Getting by with some help from my friends (and girlfriend, and mother)

Ellen learns to use a nail gun and miter saw! Before coming out to help, her idea of "building" was hiring a crew. Now she's ready to do a new addition all on her own.



Rebecca shows off her mad carpentry skills. She had no idea what she was getting into when we met for lunch that day.

Michele is an old hand at all of this now. Changing angles, flipping boards around. I just yell measurements and she delivers the boards.


And my fearless mother joins me on the latter. We don't have a picture of it, but she helped me put the up the boards under the eaves, high on a ladder, holding up a long board over her head, and never complaining about her crazy son who keeps getting her into situations like that. Love you, Mom!

some cool framing pictures

Spring has sprung

I have had such a good time watching the land come back to life this Spring. First there were there waves of frogs, then a few little buds came out, then I leave for a week and the colors have exploded. The red buds and dogwoods are blooming and there are splashes of red and white in every direction throughout the woods. (I wish the pictures were better) A few butterflies are floating around. Birds are singing. And to top it off, I am starting to pull ticks off of me again. No chiggers yet (knocking on wood).

more catch up - old roofing pics

Lauren and Kai - pics from way back

Once again, it has been a while since I posted anything. Not a whole lot has changed with my little construction project. The siding is on, but otherwise it looks about the same. Pics of the siding are coming.

The exciting thing is that Spring is here. The dogwoods and red buds are in bloom, butterflies are starting to appear, and tonight I saw the first fire flys of the season. I also saw my first wild turkey.

Anyway, this post is not about Spring. It is about Lauren and Kai painting the tin before it went up. Notice the green spot on Kai's forehead. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut when Lauren accidentally got a spot of paint on her forehead. I think he learned his lesson!

The fact that it took me such an embarrassingly long time to get these developed, and in the meantime allowed the old film to get hot and cold in the trunk, convinced me to finally bite the bullet and buy the digital SLR camera that I have been coveting in one form or another for years.