details and big logs

On Friday, my friend, Lea, joined Dad, Matt, Andrew and I in some housework, proving her agility with Mr. Long Arm as we marked where the rest of the lights should go in the ceiling.  We taped a paintbrush to the end of the pole.  And then had to figure out how one dips a 20' paint brush in the paint...

Matt's happy after a day of progress on our punch list.
And Lea looks at home on the ladder, preparing trim on the windows so that we're ready for drywall.
Matt and Andrew got the most exciting action for the day, though, as they cut a fallen branch from the big oak tree at the bottom of the property.  You can see the action here:

odds and ends (some higher than others)

Last Saturday, we made progress on our punch list.

(Dad tells us it's exciting that we have a punch list: it means we're down to a number of remaining tasks that's comprehensible.  Of course, every time we cross 5 off we find 2 more to add.  And it's just the punch list before the framing and electrical inspections; still, it's huge.)

Everyone was working hard at various tasks--Emily and Dad on making a closet under the stairs, Shannon on hanging and wiring the kitchen lights, Matt and Phil on hanging lights in the big room.  Well, at least until we decided that would be a nice job for the people we're hiring to hang drywall to do...

A big step was out test of Mr. Long Arms, the clever device Phil and Shan found for changing lightbulbs.  Because the one thing worse than figuring out how to hang lights that high would be realizing that you can't put in or change lightbulbs in them without a giant scaffold.  
But, with a friend on the loft to put the bulb on the extendable pole, we feel like it can work.
(Check out the Dad and Shan, watching Matt demonstrate the ability to maneuver lights up high.)

Matt also strung a mess of communications wires.  We're set for phone, fax, cable, internet, stereo system, telegraph, or whatever else we might one day want.  (Just when you thought wireless was the way of the future...)
Shan worked at getting things ready for a cabinet/cubby under the stairs.  It's fun to be at a stage where we can imagine what might go inside.  (Scrabble, anyone?)
Phil worked at making sure there are boards to nail drywall to everywhere.  Even up high.
I got to venture under the house to insulate some water pipes.  It was dusty under there.  (But do notice Emily and Dad's swell closet behind me.  And the clever way our tools are gathered together in it.)

Check out the impressive angle of the saw blade, as that closet is constructed under the stairs.   

Good stuff.