Catch-Up 3: Moving Day!

This was the day of the big move. The JayBee only had to be moved a few dozen feet; so close, yet so far.

Lots of planning, and checking, and adjusting, and hemming and hawing. I just stood back and let these guys figure things out. I had wondered if I would be too nervous to watch this process...

It turned out that these guys were very careful, and thoughtful, and gentle--so I trusted them to do a good job and was pretty relaxed during the move.

While I waited for the plans to become fully formed, I wandered around and took pictures of ducks.

I had wondered if I might need to buy new tires for the JayBee's move. They had sat in the same spot, buried in mud, for nine years, and they had no air in them. Did I ever get lucky, though! It took a lot of work but, eventually, all six tires held air again for the move.

Starting to move. The excavator was used to move the JayBee because it made pivoting in tight quarters much easier.

Starting the jackknife turn towards the new foundation...

Doesn't look like those tires are going to make it up onto the slab, does it?!

A number of boards wedged this way and that...

And there she goes.

Lots of assessing and tweaking the final position.

And, there she is. The JayBee in her new home. Ta da!

Dubbing Around the Edges

When I'm working on projects and getting things done, but not working on the things that I think are most central to getting the JayBee project done... I call it "dubbing around the edges." I should be finishing the walls and ceiling inside the JayBee, but I cannot work on those things until the JayBee gets leveled up. It's too muddy underneath the JayBee to level it up, so I've been working on other things. In other words, dubbing around the edges.

For example, this birdhouse, that was gifted to me as a tiny JayBee, fell apart over the winter. I never did find the other gable peak that goes on the back side of the roof...

...but I managed to put the rest of it back together. It's a little weather beaten--as is the original, I guess, so maybe it's fitting.

On my way out to the JayBee many days ago, I noticed this little drop of mud on the front step.

Doesn't look like much, I know, but I instantly knew what it was. It was a clear sign of housebuilding activity. I looked up...

...and there was the beginning of a new nest. Aargh! I knocked it down, and washed all this mud off the side of the house.

Two days later, on the other side of the front door, was this new creation.

I knocked down the start of this new nest as well. I've been thoroughly checking under the eaves of the house every day since. So far, no new nests. That may be because there are new nests on the old house.

I have decided to let these two nests stay where they are for this season. Maybe this will save me from having to be quite so vigilant and ruthless about protecting the JayBee.

In the meantime, we had some warm days--so I've got everything set up so I can use the awning on the front of the JayBee during this building season.

We had snow yesterday! And this whole weekend is blustery and unseasonably cold. I could not  make myself document the snow with photos; I'd rather pretend it just did not happen. Waking up to the snow in early May did prompt this memory, though. I can remember studying for finals during a college spring semester when we were hit with a snowstorm. I did the research yesterday to confirm that 43 years ago to the day (May 9, 1977), Ithaca, New York, was hit with a snowstorm.

Some years ago, I installed this block to serve as a stop for the sliding bathroom door.

It worked fine, but it was permanently installed so it partially blocked access to the storage space behind it.

I woke up on Saturday morning two weeks ago with an idea for a better way to install a door stop for the bathroom sliding door. (I cannot begin to explain how these things percolate in the recesses of my brain only to surface randomly as full-fledged ideas.) I decided that a stop installed with french cleats would work better.

Step one: I removed the existing block.

I built a new door stop--with cleats on one side.

Then I installed matching cleats on the stud.

It's done! It effectively stops the sliding door from sliding any further back into the wall. And it's removable; I can easily lift it off the cleats when I want open access to the space behind it.

When out on my walks, I've been keeping an eye on this nearby bald eagle nest. The nest has been restored and enlarged for use this season. I've seen eagles up there, but I haven't been able to snap a photo of them up there yet.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

You Know You're Taking Too Long (to build your house)...

...when it's been ages since anyone has seen any progress on your build but you're posting about anything but building progress.

Since my body is doing better (including having had shoulder surgery just before this pandemic took hold, thankfully) and I'm stuck at home (as is everyone else), I'm starting to get myself organized to make progress on the JayBee.

Here is something I accomplished last fall before the snow flew. I permanently installed nest arrestors on the back side of the house to prevent nest building on the house this spring. I removed the nest from above the bathroom fan...

...and built a nest arrestor out of shingles.

 

Once I finished that, it dawned on me that I could make a bigger version to sit on top of the air exchanger.

I haven't come up with an idea for something that I would like to permanently install over the lights on the front side of the JayBee to prevent nest building there--so I'm continuing to use these cardboard nest arrestors during the non-winter seasons.

Sign of Spring--Crazy Cardinal

Yes, it's supposed to be spring. Nevertheless, between yesterday and today, more than eight inches of snow has been dumped on my yard. Nuts!

The snowfall has not interfered with this cardinal's crazy behavior. Take a look:

Sign of Spring?--Aerial Porcupine

I'm not sure if this visual is officially a sign of spring. Does springtime inspire chunky porcupines to climb over 30 feet up in the trees and wander around as if they are graceful creatures? I have no idea. For all I know, this guy has been doing this throughout the year and I just have never witnessed it before now.

The audio is definitely a sign of spring. The geese are having a convention out on the river, and other birds are forming a chorus.

Spring Reset

Finally: a day with no rain! Goal: get some momentum going with the JayBee project.

Not so fast. During the last few weeks of winter, I noticed that the JayBee was pivoting on its cinderblock foundation posts. This post is leaning into the hillside...

...and this post is leaning away from the hillside.

The tongue--obviously having shifted significantly left here--shows that the JayBee is pivoting.

I didn't think it was too bad because this other post has remained straight. Until I looked up under the JayBee today--and found out that only a tiny bit of the trailer frame is still sitting on the back corner of the post.

Goodness! I can't be running in and out of the JayBee when it's in this precarious position. The solution is not jumping out at me. I hope I think of something...  by tomorrow.

In the meantime, there are other issues...

Remember how I removed an old nest from the bathroom vent a few weeks ago? Today I went to install a nest arrestor on the vent. Look what I found (see photo below)? Arrgh! The momma bird was very unhappy with me even though I stood there only a few minutes. She's quite busy coming and going. At least this nest isn't right outside the front door. I think I can leave momma alone for this baby-raising season and still get construction work done.

Looking at this picture reminds me that this bathroom vent poses another problem as well. I learned while watching This Old House last weekend that a bathroom vent that shoots out air right under soffit vents will allow warm moist air to be sucked up under the roof, which will cause mold to form under the roof. Nice! Gotta find a solution for this problem, too.

One or more birds have been messing with the nest arrestor that sits on top of the vent for the air exchanger. No nest behind there yet but the other side of the nest arrestor...

...is covered in bird sh__--er, droppings--illustrating just how much time someone has spent fluttering around up there.

Before the snow flew late last year, I installed this tarp over the portable garage I use for construction storage. I thought it was a good preventative measure, since the tarp was beginning to tear at both ends of the seam that runs along the top ridge. Good thinking because...

When I went inside the portable garage today, I discovered that the entire top seam has let go. Yikes! Major repair job required.

Not a fun start to the building season. Lots of problems to solve.


We have had a lot of flood tides this spring. Fast moving, very full river.

I've been keeping an eye on the eagle nest up in the top of these trees. Haven't caught anyone moving in yet.

George is enjoying his spring.

See the theme? George is only looking up in some of the shots because I woke him up while taking the photos. In other words, pretty much all he is doing is sleeping and baking in the sun--in one spot or another.