Family Mellmann

August was a bit of a whirlwind.  The last days of July saw a hard push toward getting us ready to move into the house.  It was nip-and-tuck (everything last minute) all the way, but we vacated our Livingston apartment and landed in our new Absarokee home one day before family arrived from Germany for a visit.  We moved the last of our belongings into the house on Sunday and didn't even have hot water yet.  On Monday, we received our company AND hot water.  The house went from a construction site to full of life literally over night. Our company went right to work helping us move furniture out onto the patio and assemble what needed assembling.  We played games on the porch, grilled burgers, and after a few days of testing out the house, we loaded up the cars and toured Yellowstone, Beartooth Highway and Chief Joseph Pass, and made a stop at the old ghost town of Bannock. On the last day, before our family left to go back to Germany, we were visited by a li...

My trip to the house was quiet.  Except for the excavator putting in the last loop of geothermal tubing, I was the only one there.  My first mission on this day was to put a first layer of clear coat on the mantle (so that it's smooth and dust-able).   With that done, I could wander around and see what happened on Monday.  A small wall, overlooked on the house plan, has been installed and will hopefully get primer and paint this weekend. Interior doors are starting to go in. And here's the master bed WITH mattresses.  Now all we need is the bedding (and toilets, sinks, and showers) The excavator is bedding down the last loop of geothermal tubes. It looks stormy so it's a good time to head back to Livingston.  

Work continues outside with the installation of the geothermal tubing.  Our "yard" is a disaster at the moment but in the next week of so we should see things start to wrap up level out. Inside, things are quiet for the moment while the stonework on the fireplace continues.  However, we took delivery on new furniture today.  Fortunately, both furniture stores chose the same day (and time window) to delivery so it was pretty quick.  We used that time to go through deliveries that had been made in the last week (curtains, etc.) and to prepare for the delivery and installation of the new master bedroom furniture. We really like the front door, and today had a chance to test out the "open wide" feature for the furniture deliveries. Master bedroom floor (part of it) mopped and ready for furniture).   Rug in place. And viola!  Now all we need is a mattress (that will be in the next delivery).

With the flooring guys commandeering the interior space, much of the current work is happening outside. The plumber has been back to run the gas line to the outdoor fireplace and install the control valve.  That means that the stonework can continue.  They have also installed a couple of toilets! The  electrician has been in to put lights on the patio.  The excavator has installed the septic tank, started digging for the leach field, and is trenching for and installing the geothermal piping.  Meanwhile, we are ordering all the little details of life; some window coverings,  a few towels, some area rugs...  We still have many things to complete before we can actually move in, but we are definitely getting closer. This is what the excavator calls "bony" soil.  I guess they don't call this the Rockies for nothin'. :) Digging for the septic leach field has proven a little challenging with the rocky soil but he thinks he has found a workable spot. ...

I went to the house today to meet the appliance delivery. While I was there I took some pictures of the results of our long weekend of labor. The bonus room in the garage is full and the garage is pretty crowded as well. Mixed in with our own stuff is the floor trim, painted and ready for installation, and the plumbing fixtures, recently delivered by the plumber. Inside the house, the flooring guys are installing the wood floor. And outside the house the excavator has trenched from the well to the house and installed our lawn hydrant. In remote areas like this, homeowners are often required to put in a lawn hydrant with a garden hose in case there's a need for fire suppression until the fire department arrives. 😟 He has also dug some test holes for the septic drain field, and started digging for the geothermal piping. By the time I was done taking my pictures and wondering around the house, the appliances arrived. That means we have a refrigerator which means cold drinks ar...

On Sunday, our last run with the U-haul, we ran into our excavator working.  We have had an unseasonably wet early summer so when the weather is good - even if it's a Sunday - he's working to catch up. And I discovered another flower in my "garden".  So today we delivered the last of our things - to be moved in a U-haul - to the garage.  The remaining items will come one trip at a time in the back of my car.