a minimum of 110 pounds, thinking he needed to use her as a pillow.

We had a great, but too short, visit that ended with a storm and all night rain.

It's been busy, busy, busy. We need to get moved in and life needs to SLOW DOWN. I'm exhausted. Happy but exhausted.

NOT AGAIN!!!

Mark, dozer driver supreme, broke the water line for a second time, this time while operating the backhoe to put in our water and power to the house.

Can't believe it. The first time I had lots of sympathy for them. But given that we now know where the water line is, this really seems careless.


And, we have a neighbor really P'd off. We went to her house to use a phone and phone book to call Ray Murry with the water company and basically got the door slammed in our face. Guess we won't have coffee any time soon.

On the good news front, the cabinets have been delivered, part are set in place, the rest will be soon, and the painter will stain. I'm quite pleased with how they've turned out.






The part for the cook-top will move back against the wall behind it. Sink goes in front of window and dual dishwasher to the right of that.




The shallow section to the right of where the refrig goes will house spices, oils, etc., etc., and is made to look more like an old-fashioned furniture piece.


So, I'm staying away and letting Mark, et al figure out the water problem this time. We took a wonderful drive today and saw LOTS of wildlife. Many red-tail hawks, at least a dozen wild turkey, a coyote and a bobcat who ran across the road right in front of us!!! Awesome. I'm never quick enough with my camera to catch those things, and the bobcat was fast!

The Wall is Done

Nearing completion. Here's Bob moving a few last big rocks as son Jeff and nephew Steve look on.












Jeff, who has been working with his dad some time, knows to get out of the way. Wonder if Steve will figure it out quickly?












Scottie's buddy Ben came up from San Diego for a bike race and visited the site. Ben is a geologist and gave us a bit of a free geology lesson about the rocks. He says we have the history of the Sierra in our wall.











So - drum roll please - here it is.

More fill dirt comes in this week. After that it's up to me to plant it and make it part of the site.

Major KUDOS to Bob Kellogg and crew! I think the wall is absolutely gorgeous. When you look at it closely you see the major fitting job that has been done. LOVE IT.





And, on the same day the wall was being finished, Sunday no less, the finish carpenters were up there working. That's a window sill held in the air. We are getting really close. I need to find out from George if we are still looking at mid-April so I can start planning the mid-May house warming!

Practically a party!

We've had lots going on this week. Wednesday and Thursday, it looked like a party with everyone there at once!

This is part of the material for our leach field being off-loaded. Leach fields are built entirely differently than when I was a kid. (OK, I'm old.) I don't understand how this system works, and I'm looking forward to watching it go in.






At the same time we had dirt delivery. Bob Kellogg has his back to the camera. The sling is post-shoulder surgery, undoubtedly from years of working with big rocks. The shaved headed guy is Dave Hammond, the dirt seller and deliverer.










Jeff Kellogg, Bob's son, was busy moving rock and dirt. I don't think Bob locks him in to keep him working, but I could be wrong. . . .










And, good progress is being made on the wall itself.












Just to add to the fun, Jimmy the painter and his crew were also on hand. Jimmy is running really tight on a schedule between our house and a BIG house he has coming up, so he took the opportunity of nice weather to work on the exterior paint.


Cabinets go in next week, then Jimmy and his guys can start the interior painting and staining.


I ordered my kitchen island, and it will be delivered either end of next week or first of the following.






And, Scottie, never one to miss a photo-op, posed with the rock wall. I just wanted to show its present stage and the size of some of the rocks. I think he'd like you to think he did part of the work!

Finally a word about ethics: Bob Kellogg cracked a trim board, pointed it out to me, said to have the contractor fix it and bill him. Then, I got concerned that we may not be gaining as much wall height as I'd thought we would with this wall, and called Bob in a panic. His basic response is that he's pretty sure it will be OK, and if it's not, he will come back and add another row without charge.

So, I add him to my very short list of persons I'd work with on a handshake!

A mid-week update on the wall

Wow, wow, double wow! I'm just lovin' this!


Check out these big, beautiful rocks. Notice how the wood pieces lean back toward the hillside - called battering - and the gravel is behind the boulders??? Bob knows his rock stuff! We should have no danger of our wall slipping off the hill.









Looking at the wall from the down side you can get a feel of the job that's being done on fitting. These rocks are big; none are of the same size in any direction; no concrete is used (hence "dry laid" or "dry stacked"). I am SO impressed.






And, let us not forget Moro Rock lurking there in the distance along with all the other rock out-croppings. It's this type of thing that makes the wonderful (but too expensive) rock wall so perfect for our lot.










Oh - our real front door is in though it will be red in its final incarnation. Just a touch of glass at the top for light, but not so much as to eliminate privacy in case I don't want to answer the door. But, did I mention the rocks???

Rock wall starts AND hawks visit the cabin

Things are getting started with the rock wall.

The gravel being delivered is for the footing for the wall. Boulders are already delivered and will be moved one or two at a time. They are much larger than I had pictured.










Trenching got started with care. That's Bob Kellogg running the big toy, his son Jeff with shovel in hand, and Ray Murry of the little water company looking on.










If you didn't read the part about the breaking of the water line early in the building process, this would be a good time to check out the "archives". We sighted as well as possible where we thought the line should be. Ray probed with a metal do-hickey. (Yes, that's another technical term.) And Jeff shoveled to find the elusive water line. All the moving of dirt got done without breaking the line. Yeah!!!







So, the line is in the for wall; and you can see how the stucco is shaping up. I think the final coat with the color will go on next week.












And, these are some of the BIG, beautiful, glorious rocks that will go into the wall. Yes, I love rocks. Don't know why; don't care. Just love the look, the feel, the sense of history they carry. As you can see from the proximity to Scoobie, my little car, we are talking BIG rocks.









Now, about those hawks:

Two, showed up at the rental cabin this AM, screeching like crazy.


This is mama, in a tree just outside the entrance to the cabin.





And, this is Papa, alight on the old power pole after their mating.

No, I did not photograph the mating.

EVERYONE deserves privacy for their romance!

The photos aren't great, 'cuz I could only get them as I was looking into the sun, but aren't they magnificent? I love hawks, love the power and majesty they have when they soar.

One of the best things about Three Rivers is the proximity to wildlife.

Oak Trees and Stucco

We got to watch the second coat of stucco going on. Can't wait to see the third coat since that when the color goes on.


I find the whole process quite interesting. The changes in materials, technology, etc., fascinate me.







Now, stucco gets blown on, then any smoothing, etc., happens by hand. Wonder what it was like in the days before big equipment??











Ditto thoughts about tile. We are told you "have" to have green board on walls and tile backing on any upstairs (w sub-floor) tile areas; that tile "can't" be put up/down otherwise. So, how did it happen in ancient Rome and Greece? How has all that beautiful tile held up for centuries w/o green board?


Somewhere along the line craftsmanship has given way to technology. Now don't take that to mean I'm unhappy with the house we are building. I'm not. It's going to be just right. It simply baffles me how we becomes so convinced that something "has to be" a certain way.

At one point I had considered wide pine plank floors, figuring let the dog nails, etc., scratch, let the dents happen, and it will simply develop it's own age and character. I was told you "can't" put pine, a soft wood, on floors. Yet, all over America there are beautiful wide plank pine floors that have been in place for decades.

Oh well, enough of my mental meandering.
If you scroll up and look at the first photo in this post you'll see the oak trees to the left of our house. Here are the ones to the right.


I'm pretty convinced that the name is Sheltering Oaks. I've also found a guy who can do a sign for us. Now I need to design it.

Rock wall starts Thursday. Stay tuned for photos.

Check out the elephant

We've finally gotten rain, meaning snow in the upper elevations, the past few weeks; and the elephant has become white. For those not from this area, look carefully at the snow-covered peak. Rafting season can be tracked by how white the elephant is. When he's mostly gray again, the season's over! (you can double click on the photo to see it larger.)










When I walk the dogs around the Hammond Drive/Mineral King circuit there are several places where our house can be seen very clearly. This is shot from one of the curves on Mineral King. This looks toward us as we'll be looking up toward Moro Rock.


The things happening now, finalizing cabinet questions, flooring questions, etc., hanging doors inside, etc., are not things that show up in photos. Final stucco layer should go on in the next week or two. Cabinets should go in in 2 - 3 weeks. Then painting will start. Closer and closer. Already the visitors calendar is filling up, so get your reservations in.