Weekly Update: 10.5.24
Sweat dripped into our eyes beneath safety goggles as our breath forced its way in and out of N-95 masks. We worked quickly, despite the 90-degree weather, as we watched the sun begin to dip into our western windows. We were so close to finishing. I stood at the work bench or knelt on the ground, using a razor knife to cut piece after piece of insulation -- batt for the walls and rigid foam for between the rafters. Grace stood on the scaffolding across the room, stapling each piece into place.
When we cleaned up Thursday night, Grace and I were both rather giddy. The day had been grueling, but the interior insulation was complete. That felt amazing. It hadn't necessarily been a difficult job, but a busy few weeks had extended the duration of the project. Some days, it feels like our to-do list only gets longer. It is always satisfying to take items off our project board.
Our week started with some recreation. We visited the Stockton Black Walnut festival. It was a fun opportunity to get off the homestead and enjoy some local culture. We browsed the various booths, and our brother Jeremiah treated us to a pasty from the London Calling food truck. As always, the pasties were delicious.
While Grace and I worked on insulation this week, our dad finished several smaller jobs around the bunkhouse. He framed and installed vents for the dryer and two freestanding AC units. He installed the outlet box for our last flood light. He also finished running PEX to what will be our outdoor shower, which we decided was a must-have since we only have one full bathroom inside.
On Thursday morning, our Home Depot order arrived. We received our water heater and some lumber for the dog run. We were especially excited to see our cedar fence pickets, which were just as beautiful as we hoped. After watching several videos on YouTube, we decided to order fence pickets to use as house siding. As the driver unloaded everything, my dad and I quickly counted the boards. Unfortunately, 20 were missing. We called Home Depot, and they sent them out the next day. By Friday evening, we had all of our pickets.
Along with our bunkhouse project, we have continued to work on our change-of-seasons tasks. We switched out our light summer bedspreads for our feather duvets, just in time for Tuesday night's temperature drop. We also sorted through our summer clothes and unpacked our cool weather items. Of course, as soon as the summer clothes were stacked in one of the lofts, an October heat wave started. Even so, we are glad to have both chores checked off of our mental to-do lists.
Our garden production is finally slowing down. We are still enjoying fresh tomatoes on our salads, and we have peppers out our ears. Bonnie-Jean and Erin have been working on what preservation they can.
Taking in all of our progress, we feel encouraged. We have so much to accomplish in the next couple weeks. Home Depot is delivering our appliances on October 21, and they need a place to go. We worked on insulating our floors yesterday evening, and we hope to finish tomorrow. Our interior siding is arriving on Monday, and we have just days to get some of it on the walls before we really need to start on some of our flooring. We are working hard to get our wood stove installed before the cold hits (though it is hard to think that way in all this heat). We are also researching stain options for our cedar siding so that we can get it prepped before winter sets in.
There is a lot to think about, plan, and then complete. It's exciting, exhilarating, and a little overwhelming. This is a season I have been particularly thankful that we have a big God who is taking care of us, helping us learn and do the things we actually need too. We would never have gotten this far without His guidance and help.
