Our Excitement Builds

Steve and I have been working on the cabin frequently this summer and our efforts are definitely paying off!  We finished off the remainder of the sheet rock hanging in mid-May.  I went back to visit my family in Montana for a little over two weeks in late May.  While I was gone, Steve went to the cabin and started the taping and mudding process.  People had been stating that the sheet rock hanging was the easy step in the process and I now understand what they mean.  When I got back from vacation we went to The Drunken Bear and jumped in where Steve had stopped.  He continued applying the tape and mudding in those areas still needing it and I started the first sanding process.  We did this for over a month.  Sanding, remudding, sanding, remudding and finally, the last sanding.  We had planned on adding an "orange peel" texture to the walls, but by the time we finally finished, we were pretty happy with our results and have decided against adding the texture.

The mudding and sanding seemed like it was never going to end.  Every time we would stand back and look at the finished chore, we would find some place new that one of us thought needed attention.  

Steve finishing up on one of those problem areas.  He was once again much more efficient at this chore than I was, but for it being my first time, I was pretty satisfied.  We finally had to say...enough and proceeded to put on the primer to see what it would look like.

Once we put the primer on, we decided our work looked pretty good and we would not have to add a texture to cover our flaws.  The line you see running down the center of the ceiling will be covered with a beam.

The display shelf above the dividing wall is almost ready for displaying!

We weren't the only ones building, a bird picked a nice spot
for her nest in a snag just outside our kitchen door.

 

Close-up of the bird nest in the snag.

While I was applying the primer, Steve was busy in the bathroom

getting the shower ready for the tiles.  We have the tiles on order

and they should be in within a couple of weeks.  Again, I am very

fortunate to be building this cabin with such a

knowledgeable co-owner!

Out near the fire pit, Indian Pipes, a plant that does not have chlorophyll, is once again blooming.

I liked how the sun broke through the clouds and left shadows along the mountains and peaks.

 I would not suggest rock climbing on this mountain.

The mountain in the previous picture casting a shadow in the early morning sun.

A welcome retreat from a days work was a visit to our friend, David

Thorbeck.  David has a condo on the Kahler Glen Golf Course near

Lake Wenatchee.  When he found out we were going to be spending

another night at the cabin, he invited us over for dinner and an

evening of great conversation.  Then he was up early in the morning

to fix us a breakfast before our hour drive back to The Drunken

Bear and another day of work.  What a nice guy!

One of the houses surrounding the golf course could be yours for
$695K.  It is definitely a beautiful home in a beautiful setting.

This wants me to take up golfing again...it has been over 40 years,
so I might need quite a bit of practice...ha!

As we headed in from our walk around the golf course, the clouds put on a nice show.

We had to stop by Lake Wenatchee before returning to The Drunken

Bear.  In the early morning, it was really quiet.  The campgrounds

were pretty full for it being midweek, but the campers

were not out in the lake yet.

Another look at the Lake.  It would definitely be a great place to camp.

At the top of Stevens Pass, there was still snow on the hillsides.
I am thankful for living in the PNW, especially when the rest of the
country is suffering from the heat.

And finally, the best for the last!  When we returned from our visit
with David, we were able to lay the flooring in about two-thirds of the great room.  Both of us are very happy with our choice in flooring.  This last week we finished the flooring in all the rooms with the exception of the laundry room...and the bathroom where there will be a ceramic tile floor.

And The Walls Go Up

     Steve and I decided to go up to The Drunken Bear at 2:00 p.m.  Friday afternoon, May 4th, to get a few things done before our volunteer work group of friends showed up the following day.  It had been a relatively nice day, but when I got to Steve's the sky opened up and the rain came pouring down.  Steve had a large barbecue/ smoker he wanted to take to the cabin.  By the time we got it loaded into his truck, we were drenched!  The rain continued pounding down most of the drive to Monroe and traffic was already heavy for this time of the afternoon.  This is what is called "white-knuckle" driving.

     We stopped at Lowe's in Monroe to get some needed material and then again at the Sultan Bakery for an early dinner.  This is the first time we have stopped at the Bakery for dinner.  We both ordered chicken fettuccine.  For $9.95 you got a plate full of food that neither of us could finish.  It is not a five star restaurant, but the food is good and you can not beat the price.

     By the time we got to the cabin the rain had quieted down.  We worked on the small projects needed to get done before the others arrived in the morning...installing some wiring and some supports for attaching the sheetrock in a couple of places.  When we were finished, it was still raining some, so we did not build a fire outside and instead, pulled out a card table, and played a few games of cribbage and had a couple of beers.  This was the first night we would be sleeping in the cabin since we installed the toilet.  No longer would we have to get up in the middle of the night and put on clothing and shoes to go outside to relieve ourselves...now it was just a short trip to the bathroom.  Oh, life's little pleasures!

     The next morning it was still sprinkling, so once again, we did not have our usual fire outside.  We were having coffee when Robert arrived...around 7:30 a.m.  Not too much later, Joe arrived.  After a short bit of conversation, we decided to start working.  We no sooner got started when Bob and Doug arrived.  At first it was a little awkward with six of us trying to help, but in no time at all, we kind of split off in pairs and we were all doing our own projects.  With three drills and two t-bars, we were measuring, cutting and hanging sheetrock in three different areas at one time.  It was great to see so much happening. 

     Around 1:00 p.m., we broke for lunch.  By this time it had stopped raining and we were able to go out by the river.  Most of the surrounding mountains were covered in fog and clouds, but you could still see fresh snow on the trees.  Bob and Doug provided us with some great sandwiches...either tuna or egg salad, homemade dill pickles, and chips.  It was a nice and much deserved break.  After these breaks, it always seems so hard to go back to work, but that we did.  We continued working and the place was really coming together.  Joe wanted to get back to his home for the evening, so he left around 4:00 p.m.  The rest of us continued working for about another hour or so and then called it a day.

     This was the first time we were able to have a fire.  It being Cinco de Mayo, some of us had margaritas and others had Dos Equis.  Then it was time for dinner.  Steve and I thought it would be nice to treat our volunteer crew to a nice dinner.  We got the barbecue set up that we had brought up the day before and Steve proceeded to cook New York steaks and corn on the cob.  Along with potato salad and a quinoa salad, the meal was very tasty and well deserved.  For dessert, Steve had made his now famous, strawberry-rhubarb crisp...yummy.

     We sat around the fire and once again, shared stories and conversations.  Tonight was the "Super Moon".  At first we were worried that it would be too cloudy to see, but we were not disappointed.  We did not get to see it appear on the horizon, but we did get to view it through the trees and then above the treeline.  Such a beautiful sight.  It was a relatively early evening.  Bob and Doug had brought their motorhome and retreated to that, but the rest of us spent the night in the cabin...and for the first time, we were in our own separate little rooms!

     Sunday morning we awoke to a beautiful day.  The sky was crystal clear and the sun was shining bright.  Bob and Doug had stopped by the Sultan Bakery on the way up and had picked up some donuts and Robert brought some bagels and cream cheese.  It was a relaxing morning sitting around a warm campfire.  It was the weekend of the Wenatchee Lilac Festival, so people wanted to get going before the traffic started building up on Highway 2.  All of us were packed and on the road back to Seattle by 10:30 a.m.

     It was a weekend of much work, yet fun and camaraderie with our great friends!  Steve and I are so lucky to have friends that would give up their weekend to come help us!  Thank you Robert, Joe, Bob and Doug!

This is what the cabin looked like when we began.

(Picture courtesy of Robert)

Joe holding the sheetrock while

Bob is cutting out one of the holes for an outlet.

Robert sitting on his feet while he is working...ouch...how does he do that?

Doug and Robert securing the sheetrock.

Steve figuring out the angle needed for the sheetrock on the sides

of the cabin where the walls meet the ceiling.

(Photo courtesy of Robert)

After a hard day's work, almost all of the sheetrock is completed!

The snow covered trees in the surrounding mountains.

I always have to add Gunn's Peak.

It almost looks like a black and white photo,

until you see the green leaves on the right.

Steve's barbecue - a great addition!

Bob, Robert and Doug  relaxing after a hard day's work!

Sitting around the campfire on Sunday morning, Steve noticed

a plane's contrail that made it look like the mountain was erupting.

Two Milestones in One Week

     The daunting task of sheetrocking was our next task, and one I was definitely not looking forward to.  Much to my surprise, we had and will have, help dealing with this...and it was all volunteered.  First, Rick and Heidi, Steve's son-in-law and daughter said they would come up and help put the sheetrock up over the weekend.  Steve got in contact with a company in Monroe and arranged to have the sheetrock, the mud, the tape, and the screws, delivered to The Drunken Bear.  We went up on Thursday, the 19th of April and made room in the cabin for the sheetrock.  We had parked the truck across the road so that the truck bringing the sheetrock would have room to maneuver on our property.  We had the cabin all arranged for the sheetrock and were waiting for its arrival when Steve went to get something out of his truck.  And lucky for us, he did.  As he was heading to the truck he looked up the road and saw the delivery truck with the sheetrock make the wrong turn and head up the other direction.  He kept watching to make sure they turned around and came our way.  Well, they did turn around and started coming our way, but then they stopped and it appeared they were going to start unloading at the wrong place.  Steve hurriedly went up the road to get them.  Come to find out the company did not put down the actual address on the order and the drivers saw another place that was being built and just assumed that was the house for delivery.  That would have been a disaster.  After clearing up the confusion, the delivery crew was at our place unloading the sheetrock. It wore me out just watching them carry the sheetrock into the cabin!  After it was unloaded, we stayed around just long enough to get it organized and ready for the weekend.  On the way home we stopped by Home Depot in Woodinville to check out renting a lift for holding the sheetrock in place.  No reservations could be made, we just had to be there early in the morning on the day we needed to rent a lift.

     On Saturday, the 21st, we headed out bright and early, stopping by Home Depot for the lift.  We then stopped by our favorite restaurant, the Sultan Bakery, and picked up breakfast sandwiches to get our nourishment before the hard work ahead.  These sandwiches are quite large and filled with meat, cheese and egg...except this time, they forgot to put egg in Steve's sandwich.  He said it was still good however. 

     When we got to The Drunken Bear, we got things set up for when our help arrived.  Not too much later, Rick and Heidi arrived in their motorhome, along with their son, Nathan, and daughter, Christina and her friend, Brennan.  As the adults worked in the cabin on the sheetrock, the younger ones spread out a large portion of the sandpile to regions around the property where we needed it.  The sand was delivered when we had the driveway put in last year.  As a Christmas present to Steve, Christina and Nathan volunteered their help at the cabin and it was definitely appreciated.  Thank you Christina, Brennan and Nathan!

Christina and Brennan pushing sand-filled wheelbarrows out to

the rock wall along the river.  Nathan was back at the sand pile

and did not make this picture.

     Now to that task of sheetrocking...yuck.  Actually it turned out a lot better than I thought it would.  The lift really helped.  Not only that, but Rick and Heidi had done quite a bit of sheetrocking before and their knowledge really paid off.  It was nice for Steve to have someone helping that knew what they were doing.  We would load a 12 foot sheet of the sheetrock onto the lift.  Steve would operate the lift while the rest of us would be on ladders on opposite ends putting the sheetrock into place and screwing it in.  Rick was great at measuring and cutting the holes for the various junction boxes and vents before we would put the sheetrock up.  By the end of that first day, we had half of the cabin finished!  

Rick taking a measurement for one of the holes that needed

to be cut out.  Steve and Heidi standing near by.

This shows the lift that is holding the sheetrock into place.

It makes it look much easier than it really was, but I could

 not imagine doing this without a lift. 

Heidi and Rick securing the sheetrock with screws.

     Steve had prepared a hash the day before that just needed to be warmed up and served over noodles.  With a nice salad and garlic bread, the hash made for a much deserved dinner.  Drinks and banter around the firepit ensued into the evening.  Since we knew we would be up and working early in the morning, it was not a late night.

     The next day, it seemed like the work was running more smoothly.  Of course on this side of the cabin there were less cut-outs that had to be made.  We worked until lunch.  Heidi had made us tasty bagel sandwiches and it was nice to take a break in the warm afternoon...sitting by the river in the shade.  It is always hard to go back to work after a break, but we wanted to get as much done as possible.  We did just that and finished all the sheetrock on the ceiling with the exception of the laundry room.  Thank you so much Rick and Heidi!!!!!

 The ceiling is sheetrocked!

     Steve and I then headed up to The Drunken Bear yesterday, Friday, the 27th, to get ready for our next group of volunteers.  One of the things that has been difficult dealing with over the years of this construction is not having a decent bathroom facility.  Yes, we did have Steve's motorhome and I am ever so thankful that we had that, but that tiny little space can get to you.  We would even have some quests that would drive into the town of Index to use the restroom in their city park, before they would use the restroom in the motorhome.  But that will no longer be needed...HALLELUJAH!  Yesterday, we stopped by Lowes and picked up a duel flush toilet and in no time, Steve had it installed. 

A throne fit for a King! 

The half-wall by the throne is the shower wall.

This coming weekend, the 5th and 6th of May, a group of our friends have volunteered to come help us once again.  The first thing we will be doing is sheetrocking the room containing the throne.  I can already hear the sigh of relief from our many friends that have visited The Drunken Bear. 

Round-about at River Road.

There has been some road construction on Highway 2 this winter that will hopefully cut down on the accidents.  The major one was this round-about at the intersection at River Road, near the McDonald's east of Sultan.  Hopefully it will not add to the gridlock during the high travel period during the summer. 

Insulation Without The Itch

A friend recently told me I needed to update this blog, so here it is.  Steve and I have been going up to The Drunken Bear on a somewhat regular basis except for the first three weeks of March.  In that time period, Steve went to Hawaii and I wondered across the border to Canada.  Although I love my Canadian friends and Canada itself, I would have loved to have been in Hawaii...just to be away from the miserable weather we had been having.  Thankfully the work we were doing on the cabin had been on the inside and when we had to do some work outside, there were breaks in the weather to do that.  We finished putting in the rigid insulation as described in the last post.  Next came the rolled insulation.  Now you would think that if the requirement for insulation is now R49, there would be an R49 insulation.  Wrong!  First we would cut and hang R30 kraft faced insulation.  Following the R30, we would then add the R19 non-kraft faced insulation bringing it to the required R49.  Once we got that finished, it was time for the insulation under the floor.  Steve went under and I would cut the insulation into the required length and hand it to him.  Needless to say, Steve had the more difficult portion of this work...as he usually does.  But, at least with him doing it, we know it is being done right!  Our weather improved and we had some nice days to work around the property after our little vacations.  We got the property cleaned up from the winter, burning a lot of the downed branches and throwing other branches in a ditch that runs through a portion of the property.  We never have figured out what that ditch was for but it has come in handy when discarding the many fern fronds, wild blackberry vines, weeds, and so on.  We had some extra time this week while we were waiting for the inspector to show up to tell us if we had passed the insulation inspection.  For those that have been to The Drunken Bear, you will notice the disappearance of a couple of eye sores.  For one, the ugly fire wood pile is now gone and nicely stacked in the woodshed.  And for the other, the blackberry vines have been cleaned up across the path.  Unfortunately, with the disappearance of the vines, comes the disappearance of the very tasty blackberries...but having the vines gone really opens the property.

 

In the last post I stated we were behind in our snowfall for the

year. Well, I spoke too soon.  After that last post we have had

more than enough snowfall. Looking back at the cabin, you

can see a lot of the downed branches from the storms.

Looking up at Gunn's Peak, you can see all the new snow.

Embiggen this picture to see the snow covered trees.

There is one bad thing about Highway 2...the high incidence of
traffic accidents. So much so, that this sign is along the highway
near Zeke's Restaurant.  I don't think we have ever seen
the number go higher than 80 days!

Fortunately, the church, turned art studio and gallery in Startup,
did not get totally destroyed. The front part was removed and the
owners have fixed up the back part.  Here they are just starting the work.

On the next trip up to Index, it was a nice day, but the wind was
really blowing. In this picture, you can see the snow
swirling around Mt. Index...brrrrr!

Closer view of the swirling snow on Mt. Index

Looking up at Mt. Index as we turned off Highway 2.

Close-up of Gunn's Peak

When I first looked up, I thought more snow was swirling around the
mountains up the Skykomish River, but then saw it was the moon
coming up. I love those days when you can see the moon
during the daylight hours.

I thought I had better provide the evidence that we really are
working.  Here you can see the R30 insulation on the bottom

and the R19 lying atop it.

As we were leaving on this day, Gunn's Peak was being lit by

the early evening moonlight...quite spectacular!

On our next trip up, we saw this bald eagle sitting in a tree
across fromThe Drunken Bear...
just waiting for that unlucky salmon to swim by.

Our friends, Dave and Micky, dropped by on their way home
from celebrating their anniversary in Leavenworth.
Hope to have them back when the cabin is finished.

The insulation on the inside was finally completed!

And the insulation in the crawl space under the house is completed.

Which brings us to the end of the insulation process and I am happy to say, "We passed!"  We still need to cover the insulation in the crawl space with visqueen.  Next we take on the daunting task of installing the sheetrock.  I am so not looking forward to that, but at the same time, it will be so nice to have it done.  Hopefully we will be getting some help with this process.