Goin to Carolina

Where in the world is Pumpkintown??

2008-04-17T07:18:00.003-05:00

Our approximate location is where the green hiking icon is:

Random Thoughts after Three Weeks in Carolina

2008-04-06T20:11:00.001-05:00

Three weeks later and we are still unpacking! Since I began packing back in December 2006 – the contents of some of the boxes are a total surprise. What I can feel good about is that the mountain of cardboard is all being recycled. On one of our first days here, we asked a neighbor what day garbage pickup was. His answer was just a blank stare. Story is that if you don’t live in the city limits (the “city” being Pickens), you have to haul your own trash to the dump. The “dump” turned out to be the most efficient recycling center I have ever seen AND it is only about two miles from our house. Since you have to take your trash there anyway, there is really no reason to NOT recycle. The center is staffed with friendly guys in orange shirts emblazoned with “Inmate” across the back (seriously, they are very helpful) and takes everything imaginable from tires, motor oil, paint cans, construction debris to the more mundane glass, paper and plastic. Going to the dump has become an event - one of John’s favorite chores. Good thing, because I’ve lost count of the number of trips we’ve made there!

We’ve found that the house plan really works beautifully for the way we live (thanks, Rick!) and we are very pleased with the structure. Now the property is another story. The last thing we wanted was a lawn, let alone a two acre one. The drought seems to have broken, and we have an ocean of MUD with a little straw and grass seed mixed in. I have been occupying myself (when it’s not raining), picking up miscellaneous building materials (siding hangers, nails, plastic, scraps of trim) and rocks (we have an abundance of rocks.) Though I love the physical labor in the out-of-doors, today the analogy hit me – it’s like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon. Even if that grass seed all sprouts like we’ve been hoping for, we will never be able to mow it, since the ground is all ruts and rocks. It is time for some serious help! I have two landscaping people coming out this week for consultation.

Anyway, I have other ways to get my exercise – John and I joined the Pickens County Y. This was our second big surprise. I honestly had my chin on my chest the entire time we toured the Y. It is a gorgeous facility and has newer and more high-tech equipment than any gym I’ve seen. I am excited about getting back in an exercise routine and am pleased to have cycling and yoga classes available to me.

The painter finally finished up on our porch on Friday, so we were able to get the porches cleaned and the furniture moved into place this weekend. So –at long last- I got to do what I have been waiting for, just sit on the porch. It’s all good.

Home At Last!

2008-03-23T08:42:00.003-05:00

It has been a little over a week since the movers delivered our furniture, and we are slowly unpacking. Major accomplishments include getting re-connected via telephone, internet and television. (The first weekend here we were without all three - which was nice in its own way) Satellite TV installation was rescheduled once because of the weather on Saturday, March 15th - due to the same weather system that caused the tornado in ATL. Instead of TV, we had the changing weather panorama to watch. This is sunset after most of the weather had moved past:

It was a long road, but we are glad to be here!

Moving Date Scheduled!

2008-02-26T19:48:00.003-05:00

Adding this to the blog just in case you didn't hear me "screaming from the rooftop": movers are scheduled to deliver our worldly belongings to SC on Friday, March 14th!

398 days

2008-02-22T18:35:00.002-05:00

Today we received our Certificate of Occupancy: 398 days after our "official" groundbreaking ceremony on January 20, 2007. This does not mean that everything is complete, but it is a significant milestone AND it means we can schedule delivery of the furniture that's been in storage.

New photos soon!

News flash

2008-02-18T10:43:00.003-05:00

Perhaps subtitled "Promises, promises".... The building inspector is scheduled for Thursday, 2/21, so it is possible that we may have our Certificate of Occupancy on Friday. Scott has a new painting sub who promises to have all the painting completed by next Tuesday (no, the building inspector does not care if the house is painted or not).

Just the facts....

2008-02-16T18:28:00.002-05:00

Yes, I will refrain from editorializing, although I have several colorful descriptive phrases in mind – but I’ll let you use your imagination, and just say – the painters walked off the job on Wednesday, and probably will not be welcome back. Guess Scott will be looking for someone else to finish the job. Everything else is looking good!

Soon-to-come: Certificate of Occupancy?

2008-02-13T18:09:00.003-05:00

John and I visited the house on Sunday Feb 10th to check on progress and deliver another truckload of boxes from the storage unit into the basement (we think we'll be able to get the rest in one more trip!) Should I say this: not quite as much progress as we had hoped, especially on the painting front. In the two weeks since we were last here, the only visible progress we could see painting-wise was that the inside of the garage was done. Since we didn't know that the inside of the garage was even going to be painted - - we were somewhat less than impressed. However, the porch railings are going up and the steps from the garage into the house have been completed - these are both safety items that must be in place for us to get a Certificate of Occupancy. Scott told us on Monday that he plans on being able to get that all important Certificate by the end of next week (Feb 21st or 22nd?). The schedule for this week (besides the painters who will do whatever they please, I guess) is to finish all the electrical, plumbing, railings, and kitchen backsplash. On Monday, Feb 18th the appliances will be delivered. Next week Scott will get the gutters up and have another section of the driveway plus the sidewalks poured. So it all sounds like we are FINALLY getting there.

Here's the exterior with the railings in progress and all the siding in place. Note that the yard is hayed!

The kitchen waiting for appliances:

The bookcases around the fireplace completed. This also shows the newly finished hardwood floors well:

To be continued!

Polyurethane

2008-02-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

This weekend we didn’t bother driving up to the house, since we could not get inside anyway – the final coat of polyurethane on the hardwood floors is drying. Otherwise, we would have tried to get the last couple of loads of boxes out of the storage unit – and it might have been just as well that we couldn’t, since I have a miserable, standard-issue head cold and spent large blocks of time in the recliner napping!

The painters AGAIN took an unannounced week off, but have said they will be back to work on Monday, 2/4. However, my list from two weeks ago has shrunk:

INSIDE:
Interior painting: Done except for minor touch-ups
Install light fixtures
Install kitchen backsplash
Install kitchen appliances

OUTSIDE:
Install porch railings: this week??
Install gutter, downspouts
Exterior painting: To begin 2/4?
Pour concrete: Garage floor done, driveway still to do
Install garage doors
Grade, seed, hay yard: After the mud dries………

What is that expression about watching paint dry?

Anticipation.....

2008-01-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

This week we made two trips to SC: Thursday and again today. Both times we hauled a truckload of boxes and miscellany from the storage unit to the basement. We estimate that two more truckloads will empty out the rental space - and we hope to have that completed by this time next week, if the weather cooperates.

The upstairs at the house is essentially done... just a few minor touch-ups remaining. Here is one of the guest bedrooms, complete with paint, carpet, light fixtures, closet rails, and door knobs...

And the upstairs (guest) bathroom:

The floor work began on Friday, right on schedule. Today, everything was coated with dust from sanding. This is the same spot we've photographed from many times before, but now it's painted and you can see the floor:

On the exterior, there is just one small area left to be sided (see the ladder where the work was left off). The railing materials are still stacked in the basement, but they should be working on that this week, since nothing can be done inside while the floors are being finished - plus it's supposed to be warmer this week than it has been recently, so more amenable to ouside work. On Monday, the painters are scheduled to begin outside and the concrete garage floors are to be poured. The other good news is that I think I am done making decisions! I gave the final paint selections to the contractor on Thursday and delivered the tile for the kitchen backsplash today. My new target, hopeful date is Feb 15th -- but remember I'm "Pollyanna"!

SNOW!

2008-01-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

This will be an unusual posting for me – no pictures. I always compose witty and insightful entries while I’m walking the dogs or some such, but then it’s too much effort to actually “type” it in. But since this week’s trip to SC will be postponed due to weather, there is no possibility of photos. Thursday’s storm delivered about 3” of snow to the Table Rock vicinity…. And the forecast is a 90% probability of another 2-4” of snow tomorrow. We know that at our elevation, we’ll be at the high end of the forecast. It is halfway through January and we do not have a move-in date yet, although there has been progress. It is frustrating and mood-dampening to be continuing along in this state of limbo, no matter how much I repeat the mantra of “in a few months it’s not going to matter” and “quality construction is more important than the complete date”. I understand it, but I’m just not feeling it!!

It occurred to me that it might help if I composed of a list of the remaining “to do’s”, so I can keep my finger on the pulse of the progress. So, here goes:

INSIDE:
Interior painting: Should be complete by 1/25
Finish hardwood floors: Scheduled to begin 1/25
Install plumbing fixtures: Scott promises that he is on the plumber’s case
Install light fixtures: Soon as interior painting finished
Install carpet upstairs: Dependent on plumber, see above
Install kitchen backsplash
Install kitchen appliances

OUTSIDE:
Complete trim work: ALMOST done
Install porch railings: Materials in; Scott to begin next week
Install gutter, downspouts
Exterior painting: To begin 1/28
Bury propane tank: After stack of lumber gone, see trim work
Pour concrete: This will be almost last...
Install garage doors: After concrete
Grade, seed, hay yard: After the mud dries………

Looking at this list, I’m thinking it will be February, not January. SIGH! Stay tuned.

Happy New Year ... getting closer

2008-01-06T19:17:00.001-05:00

I recently had lunch with a friend and mentioned that there is no cell phone coverage at our new home - and she asked if we really lived in "the sticks". Perhaps this answers the question: driving back from our house on Saturday, we encountered a stray cow out on the road. John couldn't get her to turn around and smile for the camera, but here she is - -

Progress is still being made on our house, although it sometimes seems that the closer we get to completion, the slower it goes. We do love the tilework, however - here is a close up of the tile in our walk-in shower:

The painters have held up work inside by taking a previously unannounced two week vacation. Upstairs is painted, however, and they have started downstairs, including staining some of the cabinets and stairs. Here is John behind the kitchen island (the countertops are still covered with paper):

And here in the dining area is the cabinet that is to resemble a piece of furniture:

Scott has cleaned out an area in the basement for us, and we brought the first small load of things from the storage unit - moved for the final time! This improved both of our frames of mind, just to feel like we were actually DOING something (even if just moving some garden tools):

So - - no move-in date yet.... stay tuned!!

December: Catching Up

2007-12-10T21:37:00.001-05:00

It is difficult for me to believe that it is actually December - I seriously do not know where the last month has gone. As has been pointed out to me (so gratifying to know that there are people actually following along...) I am way behind on the progress update. Part of the delay in posting was because of our discouragement over the sliding completion date. Best bet now for occupancy is the first week of January. The conventional wisdom is that it takes a year to build a custom house and since January will only be 11 months, I guess we are still ahead of prediction. And as I've said before, we certainly can't complain about the quality of the work being done. So - looking at the whole big picture, it's all good.

The horses made the move last Friday. I decided to include their photos, since they are the first to be residents of SC. Here is the trailer coming down the driveway at the new barn:

Sunny stepped off the trailer like he did it every day, and immediately settled in to graze:

Skeeter had to check out the new neighbors. Aren't they both handsome?

Ok, so back to the house. Here's the view from the living area into the kitchen/eating area. The island in the kitchen is in (the granite countertops are covered with paper). All the cabinetry is in and waiting for the painters to work their way down (they started upstairs)

We were excited last week to see the fireplace rock completed:

The tile floors are a work in progress, and this week the porch railings will be going on. The railings will be good to see, since the progress in the last several weeks has all been on the inside. The painter did paint a sample of the exterior color for our approval - here it is:

With the horses moved, we will be visiting on a weekly basis going forward - so check back next week!

November 2nd: cabinets and steps

2007-11-03T20:37:00.001-05:00

The progress on the house seems to have slowed some in the last two weeks - this may be in part because the work that is being completed (interior trim) is detailed and in part because Scott's father slipped a disk, which cut their work crew from three to two. The good news, however, is how pleased we are with the care and perfectionism with which everything is being done. There really is not any practical reason for us to rush the process.

So .... The cabinet maker has installed the bathroom vanities, the cabinets in the laundry room and many of the kitchen cabinets. The ones in the kitchen photographed the best. The doors open into the walk-in pantry.

The biggest change outside is the addition of the brick front steps. The look of the front of the house will change dramaticallly when the porch and stair railings are added. We are also waiting to approve the exterior paint color, which is to be a cypress-y green.

Here's another view of the use of the rocks (removed when the basement was dug) as retaining walls. There is actually some grass coming up near this corner of the house. As we get closer to move-in day and look at all this dirt (potentially mud) and consider the dogs, we are very anxious for grass - even if we end up ripping it out later to put in other plantings.

We were happy to see this very colorful tree in our yard - this is looking towards our neighbor's house across the street.

Trimwork: October 19th

2007-10-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

On Friday, October 19th, John and I visited the house before taking care of several errands. That afternoon, we visited three different vendors, selecting carpet for the upstairs bedrooms and granite for the kitchen countertops and compared appliances (but haven't settled on final selections). All this shopping is a little foreign to us. Besides this Friday, we've also been shopping at home in Georgia trying to purchase all the light fixtures we need. I guess we could kindly be described as frugal. Our issue is that instead of seeing a single purchase price for the house, we are actually seeing what each component costs, and that can be a bit overwhelming.

Since our last visit, the builder has been hanging doors and doing as much trim work as he could while waiting for the cabinet contractor to return from vacation. There is trim around the windows, crown moulding and baseboards - we are very pleased with how it looks, but photos don't really capture it as a dramatic change - the white trim disappears against the white primed walls. The stairs below are a clearly visible change, however:

Here I am next to the fireplace, which is ready for the rock. Note that I am holding stickers in my left hand that I was peeling off the windows (I couldn't help myself!)

October 6th

2007-10-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

The last time we were up to the house, there were multiple crews at work and John and I were too overwhelmed to even remember to take pictures! So this update is a bit overdue. This Saturday, Scott (the builder) was concerned that I was not as chatty/smile-y as normal. I was feeling a little like the deer in the headlights. It is so hard to think we are closing in on a project that has occupied my mind and emotions for almost two years now. We are on the verge of reinventing our life style and that is - at times - a sobering thought.

Besides the progress on the house, we accomplished another to-do on this trip - we found a barn that we really were pleased with for Sunny and Skeeter. So they will move on or about the first of December - they may actually be moved in before we are! The farm has many large, green pastures and an open, air-y, pleasant barn and is only five miles from the house.

So - the wallboard is up inside the house, is primed and looking very white. This is a huge change and makes all the rooms look so much bigger. The hardwood floors are also down, but are covered up for time being:

The gravel driveway is also a new feature - Scott was able to straighten the drive out and shorten it from the orginal drawings - and shorter means less concrete = less expense. (I'm sure we'll spend it somewhere else!)

In response to the question we hear often "what will you DO up there?", here is one answer: watch the clouds come over the mountain.

On an earlier post, there is a photo of a huge pile of rocks, titled "future landscaping boulders?". Here is how many of those indigenous rocks have been used behind the house as a retaining wall. These rocks are both behind the house and on the side leading down to the area under the screened porch. I am very pleased with how this worked out.

John and I both LOVE the porch ceilings - they will be pickled white so that the wood grain will still show. The columns are fiberglass so fit in with our "no maintenance" requirement. (They are yet to be painted and finished)

Again, the view - this from our front door:

John on the front porch. Note the recessed lighting:

Driving away, the house from the street. We are trying not to dwell on the thought of yard work!

And back in Alpharetta, Jake [the handsome] in front of the townhouse - he is ready to move!

Catching up: day after closing & Labor Day weekend

2007-09-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

On the day after closing on our Alpharetta house, I was off to SC with an enormous weight off my shoulders to meet with Scott to go over details of the exterior finish. On Labor Day, John and I both were at the house before the football game. The next day, we went into Greenville to pick out tile for the floor and the shower. A slight miscommunication - and we missed our architect, Rick Bynum's, visit that same day. These photos are a mix of mine and Rick's from one of those three days.

This photo is through the truck windshield and is one of my favorite panormas as you drive down our street:

We told Rick we wanted a photo of him for the blog, so he took this self-portrait on our front porch:

Riley kept me company on my solo trip - he has become a good little traveler. As evidence of my newly mellow mood, I allowed him to wallow in the sand pit, where he pretty well camouflaged himself.

The front door - I'm pleased that we went with the transom & sidelight:

The front view with the Hardi-plank siding going on:

The west end of the house, which shows a lot of details. There will be plenty of outdoor seating options!

Scott predicts that we will spend summer sitting in the brick alcove under the screened porch, since it will be so much cooler there. I think the dogs (always a priority!) will enjoy this spot.

No, this is not our color selection!

2007-08-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

Six days and counting until closing on our house in Alpharetta! I almost took a photo of the "Under Contract" sign out front - what a relief it will be to have this step completed. We did not anticipate when we started this project early in 2006 how dismal the real estate market would become -- good thing, because we probably would have shelved the whole idea. So, we took a break from packing and schlepping boxes on Sunday, 8/19 to see what progress had been made in the last two weeks. The porch roof is on and shingled and the porch decking is also in place. The entire exterior is covered with tar paper (note to Janet: this is GREEN) and ready for siding. Inside the HVAC is roughed in and we are only an inspection away from beginning insulation and dry wall.

Kate & Reggie and me & Riley on the corner of the porch - there was actually a breeze here!

We took lots more pictures that I'm sure would interest no one but us, but which document the location of pipes, wiring, etc - guess it's good to know what is where behind the walls. This photo I kind of liked, though - even if the intent was only to photograph the shingles and the ridge vent.

August and the Porch

2007-08-07T19:45:00.000-05:00

Since the porch was one of my "must have" features in building a house, I was excited to see it beginning to take shape. This past Sunday, on a sweltering day, the temperature at our house was 5 degress cooler than down on Highway 11. (but it was still hot!)

Again, the porch from inside the house...

Here's a better photo of this week's note from Scott: "To all people on job site: No smoking in house. No mud in house. Clean up behind yourself. Take trash to trash pile. Take your bottles and material scrap out. Thank you, Scott" Sounds like good rules to me - I could do several of them up in counted cross-stitch!

Here is the "bonus" room we created (at Scott's suggestion) in the attic. This is to be John's special retreat - i.e. the planes, trains, & automobiles room. It is bigger than it looks - 12x12. We won't finish this initially, but save it as a project going forward.

On the way home from vacation: 7/21/07

2007-07-27T19:22:00.001-05:00

Returning from our week's vacation at Pawley's Island, we drove straight across the state of South Carolina, from the coast to the upstate to check on the progress of construction. I realized we had never taken a picture of the house from the street - this shows how far back we sit. I really like the way the house sits on the lot and that the driveway curves as you come in.

Coming on up the driveway to the front of the house - shingles on the roof were the new feature, but otherwise looked pretty much the same. At this point, I was a little disappointed that there was not more progress....

Until we walked into the basement! Wow, the electrician was here, and wiring is roughed in:

Up the stairs to the living room, and the fireplace was framed out. The triangular-looking thing inside the fireplace is a note from Scott to the sub-contractors (written on some scrap cardboard) requesting their cooperation in keeping the job site clean. Yes, he knew we were coming, but I don't think this was done for our benefit.

The master bedroom shower is also framed out, so you can see the dimensions and the bench, and the plumbing is roughed-in:

The underpinning of our front porch. Here another decision is weighing on me - what color do I want the porch decking to be ??? (We are using "Timber Tech", a no maintenance product, that comes with the color already sealed in) This has been stewing in the back of my brain all week!:

The plumber was here, too. This is the upstairs bathroom. Future guests, this is your tub:

One last photo - on vacation we visited Hopsewee Plantation, and I decided to say that this entrance was the "inspiration" for our "terrace level" entrance (refer to prior posts). Who's going to call me a liar? :-)

July!

2007-07-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

This entry includes a few photos from Friday, June 22 ... when I somehow messed up most of the photos I thought I had taken on the digital camera. Usually John and I go to the property on Sunday, so we don't get to see the builder or the crews in action. On this Friday, however, we did a walk through with Scott AND we went to the plumbing supply place in Greenville to begin the process of picking out fixtures. Scott thought we could also get to the tile showroom the same afternoon, but we spent way too much time looking at sinks, tubs, toilets, and faucets. Even if we had the time, we probably were too brain numb to consider any more choices, anyway! So here is Scott Holder, our builder, out in the driveway:

Jumping ahead to July 1st, the front of our home has several large changes - the addition of windows and the building of the foundation piers for the porch. It won't look nearly so much like a brick fortress once the porch is on! The bedroom windows on the second floor had to be increased in size from the original blueprints in order to meet the county building code - which requires windows large enough for a fireman in full gear to enter. The bedroom windows and the views from them are spectacular, however, so it's all good.

The back of the house with the stacks of framing lumber gone. The large "blank" wall area on the left side of the photo is where the fireplace will be:

Back view continued, featuring the master bedding sitting area:

This is the rather imposing-looking west end of the house showing the foundation piers for the screened porch.
Again, the looks of this will change as the porch is added above. But we love the arched entry to the basement (or terrace level, as they say in Alpharetta)

Inside, this is the master bedroom looking out through the sitting area windows:

and the kitchen:

This photo of our 10x10 storage unit was taken on June 22nd, so we have added yet one more truckload. What amazes me is all the stuff that is in here, that I do not miss on a daily basis! The basement of the Alpharetta house is nearing empty and we have also emptied closets and even a few kitchen cupboards. Gettin'er done!

June 12th

2007-06-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

Now you can see the basic outline of the house. This is the front, with the porches still to come. The windows are framed out, but some of them are still covered with plywood.

Here it is from the back, with the rooflines looking very bungalow-ish:

This is from the kitchen area looking into the living area, with the beginning of the half walls and columns between the rooms.

This is the first time I was able to walk up the steps to the second floor. I know I've gone on about this before, but I did not anticipate the view from the upstairs bedrooms, which you can see through the framed out windows. This is the bedroom on the front of the house:

This is the bedroom on the west side of the house - the possible telescope location?

Mountain Laurel

2007-05-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday, May 13th:

As we were driving up SC 11, I kept commenting on how beautiful the mountain laurel was. Imagine how pleased I was to find the laurel in our own "backyard":

With framing moving along, the lumber deliveries have been steadily arriving. Here is part of the supply behind our house:

The framing inside the house is rather maze-like. John is standing in the kitchen/eating area:

I hadn't visualized how high the second floor would sit on the site. I don't think we will get tired of this view!

Framing underway

2007-04-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

Visted on April 22nd (after taking an entire truckload of boxes to our storage unit)...

Forgot the digital camera, so only have a couple "cell phone" photos, but here is the first floor framing:

Kate and Chas met us there, so here walking up the "drive" toward the house are (L to R), Chas, Kate & John:

I love my window seat and the view from the kitchen.... can't wait for the second floor and the porch!

First Floor

2007-04-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

The beginning of April found us with a floor down on top of the basement that we could walk around on and start to visualize the location of the rooms and windows.

Not so much to look at from the front - -

When you STAND on it, however, the view is entirely different. Here is my sister Pam and brother-in-law Dave in the kitchen-to-be:

The "terrace level" (outside basement entry) looks much different also:

With all this progress, we rented a storage unit in SC and actually began to move a few things. Since we love ceremony, here is John moving the "FIRST BOX":

Progress, even if not much visible

2007-03-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of activity at the build site since the last photos, even if much of it is not too visually striking. The basement walls have been waterproofed, the plumber has the water pipes into the basement, and the foundation brick is being laid. I am pleased with the brick, which is a good thing, since I had a difficult time making the decision.

Friend Deb and John with brick foundation walls

Crawl space under future master bedroom

Plumbing under basement floor

Future landscaping boulders ?? unearthed from basement

and, for local color, had to include the Pumpkintown pumpkin!

Bricks

2007-02-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Here are our foundation bricks. The choice became much easier when we factored in budget and availability.

Today the weatherproofing was going on the basement walls. Next the plumbing will go thru the basement walls, so they can begin to backfill. Scott said they should be framing in a couple weeks. The other good news is that framing prices are very favorable right now - in part because we made it through last fall with no hurricanes. All this sudden progress is making me a little dizzy!

Catching up

2007-02-18T22:37:00.000-05:00

My intention was to use this blog both to share photos with friends and family who are kind enough to ask and to document the entire building process. The photos are here, but I need to catch up on the text.

So - - On Thursday, Feb 8th, I drove up to Anderson, SC to visit the brick showroom. Scott (our builder) said that selecting brick for the exposed foundation would be an important decision, since the choices of colors, trims, roofing, etc would flow logically from the brick choice. (no pressure, huh?) Still, I thought I was decisive and that this wouldn’t be too big a deal. Wrong, wrong, wrong………. Not only are there about 40 different kinds of brick, but they come in different sizes. Then there are about 8 different colors of mortar. To confuse it further, changing the mortar color makes the brick look totally different. And the mortar finish can be rubbed, scratched, grapevine, or double reverse grapevine. After the showroom display had me in a near stupor, the very agreeable brick salesman, Chip, took me to look at houses built with the bricks I thought I preferred. The three hours I spent with Chip left me in a daze. (although we did see some awesome homes) We haven’t had to make a final decision yet, thank goodness. I am still waiting to see if they can provide photos showing construction with a new brick that just came out a couple weeks ago that appears to match my intended color scheme. I had planned to knock out a couple other errands while in SC, but was time to head home.

Instead, on Monday after taking the “concrete” photos, we went to the office of the Blue Ridge Electric Co-op to apply for new service. (only after dealing with a sick dog and a flat tire, but that’s another story) This is one of the details that normally the builder would do, but we are taking care of as a cost saving measure. The forms involved giving specifics on our location and names of two of our neighbors there. I hadn’t anticipated the neighbors question, but was able to pull a couple names out of my hat. Scott already has a temporary pole up, so the power should be live soon.

And some trivia: This weekend was the season opening series for Clemson baseball…. Which only made me think that next year John and I will be in attendance. One of the perks of our new location. :-)

We have CONCRETE

2007-02-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

View of front of house

Walls from daylight end of basement- they look huge!

Removing forms from front wall

Walls from garage end of home

Digging footers for retaining wall

Super Bowl Sunday

2007-02-04T19:12:00.000-05:00

So today is Sunday, February 4th and this afternoon we mowed the lawn (one of the joys of living in the South!) Not because the lawn is growing - no, it is ugly and brown, but as a way of vacuuming up the little fragments that the lawn "sheds". A bermuda lawn is worse than a gray horse shedding out its winter coat (which I have also experienced) With the dry air and the static electricity, one trip across the lawn and my jeans are coated with dead grass from the knees down. The dogs carry in massive quantities of the stuff and it's impossible to get rid of. OUR NEW HOUSE WILL HAVE NO BERMUDA GRASS!!!

Anyway, the news from today is that the basement is dug and the builder is waiting for an inspection before concrete can be poured. The inspector was to have been there this past Thursday, but snow arrived instead. Now we're looking at Tuesday. The good news about this is that they did not hit any rock during the digging - or at least no rock that requires blasting. This was one of our larger concerns, since we knew that one of the neighbors hit a vein of granite while digging their basement.

John and I will next visit "the build" on Monday, Feb 12th and hopefully, photos of the basement will be posted.

You Should Live Here?

2007-01-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

I just took a quiz on hgtv.com to "find the perfect city for your personality" - - and the result was (drumroll, please) Austin, Texas? I always thought I had fairly good geographic knowledge... are there mountains in Austin that I missed? And what is it about these quizzes that we love to take them? hmmm

The Golden Shovel

2007-01-21T18:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday, January 20, 2007: The "official" ceremonial ground-breaking for our new home near Pumpkintown, South Carolina!

The rough grading was done before we arrived on site to approve the actual placement of the house - the white line visible in the foreground is the tape measure marking the edge of the front porch. The house is positioned to look directly at Table Rock (large granite outcropping in background).

The next step is digging the foundation and pouring basement walls - which will happen this week as soon as it stops raining.