I'm no longer imagining siding -- I'm looking at it!

So for those of you who are interested, it is a rain screen that sits off the house on furring strips and essentially protects the stuff underneath from, well, rain. Among other things. It is sawn from spruce trees on my site that were cleared by man and the gods earlier in the project. It extends above the walls to provide safety rails at roof level, which is an accessible green roof -- or will be some day. Currently it is accessible gravel and there is no place on earth the kids would rather be!

Transparent above walls

Hi guys!

From the east

With parking lot in the foreground

Have you ever seen anything more gorgeous than these not even fully finished floors! Ground and polished, but not yet sealed.

Goodbye white. Hello Benjamin Moore 166: Orange Ice! And thanks, Lisa. It's such a happy color.

Another gorgeous day in Vermont.

Site is cleaned up and typar "siding" is complete. Get used to that look for now -- I'm heading inside.

Adirondack mountain views.

Spring in Vermont = burn permits.

I'm imagining siding.

My first garden -- the rock pile to the right. Only place safe from the bulldozer and backhoe.

I have sheetrock!

Check out that light pattern on the ceiling -- the constellation is going to work, I think!

These guys are amazing. All the sheetrockers up here are French Canadian. These are the "hangers". They don't deliver the sheetrock, they don't pick up the scraps on the floor and they definitely don't tape! Those guys will be here tomorrow.

Housewrap!

Beautiful day, beautiful windows -- all in.

It's mud season in Vermont. But with the disintegrating roads and mud everywhere comes maple syrup making. What a gorgeous day we had last Saturday for the Annual Huntington Maple Sugar Open House Day, complete with pancakes, maple cream donuts and maple popcorn!

And in the meantime, the roads are posted - no heavy trucks including the one carrying sheetrock to my house - until they thaw and dry out.

Corner window in the guest room

More than pipes, finally!

Old time sugar house

Pancakes & maple syrup

Sap buckets

I'm in Florida. My daughter is in Vermont taking photos. This was a couple of days ago, so I bet all the windows are in now. Wow -- what a difference they make! Actually looking like a place to be living soon.

First two windows are in. Rest by the end of today and doors next week!

Concrete pumper with a boom as high as the trees!

Boom from down the road

Concrete main floor

Stair to second floor under way

Concrete 2nd floor -- still wet

Did I really not post anything for the entire month of February? Not surprising. It was a tough month, with the progress on the house running about 20% behind the progress on the budget. Lots and lots of slicing and dicing and deciding what can be eliminated and what can wait. But the skiing was great and my new grandson, Henry James Walker, was born on the 27th, strong and healthy! Congratulations Jeff & Rachel. I'll be headed out soon to meet him.

Back to the house -- it's been a lot of sort of pretty un-sexy work -- plumbing, electrical, mechanical. But sure nice to have. The liquid rubber roof which will one day be green (not if the insurance company can help it!) is now complete, and the radiant concrete floors are poured.

Tomorrow the windows arrive from Canada!

First picture -- last week.

Second picture -- today!

Second floor is now closed in. And that's it, that's the form minus embellishments.

Heater is working inside and the first interior wall -- 3' long -- is framed.

And on the backside of the house is this. I can't believe this gorgeous place is my back yard! This time next year I'll be putting on my skis in the kitchen.