Schrader Landing

Cabinets, Closets and more...

2010-06-18T14:11:00.003-04:00

We still needed storage space, so Rick started making cabinets...

These are HIS...
This one is MINE!!!

This upper one belongs to the DOG's Food and Bones...

Then the walls continued..

2010-05-31T13:11:00.002-04:00

We wanted all the "mechanicals" hidden...
One always needs another shelf or work area!

Looking mighty fine!!!

A work in progress....

2010-05-30T14:51:00.003-04:00

This took days and days...
Lots and lots of books...

I didn't think I'd ever be done...

The first wall finished...

2010-05-30T14:43:00.005-04:00

The first wall he worked was going to be shelves for all MY books.

This was hard work getting all the shelving up...

I don't want to spoil it for you...but stick around and in coming days I'll explain what happened to this wall in the coming weeks...

Welcome...

2010-05-30T12:44:00.003-04:00

Okay then, it appears I still remember how to blog! As I recall my last entry was just before Thanksgiving. With the Holidays fast approaching I tried to call a halt to construction work. Rick decided I (naturally) could not object to his working in the basement. He had plans for finishing the basement and was eager to begin. In hindsight, he may have gotten carried away because what started out as just putting up pine boards on the basement walls quickly progressed into interior walls, cabinets, a ceiling and a dream of once again building our model railroad in the basement! But I digress...for the moment I'm going to show you the basement as it grew!

Schrader Landing is back...

2010-05-30T12:14:00.005-04:00

Winter came and went...

Well, it's been way too long between posts! That and a new computer and trying to switch everything over...and then...trying to get my camera to sync up with the new computer...and well...We had our winter projects to complete...next thing I knew we were into spring and Schrader Logging started operations...We've been very...very...very busy!!! I'll try over the next few weeks to bring things up to date...Bear with me as I experiment with options here...I'm still not sure I can get my pics to post...so this is just an experimental post to see where I stand...

A Gathering of Friends...

2009-11-13T13:52:00.005-05:00

About a month ago we had a gathering with our building crew. A funny thing happened during the eight months they all spent here and somewhere along the way we all became great friends. I always felt welcomed with open arms and jokes. Richard, Mike and Lee always had time for questions from Rick and Andy about the garage. They all made the experience of building this home one of the most rewarding times of our lives. The true dedication of these guys can be best understood by this little story:

Late Fall (last year) a Sunday night and Rick and I decide to just take a drive to the house and enjoy the way it's coming along. We drive up the driveway and see lights shining in the windows. We are baffled but enchanted that it's our first time coming up the driveway and seeing lights in our new home. Well, the lights were Richard, hard at work at 8 PM on a Sunday night, getting things done and ready for the crew to start the next day. That was true dedication on his part!

We could not have found a more perfect building crew!!! Thanks guys!

Eric (Mike and Wilma's son) with Laurie (Richard's wife)

Left to right: Laurie, Wilma and Janet (Lee's wife) and of course that's Eric standing behind his Mom. They are holding pictures of the view from the deck!

I'm not really sure what is going on here, but there were some construction discussions going on. They may have been discussing the ridge beam...It was the hardest part of the entire build!

Mike, Richard and Lee

Eric (a college student really needs those left-overs)

And I must add that Eric was my favorite photographic subject all summer. He always smiled for the camera.

Everyone leaving...

Well, this was a SURPRISE view...

2009-10-15T11:25:00.002-04:00

We were so enthralled with the river views, so imagine our surprise to turn around and find a never before seen view of the back of the house.
It was certainly a shock, but a very nice one!

We never realized that while clearing out all the dead wood and brush to open the view of the St. Regis River, that we were also creating a new view of the back of the house. A view (I must add) that we absolutely love!

Welcome to Fall on "our" River...

2009-10-08T17:46:00.005-04:00

We moved into the back yard...

2009-10-08T17:31:00.002-04:00

Well, we've told you all that we live on the river, thing was you mostly couldn't see it for all the dead wood between the house and cliff.
Rick just started taking down all the dead wood with the chain saw, lots of dead branches that were just blocking the view.

This is now the "new view" off the back deck...

We did it a little at a time. We didn't want to take down any good trees. So he chained and dragged and then walked back to the house to see the results.
We mostly did lots of branch trimming and the rest was just hauling the dead stuff away.

And our grass grew...

2009-10-08T17:23:00.002-04:00

We really wanted to go into fall and winter without all the mud.
Next spring we'll be landscaping the entire front with shrubs and flowers. We'll re-seed the bare spots then. But this makes us feel really good about bringing less mud and dirt into the house. We may know where to step, but the dogs actually go looking for the mud puddles. Go figure...Eh?

Another project...

2009-10-08T17:18:00.002-04:00

This door kept bugging me every time I saw it...One could say I should have been seeing "red" and wasn't...
Finally I took a few hours and painted it. Boy...was I glad to cross this off the "to-do" list.

Wood for the wood shed...

2009-10-07T18:25:00.003-04:00

All the wood from Schrader Logging that had been drying in the meadow needed to come up closer to the house.

During construction this was our tool shed. Two weeks ago it got emptied of all tools and converted into a wood shed. We hope next spring/summer to actually build a real wood shed closer to the house, but this is going to work just fine for this season.

We filled it with all the wood...Now we pray we have enough!

My trip to the Catskills...

2009-10-07T18:18:00.004-04:00

We sat with my Dad and watched the birds. They didn't mind people!
This was the view out our motel window....

This is my step-brother's house. He built it himself! Nights, weekends, vacations (over a period of 4-5 years) he and his wife did 99% themselves.
I've been hearing about this house for years and I finally got to see it for myself. It's totally impressive....and very very beautiful!

An early Christmas gift to ourselves...

2009-10-07T18:12:00.003-04:00

Last year the wood was all over the floor and I really hated the mess.

This rack is perfect to keep it all together, organized and we think it fits perfectly! !

Another bonfire...

2009-10-07T18:04:00.003-04:00

Perhaps not as large as our first one a few months ago...

But, totally effective!

Yep, I do love bonfires!

We've been busy...

2009-10-07T17:49:00.006-04:00

Once again I'll have to say I'm sorry that the blog has been neglected. We've been very busy getting the cabin ready for winter and making sure we have enough wood to heat with.

I took a long weekend to visit my Dad in the Catskills.

Rick managed to mess up his back for a few days and then I decided to mess up my knee a few days after that.

Apology over...I'll be posting the pictures that will tell the story...

And the Deck...

2009-09-22T10:45:00.003-04:00

We are thrilled...The weather was perfect for staining...

We are "thinking" of doing another coat on the top rail and deck floor.

It was lots of work, but...totally worth getting it done! It really transforms the deck!!!

We moved around to the back...

2009-09-22T10:31:00.004-04:00

Yep...we started staining everything in sight!

Okay...Okay...this door still isn't done...my bad!

Although please note...the door will be painted not stained so my above statement still stands (LOL)

Stairs......

2009-09-16T13:49:00.003-04:00

Remember I did say anything that was bare wood was getting stained?

We meant it...with the still gorgeous weather we have no excuse!
We'll move out back next...stay tuned!!!

We moved onto the side porch...

2009-09-16T13:37:00.002-04:00

Still waiting for the grass to grow, but I think the side porch is looking good!

It was good to get this done...

There is less dirt coming in the house these days...

(Well, less is a relative term because I still can't get the dogs to wipe their paws)

Okay, that's done...we'll move to the set of stairs down from the garage next.

Staining the front porch...

2009-09-16T13:27:00.004-04:00

The reason for our lack of posts? We have been furiously staining any bare wood surface we could find...

We've had wonderful staining weather for the past 3 weeks and made good use of it.

We planted some flowers...

2009-09-05T17:06:00.004-04:00

Advertised to bloom late summer thru first frost...who knew we'd have frost alerts the very next night?

Just a nice picture...

2009-09-02T08:50:00.004-04:00

We are just waiting for the grass to grow...

Can you see the improvement???

2009-08-22T12:23:00.002-04:00

The above pic was taken just over a month ago...
This pic was yesterday! And although the pathway to the front stairs isn't complete and may not even stay in it's present pattern, I am still very happy with the improvements!!!
We know there is lots more to be done (like grass and bushes) but I feel good about how everything outside is shaping up!

And I really want a Bird Bath somewhere here in front!

And then it rained...

2009-08-22T10:01:00.002-04:00

Rick spent the morning raking out all the piles of soil so we can seed the borders of the walkway.

Then it poured rain (a good thing) and suddenly all the dirt and dust washed away from the stones and we really liked that you could see the different colors of the stone. We eventually will plant bushes and flowers on the sides, but that is next spring's project!

But we are not done yet...

2009-08-18T09:29:00.004-04:00

After our day off we tackled filling in the gaps. Each piece had to be leveled off, built up and filled in. This was the first morning's work.

We were hit with a heat wave, so we took it slowly, drank tons of cold water and tried to get most of the work done before noon and the 90 degree temps hit.

It was worth it!!!

Happy at last...

2009-08-15T13:29:00.005-04:00

We are happy with what we see...

Yep...we like it and this phase is now finished...

Now we have to make sure each stone is seated, level and then need to fill in between each stone.
Schrader Stoneworks made an executive decision to take the following day off!!!
Our bodies need a rest...

Breaktime...did I say breaktime???

2009-08-15T10:29:00.005-04:00

We really just took a time out to hang our new outdoor thermometer on the garage wall!

Look...80 degrees (in the shade) and not yet 11 AM...
Looks like summer has finally arrived in North Country! eh?

Finally some good results...

2009-08-15T09:52:00.003-04:00

Once again time for a break...but we are feeling really good about how

the walkway is looking!!!

Making it all fit...

2009-08-15T09:42:00.004-04:00

A very slow process in the beginning...

It all began coming together...

After this portion we stopped for a well deserved break...

Then it was back to work...We really did drive ourselves crazy trying to match each piece to the one before it...there were a few areas where we just tossed one in and figured we'd adjust later.

The landings come first...

2009-08-14T16:37:00.004-04:00

We wanted nice large pieces at the bottom of all our stairs.

We figured that was a good place to start.

Where do we go from here???

2009-08-14T08:59:00.003-04:00

We have to make all these pieces into a nice walkway...And of course it started to rain!!!

But first we had to separate them all to see what we had...pick the largest for the landings and just generally size everything up!

Practice makes perfect and a DO-OVER...

2009-08-14T08:14:00.004-04:00

Our first attempt...

We had to start somewhere...This is all new to us and all we see is a giant puzzle...

Rick's just spent a few hours agonizing over the placement of each stone. Each piece built up and snuggled down and filled in. But, something just isn't right. We quit for the day and decide to think it over and start fresh the next morning.

The next day we tear the original out and start over.

FINALLY we are happy with the results!!!

Walkway Phase Two...

2009-08-13T10:59:00.005-04:00

Phase Two involves laying down lots and lots of crusher run...

Fill the wheel barrow...empty it...rake it...REPEAT!!!

Rest a bit and level it a bit...and...REPEAT!!!

Fill...Empty...Rake...Level...REPEAT!!!

Take a nice long rest because this isn't going to get done in just a day!
Wake up the next morning and...REPEAT...LOL

Just call us Schrader Stoneworks...

2009-08-12T13:20:00.003-04:00

So I got rid of a pile of wood in the yard, only to replace it with piles of stone and rock!

Makes perfect sense to me. This is called "crusher run"

These are the stones/rocks we will be using for the pathways.

Yep, one pile gone and two more show up...eh?

See all these heavy rocks...We discovered where the saying "I was stuck between a rock and a hard place" came from. Rick has first hand knowledge of just what that saying means!

OUCH!!!

Our next project...

2009-08-12T13:12:00.003-04:00

We really needed walkways so Rick just started digging...
Then he made an outline of what he thought the path should look like.

Then he did lots more digging...

Then he went back and started digging deeper and leveling things out.

It really needs "real" grass...

2009-08-12T07:51:00.003-04:00

We finally got rid of weeds, rocks, twigs etc.
Rick did manage to get the lawn mower for a mow of what was left.

But now we need some top soil and lots of grass seed!
But still....I'm much happier when I look out my picture window!!!

A slow process...

2009-08-09T17:05:00.003-04:00

We've had logs like these scattered all over the front, side and back yard. Slowly we picked them up and some we saved, others we decided we'd never use. These were the last ones left in the front yard (amongst all the weeds, little leftover bits of wood and rocks). These were good long sturdy logs just crying out to be saved!
Yesterday Andy and Adam came over and it took the 4 of us, but we are finally down to just weeds and rocks left! The logs in the top picture were more than Rick and I could handle on our own and I've been looking at them for a few weeks now, wondering how we were going to get them out of there.
A big THANK YOU to both Adam and Andy!!!
You both are my HEROES!

Rick's therapy...

2009-08-09T08:58:00.005-04:00

Building work benches is relaxing and therapeutic for Rick!
He finished siding outside the basement and decided we needed another workbench.

He was right (of course) our wonderful garage was sadly lacking someplace to work.

Besides, he just loves hanging around out there!

How many workbenches is enough???

2009-08-09T07:50:00.002-04:00

This is currently a planing table. But it started life as a laundry table and also did duty as a construction bench while building the garage.

A small work bench for sitting while working!

The main workbench in our basement.

This is MY Tractor!

2009-08-06T13:00:00.004-04:00

Well, today the tractor got lots of use! We started landscaping (we have a long...long...long...way to go!)

Well, all those tractors in the parade made me decide to show you a picture of the tractor that I drive around in! This is what I use when I have to water the trees. Not that they've needed it much this year with all the rain we've had.

I anticipate using it alot more next year when I start to plant flowers out in the meadow!

And finally...Our Parade Fire Trucks!

2009-08-03T14:48:00.003-04:00

We pronounced it the best parade we'd ever attended! It wasn't all big and flashy, but the people were all so happy and friendly and we left with a feeling of joy to live here!

It was a very interesting parade and we loved it!

Here come the TRACTORS...

2009-08-03T14:33:00.003-04:00

Many of these are antique tractors!

How cool...

Hey we live in North Country...tractors do double duty around here!

They were all so interesting,

The Parade continues...

2009-08-03T14:28:00.002-04:00

SUMMERFEST 2009

2009-08-03T14:12:00.002-04:00

The parade starts...

Miss Maple Syrup

Colorful Floats

A band!

Nu-Med...celebrating 25 years!

Coming along nicely...

2009-07-18T12:39:00.004-04:00

The next day he put in a full day!

He turned the corner!

And, darn...that door still needs to be painted red! But, there will be time for that. He still has the other side to finish, and yes, we'll be staining it soon. But this was pretty good for 3 days work!

No rest...we moved onto our next project...

2009-07-18T12:30:00.002-04:00

Rick started right away to put the siding on the basement (this is under the deck)...

Hey, we never did like the bright pink wrapping! This part that you see was done in one afternoon...

The remains...

2009-07-14T11:02:00.003-04:00

This is all that was left by 6 PM.

We really thought there would be more ashes!

So our first Bonfire went well. I'm pretty sure there will be another one in our future. There's still more that has to be burned, but the conditions have to be perfect and we wanted to get this pile done before Mother Nature put a "burning ban" into effect.

A Pyromaniac's Dream...

2009-07-14T10:45:00.003-04:00

We spent several weeks removing piles of scrap wood from around the house.

The theory was to get a little pile going and then feed it from the big pile and keep everything under control.

It all worked fine and eventually we just bridged the gap between the two piles and let it all go!

We had hoses, and rakes and shovels and 5 gallon pails of water all ready if needed. We didn't need any of it. The fire went from 7:30 in the morning until around 5:30 that night.

It's the little things...

2009-07-14T10:37:00.003-04:00

Notice the bright yellow guy wires!!!
They upset my sensibilities...so I painted them RED!

They left...but I got to watch 2 of them leave!

2009-07-06T09:03:00.004-04:00

On a bright and sunny afternoon, Rick and I ran out to do some food shopping. When we got back we discovered that 2 of the babies had left the nest. Mom continued to feed the two that remained. I was a little disheartened that I'd missed their leaving, but I still had 2 more to go! The rest of that day Mom continued taking care of the remaining chicks and she hopped back into the nest that night.

The next morning I hurried down to the computer just in time to see one of the babies do a "whirly bird" down to the ground and go hopping off on it's own. Mom and Dad were nowhere to be found, but the little guy seemed to know where to go and hopped along (they can't really fly well yet)...We watched as it took off first hopping...then flying a foot or two...then increasing to about 3 feet...We thought he was testing out his wings and teaching himself to fly! I was so happy to have caught one as they left! I'd invested many hours watching, (which also tells you that I spent many hours on my computer...LOL)

Still there was one left. Mom showed up to feed it. Good...I was happy she was around! And I continued watching. It seemed the last one was not in a hurry to leave. By mid-afternoon I realized no one had showed up to feed the little guy in over an hour. I looked around and saw Dad sitting on the woodpile by the garage chirping. He sat there for almost 45 minutes, just watching the nest. Finally Mom showed up with a juicy worm, but sat just off the nest and I swear she was trying to coax the last one out onto the rafter! She approached the nest and only allowed half the worm to get to the baby. Then she sat back on the end of the rafter with half a worm hanging out of her beak and waited for him to come get the rest! He did...and within a minute he was also "whirly birding" it down to the ground. Mom hopped off behind the garage and the baby followed. Later, we caught a glimpse of the entire family "in and under" some bushes behind the garage. Mom and Dad were teaching them how to catch worms and feed themselves.

It was a great experience for me! And Rick rather enjoyed it too! He was able to see the third one as it taught itself to fly (he missed it leaving the nest)...but...he did see the fourth one as I was calling him to come watch as soon as I realized that Mom was coaxing the final one off the ledge!

Almost ready to leave...

2009-07-06T08:52:00.003-04:00

By this point they are getting so big and active within the nest...

This big guy has been trying to get out of the nest all morning! And although you can't see it clearly here, I discovered there were FOUR babies! And yes, I'm sure this was one of the babies!

Finally I found there were THREE!

2009-07-05T18:16:00.003-04:00

I know it's hard to see, but I finally saw 3 at the same time! What a trip to see the parents feeding these guys. I had perfect views! Big worms, and I'd watch Mamma and Dad make sure to feed all the babies. The parents would take turns going off looking for worms. Hundreds of times a day they'd fly in...feed the kids...and fly off to find more.

My Robin's Nest...

2009-07-05T16:22:00.003-04:00

I've seen robin's nests before, of course I have! But, this one fascinated me from the beginning. I could sit here at the computer and watch all the activity without disturbing them. It was finally time to sit back and enjoy watching my very own nest from start to finish.

as As soon as their little heads were visible we began counting.

I mostly was coming up with 2 babies with a possible third. 'Twas hard to tell because they'd constantly pop up and down.

Here I was positive there were only two!

Porch railings...

2009-06-27T13:15:00.003-04:00

The porch rail was installed after we'd already had the logs stained. Then the cold weather hit and we had to wait for spring and warmer temps.

Finally...well the stain was out so why not just get it done???

Now I'm happy with how the porch looks! Of course we still need to do the floor, but I think this shows progress...Eh?

Staining the Garage...

2009-06-27T11:48:00.001-04:00

From this...

To this...

We've been busy...

2009-06-27T11:14:00.004-04:00

I must duly note that Rick has been much busier than I have! I took a week off to head to Milford and then fly to Florida with my sister to visit my Dad and MJ. It's the first time I have flown in 37 years and will admit to extreme nerves. I was too nervous to really enjoy the flight down, but it was easier than I anticipated and I had Lois with me. "We may not have it altogether, but together we have it all" kind of sums up our travel abilities!

The flight home was truly amazing where I had the window seat and got great views of the entire east coast as we flew North over the Atlantic Ocean. The crowning glory was flying directly over Long Island Sound where Rick and I spent many years boating. We flew directly over PJ and Middle Ground and got a wonderful view of NYC (alas, too far in the distance to pick out anything other than the Empire State Building).

We both had a wonderful visit with Dad, got to swim in his pool...ate some wonderful dinners and just enjoyed ourselves and his company greatly!

While I was away Rick took care of the dogs and the house. He finished splitting all our wood at Schrader Logging. Then he started in washing down all the wood on the garage in preparation for staining. The garage wood had dried out in our meadow last spring and consequently had many different and various shades, designs and lines permanently "weathered" into the boards. His plan was to wash the entire garage and try to blend in the "worst" of the markings. He did a wonderful job and by the time I arrived back from my trip he was ready to stain it all.

And we've been busy now (very busy) since I returned!

It's finished (well almost)

2009-06-06T13:03:00.006-04:00

Presenting...the finished floor! The only thing left to install is "transitional" wood strips. They are ordered and should arrive soon.

This is perfect...

Exactly the look we had hoped for!

THANKS MIKE...you've outdone yourself this time!

More work on the slate...

2009-06-06T12:57:00.003-04:00

The grout work begins...

Well, this is moving along...

I love all the colors here at the landing!

This is Mike...

2009-06-02T17:17:00.002-04:00

This is Mike...hard at work on a Sunday morning no less!

That's dedication...and we love him for it!

Days 2 and 3...

2009-06-02T16:30:00.007-04:00

After Day One, Mike had a good idea on the placement of all the slate. Day TWO he started laying the "QWIK-SET" and putting those little white spacers to help everything dry in place (we hoped)!

This is the space he left at the end of day two. A little aisle for us to walk upstairs. While Rick and I might be okay gently walking over the slate, my dogs are notorious for putting paws in the absolute worst spot.

Day Three (Sunday) Mike showed up to qwik-set the rest of the landing.

Now we just have to wait another day and Mike will be back to grout the whole area.

The end of Day one...

2009-05-30T12:18:00.002-04:00

We are thrilled!!!

The install continues...

2009-05-30T11:20:00.006-04:00

We used the wood stove all winter and it was fantastic AND efficient to heat the house. But, we noticed that the area around the hearth was certainly getting more than it's share of abuse. I was worried that stacking the wood (sometimes wet) would scratch the floor and affect the finish.

Mike came up with the idea for a few courses of stone around the hearth, to protect the floor. We did notice times where sparks would fly out. We thought it was a great idea for both looks and safety.

Then, we decided to bring the stone all the way to the front door and to the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Again, that area was constantly getting wet from all the people (and dogs...) it seemed a perfect solution! What do you think???

The beginnings of the slate...

2009-05-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

The colors are wild! Make no mistake we love them and think they look great, but we made our selection from one piece on display. It had color to it...but was basically a darkish gray with texture.

Of course it's stone...so what else did we expect? But now, Mike is back to being an artist and making sure each piece "flows". Set-up was not quite as easy as he anticipated!

We really love all the random colors.

Rick finished laying the maple plank flooring...

2009-05-28T13:44:00.004-04:00

The bump-out was the final area to be installed.

Of course, there's still all the pegging to be done. Then we need to chisel off all the plugs! And then sand it...and finally put on the gym spar.

Right now all the furniture is stacked in the living room area. We've decided since this room is still empty that this will be the section we finish pegging first, then get the finish on it. Once that's done we can work on pegging and finishing the last half of the living room. Seemed like the smart thing to do rather than move the furniture all around all over again.

I think the bump-out looks wonderful. I can't wait for the furniture to be moved back and we finally have a finished living room!

The deck is finished...

2009-05-21T11:38:00.003-04:00

We love it. Rick's been grilling up great dinners and enjoying just sitting out there while our dinners cook.

The dogs are quite happy just to lay down and soak up the sun.
I love to just walk out there and stare at the river!

The deck is wonderful...

2009-05-06T14:55:00.002-04:00

We absolutely love it...

The views are fantastic...

It's coming along nicely...

Still working on the floor...

2009-05-06T14:45:00.003-04:00

We are going to surround the hearth with a slate floor, which will actually extend to the front door and landing of the stairs.

We just keep moving furniture around. I think doing it in sections actually takes much longer, but so far it's working quite well. Not one paw print to be found in the finish.

The deck is coming along...

2009-05-03T13:18:00.004-04:00

Can't wait to use the grill!

We were able to walk on it, but don't feel secure yet without the rails.

We just love the way it wraps around the corner!

Construction begins on the deck...

2009-04-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

The deck wraps around the back corner of the house.

One side...that's the basement door and seeing this I realize I really need to pain that door!

That's the dining room door that will open out onto the deck. This is the back of our house!

And the wood pile continues to grow...

2009-04-26T12:01:00.003-04:00

We were trying to do some each day. Then I hurt my knee. It's better now...

Luckily the knee happened just as a period of rainy weather arrived, so we really didn't lose too many nice days to the injury.

Chaos at the Cabin...

2009-04-18T11:56:00.008-04:00

Rick had just finished laying the dining room floor. This doesn't look like chaos...

Well now it's getting a bit more crowded.

Once I finished putting on the gym spar...well that's when chaos arrived. Rick was beginning on the living room and everything had to be moved around. We are still bumping into things in this area. The living room is fairly large and is taking much longer than anticipated.

Part of the reason is our running out to the meadow to cut and split wood.

The log pile grows...

2009-04-17T20:53:00.002-04:00

Schrader Landing turns into Schrader Logging!

2009-04-15T08:30:00.014-04:00

We've had 2 deliveries of "log Lengths" that we are cutting up and splitting ourselves. Each delivery consists of about 30 logs each about 10 to 13 foot in length. We've had glorious weather and need to get it all cut so it can "dry" for the summer. We'll then stack it on the proch and in our metal shed. Rick does all the chain sawing and I run the splitter! I've been having fun! Yes, I really enjoy running the splitter!!

Kitchen before and after...

2009-03-12T21:20:00.002-04:00

BEFORE gym spar finish...

AFTER gym spar finish...

Some views of the "finished" kitchen floor...

2009-03-12T18:06:00.005-04:00

We are currently trying to decide "if" and "where" we need rugs. We think definitely in front of the sink...

One in front of the stove? Or should it go between the island and the fridge? So many decisions! And what about size??? We are going to be experimenting with different rugs we already have.

So into the dining area we go...

2009-03-12T15:42:00.005-04:00

We did a little each day. Some boards went smoothly. Some didn't! There was one board that got set aside for a "time out". Still not sure if it was Rick or the board that needed that "time out"...LOL

Eventually it began taking shape...We had to empty out and move the china cabinet. The table was moved back and forth several times.

The house is a real mess...more of those pics later!

Here is where we are now. I went ahead and gym sparred behind the china cabinet and in front of the deck door. We wanted to try to put things back as soon as possible.

Let's get back to the floor...

2009-03-12T14:12:00.005-04:00

We moved right along into the kitchen. We managed as little disruption as possible.

Dealing with the fridge was easy, we just moved it out and floored under it. The stove was a bit harder, as a space hadn't been left for the floor to slip under the stove feet. We wedged up the stove and angled the boards underneath. Rick was very pleased with the results.

So the kitchen was finished. But, instead of finishing the boards right away (gym spar), we decided to move right along into the dining area. And keep the progress going.

The results...

2009-02-27T11:54:00.003-05:00

It's a long driveway and lots of snow. This was taken in between 2 storms and we were due to have more snow later that day.

Rick wanted to get a head start just in case we really got hammered by the next storm.

The BEAST...

2009-02-27T11:37:00.003-05:00

THE BEAST! That's what we call our snow plow. It's an old (1979) Dodge Ram pickup.

It starts every time and the plow works miracles keeping our driveway plowed. We purchased it from Richard (our builder). It was just sitting unused on his Farm.

It may not look all that pretty anymore, but to us it's a beautiful machine.

We love this thing! Thanks Richard, without "The Beast" we may have spent a great deal of the winter snowed in!

We did it in sections...

2009-02-21T17:24:00.005-05:00

Rick laid a section. We feared the dogs paws would mar the wood, so he'd sand that section right away and then I'd put on a gym spar finish. In this pic the section to the left is finished, the right side is still bare wood.

This pic is a pretty good representation of the difference in looks between finished and unfinished. We had to plan things so we'd have a pathway into the room with the computer! Not being able to access the computer was not an option...even for 24 hours!

We wasted no time continuing the floor...

2009-02-21T17:14:00.004-05:00

As soon as the finish was dry in the bathroom, Rick continued laying boards into the hallway. It's a very long hallway.

He did a little each day, as this part had lots of cut-outs and corners. Some boards went smoothly, while others seemed to take forever.

Before we built...

2009-02-20T15:15:00.007-05:00

We had a signed contract, but hadn't yet purchased the land. The owner was nice enough to let us camp down in the clearing for a week in July 2007.

We hadn't been camping in about 25 years, but spending a week on the land really appealed to us. Here is the tent we put up for the week.

The bathroom tent! The toilet was a port-a-potty like you find on boats. We could take nice hot showers every morning with a propane water heater and shower hose.

Notice the 3 sets of puppy dog eyes watching me take the pics.

It was a large comfy tent with air mattresses and lots of room for the dogs and all our junk. When we camp we don't believe in "roughing" it! The hot water propane pump for the shower might have been overkill, but I don't move well in the morning without a "nice, very hot shower!"

Rick just passed by and saw these pics. When I told him what I was doing his reply was "Oh Wow, that was such fun" and reminded me that I was somewhat skeptical of the idea in the beginning (see above notes about roughing it and that nice hot shower). I have to say that Rick invested time and effort making sure that I did not suffer without modern conveniences that week. And yes, truthfully it was an utterly fantastic week.

The maple plank flooring saga begins...

2009-02-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

I say saga because this process is long and involved and going in one board at a time. The furthest portion had already been laid by the builders so we could set the toilet on something solid.

This is the finished bathroom floor. It all went very smoothly considering we are living in the house and have to keep the dogs off the wet finish for about 24 hours.

Our first wall to be decorated...

2009-02-10T10:50:00.004-05:00

Our first attempt for the wall...but we weren't happy...
Something was missing...

We added Lee's artwork and the wall was complete...

I sure hope Lee likes the framing and placement of his wild geese.

Just a pic...

2009-02-10T10:38:00.004-05:00

We can't believe we actually live here now...but yes we do! We still have lots of work ahead of us, but now we can take our time. It's wonderful to wake up every day in the cabin.

The missing month...

2009-02-09T11:08:00.002-05:00

January came and went without a Blog update here. No you didn't miss a posting, I've just been so busy with unpacking, the house, the floor, the wood, and life in general that updates to the blog became non-existent. I also managed a trip back to Connecticut for a week, so as you can tell I have been busy.

It continues to snow. We pretty much get a dusting at some point during each day. Even now, though the sun is out I can see the flurries coming down. Our free time pretty much revolves around the wood stove. We always seem to be:

1. Bringing wood into the house
2. Bringing wood in from the meadow
3. Splitting wood in the driveway
4. Stacking wood on the porch

But the stove is working great and it appears we only burn 2 gallons of oil per day, and that includes our oil fired hot water heater!

Rick has been working on the downstairs floors. I'll be posting some of those pics soon. The dogs are loving all the freedom and we take them for a daily walk along Andy's Creek down to the waterfalls and then back along the St. Regis River to the Gazebo and Dianne's clearing. We look forward to that walk each day because the landscape changes, different parts of the river freeze and things are constantly in motion.

I hope to get the pics up soon....

The stair rail...

2008-12-25T10:41:00.006-05:00

The stair rail going down.
Richard had built the railing...

Installed it for size and fit...then took it down again.

The railing going up! While Mike was laying the chimney stone the railing came down and up a few times checking for fit with the stones.

It's ours !!!

2008-12-25T10:22:00.004-05:00

Richard, Mike and Lee had just walked out the door and told us they were finished! This is the first pic taken where it's all ours!!!

Next thing we did was start to vacuum! This was the afternoon of Dec. 4th.

Our first visitor arrived not more than an hour later! Bearing gifts of Champagne, fluted glasses and a big smile. It was Laurie (Richard's wife) coming to congratulate us on the new home (and I think grateful to have her husband back just in time for the holidays). Thankyou Laurie!

Almost there...

2008-12-25T10:11:00.002-05:00

We are so close to moving in. We need the stove pipe!

That's Mike walking up the stairs checking the stone along the way.

2008-12-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family...

Mike finishing up the chimney...

2008-12-24T13:23:00.001-05:00

Pics from Thanksgiving and early December...

2008-12-24T13:15:00.002-05:00

Finishing touches like shelves in the walk-in closet...

And still plenty of space to hang...

We stained and gym sparred the floors...

It's called red oak stain...

2008-12-22T08:20:00.003-05:00

We are still here...we are still unpacking...it is still snowing...

"The Beast" (which is what we call our plow truck) is getting a daily workout.

The Schrader wood stove is running 24/7 and providing great heat.

We've managed to clear one bay in the garage so my car is snug and snow free. Rick's car is not that lucky yet.

And, (as of yesterday) my Grandfather Clock is back up and chiming away like always. I worried so much about that clock making the journey, and was so happy to have it back.

Life is good!!! (but hectic and busy)

2008-12-15T14:20:00.002-05:00

We are all moved in...!

My apologies to all who have been faithfully checking the blog and have begun to wonder just where we are and what's going on.

The actual move went wonderfully. Our furniture all arrived on Friday December 5th and we spent that first night here in the LOG CABIN with just our beds and an overnight bag. Oh yes, and our pots and pans which Rick could not wait to hang on the pot rack.

The following day our Schrader Family arrived with all our boxes, clothes, and the rest of our possessions. (A seriously big THANK YOU to all who helped). By the time all those boxes arrived here there was no room left to walk anywhere in the house and the unpacking began. And here we are 10 days later and the unpacking continues.

It's been an interesting week. Starting with a week ago Saturday and the 3 AM smoke alarms that refused to shut off no matter how many times we pushed the "silent" button! Rick eventually disconnected them all (hard wired into the house electric) but not without a trip to the garage to get the 12 foot ladder as 2 of the detectors were at the peak of the upstairs cathedral ceilings. Yep, not much sleep that night! But, they are all working again now. Mike was here the next day to troubleshoot and reinstall them all! We won't get into the fact that Rick could have just unplugged each one instead of disconnecting the wires, but come on...it was 4:30 AM by this time...and there was no way to see the plugs until you got the detectors down!

The only other interesting glitch was the washing machine that had no power. It was never plugged in. Sounds simple enough just find the cord and plug it in...right?...but trust me it wasn't that simple. Seems the washing drum is locked in with bolts for transport and as a precaution to make sure the bolts are freed before use the power cord is wound around those bolts INSIDE the back of the machine. Now that machine was a heavy sucker and raised on a pedestal and getting behind it to free the bolts required some contortionist moves on both our parts. Not to mention the fact that I hadn't done any laundry before moving and we were out of clean clothes! We went to Sears first thing the next day and found the answers and fixed the problem and I must say I really love the new machine (now)!!! But...I will admit to thinking several horrible thoughts about whoever wrote the installation instructions because we never found a word about those bolts anywhere in the instructions!

So here we are...all moved and living in our new log home and loving every minute of it. We unpack a little more each day. And Rick has been cleaning up the basement so he can move all the maple floor boards out of the garage and into the basement in order to start the planing so we can (hopefully) begin installing the downstairs flooring around March.

It snowed 5 out of the first 7 days we were here. We also had serious sub-zero temps and wind chills to minus 30. We still can't get the cars into the garage until we get lots more boxes unpacked. Right now we are just moving the boxes around to get at what we need and the cars are still sitting outside and only complaining a little when we go to start them in the morning. We have to make "dump runs" frequently as there is no garbage collection here and we are generating huge piles of empty boxes! We fill the porch with garbage...then pile it all on our utility trailer and bring it to the transfer station!

So, all of the above is the reason I've been neglecting the blog. I hope to be back with more pics soon.

Stonework continues...

2008-11-30T08:13:00.003-05:00

Completed to the flue...

Stone for the first level almost done...

View from top of stairs...

View from loft...

2008-11-28T18:13:00.004-05:00

MOVING DAY IS...

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2008

What can I say. We are excited!!! The hired movers are taking all our large furniture to the log home on Friday. On Saturday all our North Country relatives will help us move the smaller items, boxes, clothes and anything the movers did not take.

I'll let you know as we get closer, but our first night in the log home should be Saturday December 6, 2008. We thought about staying there on Friday night, (and may yet)...but for an early start on Saturday I think we will be staying at the Fort!

We will probably be without the computer and TV until the cable hookup happens on Monday. We have it scheduled...we hope it happens!!!

We have heat and hot water!!!

2008-11-28T18:02:00.002-05:00

One hot air furnace and instant hot water on demand...We met a great new friend by the name of Charlie who installed this baby. And he has become our furnace guru for eternity!

The hot water on demand is wonderful. Very user friendly...and has the ability to be turned off by the press of a button (for long weekends away or vacations). You can also adjust the water temperature. As we aren't living there yet, we can turn it off when we leave the house at night, and turn it back on the next morning. Within 5 minutes you have all the hot water you need!

Our first Art Work for the walls...

2008-11-28T17:55:00.003-05:00

This is a free hand drawing done by Lee...He presented it to us about 10 days ago. Lee's the artist responsible for Pluto and Goofy (those cartoon drawings from back in June on our logs)

We've been trying to find an 8x8 frame ever since. That's a very difficult size to find! Thanks Lee, we will treasure this always!