One Step Closer

We have a big chunk of messy indoor work to do here at the Hammershack before we can close that pesky permit we opened in 2014. The upstairs bath and laundry and hall will undoubtedly take many months and a good chunk of moola to complete, and though we have made progress on our design concepts and clearing the way by getting rid of large objects, we just are not quite ready to dive in.

There are a few smaller and more immediately achievable pieces we can peel off in the meantime, and last week Morgan finished these beautiful steel and gravel stairs connecting our front door to the upper driveway.

The slippery slope of before, and process

It took 4.5 yards of gravel to fill, much of which I shoveled- oof, rocks are heavy, y’all. That said, I was very glad to contribute what I could after Morgan did all of the truly hard work.

Not shown- the step lights that pop on when you approach, and the sweet little under-boulder lights that he’s been playing with. You’ll have to come visit to see those!

Next up- handrails? Stay tuned…

Back in Hot Water

The tub is BACK! Here are a couple of photos of the big move back in mid-October, with big thanks again going out to our helpers. Some of them helped us move it into place originally and they STILL showed up for this awkward heavy job. Y’all are the best!

It has taken awhile to get the tub fired up again because enough shed structure had to be built to run new wiring to plug it in. The wiring became the next thing to do once materials for the roof had been ordered and the wait for their delivery began… and as it turns out, wiring was the perfect sized job for a roofing delivery window- those panels arrived just yesterday.

I haven’t had a chance to try out the new location just yet, but here’s Morgan enjoying his first soak, checking out the new vantage point.

This particular spot hasn’t gotten much love from us in terms of landscaping. Once upon a time it was where our three-bin compost storage was. Then it was a place where we stored all the stuff that needs a shed but doesn’t yet have one (you can see where we moved it- the orchard ladder and scaffolding to the right in the photo). Eventually the slope to the left in the photo will be dug out and carted away, but for at least a few years we will have to work on beautifying it as it is. For this mid-winter moment, just sitting in a tub of hot water for as long as we want to is a beautiful thing.

Full circle

In 1999, when Morgan and I were just friends, he had a garden landscaping party at which I laid down a brick pathway in the front yard. I spent some time a few days ago tearing it back up– now married to the man and the land. We are sacrificing some of the front yard to make parking easier during and after construction. We have plenty of other yard, not to worry 😉. The fence is going today:

Welcome to the Hammershack!

These are some images from May 2012. They show the garden in its full springy splendor (raining, appropriately), and the South side of the house as it is. We hope to change the house this year, very dramatically. I’ll be posting about those changes as they occur, or the impediments to change, as the case may be.