Neohic’s Nest

[Pete M]

great idea!   

[JMO413]

Looks good!

[neohic]

[neohic]

Did the biannual yard haircut yesterday. Definitely makes the property look bigger but very bland. Wrapped up the planters for winter also. It already snowed a couple times here. Getting to be that time of year again!
 

 

… then went out for a treat.

 

[Pete M]

that's some tasty lookin' cake! 

[MiNi Beast]

Yeah different feel with out the tall grass to add that softer layer. I love the patio setup. 

[neohic]

New project weekend! I mean… why would I continue on current projects when I’ve got so many more to start? This time it’s table related. 
 

Ever since my wife started working from home and going up and down a ladder to her office loft there has been a real elephant in the room. More specific, the dinner table has been that elephant. It’s just too big! The walking space between the cabinet and the table has always been fine right up until there’s sometimes a ladder in the way. During her work day she’s either squeezing around the table and the ladder or going under it.

 

We looked at smaller tables but I’m a sucker for making more work for myself. Why not cut up what was an expensive solid birch table?

 

 

The table used to expand in the middle so you could drop in a leaf. I cut the leaf up to use as an extension to one half of the table. Then, using the expanding mechanism as just mounts for the legs, I used the other half of the table as a drop leaf. 
 

 

Now the footprint is 30”x36” and folds out into the same 48”x36” that it was without the leaf. Did I ever use the leaf?… sure, a few times over the past ten years. In its new form we can comfortably seat four people around it when we need to. Otherwise there’s TONS more space. 
 

 

Maybe trim next?… maybe. 

[Pete M]

smart.  

[MiNi Beast]

Very nice table. I like the hinge style. 

[neohic]

More timber slinging again. All of the landscaping slopes towards the house. Another annoyance is the “this way or that way” situation to get up to the road. Lots of moving dirt today. 
 

Looks decent but it’s way too low and all of the mulch ends up on the path. All of it is getting replaced. 
 

[neohic]

Back at it today. 
 

[Pete M]

love it!    looks like a decent workout too. 

[neohic]

19 hours ago, Pete M said:

love it!    looks like a decent workout too. 

Thanks! It’s a huge workout and very slow going. Progress today:

And then I got rained out. I’ll need more timber to finish the far end and then I need to figure the short side. 
 

 

Almost had to move the trailer. 

[Pete M]

is that a new neighbor or are they rebuilding an old home? 

[neohic]

1 hour ago, Pete M said:

is that a new neighbor or are they rebuilding an old home? 

New neighbor. What was next door was a similar size original cabin to mine except it had a bedroom addition. There was someone living there until this couple came along with a mattress full of money. For whatever reason, my street has become the place where everybody wants to be. It was super quiet. Now there’s five VRBOs and way more people coming and going than there were five years ago.

 

So, back to the new house, they swooped in, dropped cash, bulldozed the 520 square foot cabin, left it alone for over a year until they had a plan (all the while had a port-o-potty sitting on the property), and then finally had their crew start on the 4000+ square foot McMansion that’s being built now. The city has their regulations and codes on how big something can be built, but there’s always “interpretations”.

 

Anyhow… no, I didn’t buy the property so I don’t have a say, but I also don’t agree with it. 

[neohic]

I’m as far as I’m going to get until after Labor Day weekend. Had to pick up eight more timbers to finish up. Jeep didn’t even squat!

 

 

Started the little side but I’m out of time. I’ve got some other obligations and then a short trip up to Minnesota. 

 

[neohic]

Back at it. Drain tile needed to go in before finishing the timber work. 
 

 

50… long… feet. Have I mentioned that ground is very hard around here? 

[neohic]

Done!… for this year. 
 

 

I’m going to let things settle through the next winter and then do some planting in the spring. The remainder of the dirt piles have been spread around the yard. The tall post will be the future home of the house numbers. Still had a half dozen timbers left so I added a couple more steps down from the patio.

 

 

This lines me up for a height of the retaining wall that’ll replace the current one that’s falling apart. 
 

 

Thinking about a small deck/platform extending out from the bottom step too. Next year…

[neohic]

New house number day. Out with the dumpy hardware store garbage…
 

… and in with utilizing the post I put up at the road. 

 

 

I put a couple solar lights behind it too. We’ll see how that goes tonight. 
 

 

As for the finish… there isn’t any. I rubbed it down with vinegar, then a wet and salted paper towel. Going rustic with this one. 

[neohic]

Just checked on things. Had to rearrange the lights for better distribution. 
 

[Pete M]

superb   

[JMO413]

That is NICE!

[neohic]

Hu… well…

 

 

… it’s been super windy yesterday and today. This year was supposed to be landscaping behind the house, windows, and siding. Guess I’m putting a roof on soon. 

[Pete M]

dang.   those were some brutal winds!   being so close to the top it appears you can patch on new stuff.  or what about a metal roof?  I'm always a fan of things I can bolt down  

[neohic]

I’m waiting to hear what kind of plan the insurance company has before doing anything. A steel roof has always been in the cards but it depends on what the adjuster says. It’s a waiting game right now.