Feel sailor like, ladder scramble, shimmy up batten board, straddle slick linoleum roof peak, gale flap white truck salvage tarp one hand, hammer other; wind howl, rain pelt: ten year's 'fore the mast! Got 'er weather proof time more winter weather - apparently PNW's privilege enjoy such weather exclusively this spring. Retrieve floorboard batten, toe molding board replace: solid nail new batten into rafter lower roof edge, scale roof, arrange half wind blown tarp under batten upper free end, secure nail. Back side repeat, tar few spots: good another bunch of months. Final replacement realistically within next couple years, don't see bandage money spend.
Weather's not all bad: beautiful cloud formations, peach light often fill evening air. Guy doesn't work up too much of a sweat working outside this weather. Awake one more pleasant morn to chain saw buzz, spot lumberjack belted forty foot up pine tree stump: top all chopped, roped to ground; he cuts firewood length rounds, lowers running saw roped to belt, lifts round, tosses to ground, repeats 'til no more tree. Still couple nice pines in their yard. Rumored three guys morning's work tree removal cost: $1500.
Front porch firewood history, now mine garage adjacent back yard stash. Half hour file, restore ceiling plaster/lathe abused chain saw teeth sharp; shed pallet let 'door'. Preponderance Swett Lodge fire wood, 'popcorn' wood: fast, hot burn kindling. New Swett Lodge chimney possesses stronger draw than brick chimney, no surprise: brick chimney square corners, flue pipe elbows cause smoke eddies, slow smoke emission. Straight up round metal chimney presents no such obstacles: better draft. Hot fire, crack door, stove sounds like jet take off: hot air/smoke rush up pipe, resonate metallic. Generally speaking greater draw, better: less interior smoke issues. Fine when burning 'real' wood - wood cut from trees with 25% or greater moisture content: need heat, draw burn. Kindling - lathe, pallets, brush - with 10% moisture content which Swett Lodge has been burning exclusively this year burns quickly, even more so with better draw: use more wood. That's OK: program part rid this stuff.
Winter weather continues - mention that yet? - desire dry firewood retrieval feet, throw down few ex chimney brick; get carried away, burn hour laying temporary path: plumbing waste pipe runs here. Nice older brick don't have holes as do new: paver perfect. Bond..., James .. er no, perhaps loose herringbone paver's bond. Some how chimney decorative/functional reuse reassures Swett Lodge corner's turned: new/reworked definitively replaces tired/worn out.
Bond?
Use afternoon broad leaf weed purge back yard. Wonder bar undermine, hand extract weeds; approach full container ('bout five gallons), quitting time; neighbor comes by. 'Whatya doing those weeds?'. Informs dandelions all kinds quality food, takes bucket full muddy, wet dandy plants with roots - says he'll sort, wash, dry, grind - off my hands, might's well finish back yard: do by about 7.30 pm. Day or two later see him again, 'got others clammering for those weeds...': one man's dross, other's gold.
Yard weed free, begin grade behind garage. Next door back building/addition much newer than Swett Lodge. Rather than properly grade along Swett Lodge garage, 1x10 leaned against wall, dirt allowed pile up, cover couple courses siding; result: interior garage water feature during rain, rot. Many heavy wheelbarrow loads mar fresh grade.
Shovel scrape couple inches top gravel layer up aside neighbor's house; slab/foundation as leveling guide, dig out about six inches clay soil; load wheel barrow,
haul foundation side low spots: corner by porch - funnels most run off under Swett Lodge through foundation crack,
along west wall. Leave shelter area under back stoop, mound dirt to same level along foundation: water'll run off now.
Sculpt earth around crawl space entry, encourage run off not into crawl space.
Mound around water pipe though underneath foundation reroute early priority Swett Lodge west side rot removal.
Blanch - well, pretty much bury - garlic, strawberries house side: figure they'll push through. Freshly worked weed free soil puts bit o' spring planting in mind - intend plant garden bulk post June travel return.
Excavation reveals garage slab extends garage east about one foot. Remove couple rusted jutting out foundation bolts from slab extension, unearth 4 inch circular cement gutter downspout drainage tiles: leave in situ, saved gravel recover. Scrape, dig, load about three foot section per time, net couple wheel barrow loads fill, gravel recover, wheel over fresh gravel, begin next section.
Between front corner, west side; guesstimate move nearly two yards (55 plus cubic feet). Few remaining loads backyard round old tree stump destined. Look from behind garage car park toward front (Gertie's hiney lower right). Definitely evener grade, inspection post rain reveals water runs off nearly entirely, good: best if water meanders off, rather than rushes off - water lawn, avoid erosion. One visit to Kate's lake place will return with fern transplants for this spot.
Push Earth stove with might - hold on: who's photographer? Ah, just couple work dampened fitted/shaped gloves stove top dry.
Nudge up on further under Swett Lodge rot removal. Invest few minutes tighten up front window with good result, plan follow suit other windows: finally replace wood stops, molding; caulk where applicable - still wood to save this season. Plant short season stuff in fresh fill. Then back down under.
Details here.
Be well.
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