Boxing Day in Burk’s Falls … it’s a shopper’s dream! Too bad I already paid too much for my goofy trooper hat a few weeks ago; I probably could have found a real bargain today. Hope you all had a happy holiday, spent with family and friends. My Christmas present last week was a clean bill of health. Last Thursday, I had my first colonoscopy, and while the twenty-four hours preceding the test were no picnic, the actual procedure was painless, thanks to a general anesthetic. The doctor says I won’t need another one of those tests for a long time, and I can focus my hypochondria on some other imagined ailments for the next decade. To my great disappointment, I did not receive a sucker after the procedure was over.
After the carpenters left last Friday afternoon, I spent an hour or two shoveling slush off the second floor of our still-open-to-the-elements log home. My concern was that, if I didn’t get rid of some of the piles of slush, everything would turn to solid ice as soon as the weather turned again. They can shovel the snow away, but chipping out blocks of ice is a little more time-consuming. While the majority of the house is now covered, the central living area is still essentially exposed to the weather. There are four valley logs (which run at 45 degree angles down from the peak ridge beam) which remain to go up before the roof can be completely closed in. For anyone familiar with log home construction, the logs which make up the roof structure are complicated and time-consuming to place. Those four valley logs need to be notched perfectly, and will likely be placed (with a crane) and taken down several times before they are perfectly fitted. All of the cutting work is done with chain saws, sometimes high up on a scaffold. Certainly, that work isn’t any easier when it’s very cold, the snow is falling heavily, and the wind is blowing hard. Actually, these log-framed roofs require a lot of time regardless of the weather conditions. Our head carpenter estimated that they would need about a week to complete their work on the two turret roofs, and that job took them closer to four times the amount of time he’d allotted. I can’t say enough about the carpenters on this job; their work ethic is fantastic and the quality of their work is excellent. Really everyone involved in building this house has been great; we have been very lucky to have chosen the builder we did.
With the New Year approaching, I’m quite sure that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Shauna, Jasper, and I will be spending a quiet evening here in bucolic Burk’s Falls, and perhaps I will indulge in the attitude-adjusting benefits of a sparkling malt beverage or two. A few weeks ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek wish list for Santa, but I truly do want most of those things for mankind. I’ll settle for a little less hatred and misunderstanding, and I resolve to work on that goal where it concerns my behavior. For those of you who choose to partake in the ubiquitous, mind-altering festivities of First Night, by all means, knock yourself out … tie one on, paint the town red, smash that piñata, hoot, howl, spread your wings; drive the porcelain bus … but if you do choose to get conflobulated, take a cab, or let a sober person drive you home. I, Shauna, and Jasper wish you all a Happy New Year!
- Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
After the carpenters left last Friday afternoon, I spent an hour or two shoveling slush off the second floor of our still-open-to-the-elements log home. My concern was that, if I didn’t get rid of some of the piles of slush, everything would turn to solid ice as soon as the weather turned again. They can shovel the snow away, but chipping out blocks of ice is a little more time-consuming. While the majority of the house is now covered, the central living area is still essentially exposed to the weather. There are four valley logs (which run at 45 degree angles down from the peak ridge beam) which remain to go up before the roof can be completely closed in. For anyone familiar with log home construction, the logs which make up the roof structure are complicated and time-consuming to place. Those four valley logs need to be notched perfectly, and will likely be placed (with a crane) and taken down several times before they are perfectly fitted. All of the cutting work is done with chain saws, sometimes high up on a scaffold. Certainly, that work isn’t any easier when it’s very cold, the snow is falling heavily, and the wind is blowing hard. Actually, these log-framed roofs require a lot of time regardless of the weather conditions. Our head carpenter estimated that they would need about a week to complete their work on the two turret roofs, and that job took them closer to four times the amount of time he’d allotted. I can’t say enough about the carpenters on this job; their work ethic is fantastic and the quality of their work is excellent. Really everyone involved in building this house has been great; we have been very lucky to have chosen the builder we did.
With the New Year approaching, I’m quite sure that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Shauna, Jasper, and I will be spending a quiet evening here in bucolic Burk’s Falls, and perhaps I will indulge in the attitude-adjusting benefits of a sparkling malt beverage or two. A few weeks ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek wish list for Santa, but I truly do want most of those things for mankind. I’ll settle for a little less hatred and misunderstanding, and I resolve to work on that goal where it concerns my behavior. For those of you who choose to partake in the ubiquitous, mind-altering festivities of First Night, by all means, knock yourself out … tie one on, paint the town red, smash that piñata, hoot, howl, spread your wings; drive the porcelain bus … but if you do choose to get conflobulated, take a cab, or let a sober person drive you home. I, Shauna, and Jasper wish you all a Happy New Year!
- Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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