A Light Here...A Model There.

I installed the lights in the outside entryway today. You may ask: Isn't this a little premature? My answer: Why, yes, especially since (1) there is no power being supplied to the JayBee at the moment, (2) the interior of the JayBee is far from done, and (3) I have already paid an electrician for this work. Then why? Just cuz I felt like it!  :-)  I wanted to see the added finished look.

I know the lights are hard to see in this photo. Once again, I finished up as it was getting dark.

I also reinstalled the outside light on the southeast corner. I had taken it down when it filled with water during a torrential rainstorm. Of course, this makes me wonder just how long this light is going to work in this location. It's supposed to be an "exterior" light. Sheesh. Two good things: Once I dried it out completely, it resumed working again. And, since it is battery operated and not wired, I don't have to worry that its leaking will put the whole house's electrical system at risk.

Here is my project from the last couple of nights. I put this together to use in my upcoming Design Your Own Tiny House class.

Now that the outside is done, I am going to start designing interior pieces.

East Side is DONE! (Siding-East Wall-13)

After another row of shingles installed...

Then another row...

And, then...yes! I installed the last shingles on the east side today.

Given how little snow we have on the ground at the moment, it is tempting to consider moving on to shingling the north side of the JayBee. It's really slick back there, though, so I think I will shift my energy to indoors work.

It's kinda looking like a real house!

Also see:
Siding (East Wall 1)
Siding (East Wall 2)

Siding (East Wall 3)

Siding (East Wall 4)

Siding (East Wall 5)

Siding (East Wall 6)

Siding (East Wall 7)

Siding (East Wall 8)

Siding (East Wall 9)

Siding (East Wall 10)

Siding (East Wall 11)

Siding (East Wall 12)

The cats have been trying to act like it's spring. They hang out in the JayBee's doorway, which does get toasty in the sun.

George has been appreciating the lack of snow on the hillside behind the JayBee.

It's cold! ... but the river still has open water. Very strange winter we're having.

Siding (East Wall) 12

My life has been busy, although not so much with house building, unfortunately. I will be transitioning from one job to another over the next couple of weeks. It's an exciting change. I will still be working part time, so I'm also looking forward to re-focusing my non-work time on house building again. Well, that and planning for my upcoming tiny house course!

Many days ago, I added another row of shingles to the east end of the JayBee.

Then, we had some snowstorms and high winds.

Today it was bitter cold, but with the help of the sun...

...I managed to get another row of shingles installed.

Also see:
Siding (East Wall) 1
Siding (East Wall) 2
Siding (East Wall) 3
Siding (East Wall) 4
Siding (East Wall) 5
Siding (East Wall) 6
Siding (East Wall) 7
Siding (East Wall) 8
Siding (East Wall) 9
Siding (East Wall) 10
Siding (East Wall) 11
Siding (East Wall) 13


My report in an earlier post that the river had finally frozen over was premature. The weekend following that post, temperatures rose into the 50s (!) and the river opened up completely again.

Storms and colder temperatures moved in.

It was bitter cold all this week...but there is still open water out there.

Deer tracks near the river's edge.

Another pileated woodpecker (or maybe the same one?) visited today. The thing is huge. And a very loud talker!

I guess the huge blizzard that is supposed to bury much of the east coast tonight and tomorrow is going to miss us completely. Stay safe, everyone!

Design Your Own Tiny House!

I will be teaching an adult education class called Design Your Own Tiny House! starting in March. If any of you are local enough to Gardiner, Maine, come join me. I'm looking forward to helping people pursue their tiny-house dreams!

Update January 16: I just learned that my course has enough people registered to be a definite go. Very exciting!

Update January 29: The course is full!

Siding (East Wall) 11

Another row of shingles installed.

Today, I managed to drop the plastic container I use for cedar stain on the floor of the kitchen of the old house. The lid popped off, and stain went everywhere. It was a mess, yes, but creating this kind of mess in an old house I plan to tear down is different than doing the same thing in a newly finished house that I have painstakingly built. I took this as a reminder that I definitely must make sure I have a shop that is separate from the JayBee after I tear the old house down. I can't use the JayBee for all my messy projects; I'm too klutzy for that!

Another row done.

And another one.

Also see:
Siding (East Wall) 1
Siding (East Wall) 2
Siding (East Wall) 3
Siding (East Wall) 4
Siding (East Wall) 5
Siding (East Wall) 6
Siding (East Wall) 7
Siding (East Wall) 8
Siding (East Wall) 9
Siding (East Wall) 10
Siding (East Wall) 12
Siding (East Wall) 13


The river froze over this week. Some years we have our first ice-out in mid January. This year, we hadn't even had an ice-in until two days ago.

While I was working outside a few days ago, a chicken-sounding bird swooped behind me and landed in the crab-cherry tree (with the tiny-house birdhouse in it). It was a huge pileated woodpecker. Look closely and you'll see him. (Or look at the zoomed-in photo below for a hint.)

Siding (East Wall) 10

Today was cold, but mostly bright and clear.

More snow slowly sliding off the JayBee's roof...

I took a daylight photo of the DONE west end!

I spent most of the day dealing with a malfunctioning propane tank. Since I use propane for heat and hot water, it was kind of a big deal. Two different men kindly worked some weekend hours to solve the problem. No charge to me--even better! In spite of that mess, I managed to get a new row of shingles installed on the east end of the JayBee.

Happy New Year everyone!

Also see:
Siding (East Wall) 1
Siding (East Wall) 2
Siding (East Wall) 3
Siding (East Wall) 4
Siding (East Wall) 5
Siding (East Wall) 6
Siding (East Wall) 7
Siding (East Wall) 8
Siding (East Wall) 9
Siding (East Wall) 11
Siding (East Wall) 12
Siding (East Wall) 13

West Side is Done! (Siding-West Wall-10)

It was bound to happen. We now have snow on the ground, and it is cold. Not a fun snowstorm, either. Snow, then enough rain to compact the snow and form a thick crust of ice, then more snow.

I do smile when I see snow sitting on the JayBee's metal roof, and as it curls and slowly slides off.

The cats were not happy. It took a bit of coaxing to get them to take brief forays out in the stuff.

It takes more coaxing for me to get myself out there as well. It's the time of year that I'd like to be curled up inside where it's warm. Thankfully, once I'm actually out there and working, I seem to have no problem sticking with it.

Here are some of the weird shingle shapes it took to finish the west wall.

One more row done.

Finally, the last row done!

Yup, it was dark again when I finished.

Also see:
Siding (West Wall) 1
Siding (West Wall) 2
Siding (West Wall) 3
Siding (West Wall) 4
Siding (West Wall) 5
Siding (West Wall) 6
Siding (West Wall) 7
Siding (West Wall) 8
Siding (West Wall) 9


Here are some great pictures of Boston--taken while on a walk in East Boston on Christmas Day. It got as warm as 70 degrees while I was there!