Rick and Ellen's Homestead

Started by rick91351, March 20, 2013, 11:55:14 PM

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rick91351

Weimaraners are great gun dogs and can be excellent communions as well.  When my daughter was pregnant with her first child, they had one.  He for some reason became very protective of her.  He would not even let her husband stand next to her without getting between the two.  Then when our grandson was born he was so protective of both of them then it was crazy.  Her husband came home one night.  Let himself in only to be greeted by the dog coming at him as if he were a complete stranger.  Our daughter had to call him off. 

Sunday was a wonderful day here.  59 degrees and we had the windows open in the trailer airing it out and doing some needed spring cleaning.  Then the next day, WOW Cold and 45 MPH winds and the canyons and draws had huge strong gusts of wind blowing over trees and back to winter.





About a week ago the furnace quit in the fifthwheel no big deal it is in the high twenties and thirties at night.  It will not freeze the water in the trailer.  But we need heat so we just went to our back up plan. Those Quartz Infrared Portable types work real well.  And we run one a lot in here really the furnace is really lacking in this fifthwheel.  With the threat of high winds and temperatures that night falling like a rock in to  the low teens.  I decided we need the spare as well so I went down to the shop and got the spare electric heater.  I was becoming come concerned it might freeze the water because the furnace ducting is used help keep the pipes from freezing.  But we made it through.

That day we finished up grouting all the wall tile.  As you can see we still have so scrubbing and rubbing left to.





The road to Boise is back open so yesterday I decided enough was enough I was going to get the furnace looked out so  I pulled it and ran off to town.  Our friend that owns the RV repair business had one of his guys look at it.  It was the board.  He had just used his last one.  So he told his tech put in the test board and button it up.  I went to pay him when the job was done.  He told me its on the house.  But that is a used board and it comes with the used board warranty - I am warranting it that it might last ten years or ten minutes.  And grinned. 

On the way back up to the Prairie we seen ELK!!  A nice bunch with lots of last years calves!  This is rare here now with the wolf problem. 



This is the back waters of Arrowrock dam and the South Fork of the Boise near the old ferry landing.



After the finely seen me they moved on up the hill. 

     

 







       
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

OlJarhead

Awesome to see!

Hope the heater works a little longer!  But won't you be in the house soon?


rick91351

#252
Quote from: OlJarhead on March 25, 2014, 11:16:30 AM
Awesome to see!

Hope the heater works a little longer!  But won't you be in the house soon?

All bets are off when we will be able to make the move.  We still have a couple days of tile and grouting.  Then we will set kitchen, utility and bath cabinets.  Then I would guess a easy couple months of wood work so I would guess that would be closer to four mouths. 

We can check off the pan in the master shower.  After pouring a couple of them I was not warm and fuzzy with their performance.  They did not drain like I wanted.  One puddled badly.  The other seemed sort of weird around edges.  So I decided to hire it done because of that and size.  So I called in an ace from our past.  I was so wanting to see him do it.    :o   But as luck would have it I had a grazing meeting with the US Forest Service today.   [waiting]  He is so busy you just do not pick up a phone and make a call.  He did tell Ellen however after looking at her tile jobs.  She and I are hired if we want to move back to town and keep us busy..... Me thinks NOT....



Kitchen floor going down...





Burnt the mid night oil



Down and sealed



Flooring for two bed rooms and hall way in and acclimatizing



Same with this this old barn lumber...  About a week with a belt sander and Popeye arms, numerous dust masks and we will have it whipped into shape.  Learned the method from a real high end artisan from the area that crafted high end furniture from old woods. 



I have to rewire these two lights.  There were lights from the Boise Carnige Library.  We are planing on using them out on the porch.



Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

UK4X4

#253
"Weimaraners are great gun dogs and can be excellent communions as well.  When my daughter was pregnant with her first child, they had one.  He for some reason became very protective of her.  He would not even let her husband stand next to her without getting between the two.  Then when our grandson was born he was so protective of both of them then it was crazy"


thats part of their hard wiring, try touching my family and you'd have an arm full of teeth marks
no agression, no growling - just teeth !

Diesel the older one has done it, nothing bad, he sort of grabs the offending arm, pressures and then releases and steps back, with a look that says try that again and I'll make holes !


In germany in order to get permisson to breed, the young dogs have to pass the schutzhund test, part of that is demonstrating their "protective mode "

Hunting ......yep awsome, and again hardwired into them, mine tracks, air scents points and retrieves...with zero training other than us working areas with rabbits and hares etc, my sister had one too and he brought down two deer , no guns required !


rick91351

 c*  Yep UK  and to that dog's final day here on earth --  Death to all cats.  Was not cool when we were dog sitting him.  He and the house cat a huge tabby got into it.  He shoved a door open to my wife's home office knowing Spud the cat was in there.  So was my wife.  Spud jumped on to my wife.  She grabbed him and tried to hold him away as he was biting and scratching every thing in reach including her.  Gage the dog was like a greyhound chasing the bunny.   Ellen was spinning around, and around, and around trying to get out the door.  Made it to the door flung the cat, slammed the door leaving Gage in the office.  She got the cat away from there and in to an other part of the house.  Opened the door to her office and off course it looked like tornado had come through there.  Papers, a floor lamp, stuff off the shelves in the book cases.

I was 182 miles away in Oregon when I got the phone call.  I might as well been in China or Australia.  Oh all the stuff she said about the dog.  I think that was the last time we dog sat Gage.  He went to the kennel when they had to leave for a few days after that.

Gage lasted through the divorce.  Became our daughters dog and contracted cancer.  Had to be put down.  Me thinks the cat put a curse on him.  Spud the cat lasted a lot longer - like twenty when he went to where ever cats go.  Remained a house cat to the end.  Would go out side maybe twice a year walk around the house and return to the door and want in.  Find a sunny spot - take a nap.  Never killed a mouse, never played much.........
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.


Redoverfarm

Tile looks good Rick.  My hat's off to Ellen.   ;)  Like the lights.  Sort of vintage looking.  On the barn wood I would be tempted to set a planer to just knock off the rough stuff and then finish with the sander.  It would probably cut your sanding time in half.  I sort of get an idea what you are trying to end up with but you can get the same effect by eliminating some of that rough sanding with a slight/light planning.

I can relate to the cat/dog incident.  Had a couple Norweigen Elkhounds.  Deadly on cats and chickens.  Had to get it unstuck from a tree forks once when he tried to get to the neighbors cat that went up a tree to escape.  The cat was up there lauging at the dog the whole time it was screaming until we got it unlodged. Then of course it would grab the chickens head as they poked through the fence of the their pen. Sort of cut down on the egg production.

Windpower



I can't allow my wife to see those lights -- they are exactly what she has been describing that she is looking for


want t sell them ?    I am sure not

Tile is awesome !
Often, our ignorance is not as great as our reluctance to act on what we know.

rick91351

Quote from: Redoverfarm on March 26, 2014, 07:17:52 AM
Tile looks good Rick.  My hat's off to Ellen.   ;)  Like the lights.  Sort of vintage looking.  On the barn wood I would be tempted to set a planer to just knock off the rough stuff and then finish with the sander.  It would probably cut your sanding time in half.  I sort of get an idea what you are trying to end up with but you can get the same effect by eliminating some of that rough sanding with a slight/light planning.

The guy that makes the furniture.  He and I have had the same discussion.  He says if you want to plane take the lumber down to a car wash.  Talk to the owner and tell him what your are wanting to do.  Because he has been kicked out of a couple.  He does that anyway - wash the wood.  Then stickers it.  Then he and his helper go over it looking for old broken nails and rocks and such.  Then still ruins planer knives so he just opts out.  Most the time time wise he says it is sure not worth it.  So he just goes right to sanding.  He also says sanding only is a lot easier on the knots and defects you want to keep that give the wood the real character.  What I would love to find is a drum sander.  Set the board in a belt and just feed them through.  We use one of those in the Boise Woodcraft Store.  WOW that works so nice.  But $$$

What he ends up with is a smooth board that looks naturally weathered and sun toasted.  He then seals and finishes with a clear coat of something.  I never went that far with him.  Need to get a hold of him.    ???         
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

rick91351

Quote from: Windpower on March 26, 2014, 08:03:23 AM

I can't allow my wife to see those lights -- they are exactly what she has been describing that she is looking for


want t sell them ?    I am sure not

Tile is awesome !

Thanks

The lights are the real MacCoy.  A conductor who's son was contracting a remodel of the old Boise Carnige Library ended up with them.  Found out I was interested in the Arts and Crafts Movement and Deco Art.  WOW do I ever have a deal for you.  I went over and looked at them and could not get my wallet out fast enough.  I hate to almost say this but a little more than yard sale price.....  A part of the Carnige history and Boise history which my fore fathers help found.     
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.


Don_P

Looking good  [cool]
I've sure shined up alot of nails in the planer, finally got one of the wands which helps but there's always a missed nail somewhere. I've preserved the sawmarks or hewing on logs but cleaned up the wood using an osborne brush in a big angle drill, it's about a 4" cup wheel with abrasive nylon bristles rather than wire. Another effect but definitely Popeye work.

rick91351

We got hit with a very pretty - very wet snow.  Yep even though we are looking at spring, winter was not really a Prairie winter.  Still think it looks pretty.   We almost got .8 of an inch from that storm in rain and snow.  So the water in the reservoirs are looking a lot better.  It is showing us at 14.1 inches of moisture since the start of the new water year which is Nov 1, 2013. 






 
We got rid of a bunch of boxes.  Freed up a bunch of much needed floor space for more lumber to come in.  The original 'drawings' showed a upper set of cabinets over the peninsula.  Ellen opted out of that for a more open kitchen to the nook and keep the view to the great out doors...... I would be happy to 'kill' or omit the whole peninsula  ;D 



The oven cabinet next to the fridge is not misplaced nor mis-ordered Ellen is trying an idea we have never seen before.  A low mounted wall oven with counter above.   ???   



With the large pantry and ample cabinet storage space we can hunker down very well for the normal winter up here.  (If they ever return.)  Normal would be still a good foot or so of icy snow up here yet. 



Utility room still needs grouted so we just hung uppers.  Again we are just trying to get rid of 'stuff' to gain floor spaced.











Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

Redoverfarm

Will have to agree with Ellen on the cabinets over the peninsula.  But the peninsula is a must to rolling out your biscuits for breakfast.   ;D

rick91351

Quote from: Redoverfarm on March 29, 2014, 12:44:47 PM
Will have to agree with Ellen on the cabinets over the peninsula.  But the peninsula is a must to rolling out your biscuits for breakfast.   ;D

SO true in fact we even will have two ovens.......  I am so looking forward to being able to really cook again.  Another of my hobbies......  Believe me Ellen does not mind in the least bit.  I am sure not one of those Gordon Ramsey reality show type cooks either.  Especially me standing there with a perfectly good sharp Ginsu or Hinkel knife in my hand and someone screaming obscenities.   ;)   It just aint gona' happen.....It just aint gona' happen......
   
Couple things we so miss living in the fifth wheel that we are so looking forward to. 

One:  Fixin' large family and friends meals where you can invite everyone and have plenty of room for everyone.   

Two:  Long lasting showers and baths:  Last year during the fires up here and we were without power and water for over a week and living down on the escape route.  Even when we moved back to the RV pads no real showers or baths.    We were drawing water from our spring and transporting it to the trailer.  Over a week witout a shower or a bath other than just washing up.  Top that off with fighting fire then coming in and dropping in to bed grabbing a few hours sleep and jumping up and doing it all again For me long showers as long as you like.   For Ellen that is long soaking baths.  They are just dreams about to come true..... ;D

   
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

rick91351

Last year or year before I had the guy that owns the mill slab some pine that we harvested from here. They run in thickness 5/4 to 8/4 plus.  I had selected this one to make 'window sills' or 'stools' for the nook.  The nook is going to be 'sort of rustic'.  Ellen says I can sort of stretch the envelope there.  I think she means I have to came back to earth on the rest of the house and trim.  ???





When we were looking for doors we ran into this one in a bunch of old, old seconds at the lumber yard.  Got a 'deal' on it. 






Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.


Windpower

We almost went with a pantry door like that

but instead went for cost saving and getting it done verses waiting for special order

it looks really good

we are enjoying the heck out of our kitchen -- we were only 'kitchenless' for 7 months

we did 'jury rig' a kitchen sink -- it was invaluable for 2 or 3 months
Often, our ignorance is not as great as our reluctance to act on what we know.

rick91351

 ???  I think  I received and Hazardous Weather Notification from NOAA stating that there is no hazardous weather  ???

Or am I missing something......... [waiting]

Hazardous Weather Outlook
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
213 PM MDT MON APR 14 2014

IDZ011>013-028-029-033-ORZ061>064-152015-
WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-LOWER TREASURE VALLEY ID-BOISE MOUNTAINS-
CAMAS PRAIRIE-OWYHEE MOUNTAINS-UPPER WEISER RIVER-HARNEY COUNTY-
BAKER COUNTY-MALHEUR COUNTY-LOWER TREASURE VALLEY OR-
213 PM MDT MON APR 14 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
IDAHO...WEST CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST
OREGON.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECETD AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

$$
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

rick91351

#266
We managed to get out of the house yesterday and most likely today as well.  This week is a wash really.  One of those wasted weeks.  Going and comings and commitments and such.  Waiting for the granite guys to make the trip up the hill and do their templating.  Then I have to move a couple misguided electrical outlets but need to talk to the electrician and we are playing phone tag.  Need to get that done before before I set a wall oven cabinet.  Then the power we figured for the dishwasher will not work.  I don't want to head off into starting working on the wood floor because I really need to have my mind focused on that project not ten others while attempting to mill the fir floor.  So we took a break not from work but turned to the homestead.........

Our latest buy from the cold weather nursery arrived.....  Five more trees of the cold weather verity.  He also offers supper cold verities.  Their trees are are grafted to Antonovka root stock.  According to them it is the most tried-and-true rootstock known, having been used for 500 years in Russia.  Northern grown and well pruned apple trees on Antonovka rootstock are equivalent to "semi-dwarf" trees in size, yet still retain the necessary vigor to flower, fruit and become dormant within the time constraints of a short growing season.  Then we also were able to get 12 black raspberry plants of the cold weather verity.  We have been trying there for three or four years.  Got them from the same nursery.  As well as four verities of grapes five each.  We tried the grapes before we were not set up very well for them but they okay.  With us being here full time now we should do well with them. 

To lighten up heavy clay soil a good product is gypsum.  You can send all your pieces from the sheet rock zoo to the land fill.  Or toss it where you want lightened up and let it over winter in the weather.  Pull off the paper and rototill in .....  Or you can do like lots of people do haul it to the land fill then stop by the garden center on the way home and buy gypsum.   ???  I will add here I don't know if they put additives in the gypsum for dry wall.  I do know one lady up here that is a great gardener and did it for their lawn and garden and says in her research finds nothing stating it being bad. 



Over in the orchard Ellen has started to prune the trees and last year was very hard on some.  This due to the 17 Year Idaho Cicadas








and the hot 100 degree temps and short on water. The fires called us away and we missed watering the the orchard for about fourteen to eighteen days do to the power outage and not set up the best for such.  We have hopefully gotten that sort of straightened up.  However the pie cherries and the young cherries all were hit very hard and we lost several - several.  Well almost all of them. 

We lost or we thought we lost one of the young trees to the Cicadas - the young tree was shriveling and changing colors.



It knew it was in trouble so it did start sending up a couple shoots above the graft union and did root sucker as well.  So Ellen pruned it off and we well give it some TLC.  As vigorous as these trees are it very well might make it. 



The trees started to heal well after the Cicadas



This was the last of the original Honey Crisp apples we ordered in our first try at orcharding.  Since then we have learned a lot and much more to learn.  Turned out the nursery we got them from sent us 25 dwarf trees.  I asked for Honey Crisps I got them.....  They said I did not specify non dwarf.  First and last order from them.  Dwarf trees are basically dwarf because of a non vigorous root stock.  They work well in some places.  But in the great white north at this altitude  they are basically a ten year tree if that.   They do not like cold at all.  This one our last one did not make it.



All in all things wintered pretty well however.



Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

dablack

Orchard looks great!  On Dec 28th, we put in 10 different variaties of southern apples and two types of pears.  They were all just one or two year whips on M111 rootstock.  Almost all bloomed this year (about a month ago for us) and now three of the apples have little apples growing on them.  I will snip all but one off of each tree.  I want the tree focusing on roots, not fruit!  This fall we will put in more pears and some peaches.  I already have the ground mulched where the trees will go.  We went with 20' between trees and 25' between rows (IIRC). 


rick91351

#268
I had to revise this over a confusion of ELMA 7 and ELMA 111's.  Out to lunch wink.....

EMLA 7's work real well here in our clay soil and are very cold hardy as well.  EMLA 111's they do not seem to work very well here 50 / 50  mortality rate....  Jarhead turned me on to the nursery we are currently using.  I do like the Russian root stock for up here in the short growing seasons.  They are whips as well.  But true to 'Mother Russia' they do there best to grow and maker the best out of what ever.    Our pears are doing well as well.  We do have two verities of peaches we have found that have not winter killed.  Canadian Harmony and Reliance.  The best thing I we find here we are not having to spay.  The wild apples never have parasites nor the domestics.    I have my bees down in the valley right now.  Talked to my friend last night as these trees are starting to bud.    We did have two hives that failed last winter so he is doing his bee magic and hopefully we will have a couple to bring up or one huge one.  We might split and queen it after we get it up here and sat. 

Anxious to see your trees and orchard.     
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

dablack

I will try to get a picture soon.  It really isn't much of an orchard.  Not yet at least.  We don't even have it fenced off.  Two months before we planted their were big pines that i brought down to have milled up into lumber for my rebuild.  All the stumps are still there.  Some of the debris burn piles are still there too.  Not the best looking place right now but it is getting there!

Very interesting the two extremes!  East TX clay, 650' elevation, zone 8a vs where you are! 


rick91351

Quote from: dablack on April 23, 2014, 07:27:02 AM
I will try to get a picture soon.  It really isn't much of an orchard.  Not yet at least.  We don't even have it fenced off.  Two months before we planted their were big pines that i brought down to have milled up into lumber for my rebuild.  All the stumps are still there.  Some of the debris burn piles are still there too.  Not the best looking place right now but it is getting there!

Very interesting the two extremes!  East TX clay, 650' elevation, zone 8a vs where you are!

The orchard is sort of like fun and therapeutic. Even if you have just one or two trees they are special to you.  To us they are certainly not a hope for a real business.  The orchard is not like our cows that are more $$$ based.  Our cows we expect them to produce calves.  If the cows do not produce calves or do not 'preg test' then off to the sale they go.  At the end of the year we pull the calves off and are weaned.  They most times depending on the market go on feed then go to a 'feeder sale'.  Or if prices are high enough virus feeding they may go right to the sale  The orchard one the other hand some day may be a source of income.  More than likely if still in the family - our kids and grand kids may see some income from it.     
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

OlJarhead

Looking good!  Can't wait to see that flooring go in?  Is it going to be T&G?

rick91351

#272
Quote from: OlJarhead on May 12, 2014, 07:33:36 AM
Looking good!  Can't wait to see that flooring go in?  Is it going to be T&G?

We are not making much progress - we are making progress.  Sort of like it is the best of times it is the worst of times.  We have been on task so well,  then suddenly life hit.  A couple weeks have been real busts.  Seemed like more time in the valley doing life than doing it up here.  We even grabbed a hotel room down there one night.  Nothing tragic just have had to buy some replacement cows.  Chase after some materials - just a lot of stuff to get out of the way.  Medical check up and labs and dental.   We did take time to attend the traveling Broadway Show - Wicked at the Morrison Center.  So the visible changes and delights in the house sort of slowed to a crawl.   

The cabinets are set - templates are made for the granite.  Is looking like Wednesday for that.  Had plumbers up Saturday to start their trim out.  They don't do Saturdays but had to because they are over booked.

However out best laid plans of the electrical in all the proper places seems to went to Boise with us.  Had to redo the electrical on the low mounted wall oven.  Needed big electrical wire for that.   ???  Then remembered some that was on a roll end at a suppliers that they specialed out.  I had bought  it...... Someone is always wanting to wire a welder or something in.  Turned out it was me... ;D



The dishwasher of this make needed the electrical put somewhere else than behind.  So I rerouted some wire and 'Electric Ray' the electrician can look it over and hook it up.    The plumber however looked it all over and said as many dishwashers of this make he has put in none of the #$%#$@#$% were like that.  Even the $#%#$#$% water and %$^$#@! drain are #%^%$$##.  I really don't think he was impressed with the changes in design.

The @#$$^##$$%%^ dishwasher....... ::)



As far as the floor some will be drilled - screwed and plugged.  Don't know how much other than some will go in that way.

Making plugs







Master vanity



We got the OSB on the walls in the nook for the wall treatment there. 



Then turned on the Stones and Paint It Black.  And I did



Don't freak it will change. 

   
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

rick91351

I have a fear of moving into this house without it being finished.  Then out of spite and burn out never finish it.  For there is a certain love hate relationship that I occur when things take more than a day and a half to finish.  Yes I am prone to scream at the microwave to hurry up as well as the Bunn Coffee Maker. 

So I have identified a couple areas that I am suspect of not finishing besides the regular door frame - window frame type stuff.   

One: The pantry.  Tiny room off the kitchen..... it is even titled as being a pantry on its door. I can just see it turning into a tiny room of card board boxes and plastic shelving that I have horded.

Two: The Mud Room located as a vestibule - in between the back door and a second door.  Planing a locker room bench type seating with a coat rack.  In short a small room and a place to hang coats and change foot ware.  A place to corral the dogs and their wet dirty feet. 

Three: There is a large linen closet in the master bath That would be a good place to omit as well.  To me it will be both a linen and a pantry for sundry items.  We have to stock particularly in the winter just in case.... The extra tube of toothpaste and dental floss and plenty paper products and ointments and lotions and stuff to get us through the winter if it is bad.  The non food items.   

Those are the main areas I see as problems - So I have done something about that.  I before anything else got started I started on the pantry.  As I have posted before our logging projects from this homestead it is really paying off now.  We are in luck to be a little heavy on real four quarter pine boards.  They are my shelf bottoms - they planed out real well.  The other boards planed down to 3/4 well and even took some down to half inch for drawer stock and this and that.  I love that 13 inch Dewalt Planer so long as the knives are sharp.



Then yesterday was the day the granite came.  We are very happy with it.  The largest piece of granite penciled out to 600 lbs worth.  Two guys lugged it in to the house and I helped steady it.  We were most concerned with damaging those fingers where the sink will go.  Also the 13 inch Dewalt planer and a pile of shavings where the trailer is parked.  You can see we have planed the heck out of things.



That big piece will cover all that and mate to that piece on the counter.  They walked through what they were going to do several times actually acting as if they had the piece.  They figured out where they were going to rest it and got blocks laid out where they might need them.  Walked through where and how they were going to pivot the piece.  When we finely moved it in it went so smooth.  Again that was 600 pounds two guys and a very top heavy piece of rock.



Pivoted and set in it final resting spot.



Seaming it together they were well please with Ellen's and mine cabinet setting.  Things mated up very well.





Drilling for the faucets



Granite set around the stove and the pain in the hind end low wall oven cabinet



Master vanity





Utility room cabinet and laundry folding area.



Guest bath





All in all well pleased with the counter tops -



We are getting closer to completing.  Still a long way to go but closer than a years ago and this was an error of a clearance dug.           
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.