Inspecting and Correcting

A bit over a week ago, Mom, Dad, Matt and Emily spent a day working on the house. Dad did some finish work inside, while the others worked outside in the yard.

Here, Matt and Emily are cleaning out the old concrete wash-out pit, and preparing the area for a set of steps down toward the house.


They decided to cut up the old, burned power pole, to use as steps, and Emly started putting them into place.

Looking good, eh? This will improve both the look and the function of the hill!
Inside, Dad attached the edges to the kitchen counter. It all is looking amazing.
And, a week ago, we did have an inspection. With a new inspector. He had a whole list of new things to take care of, as well as the news that we cannot have our power connection until our final inspection is signed off on. So, Matt spent some quality time last week crossing things off that list while he was on Spring Break. (Mom and Dad, too.) Piece by piece, we're getting closer!

Last Friday--Good Friday--we had some fill dirt delivered, to level out the yard a bit and make appropriate slopes away from the house. Here, Matt caught the truck mid-dump, while some friends and I watched from the front porch.
But, I confess, our Good Friday trip wasn't for work: we went to enjoy the spring wildflowers in the desert. (They were beautiful.) And, we enjoyed our first *real* breakfast in the kitchen, making good use of the new griddle. We ate in the sunshine on the back deck. This is going to be a cool house to hang out in. I mean, really: just look how happy Matt is cooking there!

After looking at flowers, we did get just a small piece of work in: cutting a slab out of a log, so Matt could make the two more balusters that the inspector asked for on his railing. He's since cut them to the right dimensions in Dad's garage.

Now, we'll see what happens tomorrow when Mom and Dad meet with the Fire Inspector. Then, we have just 2 more things on our list: installing those balusters and putting mulch on the dirt where there are not yet growing plants.

We'd like to get all this done by next week. Which means that if you, Dear Reader, are looking for a way to help, and are free this Friday afternoon or Saturday, there'd be a job for you in Julian this weekend!