12.21.2017

It's looked and felt like winter around here for a while but Happy Winter Solstice!  The property was so beautiful as I was leaving tonight - we still have our pristine white snow on the ground, the air was dark and crystal clear, and there was just a sliver of moon showing between the pine trees.  We feel very blessed!

Jim worked in the utility room this morning - very happy to arrive and see the furnace still up on the wall where he left it!  But he had lots to do to get it fastened down well, in just the right place.

Then he had to figure out the new placement for one of the manifolds so he got that attached to the wall and the first Pex attached.  This isn't as easy as it looks - the Pex tubing has to be heated up in order to be able to be pushed onto the fittings.

 

In the afternoon, it was back to drywall in the wood shop.  Jim first cut out the window from the piece we did yesterday...

Looking good!

Before we can do the next piece, Jim has to stuff insulation in the blocking...

and then put tape over it for good measure before putting the top piece up.

Then we got the next piece cut, marked and moved over where Jim did the initial cuts for the boxes.

He slid it down the wall and got the initial fasteners in.  Then he cut out the receptacle boxes...

Putting the rest of the screws in...

We got the next piece ready and Jim is sliding it in place...he has farther to slide now!

Wow - it's really taking shape in here.  It's almost a shock when you walk in the shop now and see all the drywall up.

With just a little time left, we went up into the apartment where Jim started taping the ceiling joints.  As a side note for those keeping track, Jim had to put in another 250' of tape - so he has put up 1250' so far!!

Smoothing things out...

Doing the next joint...

Before he came home, he did the corner joint by the door as well as the wall joint.

High 25/Low 11 - winter storm warning starting in the wee hours tomorrow with 4-10" of snow forecast!