Where Am I? And What Am I Doing?

That post title was suggested by my brother after he heard me puzzling over two pieces of trim I made (complete with custom metal flashing). I created these pieces so long ago that, when I went to install them today, I could not remember where I intended to use them.

Loss of momentum can be everything--and it has plagued me for many weeks now. I am working on regaining momentum on this project but, so far, I find myself dubbing around more than charging ahead. My winter plans for the JayBee project went far astray. The plan was that, while I was teaching a tiny house course, a plumber would move the project forward by installing all the rough-in plumbing. What happened instead: The plumber took a deposit from me and then never showed up to do any work. I spent my non-work time during the winter and early spring prepping for my course (way more time-consuming than I'd anticipated), hounding the AWOL and non-responsive plumber and, ultimately, filing complaints against the plumber-thief with the Better Business Bureau, state plumbing inspector, local police department, and state Attorney General's office. (No, I still have not received my money back.)

Here is the JayBee cleaned out and ready for plumbing. I finally installed the two closet walls (that include a loft ladder on the inside) so some of the plumbing for the washer can go in that wall.

Did you know that every plumber uses their own unique strategy for installing rough-in plumbing? I had no idea until speaking with so many different plumbers about my project. The plumber who absconded with my deposit without doing any actual plumbing work wanted to install the plumbing before the walls were insulated and finished. Another plumber wanted the walls to be insulated and finished before installing any plumbing--so I purchased the insulation for the ceiling and walls. Now, the latest plumber wants to do some of the plumbing before anything else is done with most of the walls but after the exterior walls behind the shower stall are insulated--and then he'll finish the rough-in after the rest of the walls are finished.

I have also been making some chairs that fold completely flat when not in use. Beginning with oak plywood with lines drawn...

...and cutting around all the lines.

Some recent experiences with introducing people to my blog taught me that it can be hard to find current photos of the JayBee, especially if the most recent posts don't display any exterior shots. To solve that problem, I have added a page of current JayBee photos. (See the link at the upper right, where the floor plan is.)

For those most interested in hearing how the cats are doing... We have been going on walks together all spring.

One spring day, an impromptu beach trip allowed me full run of the beach--without having to share it with anyone else!

Much to my surprise, the beach had some tiny houses on it--made out of driftwood.

A cute, waterfront, tiny house on the road between the beach and home.

Spring irises behind the JayBee...

...and in front of the JayBee.

For many years, I had a whole hillside of lupines every spring. I'm not sure exactly what has forced them out but, this year, that hillside had only one lonesome lupine.

An eagle dropped this at the top of my driveway the other day.

I was all excited to see this turtle getting ready to lay eggs in my road...

...until my brother showed me pictures of the turtle he found laying eggs one road over. This enormous beauty is magnificent!

The Kennebec has been going through its seasonal changes. From ice out...

...to spring flooding...

...into early spring...

...and on to early summer.

Now to get busy again with house building!

New Season, New Plan

It may be quite hot and humid at the moment, but there is no denying that the seasons are shifting. The sun goes down so early now! And those long, distinctive shadows in the afternoon... <sigh> A new school year has started. Summer is on its last gasp.

I think I am coming to grips with the fact that I really am a very slow house builder. I am still very enthused and committed to the project. I also don't seem to have any desire to try to speed up my process. I would rather continue to mosey along, working thoughtfully and methodically, having the time to shift my plans as new, creative ideas come to mind. All this means that I know I have no chance of finishing the JayBee before the next winter season. That means spending another winter in my old wreck of a house. That does not exactly thrill me, but I do think it is the best decision. This will allow me not only to finish building the JayBee but also to finish the monumental job of downsizing myself out of the old house.

I have started to work for pay again--part time. While it is sad not to be working on the JayBee 100% of the time, it does feel good to have some money coming in--to counterbalance some of what goes out. So far, working part time is leaving me plenty of energy to work on the JayBee during my off hours.

My recent progress...

The electrician came back to make adjustments to the wiring. That west-loft window framing is now free of wires, so I will be able to install the awning window there. The extra outlets I needed are installed. For some reason not shared with me, the electrician did everything on the list except attach wiring to the thermostat--so I cannot declare the wiring to be completely done.

Here are only a small portion of the templates I have created to help me cut pieces of metal roofing for the roof. Now that the electrician is basically done with his work, I think I can let roofing pieces proliferate all over the floor of the JayBee.

I have been working on the half of the JayBee's closet that will have permanently-installed walls (as opposed to the half that will swing open on ball bearings). After spending way too much time staring at the space, I had this great brainstorm: I decided to install a ladder on the inside of the closet wall that will be used to access storage high up in the closet and to climb up into the west storage loft. Here is that closet wall in process.

I pegged all the holes where I drove screws to hold the ladder rungs in place.

I would have finished sanding the ladder framing...if my sander had not broken before I was done.

I mentioned those long shadows... See who is sleeping in the irises?

I like going down to the river late in the afternoon because the light can be so spectacular then. Bear often comes with me.

A couple of days ago, George came with us as well!