House Update

Friday morning we had a meeting at the house with the builder and architect. So many things are going on! The plumber, heating & cooling guy, exterior siding installers and stone masons were all there. Things are really starting to happen now. Saturday afternoon we went back for a picnic. We had leftover chicken, potato salad and salad. We set up a table & chairs in the living room and opened the windows to catch the view. (The windows are still covered with plastic to protect them and they don't remove it until the end. Unfortunately, it blocks the view.) These are some shots I took from the upstairs balcony and the living room. You can see things are greening up down here and in some of the pictures you can see the dogwood blooming in the woods. Also, one of our stone columns is finished.

Be It Ever So Humble

We have a roof! It went on this week. There is a skylight in the front just below the chimney and to the left. There are 2 skylights in the back, also. The pergola over the bridge to the house from the carport is complete, the stone columns are being done on the lower level in the back and the most important thing - the cat door from our bedroom to the screened porch is framed in!

Construction Update April 10

Things are moving along. We can finally walk down to the storage area behind the carport because we have steps! This is a view of the west side of the house. The next picture is the side of the carport taken from the lower level. Then the lower level doors and the balcony doors.

Bike Ride at Biltmore

Last week we dusted off our bikes and went for a ride at Biltmore. Here are some of the sights along the bike trail.

A Spring Ritual

Taking the garden gnomes out of winter storage.

Sunday Hike

Sunday was cloudy then it cleared up in the afternoon. We decided to pack a lunch and go for a hike. I have a book on wildflower hikes in the mountains which tells you which hikes to best see which wildflowers, etc. and most end up at a waterfall. We decided on one that was rated best in early April. It is in the Green River Game Land near Saluda - almost to S. Carolina - and is a moderate .9 mile hike each way and ends at Bradley Falls. Almost half-way into the hike you have to cross Cove Creek. The book says during a low water flow you can rockhop the creek but with typical spring flows you have to wade across. When we got to that part of the hike we took one look at the creek and turned into sissies. It looked pretty deep and that mountain water is cold even in the summer. We turned around and went back but will remember this hike for the warmer weather when the water is either lower or we'll be so hot we'll want to wade across. There was a trickle of a waterfall - you can see it to the left of Robert - and it was a pretty walk and we did get to see a few wildflowers. We saw a lot of sweet Betsy (I know it as toad trillium), May-apple and Solomon's seal just coming up. There were also redbud and spicebush in bloom.

Kiss 'em Goodbye

Like I always said, if you have to dust off your Christmas candy to eat it, it's time to toss it.

To Our Friends in the North

Here is a preview of spring. This was taken outside our door around the pond. There are all kinds of things blooming down here. Bradford pear trees, flowering cherry, forsythia, quince, magnolia, just to name a few.

We're Enclosed

Went up to the house last week and we're all enclosed! There are 2 windows and a set of French doors that have to go in upstairs and one small window in the front gable. We also have a propane gas tank that has to be buried.

Here is a picture of the front door from the inside. It is propped open right now so it won't flap in the breeze until we get hardware for it.