Major Work Done

Jake the Electrician finished his work this week. We can now claim the home’s wiring has been checked, upgraded, and added to by a master electrician.

It is a pleasure to now have outlets in the bathroom along with a ground fault interruptor for safety. Other rooms received a few more outlets and a couple were converted to 4-outlet plugs instead of the traditional 2-outlet style.

One additional outside outlet was added and the other three repaired. Now we will have a place to plug in outdoor Christmas decorations when the time comes. (These are also handy for my use with the electric edger.)

The wiring in the basement has been cleaned up and additional lights added. I can now see down there!

The garage received a three-wire cable, enabling the neutral and ground wires to be on separate busses, which brings that wiring up to code. This was a safety issue identified in the home inspection report [we had done before we bought the place]. I’m pleased to have it resolved.

Speaking of the garage, I reorganized it a bit, bringing my motorcycle and ATV out of storage and parking them in the second garage bay. The Honda is now in the storage unit.

This not only allows me to get out and ride my motorcycle more often but having the John Deere rider in that bay means I don’t have to move a car to get it out of the garage when I need it. That’s very handy, since I seem to be mowing every third day.

We haven’t been using the Honda much, instead relying on the Toyota RAV4 to most of our (limited) errands that require a vehicle. The F-150 is nearby, parked along side the garage, and gets used periodically when I need the extra hauling or towing capacity.

This brings the major projects completed to three; foundation sealed, central air installed, and electrical upgraded. Still left are fencing and the garage addition. We hope to receive word that our permit for the last two projects was approved by the town council at their June meeting.

Other work in progress: Pam and I are both painting smaller items. I did the kitchen window and Pam is working on the front door screen insert. All the front porch spindles have been painted. As mentioned before, everything we do is an improvement but – oh – there is a lot to do!

Outside, two more spirea bushes have joined the original we purchased a few weeks ago. A flat of petunias now graces the east-side flower bed. Work has begun to repair the east porch railing.

Here are several photos taken around the house in the last few days:

Note the hummingbird feeder. We do have some hummers around; sometimes they just hover but occasionally they sit on the attached perches and take a long drink.

And, as nature takes its course, the first peony and day lily blossoms have appeared. Other plants appear to be getting ready to flower in the next few weeks.

As always, projects continue. Every day brings something to finish or something to start. This morning, for example, I took the shop vac and cleaned the two basement levels. Pam is painting the entrance hallway, going up the east wall along the steps. This afternoon we will be doing some yard work. Pam has ordered some “garden fencing” that will arrive next week and will need to be installed. The list goes on!

Photo Archive

This week’s archive photo is of Felicity (far left) and Toby (middle) riding an elephant. Summer (June?) 1990

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents

Thanks to those who commented positively on the painted flower pots. Keeping the potted florals watered – while certainly less time consuming than in drought-level Colorado – is still an ongoing concern.

I’m delighted Himself continues to clean the basement. We have already seen two tornado watches, and inevitably there will be a “seek shelter in basement” weather system before too long. I don’t want the dogs to have too much to get into when that happens. We are identifying items needed to be placed in the basement shelter area. And hoping we don’t have to use them.

Happy Trails.