Family Mellmann

With spring comes newness.  The trees bud and leaf out.  New annuals and flowering perennials coloring the community.  And new neighbors.  This mother and her two babies walked by in front of me while I sat on the porch this afternoon (they are about six feet from me).  

After a run to Billings, I was back on the construction site to finish the staining of the tongue-in-groove boards.  I was pleased (and surprised) to see that the tiler had come in on Sunday to tile two bathrooms.  She left a grout selector for me so that I could pick the color. The electricians were busy installing light fixtures, switches, and outlets.  Coney's (the builder) crew (3 guys) were busy installing the stained boards from Thursday and Saturday.  And  Coney was setting the stones on the fireplace. I repeated the 30-40 minute timed water breaks that Jörg and I started on Saturday to make sure I didn't dehydrate.  While there is snow on the mountains in the background, it was nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit on the south side of the house...with no wind this time. It's so rewarding to see our hard work getting put into place!  

The next batch of lumber arrived; this is the tongue-in-groove which will line the covered porch ceilings.  It's much easier to stain when the wood is on sawhorses on the ground than when it's installed and you have to protect the ground (patio) below AND stain above your head and from ladders or scaffolding. Dad and I put in an afternoon of staining on the day the lumber arrived.  Our builder moved all that aside to make room for Jörg and me to do the next round.  We made an early start, leaving Livingston around 6:30 AM.  We stopped at the Rosebud Cafe in Absarokee for a load of protein before arriving on site.  By 9:00 AM we were on the job. Now equipped with drying racks and more sawhorses, Joerg and I got a system going (we're a pretty good team with stuff like this) of staining and stacking (loading on drying racks).  What these pictures don't tell you is that we were battling some strong Montana winds.  We had to relocate the staining operation ...

We got the family together this evening to celebrate Dad and Sharon's 49th wedding anniversary.

The next round of lumber arrived so it is time to put my staining skills back into action. There is a TON of staining to do so it's a good thing I dragged my dad along to help. Free labor is hard to come by so you take it when you can get it. :) (Thanks, Dad.) Other than that, it was quiet on the construction site. The electrician was delayed on another job so they were absent. The painter - yes, he's still there - is putting some finishing touches on his touch ups. And the builder was off site raising trusses on a workshop for another community member (and fellow HOA Board member and friend). The stonework has been started on both fireplaces and the garage is (not so gradually) filling up with vanities, utility sink, new patio furniture, lighting, and a few fixtures. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (our apartment in Livingston), new bedding is arriving from Germany, the door/drawer pulls and knobs orders are finally all in, and I'm starting to plan closet layouts (well,...

After a quick run to Billings to take care of some business, I went to the construction site.  While the last visit was a bit lacking in the photograph department, this week I could get inside the house now that the painter is nearly done. It was a gorgeous day today and the prairie grass is green and dotted with wildflowers.   Meanwhile, most of the siding is now done.  What remains is bits and pieces which will be completed once the "tongue-in-groove" ceiling is installed everywhere...but first I have to stain it.  That starts next week when the materials arrive. The master shower is nearly complete.  A couple of tiles are missing (they can't go in place until the electrician has connected the heated floor) and there's a bit of grout left to finish.  She (the tiler) will finish the grouting when she returns to tile the guest bathroom floors. The painting inside is nearly complete.  The dining room needs a second coat of paint and then there are a few...