More catch-up from 2013 . . .

Because the tall-wall faces west, we had a pretty severe problem with sun in the afternoon in the great room.  We ordered some of these wonderful shades that block the sun's glare and the heat, but that you can still see through.  Greg and Marty handled the installation.

 

They made a huge difference in the afternoon sun coming into the room!

 

 

 

 

We have ordered a couple more for the west-facing sliding-glass doors in

the dining area as the sun can be bad there at dinner time.  They should

be coming any day!

 

See what a difference the shades make!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014

We arrived back at Silverleaf on May 8th.  It was a gorgeous, spring day.  According to the locals, it was one of their first nice days, since their terribly cold, long, long winter.   The Aurora Gas man was here by 2:30, to get the gas turned on and make sure all the appliances came on properly.  Everything else was fine, except the roof and the sprayer in the kitchen sink.  More on those topics later.

The first thing I have to do is get the blog caught up, as I was VERY BAD, and never finished it last year.  I have many more photos to post. 

So . . . here are photos of how it looked last fall, once we got some furniture in here!

 

 

 

The upstairs bedroom with the king-sized bed. 

 

 

A local man made the headboard and the night stands for us.  I'll take a better photo showing the headboard!

 

 

 

The bed in bedroom number 2 upstairs.

 

The kitchen!!

 

 

The front entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving in!

Our bedroom furniture is delivered on Saturday, June 29th, after the bedroom carpeting is installed.  We move in to Silverleaf on Wednesday, July 10th, after the majority of the hardwood flooring is down.  Just a few of the basement stairs are left. 

 

The only furniture we have in the great room for a month is Greg's recliner and lawn chairs.

 

But our washer and dryer arrive!

 

 

The first jigsaw puzzle is done on the new jigsaw puzzle table!

 

 

The dining room table arrives from Modoc, built by Jason!

 

 

 

This is Jason Siler, of Medoc Log Furniture,

who built our beautiful table!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardwood Floors go down!

Stacks of wood, ready to go . . .

 

The installers start in the dining room area.

 

 

It is so gorgeous, after looking at the sub-floor for almost two years!

 

The flooring is a long process, plus the installers take three days off, during the week of July 4th.  During the process, we put the jigsaw puzzle table together, which is shown in the above photo, and Greg's recliner gets delivered!  Mine has to be sent back, because it didn't have the swivel/recliner base it was supposed to have. 

 

The stairs take an extra-long time to complete!

 

 

The completion of the floor is delayed a few days, because the installers run out of bullnose for the steps.  But, they finally complete them! 

 

 

 

 

More guest workers . . .

Karen and Mark returned for a June visit on the 9th!  Mark again, helped Greg tremendously.  They worked on the vent from the microwave, which was a big job!  Okay, they did play golf one day : - )  Karen and Linda went to the Indian River Women's Club Spring Luncheon and Silent Auction.

 

Both Karen and Mark stained the railings to our new stairway off the deck.  Mark also repaired the numerous porcupine chewing marks on the front porch.

 

 

It was a job that desperately needed doing, because the logs turn dark, if left unstained.

Thanks, Karen and Mark!!!

 

 

 

Karen and Mark headed downstate on the 13th, the same day that Greg's sister, Jill arrived!  Jill helped out at Silverleaf for two days.  She did a lot of wonderful jobs, including staining and varnishing the poles for the safely railings, pulling down the ugly black plastic that has been across the back yard for two years, helping Greg with the fillers for the stairs and washing windows, just to name a few!  Thanks, Jill! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light Fixtures

We have to have all of the light fixtures in, or put plates over the wires, in order to receive our temporary Certificate of Occupancy.  We are almost there!  This is the foyer fixture.

 

This is the fixture over the kitchen sink.

 

 

 

These are two of the three mini-pendants over the kitchen counter/bar area.

 

 

This is the large pendant that will be over the jigsaw puzzle table.  Still a work in progress!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sand, stain, varnish, sand, varnish!

With the hardwood floor installation looming, we got busy with all the sanding, staining and varnishing needed on anything immovable in the great room, dining room and loft.  That included the tall wall, which Greg got busy on.  What a pain to move that 32-foot extension ladder numerous times!  Not to mention trying to stain and varnish from it  : - )

 

 

In the meantime, I worked on the railings, the 3/4 logs on the corners of the great room, and on the edges of the ceiling.  I also spent 7 hours sanding the BIG TREE in the kitchen, before I stained and varnished it. 

 

 

As of today, the 16th of June, the sanding, staining and varnishing of the immovable objects is finally done, including the two big overhead logs, that we thought would be such fun to have for decorative purposes!  We still have plenty of doors and windows and trim to stain, however!