Into Every Week, a Little Rain...

We simply cannot complain about the rain's ill effects on our build schedule, given how much has fallen in Manitoba and out here on the asteroid this summer. About half of Monday's schedule, however, was slowed or altered due to a really solid four hours of rain.

As it happened, I wasn't on-site to be beleaguered by the deluge, although I got a decent soaking while loading the car with plumbing supplies at Home Depot. I drove Nathan and the lunch bucket up to the site first thing in the morning, helped get things set up for D 'n D's arrival from Morden, then headed back to Winnipeg to summarize the plumbing shopping list, do the buy, then wait for Dave Raynor's visit to discuss the woodstove installation. Another fine set of options to sort our way through, but Dave is the go-to guy for stove and fireplace installs. When his crew installed a gas fireplace insert at our Westgate home, he phoned to say they would be arriving on time, swept into the house with drop-cloths rolling out ahead of them, then vanished in less than three hours leaving only a fire burning in the hearth and no other sign that they'd been there.

Anyway, it looks like we'll have to move one great room roof truss to accommodate the fireplace, plus build a chimney box to enhance the aesthetic of the finished job. It will be worth it. Ruth's Kijiji find was a 1977 Vermont Castings Vigilant woodstove, I believe the first year they were manufactured. Patrick Nelson's father, a professor of architecture at the U. of Manitoba ordered it and kept it very well, until Patrick decided it needed to go to make way for home updates. It will now have a fine home in the middle of treeline and keep us warm through these nasty asteroid winters we experience up here, north of Manitoba.

With the meeting concluded, I headed back up to Ruth's Ridge with the plumbing supplies and to bring the fellows back to Winnipeg. As of Monday evening, the roof sheathing had been completed and all the interior walls had been framed up. On to the shingling.

And shingle DND did today. By evening, the workshop was done, and the valleys rising into the garage ceiling were complete. Davis got close to finishing the loft roof as well.

I, on the other hand, tried to immerse myself in plumbing the basement and main drain. And, no, Rick, while I may sound calm and organized, the veil is pretty thin. After a couple of panic attacks, I did manage to settle in a get a fair start on the planning and initial cutting & gluing. I think tomorrow will fare better now that I'm reacquainting myself with the process.

I had another neighbour drop by today; Jim Millar lives 1.5 miles east of us but says he doesn't often head west on Road 88N. Today he did and, having an interest in things architectural (among many others), he stopped in to introduce himself and have a look around. It was heartening – in the face of ABS challenges lurking in the basement – to receive his commendation of our project. It was doubly interesting to find that he grew up three doors south of our home on Niagara St. Then, too, he's known Jim & Johanna for many years, as Johanna used to board her horses at his farm.

After lunch, Davis, Delaeno & I spent a couple of minutes reviewing the timeline – and it appears we may be able to be ready for drywall taping and plastering around the end of October – and broaching the issue of how to mange the last two weeks when Ruth & I can no longer offer meals and accommodation at Niagara St. More on this to follow.

Then, at 3:15, Davis called down to say I had more visitors. Turns out they were more interested in the Bros. Rempel, given that Dorothy & Norman are their parents. No one knew they were coming or that homemade chocolate chip cookies and coffee would accompany them. I've heard much from Delaeno & Nathan about their father's building skills and achievements and, although I heard very little about our project from him (it's likely he saves his comments for his jobsites), I sensed that he appreciated the quality of the work that DND have put into Ruth's Ridge .

For a change, I was very sorry to hear that the fellows were ready to call it a day at 6 p.m. I very much wanted to stay and keep playing with the plumbing puzzle. Feeling the pressure as we begin to lose the heat.