Thanksgiving

Just a few pictures to show what a great time we had Thanksgiving weekend. I'd like to thank Michelle and Andrew for helping to cook and find recipes.

First Snow

We woke up this morning to 3-4 inches of wet snow. The first snow is a week earlier than last year. We are hoping that this is the only snow we get! We saw the weather report for the Twin Cities -- Please keep the arctic cold up in that area. We kind of like having temps in the 50's.

Fall hikes

Member-Member Tournment

A picture is worth a thousand words.

NC Visitors

Leo, Dottie, Jim, Emy and Michael helped us test out our guest rooms. We have taken their suggestions under advisement. They had to gather their own food in the wilderness and toured the Biltmore. Emy, Jim and Michael were great sports and hiked to the waterfalls in Dupont Forest in the rain.

August in Minnesota

We celebrated Lulu's Baptism with Great Grandpa Joe and Great Grandma Connie and all the Frys. It was a very special day for all of us.

Great Grandma Grant and Grandpa

Minnesota Highlights

We had a great time with everyone. Chef Milly's grilled tomatoes were a hit!

Moving Day

We have moved!! We had help from Bill Highfill, he thought he was coming to play in the Men's Member - Guest , but we fooled him and he was a great help with the move. He got to spend the first night with us in our new house. He and Ralph placed second in their flight and had a great time. We spent two nights in the house and took off to spend the 4th of July in Minnesota with Michelle and family. Now that we are back, the unpacking begins.

Family Suite

Your room is almost ready. There has been a slight delay. The big dehumidifier is from Madison, WI. so you should feel right at home. The rest of the furniture is waiting to be delivered.

We have lights

There's a little more work to be done, but we're almost there!

Almost Done

The plumbing fixtures are almost in, along with the lighting fixtures. The water leaks have been identified and are being addressed. By this coming Friday, we may be ready to start moving. If not by June 19th, by June 26th. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Here is an updated exterior view showing the garage doors and the landscaping. Today I'm ordering our mail box!

White Squirrel Festival

This weekend, Heather and Eric Sewell came up from Columbia, SC for a visit. The following pictures shows some of the waterfalls we hiked on Saturday. Since is was 80+ degrees, we decided to go to Brevard, NC to attend the White Squirrel festival.

The local brewery made some White Squirrel Lager, so we had to have some during lunch. If the beer would have served with a slice of orange, it could have passed for a Blue Moon. Prior to lunch, we visited Brevard College so Heather and Eric could see a real "white" squirrel. Heather tried to bribe the squirrel with nuts, but they were too smart and stayed up in the trees!

House Update

Since we have been getting some requests to update the blog, here are some new photo's. The weather has been cooperating, so the pavers and the landscaping are almost complete. With any luck, the driveway will be asphalted by next Friday.

The kitchen cabinets are installed and awaiting granite measurement. This is scheduled for May 13th with a granite install date of May 28th.

The floors have been sanded and the first coat of poly is on. This week the main floor doors get hung and some trim put up. The painter is also suppose to put the second coat of paint on.

Finally, the outside deck is complete. The only area remaining outside is to screen in the porch area by our bedroom.

Warmer Weather

With the weather starting to get back to normal, the subcontractors now want to work. Hooray!!

Last week the landscaper called and asked if he could start two weeks early. Since I hired this subcontractor, it was not only nice that he started early, but he also brought in a crew of five workers. They worked from 7:00am to 7:00pm. I asked my general contractor if his crews could keep the same hours!! I did not get a favorable response.

Here are some pictures of the landscaping and of the oak floor in the living/dining room area. The flooring crew started today and plan to finish by Wednesday at the latest. These floors are raw wood and will be sanded and finished in May.

Panthertown Valley Hike

The hiking group went to Pantertown Valley this week. This is a very scenic area near Lake Toxaway. Our leader for the hike was Chandler, who learned the trails from a old man who loved the area and developed many of the trails. The hike was a little more challenging because the area had had an ice storm this winter and many trees and branches had fallen across the trails. We also crossed the Green River a couple of times. We walked behind Schoolhouse Falls because the river was too deep to cross in the usual spot. Our lunch spot was Granny Burnell Falls. The trail to Holly Falls was very snowy, but worth the effort. A great finish to the 7 mile hike. Mom

March 13 Update

Here is a picture of the living room with the ceiling installed. We still have to wrap the center beam, stain the trusses, and revarnish the cypress.
One of the lower bathrooms has been tiled. Once we have a sunny day, we will post a picture of how it turned out. By next weekend, we should have 75% of the tile work completed.