Working, Working, Working.

 

Well, the wood burning stove pipes were fixed and Jim was able to have a warm, cozy fire in the cabin for a couple of days.... and, then... it warmed up again and there was no need for a stove.  But, while it was cold, the fire kept his tootsies warm and cozy.  (I think the stove looks positively beautiful and inviting...)

The work preparing the planks for the ceiling continues... There's a whole lot of work to be done BEFORE it gets installed... 

Here's the wood planer all covered up before it started raining... But, uncovered it does a fabulous job making the planks looks beautiful.

And, it does an amazing job making loads and loads of saw dust.  This is about the amount of sawdust it produces in a 30 minute period.  

And, here's what the camera on the balcony caught.... some guy stealing our planks...  actually, it's Jim carrying the planks onto the deck so he would plane them.... He just looks sneaky.  Giggle...

And, I believe these are planed and ready to be covered in shellac.  

And, here's the product all painted, drying and ready for installation.

Jim put a couple of the boards up to see what they looked like, and I really like it.  I think it's the right application.

We had the first cupboard made for the kitchen.  A gentleman at work made them, and did an amazing job.  It still needs a little bit of fine tuning, but the construction is amazing.  Two more have been made, but not installed yet.

Jim started the sheetrock work in the main level bedroom and I couldn't be more thrilled.  It's a lot of work, but Jim did amazing.

We got a weather advisory telling us there was going to be a major rainstorm from Thursday to mid Saturday, and the weather man was correct!  It started looking overcast and dark on the Thursday morning, and continued on until Saturday night..  Looks really ominous.

While it was pouring rain, Jim continued on with the sheetrock in the bedroom...

...and actually completed the part behind the headboard...

When Jim is at the cabin, I always try and send him a care package... usually filled with building materials and treats.  And, I always send cookies.  I didn't know, that whenever I sent oatmeal raisin cookies, this is how they arrive.  I didn't have a clue... Jim sent me this picture and said not to worry... they eat the same as the round cookies...  Giggle.  

Service Location:	BRYCE WOODLANDS
Service:	COOP Provided Electric Service
Amount:	$57.22
Due Date:	Nov 5, 2025

We get a monthly electric bill for the cabin, and this is the first time in all the years we have been building, that the bill went over $50.00!  Jim usually now goes for a couple of weeks at a time, and this is the result!  There is a base price of $36.00 a month... so we are really rockin' here!

I found this towel holder a couple of weeks ago, and I think it's going to look great with the rest of the wrought iron in the bathroom.  It's unusual, but it'll go really well.

And, here's my baby maple trees that eventually will be planted at the cabin.  These babies are going to spend the winter in the house, in the warm before moving down south.  I think the winter will be too cold, and living in the house will give them a little bit more growing time...I've got a silver maple and a red maple... It's the Canadian in me coming out.

With that, this edition ends.... the adventure continues...

Love, Jim and Cheri

Create with the heart; build with the mind

WE PASSED OUR 4-WAY!!!

 OH MY GOODNESS!!!  After years and years of working on the cabin, we had an inspection by the county, and we got our 4-way approved!  I am so excited and thrilled, you have no idea!!! This means, we have one more inspection before it's totally completed - and that's the final move in inspection.  There's still a lot to do, but this is a milestone!

Jim started installing the ceiling tiles in the kitchen this past week and I think it's looks amazing.  After looking at it, I think we are going to change the colour of the walls in the kitchen to match the ceiling tiles... But, that's something that can be easily figured out... Back to Home Depot paint department for me!

Jim and I were talking about the cost of the tiles versus the cost of the matrix to install the tiles, and from that, he stated that he's really a "bargain".  He paid for the matrix, and I paid for the tiles.... A lot of times, Jim is at the cabin and I am at the house in Provo, and it's easier for me to order supplies than for him to... We thought we could buy the ceiling matrix in Cedar City, BUT, found out that he actually had to pick it up in Salt Lake.... in the meantime, I ordered the tiles and, my tiles were about 10 times what his part cost... so, now, he thinks he's a bargain.  Giggle. (I told him that never in my life have I called him a bargain... I've called him a lot of other things, but NEVER a bargain... he stated that he's never called me a bargain either... Why do I love this man???)

Here's what the kitchen ceiling looks like now....

and, here's what it looked like at the beginning of the process....

I really love this look... kinda of old world.. very charming...

And, I really love the stained glass light fixtures that go with the ceiling tiles...

The work continues... This is for the washer and dryer on the main level.  It's going into a little closet on the main level, so I don't have to walk up and down stairs just to do the laundry...

I don't have a clue what this is, but it's something to do with hot and cold water.  Giggle.  I am sure Jim could explain it.. but, I'm in the dark...

I've been looking for all things wrought iron, and I found a bathroom tissue holder in just the right material... It's different, but I like it.  It's going to find a home in the main level bathroom...

And, a register went into the main level bathroom... Little by little, everything is getting completed!  My man is working VERY VERY hard... and, I appreciate it...

We're been looking for a cabinet to go into the little space under one of my stained glass sunflowers, and Jim found this one online.  The space is very small, and not a whole lot fits in there, but this piece does.  AND, it is solid.  I picked it up in my Kia and I couldn't put it into the hatch by myself... AND, it sat there until Jim came home from the cabin... I couldn't get it into the car, or get it out.  But, it fits beautifully.

And, Jim accessorized the space... I think it's darling.  Very old fashioned... I am not quite sure what I am going to put into the drawers, but I think towels are going into the ceramic basket.

Interesting situation:  I found a spiral staircase in Provo to be installed from the deck to the jacuzzi.  I paid for it, and set a pick up date.  Jim got trailer and went to pick it up.  The guy that I bought it from was not there, but his son was..... and, he was not really wanting to help.  We were told that they would put it on their forklift, and lift it into the trailer.  When Jim got there, the "gentleman" (and I use that word VERY loosely) decided he would haul it up with a tow truck.  When he lifted it, he slammed against the wall and caved in the side and the railing of the staircase.... and, at that point, the guy came unhinged, and yelled and screamed at Jim...  He made it sound like it was Jim's fault when in fact, he damaged OUR property and would not take responsibility.  Jim got in his truck and hauled it out of there - fearing for his life.  Jim called me to call the guy I bought it from... I called, and got the guy who was yelling at Jim... And guess what....  He was the rudest, more ignorant person to me and finally slammed the phone down... I don't think I have heard the F-bomb used so many times in such a short span of time in my life... Jim had the same sentiment.  And, all I did was ask for the owner.  We subsequently call the police to help with the situation.  Jim felt more protected with two police officers there... Very sad.  Jim decided that instead buying another premade set of steps, he'll just build them himself...  All I was trying to do was to cut down the workload on Jim... sigh... Never in my life have I felt so afraid just by talking to someone over the phone...  very sad.

The last time we were in California, I happened in a thrift store - I'm always looking for unusual pieces of furniture or something different, and I came across this shirt/jacket - kind of scruffy - sleeves ripped off etc.  ... It kind of amused me, so I bought it for Jim.  It's from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally from 2014 in Sturgis, South Dakota.  Though I have never been, and really don't have a desire to go, I understand it's a pretty big rally.  Anyways, I kinda bought it as an amusement for Jim.  When he saw it, he said it was cool and we left it at that...

When Jim goes to the cabin, I always try to pack enough clothes (plus a couple of days) to get him through the time he is going to be there.  This last trip, I anticipated him being there about 10 -12 days... Well, this trip went a little longer, and he had enough clothes, except for the last day.... He ran out of clothes.  When he got to the door in Provo, this is what he was wearing.  Made me laugh...  He said that every stop he made between the cabin and Provo, someone asked him if he rode motorcycles and they had a little conversation.  Jim asked me if I thought he looked like he belonged to a motorcycle club, and all I said was I thought he needed a haircut and his beard trimmed...  He got the message.  Giggle.  I am sure Boeing would have loved this look for their senior engineer...   

We needed to put a sealant on the ceramic work in the bathroom and on the ceramic on the floor around the hearth.  I purchased what the store suggested.  When we put some of the sealer on, it didn't look quite the same as the samples in the store.  Jim went back into the store and asked them about it, and they said the product I bought actually was a sealant... BUT, I should have bought and enhancer and sealant...  My question is:  Why didn't they tell me this in the store?  Well, we have the right stuff now... I didn't even know they had an enhancer..  I guess you learning something new every day.

Now that we passed our insulation inspection, we (actually, Jim is ready... I'm just riding on his coat tails...) are ready to start putting the tongue and groove wood slats on the ceiling.  They've been outside all winter long, so we had to get the wood planer out, put on the deck and have a little refinishing job done to them before installation.  This wood planer weighed about 600 pounds and it took a little manpower to get it up on the deck.  It started by lifting it up with the boom and swinging it over closer to the deck...

I swear, we use this boom truck for tons of stuff... beyond what you usually use a boom truck for!

We got the wood planer on the deck... with the help of three strong helpers, and the process has begun... Here's what a couple of the boards look BEFORE the process....

And, here's the after product... well, after the planing....

I like the look of the wood with all the little knots in it.  I think it has personality..

And, here's the boards with the varnish on them.. I really like the colour... 

And, these crazy people came from Alaska and visited with me on Friday morning.  FanX was at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, and Brad and his tribe came for three days of crazy dress up and fun. I am told FanX is a pop culture and comic convention... I didn't have a clue. Thank goodness for Google, or I'd be lost on a whole lot of topics... We got together for breakfast on Friday.  I arrived at the restaurant first and I told the servers that I was waiting for my kids and grandkids to show up.  About 5 minutes later, these crazies showed up, and the servers pointed and were commenting at the group... The servers said, "Check out these guys"... I walked over to them and said, "That's MY kids".. They had absolutely no response... just kind of stared at me....  Giggle.

And, this was Sunday afternoon after dinner!  The girls and I spent the afternoon shopping at Hot Topic (their choice) and snacking on acai bowls. We invited Brad also, but I don't think Hot Topic was really his jam... We had an amazing fun time!  It was so fun watching the girls shop for clothes... two sisters, and two completely different personalities and choices in clothes... Brea, the youngest, prefers things that are colours and bows... Mahayla, is into mysterious black attire... It's cute to see personalities develop.. I totally enjoyed myself just watching them pick out clothes and accessories... 

And, I'm gonna brag on my "little" brother for a bit.  He has a book he wrote for sale in the Strand bookstore in NYC.  He was a little surprised when he saw it, and I couldn't be prouder.  Eldon says there were two copies in the store for sale.

The Strand is the "Biggest and Best" bookstore in New York City... Eldon says he signed both copies... I was joking with him and asked him if his book was in second hand bookstores yet... and he told me he would love to see his book there....  I believe his book was the number one selling book on Amazon...  I don't want him to get a big head or anything, but I truly am proud of him... (At this point, if I were talking to Eldon, he would say something like... "You can be proud, but you are still 10 years older than me..."  sigh... he reminds me on a regular basis...  Giggle.

With that, this edition is signed and sealed...  The adventure continues...

Love, Jim and Cheri

...and, the craziness continues...

Here's our beautiful fall sunsets at the cabin...  sigh.

 Jim sent me this picture about midnight one evening... and, I just about had a stroke.  He was sitting in my beautiful recliner... covered in this sawdust.   He assured me that he would vacuum it all up and change his clothes OUTSIDE before going to bed... but, I was suspicious... did he actually do it?  The next picture I saw, there was not sawdust on the recliner, BUT, what about the clothes.... hmmm...  He sent me a picture of the legs of his pants also.... sawdust covered...  (Jim gets a little sneaky sometimes, but I always forgive him because he has such a boyish grin... and, I melt...)

And, the deer whisperer put out the grain with the molasses in a bucket, and the neighborhood is having a blast chowing down.  The mama deer are really thin, but the babies are fat and happy, so I hope this little bit of treat with energize them a little bit.  

You can see the ribs of some of the mama deer.... Must have been a lean summer OR they are making sure the babies are looked after.  I don't know much about deer...

This picture is a little difficult to see between the position of the picture and the shadow... But, it's a mama deer and a squirrel eating out of the same bucket at the same time...  I guess after watching Rocky and Bullwinkle, I should have learned that squirrels will be friends with anyone...  But, after watching some of the squirrels around this bucket, they don't want to share with other squirrels... they chase each other away on a regular basis.

This really made me laugh... Jim called me on Saturday morning, saying that he had run out of sugar... and he had searched all over the house looking for a little bit of sugar somewhere... even a little packet of sugar and couldn't find any... He said he felt like a drug user looking for a fix - looking everywhere...  He asked what was around the place that had a little bit of sweetness to it, and I told him there was some peach jam in the cupboard.  The next morning, he tried the peach jam, with half and half in his coffee...  Let's just say, he was not impressed... He said it didn't taste like coffee... didn't taste like peach jam, and didn't taste like creamer...  He finally made it to the store and his habit was satisfied... Made me laugh.

I was working outside cleaning up the front of the house and I felt a stab in my arm... I looked to see if there was a stinger stuck in me but there wasn't... I could see a little tiny bite mark on the underside of my arm and put a little bit of anti itch on it... Within a couple of hours, I could see there were not one little puncture mark, but two and it spread like crazy. I marked the irritation line with a marker just so I could tell if it was spreading to the point of extreme out of control. The itch and the pain was out of this world.  I finally made it to the doctor and he said that it was a black widow bite.... But, my own system was adequately fighting the venom...  I have extreme body aches but no fever, and a slight headache, but the doctor said that is normal.. I see the doctor again tomorrow morning for a check up... I hope they can do something for the aches...  stupid spider....

I found this little table and I just had to have it.  The guy selling it said it was a bird bath, but I don't think so.  It doesn't hold water very well, so I think it's actually a side table for a deck.  I loved the leaf pattern - and, Jim, who usually complains about "Where are you going to put it" said it was amazing, but followed up questioning where it was going to go... and I honestly told him, like I usually do... "I don't know".  

The guys made a trip to St. George to pick up some scaffolding and 20 pieces of sheetrock on Monday.  I asked Jim to take a picture for me, and as you can tell, only 2 pieces are left in the trailer and no scaffolding left in the trailer when he remembered to take the picture for me... hmmmm...

He sent me the pictures, and when I questioned him about only a couple of pieces left, he said, "I was hoping you wouldn't notice..."  Seriously?  Does he think I'm blind?  Giggle.

And, the insulation work continues on the ceiling...  We are hoping to have it finished by the end of the week in order to have an inspection on the 22nd... Here's hoping... I think Ben was a primate in another life - he doesn't mind "swinging from the trees" - me on the other hand - not so much.. just seeing picture makes my stomach churn.... 

In the evenings, Jim has been busy completing sheet rock in different parts of the cabin.  This picture shows the beading that goes on corners to protect them from bumps and bruises.  I remember as a kid, having the telephone (wall mounted) in the kitchen and taking the phone onto the stairs going to the basement just to have a little privacy.  Dad would always have a fit when the paint would be all mucked up after repeated telephone calls... I don't know if Dad put the beading on, but he sure didn't appreciate my habits of messing up the corners....  

And, here's the finished product... Well, without the paint.  

And, here's Jim's harem again.  He fed them some chocolate chip cookies, then bought them a bag of feed with molasses - they really, really liked that... and then Cheetos... and finally peanut butter cookies... I personally think they are in love with him...

The deer congregate by the bridge going to the front door.... and, beside the jacuzzi down below... and just about anywhere they can get a treat.  The babies are still a little nervous, but the mamas and daddies don't have a problem and will eat out of Jim's hand...

I bought drawer pulls for the kitchen... and Jim put a couple on so I could see what they looked like.  The counter tops are going to be black granite, so I think these are going to look great.

We had to purchase a few more sheets of the foam insulation, but the problem was getting it up the scaffolding so Ben could install... So, here's 4 years of Engineering undergrad work, and 2 years of an Engineering masters program come to fruition...  They put together a little pully system, and hoisted the sheets up in a garbage bag... Money well worth spent..

And, here's Ben's Army training at work... retrieval!  Giggle...  (This probably had nothing to do with engineering or retrieval, but I just had to put that little jab in there.... Ok, guys... I'll send more cookies next time.....)

With all the insulation flying in the air, I am glad the guys had really decent masks to wear.  

 

But, I don't know how they deal with insulation without long sleeved shirts on... The itching from the insulation would drive me crazy.

And, the sheetrock process is moving down the hall and around the corner.  I find this so freakin' exciting.  Since Jim retired, he has spent a lot of time working at the cabin and the work has been moving forward in leaps and bounds.  I miss Jim something terrible while he's gone, but I find the pictures he sends me so exciting.

And, Jim does really beautiful work... He's got this perfectionist thing about what he works on... I love it.

The sheets of insulation went in, and this is the final stages of the blown in insulation... 

And, it makes a horrible mess...  Jim told me on Saturday night that he is really glad that I'm not there to see all the mess because I would be having a stroke... I'm having a stroke just looking at the pictures.  

..like this picture... Seeing one picture is bad, but seeing the overall mess really freaks me out...  It looks like a warzone...

Jim gave me an assignment this week - to pick out paint for the walls... I wasn't sure what colour I wanted, but went to the store knowing I wanted something warm that would blend nicely with all the different types of wood in different rooms...  We have oak cabinets, and knotty pine on the ceiling, and who knows what on the hearth, so, it has to be something really specific for the walls... And, I didn't want "oatmeal". After picking out 8 - 10 different shades, I settled on these three for Jim's approval.  They are all slightly different - one being very light, one medium and one a little darker... I kinda like all three.

As the guys were coming to the last day of insulating, they realized they were short about 10 bales of the insulation... so, it was back to Home Depot for more...  When finished, we have bought 96 bales of cellulose insulation for an R rating of 49 in the ceiling.  The closest Home Depot is Cedar City which is a little over an hour away..

And, here's last of the insulation going in...

And, a thumbs up for a job well done!  

Jim called to get an inspection on the 22nd, and was told that our inspector has 30 properties to check out, so he would not be able to make it to our cabin until the 30th.  Sad.  We were so looking forward to passing the insulation inspection.  Well, I guess we'll wait... I guess we don't have a choice.

With that, this edition comes to an end... My Jim made it home this afternoon and I am absolutely thrilled.  He warms my heart.

Love, Jim and Cheri

• "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." —C.S. Lewis