Cabinets, doors, and floors.

The title is very catchy! I don't think much explaining is necessary at this moment regarding those three, so I will just present pictures for now. As more work is done and things change I will elaborate on each in more detail. Just enjoy for now!

Pine doors through out the interior, which will later be stained to match the floors

 

What a great farmhouse sink

Microwave will go there in what will be the island

Spice rack, wow!

Wood stove will go on the platform the dehumidify is sitting on

Vanity, and not the sinful kind.

The bathrooms are almost ready for us to use. Hallelujah! The toilets will come some time this week and the faucets will be put into place as well. This mean running water and flushing toilets. It may just be the most exciting news we have heard in a while. See ya later Porto-potty!

The bathroom vanities are already secured to the wall and the beautiful counters tops have been installed. I hope you find them as beautiful as we do. I even threw in a picture of the paint color that will bestow the wall. I find the dark vanity along with the rich creamy tile and dark wall coloring brings an interesting life to each bathroom. The vanity's look very much like elegant pieces of furniture. I never would have imagined my mother would have fallen in love with this design, seeing how she normally enjoys very neutral colors (or what I would refer to as "bland"). See for yourself and be the judge of our interior decorating skills!

Master bath vanity and linen closet

 

Paint behind the vanity will be the color of all three bathrooms

Guest bathroom vanity with knobs already attached

Guest bathroom linen closed (goes floor to ceiling)

Animals in the corn field, ready to be stuffed.

Warning to anyone who is reading this that there are graphic pictures involved. Also, those involved are legally permitted to do so!

Corn is growing high this year, no thanks to all the rain. With a good crop comes hungry animals! Many animals that get into the corn field can devastate the crop. In order to prevent further damage some animals need to be put down (sorry all you PETA lovers but it is the nature of farming). If the pests are not taken care of then the cattle will suffer during the winter from lack of grain. That can  cause an assortment of problems such as high rate of mortality in calves to loss in farm revenue. It's not an easy decision but one that must be made in order to ensure the farmers survival. Now if Josh can just get that damn ground hog (or as our friend Brandy calls them "shorty pig") that is living in my garden and eating all my pumpkins, carrots, beans, and whatever else he can chew on.

coyote

bear almost two years old

Shower Showdown

As the work keeps progressing many projects are nearing completion. Once such example is moms walk-in shower. It is a curb-less and door-less shower (just like the ones in the Virgin Islands). The contractor has done an amazing job with the tile work and built-in bench. This shower is wheel chair accessible for folks who visit or when we get too old to walk on our own. Can't wait till the claw foot bathtub arrives and is installed next month. I am so excited for us to be able to shower indoors next month, especially in something so nice!
Funny tidbit: we have not showered in consecutive days since January. Don't know what that feels like anymore. No need to worry, we don't stink, too bad that is!

Soap shelf

Bench

 

Follow the "Blue Stone"

In making quick decisions regarding the sidewalks, mom and I chose to go with pavers instead of poured concrete sidewalks. We thought that the tough winters would tear up the concrete in a few years. We were not sure what to expect at first but boy are we glad we went with the pavers.  The large stone pieces are just perfect for the house. Apparently, when my great grand parents had lived here at the farm my grandmother had stepping stones that led out to the garage, chicken coop, garden, etc. Mom feels this is just the same and believes it is in keeping with tradition.

Back Porch

Front porch

 

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Dining for 12

Last week, while I worked the WV State Fair, my sister Heather came into town to accomplish the task of making the family dining table. Years ago there was a large barn on the property that my parents had torn apart and they sold the reclaimed lumber. The barn had seen too many floods and the main supports were failing. However, we did salvage the lumber that was the granary. It is Cypress wood that had been shipped in from Oregon on a train close to a hundred years ago. What better way to repurpose the granary wood than to make it into the dining table. Heather brought her good friend and fellow artist Forrest with her to tackle the job in just 6 short days. Forrest is quite a carpenter and did a spectacular job following the style we were seeking. The table turned out better than anything I could have imagined. I can't wait to christen the table with our first meal and share many more with all of our friends and family over the coming years.

Beautiful original color with a matte clear finish.

 

Right now the table is down in the pole barn until the house is ready.

 

Trestle style legs.
Makes it easier for more people to sit around
 the table without knocking knees on the table legs.

 

 

Great underside view

                                        Both of the artist left their signature under the table!

Been Gone So Long!

Let me start by apologizing for my long absence on the blog. We have moved Josh into his apartment in Knoxville, TN and he is ready for school to start next week. I returned to the farm just in time for the State Fair of West Virginia to begin. I took up temporary work at the bacon corn dog stand that had been parked on the farm for the past several weeks. It was grueling work with long hours. After nine days of at least ten hour shifts the fair came to a close to my delight.

While I was away lots has been done towards the completion of the house. They have finished the front porch, most of the screened in back porch, the drywall has been hung, the painters have primed,  the tile is being laid, the gutters are in place and the siding is all done. Here are some pictures that speak louder than anything I can write. Enjoy!