The Backyard is Changing

 The backyard is getting some attention this year. Jim muscled some 6x6's into place to create a retaining wall for the back walk out. He used up the left over moisture barrier from the ICF basement walls to provide water-proofing for the wood.

We have also added a few new trees to the back. 4 Evans Cherry and 7 May Day's are praying for rain.  We water regularly but nothing is as effective as rain.

The hill between the house and the shop has been refined to accommodate the garage door into the shop. Jim is on the hunt for rocks to "Rip-Wrap" the bank and prevent it from returning to it's original state. Believe it or not, field rocks are hard to come by...especially when you want them for free.

Not Quite All Decked Out

So...it looks like a deck is being added to the shop.  It also looks like the proportions are just a little bit off. BUT, when all is finished this will be the trailer port...like a car port but instead it will house the travel trailer. If Jim wants to sit out and enjoy the surroundings, he may want to consider using the deck off the house as this "deck" will be covered in rolled roofing.

We Have Shingles!! No! No! Not the Disease...

Jim hired a roofing company to shingle the shop roof. The weather has been so nice that the work he had thought would have to wait until spring could go ahead early.

While the roofer was busy outside, Jim was busy putting up suspended ceiling in the basement. The bedroom and bathroom are now finished.

 

Ya Hoo!! The Roof Is On And Jim Didn't Even Fall Off

Just in time for Christmas! Our neighbour, Dave, had a day off work and donated his time and talent to help Jim get the west side sheathed. Now it can snow.

And just in case you didn't know where the shop is in relation to the house...

Two Posts in One Day!!

Thanks to both neighbours Dave and Russell, the east side roof was sheathed by 3:30 PM when it starts to get too dark to continue.

It's The Winter Soltice, Again...

...and the Farrell's are still making sawdust in the great outdoors. As far as the weather goes, it has been unseasonably warm, lately, which is nice if you have to work outside. And, HOORAY!!!,the days will start getting longer.  Okay, it's only by a few seconds each day to start but it's a step in the right direction. The snow and the cold are what most complain about while living in "The Great White North" but it's the very short days that make it tough.

As of last weekend, the final trusses were stood and braced into place. 

Jim spent the week up to now finishing the sheathing on the north side, blocking, installing the look-outs and insulation chutes on the roof. He used up some of the left over OSB to make the chutes rather than buy the cardboard inserts.  These are the things that stop the wind from blowing up under the eaves and repositioning the insulation all to the peak of the roof.

Next, on went the fascia boards.  Many thanks to our neighbour, Russell for all the help. Now the shop is ready for the roof sheathing.

From The Snow And The Cold To The Mud

Five trusses have been erected and, on a particularly cold day, Jim hauled himself up the three levels of scaffold and braced them so that the wind wouldn't blow them down. He had previously shoveled snow out from the inside as we had a 30cm snow storm earlier. And then, this week, El Nino kicked in and it's been so warm that the snow is mostly gone replaced by mud, mud, and more mud. Regardless, Jim has manage to get all the sheathing on the south wall and has moved the scaffold to the north to both finish sheathing it and place the remainder of the trusses.