Exterior Finishing Touches

We have had lots of rain recently. It helps make up for the lack of rain during the spring and summer seasons, but it's been getting in the way of my finishing up the exterior of the JayBee. After a pounding rain last weekend, I opened my door to see this: close to a hundred pears on the ground. Added to what I'd already collected, they helped me make a few gallons of pear sauce. Yummy!

It was blustery today but not raining, so I got the caulk applied around the upper loft window on the west end of the JayBee.

Since the lower window was already done, the west end is now completely done!

Then, I applied the caulk to the upper loft window on the east end.

The east end is now completely done!

All that's left to do: apply the caulk to these two south-side windows. May the weather hold...

On an entirely different note, I also recently installed this grab bar in the JayBee's shower.

Putt, putt, putting along...

West Awning Window (x2!)

The west awning window is the last window I had left to install. I must not have wanted the window installing to end, because I installed the west awning window today--twice. Yes, you read that correctly. I installed the window TWICE.

Let me start from the beginning...

I cut the housewrap to create the opening for the window.

This is the window fully installed, shimmed, and flashed--the first time.

When I installed the interior window hardware and cranked the window open, it was immediately clear that I'd installed it wrong! The window opened to the side instead of from the bottom. Stupid, stupid mistake. (I had assumed the latch belonged on the side of the window, but this window is a Pella window--all the others are Andersens--and the crank goes on the side, the latch on the bottom.)

I quickly started dismantling the entire installation. I told myself to move quickly; I was afraid if I hesitated, I would be tempted to leave the window installed wrong.

After pulling the window out and re-installing it, it actually opened correctly!

The window fully installed--the second time!

Before the sun went down, I managed to install the roofing on the three surfaces of the west bumpout. Five pieces of roof trim come next.

First snow fell last week. Even though it was only a dusting, it stuck around (in north side shadows) for days! And so it begins.

Every time there is a heavy frost, I gaze at the roof on the JayBee and smile.

George basking in the sun today.

Various recent moon and river shots...

East Awning Window

Well, I changed my mind. That's nothing new, of course. All this time I have waited on installing the awning windows because I thought I should get the roofing installed on the bumpouts first. This all has to do with the fact that there is so little clearance between the sill of these windows and the roofs on the bumpouts. While preparing the opening for the east end awning window, however, I decided that the windows should get installed before the roofing. So--here it is! The east end awning window installed.

In all of the 24 years I have lived here, my pear trees have never produced more than a bunch of scrawny deformed pears--only good for feeding the deer. This year, I have so many substantially-sized pears, I am making delicious pear sauce from the crop!

I caught the October supermoon before the sky turned dark.

Roofing 12

The first thing I noticed when I began work on the JayBee this morning--the glorious, sunny, bright, colorful day!

I installed the roofing pieces along the north side valleys.

I cut the opening for the east end awning window and flashed the bottom edge of the opening. Can't install the window, though, until I get roofing on the bumpout.

Also see:
Roofing 1
Roofing 2
Roofing 3
Roofing 4
Roofing 5
Roofing 6
Roofing 7
Roofing 8
Roofing 9
Roofing 10
Roofing 11
Roofing 13
Roofing 14
Roofing 15
Roofing 16
Roofing 17

Windows 4

Even though it rained on and off today, I decided it was window-installation day for the west end of the JayBee. First, I opened up the housewrap.

In went the sill corners.

And the sill waterproofing.

It was so wet, I was going to quit after installing the window. But, then, the rain stopped, so I quickly installed the flashing around the window as well.

Also see:
Windows 1
Windows 2
Windows 3

Window Trim 6

It snowed all day yesterday. Even with the sun and blue, cloudless sky today, it was frigid cold--below zero with the wind chill. Another blizzard is in the forecast for the weekend. Yippee!

A couple days ago, I installed the flashing above the east end bumpout window.

Today was the day to implement my plan for flashing the north side window. I really did not want to try to wrestle a ladder behind the JayBee in waist deep snow. I decided instead to install the flashing by hanging out of the north window.

My plan worked so much easier in my mind than it did in reality. I could reach to hammer the nails that were in the middle of the flashing, but I had so much difficulty reaching the far ends. I tried a dozen different ways of hanging out those windows, but the windows were in the way. I told myself to leave the last few nails and housewrap tape until spring, and I thought I had given in to that idea. But...I just could not be denied! Finally, after much rigamarole, I finished.

Also see:
Window Trim 1
Window Trim 2
Window Trim 3
Window Trim 4
Window Trim 5
Window Trim 7
Window Trim 8
Window Trim 9


Every moment I have not been creating the flashing, I have been staining siding shingles. I have gotten much more creative in how I stack the shingles for drying, so I have been able to stain three to four times as many shingles per batch.

I have boxes of stained shingles stacking up all over the place.

After I finished the flashing on the north side window today, I climbed the hill behind the JayBee and shot this picture over the roofs, overlooking the river.

It was strange to look down at the JayBee--and see straight through it to the snow on the south side.

These mysterious tracks were leading to/from the JayBee. They don't look like cat tracks. Hmmm.

Where do you think this weekend's snow will go?

Are You Sick of Snow Pictures Yet? (Window Trim 5)

I spent three hours shoveling snow today. Even though the storm lasted more than 36 hours, the snow wasn't all that deep--at the most, about 8 inches. It took so long to clear out because of how far I have to drag each shovelful in order to find a place to dump it.

I waited and waited for my plow guy to come clear out my driveway. (He'd come once mid storm, but I still wanted the last 4-5 inches moved.) By late afternoon, I stopped waiting and went to work on the flashing above the living room window trim.

The first two pieces of flashing installed.

The long third piece of flashing installed.

The middle short piece of flashing installed.

The housewrap tape applied.

The flashing is all done on the south side windows.

Also see:
Window Trim 1
Window Trim 2
Window Trim 3
Window Trim 4
Window Trim 6
Window Trim 7
Window Trim 8
Window Trim 9


The snow in the yard just keeps getting deeper.

And the snow keeps melting on the roof, sending water running down through the eaves to form thick ice on the outside of the old house.

I have been wondering when this large pile of snow is going to let loose from this tree...and if I'll be underneath it when it happens.