Preparation for Finishing off the Big Windows

Henrik is working on finishing the cherry wood that will line the big windows.

Work goes on day and night on the prepping, staining, wet sanding and varnishing. 

Pretty Cherry finish!!

Our Christmas Present Arrives

The new couch has arrived in time to ensure that Christmas visitors will all have a comfy place to hang out by the fire. 

We're going to need a few cushions, blankies, a new carpet and a coffee table or two to finish off the space but we're getting closer to cozy.

Henrik is quite comfy in the new digs :) 

Further Kitchen Finishing Details

Two more cabinets have been added; one with a glass door next to the sink and one above the fridge. A little more finishing work has been done around the oven as well as on the island.
The window finishing, backsplash and computer workstation still have to go in….in our spare time. 

Fall Chill is in the Air

Morning dew is still on the grass at noon, and a chill hangs in the air all day. It's a good day to curl up by the fire.

The Japanese Maple dropped its leaves in a single blustery day. Vivid red against the pea green periwinkle makes a carpet of contrast.

The bachelor buttons continue to bloom, and somehow, they continue to evade the roving ruminants.

Red clover is working as a cover crop this winter to keep the weeds to a dull roar. It will be dug into the earth next spring for it's organic matter and nitrogen nodules that will nourish the next batch of pretty flowers. 

Horse Chestnuts hoping to fall on fertile ground; they will not find enough earth beneath them in which to sprout. 

Toadstools on the forest floor; the moist fall has resulted in thousands of fungus friends. 

A toadstool fit for a frog king. 

Puffballs have released their spores underneath the honey locust. 

Kitchen is almost ready for guests to arrive

The kitchen is as ready as it is going to be for Thanksgiving!

Tiling Fish into the Countertop

When choosing the tiles for the long part of the counter, AO discovered a fish in the tiles.  Can you see him?

The fish is mostly in place now! His tail still needs to be set in place but that will happen today.

A few more tiles installed next to the wall oven. 

There have been a lot of tiles that require cutting into the correct shape for their new homes.  HK has given every tile a name so that it doesn't get lost between the countertop and the tile saw. Here sit Dudley and Aloysius, but we also have Theodore, Ben, Bucko, Ezra, Pete, Horace and Floyd and there are many more to come :)

Its all coming together well, though there is quite a bit more cutting and setting to be done. The next steps will be grouting and sealing, electrical completion and plumbing hook-up....then we cook the big Thanksgiving turkey in the new kitchen!

Kitchen, Laundry and Garden Changes

The back of the kitchen island has granite tiles on it. They are black and a golden orangy red colour. They change colour quite a bit with the light and generally look black until you get close or the light hits them just right. 

Island tiles have been installed and grouted.

Close up view of the granite tiles prior to completion of grouting.

The sink is in the process of being installed. It's quite fiddly work to make sure that an undermount sink can come out again without damaging tiles. 

The green marble passed the water test and will start to be installed this weekend. 

AO installed the forgotten laundry room cove tiles. There is still a white tile quarter round to go in front of the pretty cobalt blue cove tiles.

AO's best thing....wrecking stuff. The flowers in the garden had become moldy in the August rains so they had to go.   Red clover and oats have been planted for green manure crops so I hope the beds will be full of plants again fairly quickly.
In the meantime there are more beans to eat than we can manage and fortunately the bean plants did not get blight..