Dandelion lamp is hung!

The french doors were not finished just because they were sealed and hung, no sir ... all those 48 window panes had to be scraped on both sides with razor blades to get the gunk off. Then Lars stepped in to install the handle mechanism.

Here's amazing Abbi ... she's harnessed with mountain climbing gear in case she decides to take a tumble. That girl is not the least afraid of heights. She's still sanding and oiling beams.

There are miles and miles of baseboards it seems ... and Steve is still making more of them ... I try to follow hot on his heels and do the filling of nail holes to be followed by painting.

It is always fun to install the lamps you have selected and see if they look as good as you had hoped. This fun creation is from IKEA. As soon as I saw it in their catalog I was attracted and Chris was skeptical. It is called Maskrosen (the dandelion) I thought over the dining table would be nice ... he didn't think so. We went to IKEA in Denver and in their dining area there must be a hundred or more of these lamps hanging over all the tables. That cinched it for me ... I had to have one and told Chris I'd simply hang it in my studio. Done.

The kitchen cabinets are nearing completion ... one more visit by the installer/maker should do it. I am over the moon with happiness over it! I can hardly wait to occupy it and work in it.

The pantry / laundry is also taking shape. Wendy showed up with some brownies to fatten us all up. She and Dom come over regularly to keep an eye on us. They are waiting for things to thaw out so they can get going again on their own building project next door.

Talking about thaws ... we have not yet gotten around to dealing with the driveway and access to the house so it is all a giant mud pit because as the snow melts, all that water saturates the ground makes a big mess. Going down the driveway is a pretty slippery affair at this point.

Stairway #1 is officially finished with banister and everything. Isn't it pretty?

Stairway #2 is coming along. Evan is applying his meticulous craft to every detail. Here he is making cutouts for a railing post.

One day Steve let out a good long string of profanities when he smashed his thumb pretty good. It got bluer and bluer and bigger and bigger for a couple of days ... finally he went to the doctor to have it lanced so the blood could come out.

The second picture is Lars, wearing a miner's lamp, and installing an air intake underneath the Tulikivi stove ... we just hadn't gotten around to it before.

The floor up in the master bedroom is nearing its final form here. At the same time, Chris is back spackling some of the last areas that need that treatment. We have had some warm days, so the Tulikivi has not been fired up, hence he can stand on it without problem.

And lastly, all of uf have been pitching and whipping Chris' workshop into shape, first the sanding, and then the primer and final coats of paint. We had to rent a scissor lift to reach the high places.

Over and out.