The snow is melting quickly from Mt. Evans. A quarter moon is hung in a cloudless dusky sky. Today the haze from the huge wildfires in Arizona has diminished. I doubt that the fires have diminished, just a change in the prevailing wind.
There are no drapes on my bedroom windows, and I sleep with an open window. I can see lights below at night, something I have never seen from previous homes. This morning when the light came in and awakened me, and realized that there was no sound, only quiet. No birds. This seems strange, because bird life is plentiful here. Our previous Evergreen home was "infested" with magpies, raucous early birds who liked to hold voice lessons for their young at around 5 am. In Cary, lots of loud and obnoxious birds chatter and chirp and peep away at first light. I will listen for several more mornings to see if this quiet is typical here. Just now the hummingbirds have found the feeder I put out yesterday. Their metallic whirring is coming in loud and clear at the moment, as they stock up on sweets for the night.
The drive out to Colorado from North Carolina was actually quite fun! I did it in three days, by myself (with Thatch and Nella, the Borders). Either the adrenaline or excitement helped the time pass and kept road weariness at a minimum. The first few days here I was exhausted, more evidence that I had been on an adrenaline buzz during the trip. I took a slight detour to see Aaron in Indianapolis the first day out. Spent a day with him, serenaded by tornado sirens and news of Joplin's devastation. The second night I stayed with my sister-in-law Karen Kelley and her family in Columbia MO, getting to know her three boys better. Then the long, last push from Columbia to Evergreen, about 750 miles, most of it KANSAS. If you have driven through Kansas you can relate. And sympathize.
I figured out several state budgets on the trip. North Carolina makes money by imposing heavy gasoline taxes. West Virginia makes money by charging $6.00 just to get to Charleston on the highway. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois make money with speed traps. Missouri saves money by not removing dead animals from the roadways. Kansas makes money by brainwashing you with billboards touting roadside attractions, such as six-legged cows, all along the freeway. But not gas stations, towns, or hotels. Those you have to leave the highway to find. However, some of the Kansas exits have closed up and the establishments that were once there have disappeared. Colorado saves money by not fixing roads, especially huge, hidden potholes on bridges and overpasses in the eastern part of the state. I feared that I would split a tire!
Some of you may know that to get to our house, you leave Interstate 70, and head south about 8 miles into the older part of Evergreen. After passing Evergreen Lake on your right, you come to a traffic signal and a rounded right-hand yield by the dam. Thatch, who lived the first three years of his life here, began to whine right about the time we got to the turn at the dam. He had been remarkably quiet during the three-day drive, so I couldn't help but wonder what he recognized. Was it the smell of the lake or dam? The scent of the downtown? The curve and bank of the turn that felt familiar from his youth? Or was I emitting some aroma or pheromone of happiness? We will never know, but the uncanny things that these dogs do, really make me wonder what goes on in their little craniums.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Road to the White House
moved in at 5096 White House Trail. What, you thought I was talking about 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Who would choose that over what we have?
My plan all along has been to spend summers here, primarily by myself with Thatch and Nella, my two border terriers, for company. I am needed at NC State University only during the school year, and NC is no place to over-summer unless you like staying indoors. Hopefully my family will visit me, but Steve is inundated at work year-round, Dana will likely still be in South America this summer, and Aaron is looking for summer work and internships in Indianapolis. Our "old" friend Pamela Ramadei, who traded her Evergreen house for a beautiful "green" home in Southern Colorado, will be serving as a part-time caretaker at this house, using it as her Denver-area office space and jumping-off point when traveling via Denver International Airport. So she and her entourage will provide sporadic companionship, and my Evergreen friends will be close by. Meanwhile, the house has been designed to accommodate multiple groups of visitors simultaneously. Which means.......
.....the welcome mat is out. USE IT! The keyless entry ensures that you can have access without obtaining a key from North Carolina. When your travel plans call for stops in Colorado, please think of us and just ask--we would love to have you stay and use the house. That is what it is for. For those not familiar with the area, the house is about 45 minutes from downtown Denver, and hour from Denver International Airport, and about an hour in the opposite direction from the nearest ski areas. An hour will also get you to Boulder (to the north) and 1-1/2 hours to the south will get you to "The Springs" (Colorado Springs.) Elevation at the house is just under 8000 ft. Our view includes the 14,264 ft. peak of Mt. Evans (taller than Pike's Peak). And don't forget 1000 acres of hikeable, snow-shoeable, dog-walkable, elk- and wildflower-viewable "open space" park across the driveway. Sunsets al fresco with red wine anyone? So really, compare that with politics, crime, smog, traffic, and headaches at the "real" White House and tell me, how would you rather spend your days?
Thank you Martin and Lora Kelley, Steve's parents, whose lifetime achievements and generosity largely made this dream possible. We miss you. Thank you Steve for graciously staying out of the way while supporting the dream. Thank you Bob Tuck and wife Shirley for coming out of retirement and golf to pull off this job. Thanks to all the professionals, tradesmen, craftsmen and musclemen who provided the sweat and supplies. To Debbie the designer and Drew the engineer and Shawn the framing legend, Marvin and Craig, tiler and painter, Bob K the carpenter, Larry the plumber, Paul for cabinets, Cory with lighting, Shawn with countertops, Billy the electrician, Steve and his crew on dirt-detail, Alescia with interiors, Bill and Brian for lumber. Josette, the world's best Realtor, also deserves a shout out, and kudos to any supporting cast and other crew whom I haven't met. My family and friends have been amazing, supportive, enthusiastic, and always ready to help with decisions and choices...especially Patty Stone and my sister Karen! Thank you everyone! Now let's soon enjoy
Party on the Patio #3 !!!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Nearing Completion
As mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite things about being "from" Evergreen is the small-town feel and the "small world" incidents that go with it. Every trip to Safeway resulted in a friendly encounter, even late at night when I might be grabbing a pint of Ben & Jerry's or a doughnut while in my jammies or with dirty hair. That was always special.
On one trip back during this building project, I had gone un-fed on my flight, naturally, and was plenty hungry by the time I arrived in Evergreen. I was fumbling in my purse for my wallet at the Wendy's pick-up window when the girl in the window asked: "Dana's mom??" To my delight, there was Marissa Hayda, one of my daughter's classmates, recognizing me more than five years later.
During last week's visit, I took our architect out to a tiny but pleasant bar in downtown Evergreen and we chatted over margaritas. When we left at around 7 pm, there was only one couple there. (The town goes to bed early on weeknights! And on weekends, too, now that I think about it.). As we walked past, I was totally surprised when the woman said "Bye Bobbie!" On closer examination, she did seem vaguely familiar but I sure couldn't place her. Awkward! Embarrassed, I had to ask how I knew her; turns out it was Dr. Diana Roberts, one of the younger veterinarians in the practice we frequented with our big white dogs. Even though I've been in NC more than five years, she came up with my name. I think that's pretty remarkable. Steve says it's because we gave them so much business that they couldn't possibly forget. In fact, Steve thinks there should be a wing in the vet hospital with our name on it. Anyway, I was impressed enough that I may use her new private practice if I need veterinary attention for my Border Terriers during our summers in the mountains.
So here we are at Christmas, and the construction is almost complete! By now all the tiling is finished, and the interior trim is being stained. The counter-tops, sinks, and plumbing fixtures will be put in over the next week or two. I'm really excited about a "remnant" of fossilized limestone that we found for the kitchen island. Yesterday I placed what I believe are the final orders: appliances and lighting fixtures. There is a surprise in store for visitors; a fun foyer light fixture. The hickory hardwood floor that was installed is not the floor that I ordered. We have negotiated a settlement to keep it, rather than remove the cabinets and baseboards, rip up (i.e. destroy) the present product, throw it away, and reinstall the correct product. I can attest to the fact that a free hardwood floor looks really quite lovely, even if it isn't what you envisioned. Jefferson County, never satisfied, has demanded some additional survey information and driveway grade verification. But if all goes well, thanks in large part to unseasonably warm, dry weather, the Kelley's mountain retreat should have a C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy) by February! Y'all come see us, y'hear?
On one trip back during this building project, I had gone un-fed on my flight, naturally, and was plenty hungry by the time I arrived in Evergreen. I was fumbling in my purse for my wallet at the Wendy's pick-up window when the girl in the window asked: "Dana's mom??" To my delight, there was Marissa Hayda, one of my daughter's classmates, recognizing me more than five years later.
During last week's visit, I took our architect out to a tiny but pleasant bar in downtown Evergreen and we chatted over margaritas. When we left at around 7 pm, there was only one couple there. (The town goes to bed early on weeknights! And on weekends, too, now that I think about it.). As we walked past, I was totally surprised when the woman said "Bye Bobbie!" On closer examination, she did seem vaguely familiar but I sure couldn't place her. Awkward! Embarrassed, I had to ask how I knew her; turns out it was Dr. Diana Roberts, one of the younger veterinarians in the practice we frequented with our big white dogs. Even though I've been in NC more than five years, she came up with my name. I think that's pretty remarkable. Steve says it's because we gave them so much business that they couldn't possibly forget. In fact, Steve thinks there should be a wing in the vet hospital with our name on it. Anyway, I was impressed enough that I may use her new private practice if I need veterinary attention for my Border Terriers during our summers in the mountains.
So here we are at Christmas, and the construction is almost complete! By now all the tiling is finished, and the interior trim is being stained. The counter-tops, sinks, and plumbing fixtures will be put in over the next week or two. I'm really excited about a "remnant" of fossilized limestone that we found for the kitchen island. Yesterday I placed what I believe are the final orders: appliances and lighting fixtures. There is a surprise in store for visitors; a fun foyer light fixture. The hickory hardwood floor that was installed is not the floor that I ordered. We have negotiated a settlement to keep it, rather than remove the cabinets and baseboards, rip up (i.e. destroy) the present product, throw it away, and reinstall the correct product. I can attest to the fact that a free hardwood floor looks really quite lovely, even if it isn't what you envisioned. Jefferson County, never satisfied, has demanded some additional survey information and driveway grade verification. But if all goes well, thanks in large part to unseasonably warm, dry weather, the Kelley's mountain retreat should have a C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy) by February! Y'all come see us, y'hear?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Builder's Remorse
Never never ever build a house from scratch. You will second-guess all your decisions. You will bore and/or alienate your friends by talking about it. You will resent writing the humongous checks to contractors and suppliers. You will fret over tiny nuances of color and texture. You will feel guilty every time you incur an expense unrelated to the new house. You and your spouse will bicker. And you will frequently have bad dreams.
One thing will help bolster your spirits during this phase--the anticipation of actually retreating to the place when it's complete, and sharing that pleasure with friends and family.
I haven't been back to the site since mid September, but I hear its really progressing. My North Carolina friend Karen recently visited the house with her daughter and grandson, and took a few photos. (Thanks!) The exterior is all done: the siding is hung and painted, the small covered front and back porches are built, the roof shingles, guttering and garage door are on, and all the dirt moving, rock retaining walls, and hyrdo-seeding are finished. It's buttoned up tight for the winter, and all the interior work can move forward since we have water, heat and electricity inside.
Despite these achievements, it's not all been rosy. As I alluded to earlier, there are frustrations. For example, back in July, my friends and I spent a good deal of time choosing most of the coordinating materials for the interior--like carpet, tile, hardwoods, counter-tops, vinyl and such. We searched, scrutinized and visualized to be sure that all products matched or blended with one another. But at some point over the next months, something minor changed--the interior paint color perhaps. And then began the domino effect. Different paint meant that the entryway tile had to be modified--and since this is the same as the bathroom floor tile-- the shower tile also had to change. Then the bathroom counter-top wasn't quite right. Concurrently I had to select the fireplace stone, and here we went around again. This required more tweaking of the entry tile, as well as the kitchen counter-tops, since all can be seen at once in the open floor-plan. Now some suppliers are stingier with their samples than others, and we did much of this without a sample of the cabinet color, which of course impacts the wall colors, which in turn impacts the flooring and counter choices. One supplier waited a month, only to send me duplicate samples of four carpet colors, and one sample of the fifth color by separate post. The sample tiles never arrived. It was impossible to gather samples of all the things we needed at the same time since we were working with more than five vendors and across states. I took photos, cleverly thinking that I could use those to coordinate colors. Sadly, the color rendering on the computer (and on the printed pictures) was awful. Add to this the frustration of phone tag and a looming deadline. By now you are feeling the pain, I'm sure. Last week, as the deadline approached, I embarked on a wild goose chase to round up samples here in Raleigh in a last ditch effort to come up with an appealing and affordable visual palette. I took a half day of vacation one rainy afternoon and went to the following Triangle businesses: Pro-Source, Daltile, Kitchen Gallery, Home Depot, and Environmental StoneWorks. Even then, I met with some dead ends. It was WAYYYYY more brain damage than it was worth, considering children are starving in Africa and cholera threatens the Haitians. But it's done. It better be good. It will certainly be a "chef's surprise" to see it all pulled together in the house. My true friends will assure me that it looks great, my spouse will keep his comments to himself, and all the others--well--just don't go there. Literally.
One thing will help bolster your spirits during this phase--the anticipation of actually retreating to the place when it's complete, and sharing that pleasure with friends and family.
I haven't been back to the site since mid September, but I hear its really progressing. My North Carolina friend Karen recently visited the house with her daughter and grandson, and took a few photos. (Thanks!) The exterior is all done: the siding is hung and painted, the small covered front and back porches are built, the roof shingles, guttering and garage door are on, and all the dirt moving, rock retaining walls, and hyrdo-seeding are finished. It's buttoned up tight for the winter, and all the interior work can move forward since we have water, heat and electricity inside.
Despite these achievements, it's not all been rosy. As I alluded to earlier, there are frustrations. For example, back in July, my friends and I spent a good deal of time choosing most of the coordinating materials for the interior--like carpet, tile, hardwoods, counter-tops, vinyl and such. We searched, scrutinized and visualized to be sure that all products matched or blended with one another. But at some point over the next months, something minor changed--the interior paint color perhaps. And then began the domino effect. Different paint meant that the entryway tile had to be modified--and since this is the same as the bathroom floor tile-- the shower tile also had to change. Then the bathroom counter-top wasn't quite right. Concurrently I had to select the fireplace stone, and here we went around again. This required more tweaking of the entry tile, as well as the kitchen counter-tops, since all can be seen at once in the open floor-plan. Now some suppliers are stingier with their samples than others, and we did much of this without a sample of the cabinet color, which of course impacts the wall colors, which in turn impacts the flooring and counter choices. One supplier waited a month, only to send me duplicate samples of four carpet colors, and one sample of the fifth color by separate post. The sample tiles never arrived. It was impossible to gather samples of all the things we needed at the same time since we were working with more than five vendors and across states. I took photos, cleverly thinking that I could use those to coordinate colors. Sadly, the color rendering on the computer (and on the printed pictures) was awful. Add to this the frustration of phone tag and a looming deadline. By now you are feeling the pain, I'm sure. Last week, as the deadline approached, I embarked on a wild goose chase to round up samples here in Raleigh in a last ditch effort to come up with an appealing and affordable visual palette. I took a half day of vacation one rainy afternoon and went to the following Triangle businesses: Pro-Source, Daltile, Kitchen Gallery, Home Depot, and Environmental StoneWorks. Even then, I met with some dead ends. It was WAYYYYY more brain damage than it was worth, considering children are starving in Africa and cholera threatens the Haitians. But it's done. It better be good. It will certainly be a "chef's surprise" to see it all pulled together in the house. My true friends will assure me that it looks great, my spouse will keep his comments to himself, and all the others--well--just don't go there. Literally.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fire in the Mouth!
Apropos to Colorado's "fire season," last Sunday found me with a group of friends at the Big Chili Cook-off, an annual fundraiser for the Evergreen Fire Department. We made a noble effort to sample all 93 varieties, cleansing our pallets with beer between tastes, before casting our ballots. Three votes were allowed, one each for red, green, and vegetarian chilis. Winner gets nothing more than bragging rights. It went on all day and the steady crowd ensured that the Fire Department made a good haul.
The cookoff is held at the Lake House, which sits on Evergreen Lake, the centerpiece of our village. In winter, the lake offers outdoor ice-skating and hot cocoa. It gets quite a bit of use by Denverites who come up for the day, and it provides the local adolescents with a kind of Mall al fresco since there really aren't many places for teens to congregate in Evergreen. A big alcohol-free party called Skate the Lake brings out most of the town for New Year's Eve. In summer, the lake offers paddle-boating, canoeing, fishing, free weekly concerts on the lawn, and a lovely backdrop for summer weddings and such. A walking trail and boardwalk circle the lake, and Cafe de Lucca, my favorite coffee shop, sits nearby.
September is when the aspen leaves turn their brilliant yellow in the high country, and often the first snow arrives. (This week, however, was in the 80's and tinderbox dry.) The elk begin their annual indelicate courtship ritual. Their bugling and shenanigans wake us at night. They are not discrete. So when we say there are ruts in the road, we ain't talkin' potholes. Yesterday a huge bull elk and his harem snarled traffic near the library. Today I took a very distant photo of the strapping lad (and his massive rack) resting in the shade on the golf course as we walked toward the lake for the Chili cook-off. When I walked back a couple of hours later, he was busy rounding up his small assortment of eligible ladies du jour. I snapped another photo or two (from a very safe distance) but grew increasingly less comfortable as he focused his gaze on me and two golfers who had stopped to admire him. He began to move toward us with purpose, even though his love interests had moved off in the opposite direction. It doesn't take these stately creatures, high on testosterone, long to cover quite a bit of turf in short order with a few strides, and before we knew it, the golfers and I were backing away, nonchalantly pretending we were minding our own business, while locating large objects behind which we could disappear. Not once, but twice we retreated. It was abundantly clear that this large fellow was telling the three of us, in no uncertain terms, that the fifteenth hole was his territory today. The photos on the side-bar don't begin to convey his presence.
By now you city folk are surely thinking I'm spinning yarns about this place, but check out the next surprise. Yesteray, 1:20 in the afternoon, in the same roadside ditch near town where Karen and I sat among the elk, a big fat mamma bear and two half-grown cubs wallowed. By the time I turned the car around and got the camera ready they had started to distance themselves from the attention they were attracting, but fortunately I got a parting shot. With the camera, that is.
At the construction site, the workers are really rippin' on the house now. The framing and exterior OSB is all up, the roof has been tar-papered. The earthwork and retaining walls are complete. The basement floor is poured over the radiant loops. Plumbing and wiring is being woven through the framing. The windows were installed Tuesday, and as soon as we can get a garage door selected, we will have a sealed envelope. It's looking phenomenal. When I visit the site I feel something strange, compelling, stirring. It is truly hard for me to leave.
A word about the subcontractors. I enjoyed getting to meet most of them this week. For the most part, they are a rag-tag bunch of weathered mountain men. As we had hoped, Bob's history with the local building trades is paying off. His subs are true craftsmen. Their attention to detail and professionalism is evident throughout.
The cookoff is held at the Lake House, which sits on Evergreen Lake, the centerpiece of our village. In winter, the lake offers outdoor ice-skating and hot cocoa. It gets quite a bit of use by Denverites who come up for the day, and it provides the local adolescents with a kind of Mall al fresco since there really aren't many places for teens to congregate in Evergreen. A big alcohol-free party called Skate the Lake brings out most of the town for New Year's Eve. In summer, the lake offers paddle-boating, canoeing, fishing, free weekly concerts on the lawn, and a lovely backdrop for summer weddings and such. A walking trail and boardwalk circle the lake, and Cafe de Lucca, my favorite coffee shop, sits nearby.
September is when the aspen leaves turn their brilliant yellow in the high country, and often the first snow arrives. (This week, however, was in the 80's and tinderbox dry.) The elk begin their annual indelicate courtship ritual. Their bugling and shenanigans wake us at night. They are not discrete. So when we say there are ruts in the road, we ain't talkin' potholes. Yesterday a huge bull elk and his harem snarled traffic near the library. Today I took a very distant photo of the strapping lad (and his massive rack) resting in the shade on the golf course as we walked toward the lake for the Chili cook-off. When I walked back a couple of hours later, he was busy rounding up his small assortment of eligible ladies du jour. I snapped another photo or two (from a very safe distance) but grew increasingly less comfortable as he focused his gaze on me and two golfers who had stopped to admire him. He began to move toward us with purpose, even though his love interests had moved off in the opposite direction. It doesn't take these stately creatures, high on testosterone, long to cover quite a bit of turf in short order with a few strides, and before we knew it, the golfers and I were backing away, nonchalantly pretending we were minding our own business, while locating large objects behind which we could disappear. Not once, but twice we retreated. It was abundantly clear that this large fellow was telling the three of us, in no uncertain terms, that the fifteenth hole was his territory today. The photos on the side-bar don't begin to convey his presence.
By now you city folk are surely thinking I'm spinning yarns about this place, but check out the next surprise. Yesteray, 1:20 in the afternoon, in the same roadside ditch near town where Karen and I sat among the elk, a big fat mamma bear and two half-grown cubs wallowed. By the time I turned the car around and got the camera ready they had started to distance themselves from the attention they were attracting, but fortunately I got a parting shot. With the camera, that is.
At the construction site, the workers are really rippin' on the house now. The framing and exterior OSB is all up, the roof has been tar-papered. The earthwork and retaining walls are complete. The basement floor is poured over the radiant loops. Plumbing and wiring is being woven through the framing. The windows were installed Tuesday, and as soon as we can get a garage door selected, we will have a sealed envelope. It's looking phenomenal. When I visit the site I feel something strange, compelling, stirring. It is truly hard for me to leave.
A word about the subcontractors. I enjoyed getting to meet most of them this week. For the most part, they are a rag-tag bunch of weathered mountain men. As we had hoped, Bob's history with the local building trades is paying off. His subs are true craftsmen. Their attention to detail and professionalism is evident throughout.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Fire on the Mountain
My heart hurts for those people, animals, air and habitat affected by the Fourmile Fire. How tragic.
Here is a good article from the denver post. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16016985
Yes, living in the mountains, especially in a rural area with a dry climate, has inherent risks. As does the Midwest (tornadoes), coast (hurricanes), west coast (earthquakes), cities (crime/traffic/pollution). However this does not lessen the pain of the losses incurred.
On a happier note, ironically, I have posted a series of construction photos to my facebook account, which you can access by clicking on the facebook link in the column to the right of this post. Please enjoy. Meanwhile, please be mindful that this, too, could go up in flames, and that the homes and contents lost to fire near Boulder are just as dear to their people as this will be to us.
I will be back in Evergreen next week for the next phase of construction (read: decision-making). Keep checking back! :)
Here is a good article from the denver post. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16016985
Yes, living in the mountains, especially in a rural area with a dry climate, has inherent risks. As does the Midwest (tornadoes), coast (hurricanes), west coast (earthquakes), cities (crime/traffic/pollution). However this does not lessen the pain of the losses incurred.
On a happier note, ironically, I have posted a series of construction photos to my facebook account, which you can access by clicking on the facebook link in the column to the right of this post. Please enjoy. Meanwhile, please be mindful that this, too, could go up in flames, and that the homes and contents lost to fire near Boulder are just as dear to their people as this will be to us.
I will be back in Evergreen next week for the next phase of construction (read: decision-making). Keep checking back! :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Department of Redundancy Department
It's like living two lives. When I am here in sultry North Carolina--dealing with oppressive heat and humidity, taking care of home maintenance and chores, e-mailing students and colleagues--a home in Colorado is like a figment of my imagination. But when I'm in Evergreen, North Carolina is the furthest thing from my mind as I seamlessly pick up friendships, local activities, and the rhythm of the mountains as if my tenure there had been uninterrupted.
My sister Karen, from Washington, joined me during my latest trip to Colorado. She and I are very close, and it helps to have her support and input. Plus, we just have fun together. There is nobody else (besides my daughter, who inherited the trait) with whom I share uncontrolled giggling. You know, the kind where the sound disappears and all that can be heard is high pitched squeaks between gasps for breath.
But let's talk about elk. Cervus canadensis nelsoni. They typically hide when Karen comes to Colorado, to the extent that Karen believed we were fabricating their existence. On this visit, she was not with me when I drove through a large herd of cows with calves right in town. I rushed home, woke Karen from an afternoon nap, threw her in the car, and returned, pulling the car to the shoulder in the middle of the herd. (See photo, above) The animals were milling about, wading in a smelly, tar-like roadside drainage, laying in tall grass eating their cud, and the dappled babies were just "chillin." Karen could literally have touched a mama who chose to bed down next to the passenger door where Karen was sitting with her window rolled down. The critters created a musical backdrop to the scene with their constant, contented mews and squeals. What a treat for both Karen and I.
The logging has been completed, and the site looks tidier. Most diseased or weak trees have been removed. Those remaining have been sprayed for pine bark beetle, because the stress of the blasting, earthwork, and logging attracts beetles. Beetles are moving east toward us. Beetle damage is so severe in some areas west of us that mountains are denuded, and some of the forests are being closed for safety reasons. Trees are just dropping randomly and pose a risk to hikers, and the fire danger is extreme. Thankfully, Colorado is getting abundant precipitation this year, which should lessen the fire danger and the stress on the remaining trees.
As for the house--finally it is going up! Bob the Builder claims that getting the house "out of the ground" (obtaining the building permit and getting the site prepped and footings and foundation poured) is the most tedious and lengthy process. In this case there was copious excavation, blasting, moving of rock, and loads upon loads of fill dirt to be hauled in. The carnage of earthwork at the site actually made my stomach turn. It is substantially more than I expected. Maybe because of the county's new requirements? Or due to the conditions found once the work began, which made things unpredictable? Dealing with the unknown is hard for me. But anyway, we are now officially "out of the ground" and framing has begun.
The most complex decision we are currently grappling with, is which "green" features make sense. Since the house will not have continual occupancy, and because cold weather extremes can play havoc with a vacant home (especially with radiant in-floor heat), we are determining how to make all systems fail-safe in the event that a) we lose electricity, while b) we experience extreme cold for many days and nights, while c) the sun disappears, and simultaneously d) nobody is at the house and e) help can't get there due to deep snow. It's been recommended that we have glycol in the radiant floors to lower the freezing temperature, an electric boiler to supplement the solar heat, a generator as back up for when our electricity fails, a buried propane tank to feed the generator, and an alarm system to let us know if temperatures fall to critical levels, water shows up where it shouldn't, or fire breaks out when the house is vacant. The cost of all these "belts, suspenders, and elastic" could feed a small country. It's ridiculous. All this "infrastructure" defeats the "sustainable" goal. So if any of you have ideas that will reduce the need for all this redundancy, PLEASE speak up!
I've rambled long enough. Time to walk the dogs in real time. They grow fat during the summer months when nobody wants to go outside for exercise. Until we meet again.....
Cheers!
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