Before I add the exterior siding to the JayBee, I want to be sure any and all holes in the siding are made and trimmed. I have been working on the exterior electrical boxes for awhile--designing, drawing, and crafting trim pieces. Not sure why, but I didn't take pictures during the process. My brother caught me, though, in the middle of cutting the holes in the siding--holes needed in order to install exterior lights on either side of the door and an exterior outlet. Cutting the holes was a bear of a job. Even though I had seen the perfect tool for this job on
This Old House, I was determined that I was not going to buy yet another tool, so I made do with drills, hand saws, and chisels.
Scary sight, I know. Yes, I'm smiling in this photo.
Here's the outlet box installed with trim and metal flashing.
Here are the boxes for the two exterior lights on either side of the door.
I initially planned to install the lights slightly lower on the entryway walls, but I ran into a bit of trouble with this loft joist that runs through one of those walls and interferes with the placement of the electrical box.
So, they ended up where they are. In the next photo, I'm holding one of the lights in place--so you can see what they will look like.
When I finished this project yesterday, I was practically dancing. It felt like quite an accomplishment.
The snow from that recent storm was reluctant to give it up and go away. Today, though, it feels like spring is trying harder to get a foothold. We're back to mostly having snow in the woods and in the leftover snowbanks.
When I walked out to the river's edge today, George hung back and watched. See him?
Then, he crossed a deep gully to catch up to me.
Isn't it funny how quickly George disappears when he moves into the shadows?
The JayBee is looking so much more distinctive without the tarps covering it. People who walk the road for recreation have been stopping me and excitedly asking, "Is that a tiny house? I think that's so cool. I watch all the tiny house shows..." [and on and on] Funny how it attracts so much attention and enthusiasm.
The very moment the river ice opened up, tons of geese and ducks appeared on the river. How did they know? Were they laying in wait?
The ice floes are a reminder that it's not completely spring yet.
I have suffered some weird minor injuries recently. When I was squatting while installing the JayBee steps, I lost my balance and fell over onto my hand. My weight fell mostly on one finger; I ended up jamming one of my knuckles, making it hard to bend that finger for over a week.
While using a jigsaw to cut the holes in the trim pieces that surround the exterior electrical boxes, I stupidly grabbed onto the saw blade after making a long cut. (I think I was trying to figure out if the blade was still securely installed in the saw.) That saw blade was
hot! At first it looked like I melted the fingerprints off my fingertips. My fingers were on fire--a fire that would not go out! I walked around with a glass of ice water for eight hours so I could keep dipping my fingers. I ended up with big blisters, but it looks like my fingerprints are back. Stupid, stupid.
