As predicted, temperatures reached into the low 80 degree range and we ran the central air “for real” for a few days last week. What a relief to walk into the house and feel the cool (and drier) air!
Temperatures are forecast to get into the 90 degree range on Tuesday, followed by a string of upper 80 degree days. The AC will get plenty of use in these conditions. We are very pleased to have had it installed.
Being an old house, the heating and cooling ductwork does not really extend to the upper floor. There is a vent in the media room and in the bathroom, but cool air circulation, as well as warm air in winter, is on the anemic side. The main upstairs bedroom does not have a vent, so winter warmth is provided by an oil-filled heater and summer cool air is provided by a window AC unit.
Getting the second floor window unit installed was a bit tricky. The windows in this house do not have self-storing screens or glass; they are old “double-hung” style and feature full-size storm windows accessible only from outside the house.
I had to climb up a ladder to the porch roof, remove the storm window, slide the lower portion of the double-hung window to the up position, pull the storm window into the house through the open window, install the AC unit, then – gently – lower the upper window down on the cooler. Pam held the upper window in place during the install (then found curtains that fit without blocking the cooler). I am pleased there will be a cool bedroom to sleep in going into summer.
With the A/C working, other projects received attention. One of these was cleaning the basement.
Several old storm windows, plus a door, had been found in the basement. My job was to get them out of there and clean up the place. I removed 10 windows and 1 door, hauled them up the confined basement steps, stood them up along a tree in the yard, washed them down, and put them up in the garage attic for storage.
The basement contained some rocks, old wood, broken glass, a couple of old hoses, some plumbing bits and pieces, and other garbage that had accumulated over the decades. While the space is not suitable for much, it is now much cleaner than it has been in quite a while. I have ordered a dehumidifier to help keep the space dry and I’ll be curious to see how much water gets wrung out of the air down there.
The many other projects seem to blend into each other. Pam stained an old child-size wooden bed frame that became a flower planter in the yard.
As you might guess, Pam likes to inject a little whimsy now and then. The parlor bedroom bed now wears spats to hide the legs:
I have started painting the spindles and railings on the front porch.
Exterior painting will become a recurring theme in my posts for the next several months. There is a lot to do; much of the existing paint is in poor condition and some wood repairs need to be addressed as well. The good part is that every improvement stands out and upgrades the looks of the place.
The lawn is generally looking good. Two of our “mystery shrubs” have begun to bloom. If you recognize these please let us know what they are!
Lawn care takes several hours a week. The lawn should be mowed every 3 days or so at this point in the season. I first take the Toro push mower and clean up under the shrubs, arborvitae, and other plantings in the yard. After that is done the John Deere rider can be used to mow the rest of the lawn. Every couple of weeks I use the string trimmer (AKA weed-wacker) and trim around the 3 power poles, garage foundation, planters, and other places where neither mower can get to. About once a month I take the trimmer and go up and down the sidewalks, trying to cut the grass that grows up in the cracks.
A “normal” mowing, using the two mowers, takes from 2 to 3 hours. (Firing up the weed-wacker adds another 30 – 45 minutes to the total.) Both mowers have grass catchers and I empty these into the trailer. The time mentioned includes the trip to the dump to dispose of the grass clippings.
Oh yes…I submitted our building permit application for putting up the exterior fencing and garage addition. It has to be voted on by the Town Council at their monthly meeting; the next meeting is June 6th.
Other projects are continuing as well. I brought my last workbench from the storage area and put it in the garage. Pam has started to paint the main entrance hallway. Some projects finish, others begin. There is no shortage of work to be done!
Photo Archive
This photo of our son Toby was taken in June of 1990. Oh, the joys of childhood!
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Penny
There’s a fine line between “whimsical” and “quirky.” I think I cross that design line frequently.
Happy Trails.