Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Torrential Rain Pants Down Dinner with M

Torrential rain at the back

and the front

means the construction team were caught with their pants down

But ended the day with pasta and Italian sausage with M
So the moral of this story is you should plan for the Black Swan, because the most intense rain ever seen here in 33 years had to come just two days before all the back concreting was to be completed and three days after the foundations were dug - we will survive but not on schedule - labor omnia vincit!!

Sunday, 29 July 2012

Week 2 of the 14 week plan

Gillian's steps rediscovered will be part of the path from upper to lower deck

One of two days Danny was here it rained so we switched to Project 4

Progress on Project 1 continues

Thank heavens this week we had rain fo a couple of days. shrubs and small trees were getting into the drought danger zone. nevertheless wildflowers have come out with a second crop and sunflowers are just coming out , lillies are all gone.

M came for a visit of a few days and has so far severely beaten me at scrabble and cleaned up and reorganized the kitchen and dishes, pots and pans, cutlery etc.

Monday, 23 July 2012

The 14 week plan outside and inside work Week 1

Broad objectives of the 14 week plan revised version of original 10-12 week plan
Project 1
Back of house main level
Complete concrete pads for deck and kitchen steps
Complete concrete path from kitchen steps to shed crushed stone gravel base for frost heave
Complete new concrete window well
Complete heavy flagstone approx 4" patio set in sand where wading pool used to be
Bonus heavy heavy flagstone approx 8" path between deck and kitchen
Bonus expand wildflower garden opp patio
Bonus grade and rotor till for grass seeding

Project 2
Back of house lower level
Lower ground level approx 3-4" to be below second back door level
Concrete drain surround lid  and around back door allow for frost heave base on crushed stone and gravel
Install lower level deck on floating anchors and gravel supports
Complete heavy flagstone path between back doors and deck
Bonus expand wild flower garden opposite lower level deck
Bonus rotor till for grass seeding

Project 3
Front of house main level
Remove all railroad ties
Clean all interlocking brick re lay as single level
Add concrete step
Re grade side of house
Install light flagstone approx 1" patio on concrete
Bonus expand facing wildflower garden

Project 4 (in case it rains)
Strip basement laundry room and workshop and toilet

Project 5
Sow Wildflower seeds

Project 6 (if time)
Re shingle front roof

Bottom pad completed

Excavating for path and window well

Window well forms in

Concrete pour completed for window well

Sunday, 15 July 2012

Saratoga brief visit on way from Lake George to Albany

Entrepreneurs at work in 19th century USA
A book of this odyssey has been issued as an electronic version with supporting material at the website of the University of North Carolina'sDocumenting the American South.[23] Out of copyright, it is also available free for reading and download at Project Gutenberg andGoogle Books websites

If only the Afghanistan war was ended by USA retreat in 2007 not as seems likely  2014 or 5 or ?  

Lost in the Park!!!

But found the Italian Garden



Lake George New York

James for Luck for  F M Crush

Inn in the mountains 20 miles to Killington

The ship which did not tip over

Lake people

Beach people

Note F M Crush is Jeff's new band and James is the singer


Tuesday, 10 July 2012

So sunny Millis

The Deck in the Sun

The nearby park

The only pub where the theatre group meets

The cleaners

The least expensive gas station

The one MacDonalds offers good Paul Newman coffee for $1 all sizes

One of the deserted plants for sale

Well kept memorial one of many

One of t he quiet and shaded back streets
Hottest summer since 1895 so they say. Millis has a population around 8,000 and is approximately 20 miles SW Boston downtown, The town was first settled in 1657

Friday, 6 July 2012

Last Evening on the Atlantic City Boardwalk

Last remaining of the old shops with beautiful European items

Typical Boardwalk scene

My favourite store when it sells mystery boxes of chocolates - slightly imperfect for $5

Typical made in China Boardwalk bargain store

Beach from the upscale Atlantic Casino end

Karen with a beautiful new umbrella she purchased

Zoom in on the top left corner to see the Revel casino in the distance at the other end of the beach.

July 4 and Pizza

King of the Castle

On the Boardwalk B4 the firework display

A $25 pizza we took away most in a box

July 4 is of course the biggest celebration in the USA. We watched a beautiful fireworks display  over the sea.(fireworks do not photograph well as the displays are usually in the distance) Then we went back and turned on the TV for the propaganda of how the Revolution threw off the tyrannical rule of the British and represented the start of freedom which  the US military has since been spreading over the World - enough said.

Thursday, 5 July 2012

Atlantic City Projects

From the ground outside our building some projects

From the 20th floor new Revel  casino

Gradually the down and out housing known as projects is being replaced by new Casinos - the Revel is the latest. Casinos have to be on the beachfront with a minimum 800 room hotel

Reno outside work in June

Preparing for a new window well

Finishing the new outdoor shed

Preparing the pad for kirchen steps

worker mixing concrete