Happy 4th from Shullsburg!

Summer update: two of two...ready for plaster in two rooms!

"A girl and her heat gun"

Grueling endless laborious task, but just as fullfilling to see the beautiful old pine exposed and ready for some oil

You could measure how thick the layers are:  top layer white modern paint probably done 1970-1980's, middle layer wood graining probably done around mid to late 1800's, and the original paint; a grey ish off white oil based paint that will be reapplied soon after all of the stripping and sanding is complete.

Plaster board lift

In awe of the progress, Chris and Jay pause for a moment of reflection:  the dining room is ready for plaster!!!!!! 

Hempstead Suite is ready for plaster!!  

Pic of the day:  Nothing like your arm around a good friend

Here with a Summer Update! One of two:

Topher spearheaded our earth oven project, an oven body composed of "cob" material: clay, sand, straw and water mixed together then packed down into a dome form lined with a fire brick insulated bottom.  

Lawn boy

 Linseed oiling the old pine floor, before it's painted

Digging out clay for the oven

Beautiful clouds

Linseed oil painting the powder room in Houghton Brown.

 Jay and his assistant finishing up the grout work on the river stone: Gratiot Suite shower.

Stripping the original pine trim from the windows.  

Sand form with brick base

Topher and the chickens giving the cob a good scratch

Starting the body one layer at a time around the base and up up up

We finished up around 11pm..deliriously giddy

Fairing out the old plaster on lathe walls with wood strips to create an air barrier, next comes plaster board then plaster then paint!  Stay tuned!

Spring has sprung! Every one is busy at the farm.

Honey bees busy working the dandelions

Duncan is busy mowing

Kitty cattails is hunting mice

Crab apple in full bloom

Chris is making mohagany shower panels

Tulips showing their colors under the budding oak tree

Bees, mud, paint and pesto!

 The Italians have arrived!

 Topher and Duncan dig a righteous fire pit

 The beekeeper with her new arrivals

 Welcome to your new home!

More bead board painting...

 Pesto made just today from wild nettles and garlic mustard, buon appetito!

Spring fever

"Is is spring yet?!"

Bead board is flying!

"Abra cadabra, beadboard install yourself upon daddy and mamma's bedroom ceiling!"

We still have some winter enthusiasm left in our blood, as you can see

icicle beard

iclicle highlights

icicle furriness

homade squash ravioli (from squash overwintered the Berry Tavern root cellar!)

icicle hairdo

beautiful frost morning

arctic explorer