Harley helps

Harley the Wonder Dog helps with laying the natural stone drip line (to the left) around the edge of the porch.  This addresses both protecting the drip line from the roof porch and it raises the ground to within the necessary two foot drop from the ground necessary to have a porch without a railing.  The only side that will have a log railing is the west and basement walkout side.

Progress on panelling the arch

We are making progress on the inside of the arch at the front door and the soffit along the front of the house.   The outside round of aluminum soffit is all done, but the other three sides of inside/long sections of soffit remain to be done.   We need to pull wire for the lighting as we go, which will make the later electrical hook up much easier.   Next we need to remove some of the pole scaffolding to the west so that we can set up to do the short TIG pine panel installation for the outside edge of the arch.   Also we have to drill holes in the arch log for the eye bolt to support the Angara log sign, every step has a few catches....

Tiger lilies

The tiger lilies are in bloom, bringing tidings of the end of the "dog days" of summer.  

Flag is up

Although we are trying to stay focused on necessary and structural work, we made a diversion to install a flagpole.    We love having the Canadian flag flying and could argue that it is valuable for showing wind direction...... so not entirely a cosmetic diversion.   In any case Bob has drilled four lengths of rebar into the bedrock and poured a concrete base, all properly parged.   This should make it a firm foundation for many years of enjoyment.

A house and a house

Catherine's dear chum and her husband came for a visit in their RV, pictured in front of Angara.   They plugged into our trailer hook up and so were here but in their own independent "camping" facilities.   For each of us there is a time for being gypsy and mobile, and a time for being stationary and rooted.   This was a chance to share those two paths!

Finally photographed a Sandhill Crane

We just love these gorgeous and huge birds that come to feed in the field next to the house.   They seem to nest in the wetlands below the ridge at the lake and mouth of the river (which we leave undisturbed).    What is most haunting about them is the prehistoric sounding call that they make when taking flight, landing and if they become alarmed.  If you half close your eyes, listen and watch them fly over, it seems that you are transported back to the time of the raptors and other long extinct creatures.

Suspended animation - water hydrant for the barn

Here is the hydrant in mid installation.   The hydrant itself was assembled by Mickey's Plumbing, we installed a concrete block under it as shown, for stability.  We then backfilled a reservoir around the bottom of the hydrant with good clean gravel, covered it with landscaping cloth and then backfilled the hole.   There is a 1/8" weep hole at the bottom of the hydrant, which allows the water to drain back down out of the assembly when the hydrant handle/valve is closed.  This provides freeze protection because after backfilling, the weep hole will be buried below the frost line (and will also be sheltered inside the barn structure).    It looks a bit odd sitting all alone out in the field for now.