Yesterday, Pat,Steve and Jeff were on site to mark and dig the footings. The weather was perfect and we only had one major snag to deal with. We had a huge bolder, that you will meet later, sitting in the middle of our kitchen. Now a rock in a kitchen is not a good idea and since we couldn't move it we shifted the house to avoid it. Take a look at what was accomplished.
Pat checks the plans while Mary makes sure he is looking at the right page.
Staking the corners. Once this was done, string was run from corner to corner and then the ground was spray painted so Steve would know where to dig.
Can you see the string?
As Steve dug, Pat checked the depth with his transit.
I'm sure by the time the house is up, these plans will be well worn and covered in mud.
Just a few of many boulders Steve was able to remove from our site and save us hiring a rock buster. We will use these boulders to stabilize the hill once the house is up.
Day 1 and we are so happy to have started. Today the Durisol Blocks arrive and Monday we put in the footings. Drop by anytime and take a look.
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Another Busy Week
Today construction starts and we are delighted. It has been a busy week up here in the north country.
Even the chickens have been working extra hard. Look at the size of the egg Paul brought over to show us, WOW!
Steve arrived on Monday to pull stumps and clear our building site.
Yes, sometimes a little manual labour is needed. These short logs we will use as firewood this winter.
Even on a busy day we need time to relax and it was wonderful to have Sharon and Doug up for a few days.
Nothing so refreshing as a swim in the lake after working in the bush all day.
Doug is the water baby in the family. He was in before breakfast.
Today we stake out the house and Monday we start to lay the footings. If the weather co-operates, we should be closed in by November. Check back next week for more progress reports.
Even the chickens have been working extra hard. Look at the size of the egg Paul brought over to show us, WOW!
Steve arrived on Monday to pull stumps and clear our building site.
Yes, sometimes a little manual labour is needed. These short logs we will use as firewood this winter.
Even on a busy day we need time to relax and it was wonderful to have Sharon and Doug up for a few days.
Nothing so refreshing as a swim in the lake after working in the bush all day.
Doug is the water baby in the family. He was in before breakfast.
Today we stake out the house and Monday we start to lay the footings. If the weather co-operates, we should be closed in by November. Check back next week for more progress reports.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Down Memory Lane
Off to Combermere on the Madawaska River, last Saturday to take in the market and see if Mary and Connie could find Cana Colony, a Catholic retreat centre just off highway 62 near Combermere.
First, the girls spoke with the camp director to ask permission to walk down "memory lane".
When you are a child, all you want is warm summer days, a lake to swim in and sand to make your own castles. Naturally, the first place the girls headed for was the lake.
Then it was remember this and remember that ..........
Two sisters all grown up remember the days they played here as kids.
Each family had a cabin for the week and this was their's back in 1963. WOW! What were you doing the summer of "63"?
The building off to the left is the kitchen and we will look inside next. Each family had their own fridge, and cooked their own meals.
It hasn't changed. Still the same tables, sinks, floor and windows; maybe a few different fridges.
More pictures from Combermere in a few days.
First, the girls spoke with the camp director to ask permission to walk down "memory lane".
When you are a child, all you want is warm summer days, a lake to swim in and sand to make your own castles. Naturally, the first place the girls headed for was the lake.
Then it was remember this and remember that ..........
Two sisters all grown up remember the days they played here as kids.
Each family had a cabin for the week and this was their's back in 1963. WOW! What were you doing the summer of "63"?
The building off to the left is the kitchen and we will look inside next. Each family had their own fridge, and cooked their own meals.
It hasn't changed. Still the same tables, sinks, floor and windows; maybe a few different fridges.
More pictures from Combermere in a few days.
Friday, 12 August 2011
Still Busy
The lake has been unbelievably peaceful this week; just a pleasure to be on. What a great place to spend our summer days. Thanks Kim and Charlotte.
Yes, we are still cutting trees, a week before construction begins.
Several neighbours have been over to help.. This is Paul's trailer full to the brim.
Connie has been a great help this week loading the trailer and burning brush from our site.
While we were loading the trailer, Paul was cutting the tree trunks into lengths for next winter's fire. (Note all the safety equipment, A wise man.)
Up here you need to get your wood cut and drying a year before you need it.
Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures. The fall colours will be arriving before long followed by .................................................................................... SNOW!
Yes, we are still cutting trees, a week before construction begins.
Several neighbours have been over to help.. This is Paul's trailer full to the brim.
Connie has been a great help this week loading the trailer and burning brush from our site.
While we were loading the trailer, Paul was cutting the tree trunks into lengths for next winter's fire. (Note all the safety equipment, A wise man.)
Up here you need to get your wood cut and drying a year before you need it.
Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures. The fall colours will be arriving before long followed by .................................................................................... SNOW!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Maynooth
Maynooth is a 20 minute drive north of Bancroft. They have the best farmers market every Saturday and if we are home usually take it in.
Lots of local artisans and farmers have booths here.
Some sell from the back of their truck or car, others have small portable canopies as shelter from the sun or rain.
Looking for locally produced jewellery, home baking, organic gardening, quilts, socks, tarts, candy, cards, photography? It's all here and available every Saturday until October.
Mary and Carol load up on organic vegetables.
Time to check out downtown Maynooth ..................................
and the Potter's Studio.
Lots of local artisans and farmers have booths here.
Some sell from the back of their truck or car, others have small portable canopies as shelter from the sun or rain.
Looking for locally produced jewellery, home baking, organic gardening, quilts, socks, tarts, candy, cards, photography? It's all here and available every Saturday until October.
Mary and Carol load up on organic vegetables.
Time to check out downtown Maynooth ..................................
and the Potter's Studio.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Image Problems
I'm having problems with images posted on my blog page. Original images are posting just fine but after a few days the image is replaced with a black rectangle with a white triangle and an exclamation mark inside the white triangle.
Other bloggers are having the problem but no one seems to have an answer for it.
If you know of a solution please let me know.
After some thought I'm wondering if I'm not the cause of the problem. I upload my blog pictures from my "Picassa Web Albums" I have so many albums that I started to delete some of these albums just to give me memory space. I'm wondering if this is the reason for the loss of images in older blog posts?
Thanks for your help.
Art
Other bloggers are having the problem but no one seems to have an answer for it.
If you know of a solution please let me know.
After some thought I'm wondering if I'm not the cause of the problem. I upload my blog pictures from my "Picassa Web Albums" I have so many albums that I started to delete some of these albums just to give me memory space. I'm wondering if this is the reason for the loss of images in older blog posts?
Thanks for your help.
Art
Monday, 8 August 2011
Looking Back
Bancroft is celebrating their 150th anniversary. This weekend they had a fabulous display of life back when Bancroft was just a mud hole on the York River.
Back then logs were hewn by hand and pulled out of the bush by horses. To square the timber, which was then made into rafts and floated down to Montreal, he used a broad axe and cut down to a line drawn on the log. Once loaded on a ship it was taken to England to be used to build their sailing ships. There was a lot of waste left on the forest floor from lumbering back then. Today even the sawdust is used.
Many people dressed in period costumes.
Remember there were no chain saws 150 years ago. If you wanted a tree cut down you used a two man saw and kept it sharp. These two boys cut through this timber in less than a minute.
Hope you take a drive and come on up.
Back then logs were hewn by hand and pulled out of the bush by horses. To square the timber, which was then made into rafts and floated down to Montreal, he used a broad axe and cut down to a line drawn on the log. Once loaded on a ship it was taken to England to be used to build their sailing ships. There was a lot of waste left on the forest floor from lumbering back then. Today even the sawdust is used.
Many people dressed in period costumes.
Remember there were no chain saws 150 years ago. If you wanted a tree cut down you used a two man saw and kept it sharp. These two boys cut through this timber in less than a minute.
Hope you take a drive and come on up.
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