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Here in Wayne County, new construction must pass a rough inspection after the electrical, plumbing and A/C  is in.

Before the ink was dry, Josh was at it again.  Since we are adding a carport, it made sense to incorporate the stand for the compressor. 

Granted, it’s pressure-treated, but even with my Lowe’s discount, there’s $500 worth of lumber here.

September brought marginally cooler temps and a lot less rain than last year, when I thought I would surely drown.

I began to see tell-tale signs in nature, and the mercury fell at night, resulting in much cooler mornings. 

I dug out my flannels and began to make soups and chili in my tiny kitchen. 

I can’t follow a recipe to save my life- they are all creations with heartwarming and yummy in common.

With Covid, our nutrition is more important than ever.  I freeze these, and always have a healthy meal at my fingertips.

As you know, Josh has paying customers on the coast he needs  to attend between marathons here in Pikeville.

When he showed up hauling my slider, I was so excited.  That mushroom cave was finally going to get some light! 

He’s a first-things-first kind of guy, so the interior window framing had to be finished before any new business.

I had bought the largest windows I could get away with.  This one was going to be tight, due to the A/C ductwork.

We settled on building out the sill to make a window seat.  Facing east.  With a view of the daily sunrise.  Yeah, that’ll work.

These two west-facing windows are the largest, at 3′ X 5’ each.   Does anyone else think the left framing looks larger?

Bella’s not convinced.  I had to measure them, and then take a picture straight on, to persuade her they are the same size.

It’s a family affair…

When it finally came time to tackle the slider, Joshua called in reinforcements. 

Kelly, my daughter-in-love, no stranger to construction herself, worked alongside him to cut out the rough opening.

My grandson even showed up to help.  I’ll admit I was overjoyed to have the extra hands on deck.  

This unwieldy 10-foot long piece of equipment is called a hand brake, and is used to bend sheet metal for flashing.  

We worked until after dark by lamp light, and in the morning, Bella put her stamp of approval on our handiwork.

I learned to bend metal in precise ways, and Joshua prepared for some more breakthroughs.

As I stripped siding, I met Kermit…For all I know, his name is Elvis, but he was a green frog, and I tend to generalize.

He makes it look so easy.  Drill holes in the corners, connect the dots, and cut along the lines.

That’s one smug and self-satisfied look!  Is he driving a truck or working at the drive-thru?

 

Rooms with a view…The Ark is beginning to resemble a boarding house.  It gets better.

I joyfully retrieved the special-order windows from the shed, where they have been languishing since December.

I am so blessed by this man- always joyful in the Lord. He had to leave for a while, so I built a sukkah. You built a what-ah?

I had a screen door, some scrap lumber, and absolutely no idea how I would fashion them.

The sukkah is a booth, or tabernacle-a temporary 3-sided dwelling with a natural covering- erected for Sukkot, the joyous Feast of Tabernacles. (See Leviticus 23 for all of God’s feasts.)

It is believed, as I do, that Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) may have been born during this Sept-Oct timeframe, as the Bible states He dwelt, (or tabernacled) among us.  John1:14 KJV

Now for some “natural” roof material.  I didn’t have to travel very far and had lots to choose from.

I tied the bundle to my “Rahab rope” and hoisted her up and over.  Joshua 2:18-21

It’s not up to Joshua’s par, but it did survive some strong wind and rain, and I enjoyed many contemplative hours in it.

Bella is an old Florida dog who doesn’t like being cold- kind of like me. I knew she would not like the coming weather. 

As she models her new sweater, I realize it is eerily similar to one I had in high school.  Big wooden buttons, and all.  Weird.

A day or two later, on our daily walk to the mailbox, I collected some of the more colorful leaves that were fluttering down.

Wondering what to do with them, I remembered the empty frame covering some plumbing in the bathroom.  Voila!

Inspired, I proceeded to go out to the fields to collect some more “raw materials”.  Literally. 

I had just bought these matching frames with mats for 50 cents(!) each, at the local Habitat ReStore.

I like them together as a set.  Before I gift them to someone,  I’ll  have to see if they will hold up… or become compost.  

Joshua returned September 23 and began to install windows with a vengeance.  We were facing a hard deadline now, with the insulation scheduled in four days.

–DAY 1–

With some cleaning and lubrication, these pump jacks worked very well for the task at hand.  Truly a lifesaver.  Thanks, Brian!

Whatever you’re thinking I’m thinking, it’s accurate.  I was hanging by my fingernails to the edge of my comfort zone.

In my own defense, the board I walked on was only 12” wide.  You should try walking on a ruler eight feet in the air.

The board he added behind me was a psychological game-changer, and I happily stripped siding until dark.

–DAY 2–

Now I understand why he told me not to throw that cardboard away…

 

I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Off I went to the shed for the window, and to dust off the transom that’s been there since January.

This bird appeared out of nowhere, apparently checking out the new view.  Might be the bluebird of happiness…

Ten minutes later, this guy showed up to pray on the transom.  We got lots of divine help that day…

I like this one because it shows all the new light coming in.  And Josh looks like a giant.

I bought these windows nearly a year ago for $20 each.  In fact, many of my fixtures are pre-owned, repurposed or recycled.

And so it went…  Can you see the setting sun reflecting on those clean windows?

 

–DAY 3–

I was surprised when Josh agreed to a morning walk with our dogs before gearing up for the day’s work. 

Ness meets the rest of her sled team. My neighbor has three huskies and they collectively lose their minds. 

Walking back through the fields, I notice the vegetation is thinning with the cooler nights.  The pond is much lower than last year,  when it flooded my driveway.

When I had tended to the dogs and came back downstairs, I had a south view.  And just like that, two new kitchen windows.

Somehow, he had snuck in a bedroom window, as well, and was heading for the mud room, with a gleam in his eye.

You all know the drill by now (no pun intended).  By the end of this post, you should all be able to do this.

My home was looking decidedly fortress-like and defendable.  Come to think of it, that’s probably not a bad idea.

This man was on fire!  Two more rough openings appeared as night fell.  Still he continued with a headlamp.

–DAY 4–

The familiar corner circles appear, followed by a slice of white light. This is a 12-hour project- you have the abridged version.

I picked this up at the local rent-all the previous afternoon, and was eager to see what that 14″ blade can do.  Bella, too…

I call this part “golfing with bricks”.  Followed by “cleanup by Marie”.  I got to add to my rubble pile by the pond.

As he built the new doorway, layer by layer with care and patience, I learned of his ability to write in Arabic.

We decided to use the front door on the mud room instead of buying another exterior door. 

After he had torn it out of the wall, I could see it really just needed to be cleaned and painted.

Front door in the right corner pocket.  Game over.

Right on time, the cavalry  arrives with lots of insulation.  Every inch of space was crammed with those bales.

The dense insulation deadened the acoustics.  It looks and smells very funky, but once sheetrock is up, it will improve.

They even did the whole staircase up to my apartment.  If possible, Duke Energy would be paying me this winter.

The 3 Xs are mezzanine windows  the insulation guys filled in.  I will remove it so Josh can finish installing these three amigos.

I could not get that mask off my face fast enough.  I don’t know how people can bear to wear them all day long.

As he prepared to build the front door frame system, Josh asked me if I could mix him some mortar.  

This heavy wooden door that I bought on Craigslist is the pièce de Résistance.  It’s simply gorgeous and I love it!

Josh tackles those last three windows and I call the county for an insulation inspection.  I have to do everything…

I hear the fat lady singing- windows and doors are done.  Inspection is scheduled for tomorrow!

This is how we do aerial photography in Pikeville, North Carolina.

Insulation is signed off!  I have the go ahead from building code enforcement  to begin drywalling.  

Check back for updates as we continue with the Ark Project.  Thanks for your support.  Love, hugs, and shalom.  MH