The Lake House

[Hopalong]

Just WOW!

I'm starting to get a dim image of a mammoth house, and all these options. Exciting for you, Lighter. And for your parades of guests, too. Hope it's wonderful in all directions when you launch it. Will send vibes.

I hope you don't become too exhausted preparing every reservation down to the microbes. Then again, it all sounds elegant, comfortable and even inspiring...with a lake.

Joy to you in it. Is the lake house going to become your permanent home, do you think?

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Yes, Hops.....lake will be more permanent.  Will travel to other locations, but just for business.....unless something radical changes.

::picturing a little restaurant on the Island, or food retreat::..

::smacking self in the head::.

It's going to be the lake.

Lighter

[lighter]

Well, mountain contractor and his wife, will load up 2 of their dogs and head to the lake on Saturday.  This, only to plan out jobs, give the Puerto Rican family a to-do list.....setting four 4x4s in the ground for the wedding arch.  I guess I decided on what will essentially be a wide triangular European doorway, sans door, about 2 feet deep, with a little metal roof.  Something distressed and charming.

Will make decisions on two broke down sheds....demolish, repair or sell? 

The pile of torn down trees might have some decent wood for lumber.....will just take a look'see.

Lighter

[lighter]

Arrived yesterday evening.....a 4 car wreck had North bound lane at a crawl.  I wasn't sure how to handle the stillness, realized I was leaning forward, anticipating future tasks, and switched to praying no one too badly injured.....wondered who/what caused it.....thought about destructive Ns creating damage every day if their lives.....stopped thinking about it.  I might not t wish my ad things for them....but I only pray for them to stop being toxic forces in the world.

The house was fresh and clean clean clean when I got here.  I can see where the matriarch spirits required younger family members ...think young 20s parents of small children .... the step up.  It's a clear demarcation between responsible adult who's identity depends on the job they do, and a young person tossing not so clean things into upper cabinets, bc figuring out where they go is too much for them. I'm impressed the matriarchs have the patience to ride here like that, bc it's easier to just do it, and know it's done right.

And so.....this interests me.
:: dopamine squirt::.
I'm separating downstairs things from upstairs cupboards....finding and matching lids.....on a step stool....no vertigo. 
::more dopamine::.
I'm noticing how the shelves sit on their pegs.....holy guacamole, almost at edge....on several!  I shift shelves till I feel safe again....noticing a little dizziness, but mostly life's pretty normal again. 

The contractor is "running late."
His wife is "spinning out."

He mentioned they were maybe arguing, a bit, over money and getting their basement apartment rented.....his helper was going to move in, but got drunk, name called, just blew it which is sad, bc the money sorely needed ABD there was a plan for him to help with everything, as a younger man.  Contractor maybe 74yo?  I think. Wife has back problems and immune disorder......pigs, goats, dogs, 6 new cats....lots of mouths to feed.  They would have willed the entire place to the helper, had he held it together.  Very sad, but it didn't, could never, work out.  It made sense, bc he's certainly special needs....has a special needs DD.....very child like.  It would have been a good situation, if only it could.

Back to the job at hand .....I found, measured and took pics of antique Teak and Rosewood architectural pieces, newly arrived, at a place specializing in specialty woods and importing every crazy thing you can think of.

There's carved posts......SO heavy, old doorframes, hinged 20' screens and elaborately carved headboard looking ....pieces.  Tables.....my brain's burning....puzzling ideas....how to transport ...install.  And so contractor needs to see the site, then we go back to warehouse or select regular wood.... we're in the thumbnail phase.

Here's where I'm at .....if it costs close to the same..... I'd prefer 200 yo Teak or Rosewood, bc it'll last, and we're working with wonderful pieces .....not designing, distressing  and fabricating.

On another note....I saw a 10' w island with copper countertop and 3K hammered copper sink at ReStore....asking 2K.  It would make a ln amazing flower arranging counter....in a dang castle. 

[sKePTiKal]

Ummm.... Lighter.... much as we appreciate those things, we don't live in castles.

(I know, I have the same problem!)

[lighter]

Big fire going in the living room fireplace.  Contractor left about 4:30pm....the time flew.....felt like 20 minutes only.

Roof leaking in one bedroom....found the problems. Roof vent needs replacing from outside.

Deck has carpenter bee problem....maybe unsafe.  Maybe need to replace outer base ards only.  Will see.

He wants to put in a retaining wall, with boulders from the property, to place wedding arch, tbd.

He can put in electric and plumbing for upstairs and downstairs washer dryer units.  Attic ladder needs repair or replaced.

Outbuilding needs gutter repairs.....water line repairs.....lots of things in that area, frankly.

That's the short list.

Expecting rain.....have to cover a bed and place bucket, just in case.

It's so blustery cold.

[sKePTiKal]

I fight carpenter bees too. Folksy wisdom sez that they only go after natural/stained wood. So if you PAINT the deck boards (or fascia trim, etc) instead they'll look elsewhere to drill holes. Deck boards are easy to replace; but unless the supports/beams are excessively damaged they should be fine.

My brain hasn't been able to focus on my deck re-do and I don't have any contractor lined up yet. Kinda wanting a couple of screened areas... and (sigh) that's more work, more lumber, more time to completion.

[lighter]

The bees eating supporting outer...band?  Which is 2 boards thick....can only see outer board, which can be replaced pretty easily....I think.  If the second board is damaged badly ......we got big, high off the ground trouble.

Interesting fact... It appears the bees began eating the wood after opaque brown wood stain was applied.  Regular wood sealer didn't appeal to them for 40 years?  And only the high high high corner of the deck, around the grill area.

My stepfather used to add......zinc? To paint.  Was that it?  Much research to do....little bastages.

[lighter]

Nobody has a comment on my being firm, but fair (imo) with the lake contractor, asking to get paid for moving a tree off the driveway.

I'm navigating a different flight path, here.  Leaving a property, empty and at the mercy of an unhappy man, withh opportunity and avility to hinge up any and every system....is normally not something I can tolerate, it consider an option.

A "caretaker" at the cottage, from 25 years ago, hut me up with a bill for over $1500.00....for past services.  I paid it, even though it was more thievery and blackmail on top of old thievery and incompetence.  My BIL was appalled, thought about it, then agreed it had to be done, bc we couldn't affird any (more) sabotage.

The tree removal....well he chunked it and pushed it to the side of the drive....was a $150 ask, on contractor's part.

$150.00 to remove the threat of sabotage.....
but he's stopped being responsive AT ALL to me.  Something's tipped the scale.....the family just down the road, maybe, stepping up.

Contractor said he'd set up appt to discuss projects ....haven't heard a peep in almost a month.

Will say this.....the buck, he's bow hunting, left fresh tracks in the mud.  Hunters pay much more than $150.00 to hunt good private land.  I drag trees off the driveway....bc I need it open to drive on.  He needs the driveway open, to hunt.

So......noticing discomfort, with feelings of vulnerability, coming up today.

I'm working in silence, organizing an armour full of things shoved out of the way.....silver plated serving pieces, battery candles, batteries, cleaning supplies, platters, and i robot parts. 

All need sorting.

 The silence....is part of limiting time spent on electronics.  I'm also eating breakfast, even though I'm not hungry, which makes me sluggish...a little uncomfortable.  Lots of adjustments.

I'm feeling pretty neutral about letting the girls handle their lives, and the pug. Will take a minute to get used to the pug not being attached to me......I think about her when I wake, or hear a dog bark, which sets her to barking.

I notice how relieved I am that all, but upstairs water closet, have easy to clean LVP.  The terra cottage brick pavers have same color grout....drat.  The Downstairs kitchen and a bedroom has ivory grout, I've battled for years.  Lost in a few places....wth?  Looks like rust?

Time to finish one project, and begin another.  I realize I've moved 3 different sets of DR chairs around two tables....I think I should maybe put it back, and back away from that thought.