More work

Now the front is finished...almost

Just in time for the Heritage Tours which took place this weekend, the wizard painters completed almost every part of the house front. We like the new red door and trim accents which match the hues of the firehouse.

A heavy rain after the visit from approximately 500 people tested the repairs made before paint was applied. So far, so good!

House changes continue

House Changes Continue:

The last shall be first, we are told. But, in this case, the last is the last part of the front to be primed. The wee seat used on the veranda has been taken away for work indoors on a wet day outside. 

 We now have a red door and a green door, well, close! We liked the colour of the competitors' door across the street, so we'll have one like it soon. Is imitation really the sincerest from of flattery?

We know there is still much to do, but the front is such an improvement in our eyes. 

          

 The sun cast a golden glow at day's end. Oh, who knew this is LABOUR DAY?

The Floral Cottage is surprising folks who pass by as the colour changes. Mitch and Crew are hard at work trying to get some primer on before the storm we have been promised arrives. We need rain as do so many out west even more. So, let the rain come and the painting halt for a day or so. We don't hurry too much in Lunenburg. Maybe that's why so many folks live into their 90's.

Viewers can see there is still a lot to be done! Maybe we shall get three sides completed this year and finish the rest next summer. We are having a competition with our neighbors, Adam and Cindy Dial, who live across the street. They got the front of their lovely home finished, but never content to rest, they have the staging up for another round. We feel right at home with monkey bars at our place now.

Floral Cottage - Getting a New Coat - end August 2012

This is what the Floral Cottage looked like up to 23 August.

But Mitch, Steve and Shaun have been working on the Floral Cottage and already, things are looking a lot better. They are finding some broken boards left over from January 2011 when we insulated and some rotting wood, but what would your expect from an 150 year old house? I have a whole cup of square nails already.  I find it interesting to imagine the people who nailed those nails into place and who built the house 150 years ago.  Who were they, what were their lives like?

After the Firehouse

Never content to rest a bit, my dear spouse is moving on to her new endeavour, a consignment store. This is her dream and has been for many years. She likes old things. Perhaps that's why she married me. In any event, she has started the process of building a business which is aimed at helping community groups gain some funding by sharing in the activities of the store. If you happen to travel to Lunenburg or, better yet, live here, visit 181 Lincoln Street.

                   The owner, Scott Sherman, has been most gracious in making the space available and lending his moral support to the project.

Most folks would agree the space is a fascinating, long one, but it will do nicely to meet the needs of various groups, bring some fun into daily activity, and help get people in the area items they need so that re-cycling and re-use can be practiced almost effortlessly.

The Floral Cottage - June 2012

Don't you just love husbands who are also artistic?  Well, whether or not you do, I value you mine - especially when he is taking such gorgeous pictures of my garden. It is warm and sunny during the day, but the fog rolls in at night, so there is lots of moisture to keep the plants happy.

Pompier Ladder - 31 May 2012

What a beautiful job Joel did of making the fixtures to hold the pompier ladder.  It looks great and it is secured to the wall by the hooks, as well as by leather straps.  Beautiful and functional.  Well done!

Post Construction Follow Up - 29 May 2012

Sash lifts are done and so are the sash locks. A whole lot of caulking got done today even though it had turned much cooler. At least the rain held off. The broken window was repaired and so were some divets in the wood floor.  Knobs were finished on all the storm window vents. The automatic door closer on the door to upstairs, the weatherstripping and the sweep on its bottom are all complete. The chain bolts in the main doors also got added today.

Post Construction Updating - 28 May 2012

The Firehouse blog is back. We thought we wouldn't have any more construction info, but had forgotten that our wonderful team of heritage carpenters had promised to come back and tweak any issues after we had had a chance to live with the building for a while.  These tweaks are minor.  Sash lifts, sash locks, a door sweep and closer and some outdoor caulking now that the weather is warm.

So today we had the pleasure of having Colin and Brad back and they brought along Mark and Joel for support.  Lots gets done when there are four people working.  It was hard to keep up.

Gardens - May 2012

It has seemed so strange not to be posting about the activity going on with the Firehouse.  The last two weeks have been for settling in to the Firehouse and, for Will at least, working on the firetrucks. For me, I have been enjoying time in the garden.

The clover that Pamela and the crew from Heritage Landscaping planted has sprouted and now when I look out at the yard, it actually looks green. Not fully, but getting there.  The long weekend has been especially nice, with wonderful sunny and warm weather. Great for gardening.

Open House - 5 May 2012

With all the trucks and memorabilia polished, and everyone spiffed up to meet the guests, we had an open house at the Firehouse today.

We're not sure if everyone signed the guest book or not, although we asked them to, but the signatures indicated that we had about 100 people. The weather stayed nice, mostly cloudy, and the temperature was okay, so that was good.  We cut the ribbon and made it official.  We offered up refreshments and nibblies and a cake for all to enjoy.

 We are so pleased that we were able to have family here with us. Andrew moved wood, polished brass, and lugged all kinds of stuff around before spending time with the kids watching them through his eyelids. Kate helped with cake, and hosting and everyone who met her instantly fell in love with her. Eben took great photos throughout, while Amon was the tour guide to the Firehouse. Linnaea graciously greeted people and chatted with lots of people. Even Liam, who was not feeling well at all, still made the effort to meet people and show them a good time. What wonderful and special people they each are. We loved being able to share this special day with them and to have the house full of the laughter and fun.

 


The number of friends, neighbours and acquaintances who attended was really great to see.  All in all it was a great day.There were even a couple of people who were just driving or walking by and who decided to drop in and visit.

By the way - none of the people pictured above were drop bys - they were all invited!

Having a special birthday celebrated with a special event made it much more enjoyable.  We had agreed that no one needed to know about the birthday, and for the most part I kept it quiet.  But now that its over, I don't need to be silent. Happy Birthday, love of my life, what a great party for a wonderful man!