Insulated

After a near ten day trip to Montgomery, Alabama, Linda has finally made it back home to the farm to find an ever changing house that continues to amaze. Here we are at the end of July and the house is surely at, or surpassing, the half-way mark to completion. August is sure to be an exciting month as the power company will properly electrify the homestead in the coming days and dry walling will commence thereafter. These jobs will be completed before the first week or so of August is over so I am sure that the remainder of the month will be full of welcome improvements.

The experience over this summer is a unique one. After this house is complete there won't be stays in the airstream or emptying out buckets of rain water for that matter. What is being built here is more than a house and the Spencer women will surely be making it a warm home; a place of refuge out of the elements and away from what often becomes a hectic life. We cannot wait to have the audience who follows us on the farm blog live and in person at Belle Lea Acres. 

Once again, I'm attaching several pictures of the house as progress continues to be made. The insulation fellas were here today and seem to have completed the majority of their work, although a few steps still need to be completed. The concrete siding is also moving right along as two sides of the rectangular house have been completed (for the most part). I thought that it would take dry wall in order to get a better perception of the space after the walls had been established, but below it looks like the insulation may do the trick. Enjoy.

 

This stuff is attached to the underside of the roof closest to the exterior walls. I'll refrain from venturing uneducated guesses as to its purpose.

Attic access (again) in the master bedroom

'Durock' material in the master bath. Back left is the shower. Front left is for the commode. Straight ahead is the space for the claw foot tub!



                                      

Siding (and fascia/soffit) completed on front of the house.

How about a few more house pictures...

Back Porch View

Siding almost complete on the front

This is a floor vent showing where they've run the ductwork.

Window sills have been completed throughout

Attic Access

 

Air return (situated in the Pantry facing Dining Room)

Hey Linda, "It's Beautiful!" (Shower pictures included... again)

The builders did more work today, as usual. I'm not sure if they'll be back tomorrow, but they have gotten a lot of work done this week. We snapped a few more shots before the sun went down today and here they are!

Back of the house, roof almost complete.

Notice the installed dining room window too.

Vents installed

Spigot installed, same side (south)

Guest shower installed

Erica showing off the ceiling of the front porch. Also, 4x4's have been installed as the posts.

Erica showering.

What a good job they've done! They say the drywall is coming early August; things are really going to change.

House Pictures!

Window from the dining area (installed)

Back Door

Front Door. It is on its side for now and will be painted red after installed

Shower insert for guest bath

(Front)

(Front)

(Back)

Now you can use your imagination on what the exterior will eventually look like.

(Front, finished roof)

 

 

The House

After a week of laying cement at another site, the builders have returned to get started on what will surely be a big week for the house construction. Today seemed to be mostly preparation for this week as they brought in the metal roof and installed some plumbing. As for completion, the siding has been completed on the far side of the house and it looks fantastic. The house is going to look great when the siding and roof are on. Hopefully they'll have it all up by the end of the month.

We hope to post a lot of pictures of the house in the coming weeks. A lot of the material for the house has arrived and Linda has gone to Alabama for the week to visit with Valerie, so we'll have to keep her updated via the web. The builders hope to be hanging sheet rock after the first of the month so that will be exciting as well. New pictures below:

 

Metal roofing (green) stacked against the house

Very nice, don't you think?

You're peering beneath the shower in the master bath (plumbing)

Erica and I thought this was interesting. This picture is looking up at the attic. What you see to the left is the vent stack for the wood burning stove which is all well and good. But to the right is the only finished outlet in the house with a bulb in it. Yes, in the attic.

If you plant them, they will grow

Over the last week, Erica and I have harvested a host of veggies out of the garden. So much so that we are running out of places to put them, and dishes to put them in. Our menu of dinners for the week consist mostly of vegetables though, so maybe we'll run through a bit of these. Check out what's been growing below! You'll see tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, green beans, and one solitary eggplant.

 

Also, we had the pleasure of a rainbow (or two) after the rain Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

Celebrating the 4th of July in West Virginia

I tell you, Linda and the rest of these West Virginians really know how to celebrate. With many occasions up here, it's become evident to me that the best way to celebrate is by parade. This isn't only to showcase cars, tractors, or parade floats but it is a great opportunity for people to get together. I think that it is a misconception about these rural parts that people are isolated, but events like these show the true connections that people keep and nurture throughout their lives. For those of you who attend church regularly, you probably notice that most attendees like to sit in the same pew year after year. In West Virginia, your parade stance is the same way. Wherever you see someone watching the parade is where they've been and where they will be. So here are some pictures of Linda celebrating the 4th of July over in Alderson, WV (the town that hosts what's been voted the most popular parade in West Virginia).

Linda and her nephew Eddie

Paul and Linda

Does he look excited? Well they do throw candy out with each car that passes.

Steve and granddaughter

Steven (Linda is his Great Aunt)

 

Brandon

 

By the way, the women in this picture are from the prison in Alderson. They are the women's personal fire department for the prison. And if you didn't already know, this is the place where Martha Stewart did her 'hard time'.

 

Madge and Linda with big smiles!