Nature walk- across the street

Here are a few photos from the nature walk across the street from our house. It goes along the marsh and one of the reasons why we love living here. It is such a treat to be able to walk out the front door and have access to this open beautiful space. Even in the midst of the chaos of living in a renovation, we keep saying "we love it here". These are just a few reasons why we think it is so important to bring this house back to life and make it our own.

Can we get ONE more side done before Winter

So we decided we'd get one more side done before the snow flys. This is the side that the living room/ bedroom is on, and we thought it would be much cozier if we could get it done, with new windows too. So here we are stripping the siding off. Not surprising there was a layer of clapboards under the shingles. We think this was the original section of the the house.

Just to let you all know, I did strip this side as well. There are just no photos of me this time, but I swear I was right there.

After we stripped of the siding and the paper-we found a signature. Harry Jordan and under it read Cape Elizabeth. It would have been great if there was a date, but there wasn't. So we just have to assume, that was who sided the house last? There is a cemetery across the street from as early as 1825, but we didn't see a headstone with Harry's name on it. Perhaps he is buried at the Spurwink Church. I might check that out this week?

That's as far as we go, we'll get the upper level in the spring? For now, this is what we can do. Window out- New one going in. We did one at a time, not knowing how much was going to need to be rebuilt as we took the windows out. It went much smoother than expected.

So smooth, we were able to get both windows in and Typar the sidewall.

Doghouse- before & after

Doghouse BEFORE

This isn't Bartlett's house, it is the entry into the cellar, called a doghouse. This is before it was stripped, rebuilt (some of the sheathing was rotted, reshingled, and slate roofed.

Pile of Slate- BEFORE

Yip, evidently this pile of slate was salvaged from a building at Portland Head Light, by the previous owners.Along with the greenhouse too. Erik salvaged it again and used it to roof the roof. Woof.

Erik -Moving stone

So there was a bit of a stone wall here, but we kind of destroyed it when we put the deck in, so Erik is rearranging the stones to make a little bit of a retaining wall for flower beds between the deck and the doghouse. He also moved the concrete pad in front of the doghouse so that wasn't tipped into the structure and water would shed away from the stairs. Hopefully, this helps the cellar be a bit dryer here.

Doghouse-AFTER

The Boys of Fall

Well it’s turn to face the stars and stripes

It’s fighting back them butterflies

It’s call it in the air, alright

Yes sir, we want the ball

And it’s knocking heads and talking trash

It’s slinging mud and dirt and grass

It’s I got your number, I got your back

When your back’s against the wall

You mess with one man, you got us all

The boys of fall

In little towns like mine, that’s all they’ve got

Newspaper clippings fill the coffee shops

The old men will always think they know it all

Young girls will dream about the boys of fall....

Ahhh, Kenny Chesney song has got me nostalgic about fall, not that I was a cheerleader (Ha!) or even went to a football game in high school, but the small town stuff and the cool air this time of year, totally gets me.

Erik and I went down to see Jarrett (Erik's nephew) play his first football game. It was great, Kendra (Erik's sister) warned us that it was their first game and the practices were challenging for this age (Jarrett is 7, looks like he is about 13, he might be shaving?). But we were pleasantly surprised, the coaches did a super job reeling the kids in and getting them involved in the plays.
Check out the line coach, scratching his head, cute. The game was a little like corralling cats, but the Laurence team won against Chelmsford! Which was a nice way to start the season. Jarrett is so focused on football right now, I think he is eating and sleeping it. Kendra even said he practices the plays every night.

No wonder their team won, look at how big these two are?!!!

West Branch

Every year since Erik and I have been together (except the past 2) we've been going up to the West Branch on the Penobscot River. We camp on the river. Not in Baxter, since he didn't like dogs, they aren't allowed in the park. But on the Golden Road, where you yield to the massive logging trucks coming out of the forests. The Golden Road never changes, it gets worse for wear each year, but the camp sites remain the same, the beauty of the river and the mountains and forests surrounding it take your breath away. And then there's the fishing. World class fly fishing. It isn't easy fishing, it is tough. It's a big, fast, powerful river with finicky fish. We met up with the Davidson Family on the ride up, we timed it just right and caravan ed up 95, until we got to our camp at Big Eddy. Miles was a great camper, it was sweet to have him there. Here are a few of my favorite pics over the week.

Sarah and Miles setting up camp.

Bartlett barking of course- she is just so expressive! There was a rule that there was NO barking at the campsite, luckily we were right on the fast water, so I am sure it drowned her out.

Setting up Camp, Erik and Carter hanging the tarp.

Miles, eating avocados!

Miles and Sarah getting ready for our big moment.

Erik and Miles at the Crib!

Miles and I playing back at camp.

Carter and Miles with his fishing vest on.

Carter all dressed up, no place to go.

Camo inspecting the length on one of the fish.

Slippery little suckers.

Brook Trout- this was the 5th take on this photo, the last 6 slipped out of my grip, one landed in the Cheezit box. I am super nervous it is about to take off on me.

Drifting in the evening.

CH-ch-ch-Changes-part deux

Doghouse in progress. Siding is up on the back of the house. We chose to do a clapboard on the bottom, to break up the scale of the house. The little doghouse gets shingles.
The Andersen mulled double hungs- look spectacular. It is a treat to be able to open and have screens and more importantly to close them easily, especially now that fall is fast approaching. It's funny what a difference they make, when the window is open you can hear everything the birds, frogs, crickets. As soon as you close them up it's like having noise reduction headphones on.

CH-ch-ch-Changes

That song always reminds me of fall, playing pool at Mike's Billiards putting money in the jukebox and listening to David Bowie. The weather is getting cooler and we have a number of things to do before winter comes.

The back of the house is coming along. Here is the progress at the end of August. We have the new windows in and the trim is painted. We are getting ready to strip the doghouse. It's not really Bartlett's house. It's the entry into the basement. We think it's one of the areas that critters have been getting into the house, so it'll be nice to have that buttoned up.

Doghouse- Before

There was a pile of slate roofing tiles in a pile behind the shed. According to the previous owners, they were from a building that was torn down at Portland Head Light. Like many of the materials on the property had been salvaged there as well. The fireplace in the great room was built from salvaged brick from the same building, as well as the greenhouse. Erik has been wanting to use the slate somewhere on the house.

The doghouse roof was the perfect place to use the slate. It is a small enough surface to figure out how to lay the tiles. It also is a place that we'll be looking at it with it's close proximity to the deck. Now it will be enjoyable to look at, rather than looking at asphalt shingles. Not that there's anything wrong with asphalt. Here is Erik installing the slate.