...and more tours. Glen and Ron did a huge clean up job in the morning and Donna and I joined to help. The place looked fantastic, and our plan to move in a few weeks didn't seem so crazy. Just as Glen and Ron were unwrapping the fridge and getting it ready to plug in, my Mom and Dad arrived (Anna and Nick) for the birthday/Mother's day celebration. Then it was more tours as Ron and Donna's neighbours Jim and Michelle stopped by with their kids and some friends.
My sisters and their families arrived a short while later and wandered around exclaiming "It's so much bigger than it looks on the web!" After a great lunch Glen and Ron took Karen and Bob and their boys Tommy, Andrew and Matthew and Kim and Gene's daughter Claire on their first adventure past the gravel pit and up the big, back hill. Then they headed through the west bush, along the logging road to the fields and back along the Porcupine trail where they discovered the "mushy, trampoline" part, where you walk on cedar tree roots. Donna, Mom, Dad Kim and Gene and I stayed and played with their adorable younger daughter Kate. After cake and some wonderful birthday/Mother's Day gifts, I took the three boys and Claire on the next adventure - over to see the dead porcupine. Then it was back along the Porcupine trail.
Altogether it was a fun day with gorgeous spring weather. At the end of the day Glen put the shelves in fridge. It really started feeling like a house with the fridge in place with food in it!
Somehow in all the confusion, pictures got taken.
Glen,
Remarkable Site! Stumbled onto it yesterday by googling "strawbale and blog". Just finished reading it all... and I have to congratulate you on your pluck and enthusiasm.
Having completely rebuilt my victorian home (from the inside out) in California; I understand the scope of your project. Things really start to slow down when you finally get to the "finish" and "trim" stage. I found that if I didn't look at the whole house project that needs to be completed, but kept focused on only the next thing that needs to get done that my spirits didn't flag so much. (I call it "The eat the elephant one bite at a time" method.)
Also, from what I've seen on your blog... your folks really ROCK! Thank the lord that you lucked into such a great family.
I'm hopeful that I can grab my piece of country one day soon... I just hope my project turns out as wonderfully as your appears to be.
I'll drop back by and consume a some more of your bandwidth looking at your pictures and dreaming of the day I punch out of the city too.
Thanks for brightening my evening!
PS... Congratulations on the up-coming baby. Babies ROCK! (Kids... well that's another story; after a long day I sometimes kind of wish that they didn't talk so much. But when they are all in bed and asleep; everything is SO much better!)