Mud: we has lots of it
We have lots of sticky clay mud, shoe scrapers everywhere and signs of reptiles we’d rather not meet face to face.
Author: stega
If a tree falls on a power line,
A tree fell on a power line on our property, PG&E’s tech took the low road, and the line turned out to be connected to nothing.
Tiny Updates
A list of small things: wood chips, a mower for Dino, feral cats, my parents’ visit and a booking calendar in the works.
Furnace Fun
Our two furnaces date from 1966 and burn heating oil, and finding someone who can service them is a project in itself.
Painting Update: The trim is now done
The trim is painted, the tape is off and the blue room is done, our first full-room remodel.
Hot Tub, Step 4 – Electrical
The old hot tub’s circuit was a half-assed mess of shared power and rotted wiring, so the new tub gets a proper 220V circuit in a fresh trench.
New Hot Water
The hissing 80-gallon water heater turned out to be failing in many ways, so it’s replaced.
More on the painting
The purple room is now blue! Next up, the trim.
Hot Tub, Step 3 – Delivery
Our new hot tub arrived, and the old one barely fit under the eaves on its way out.
Sink Update
The replacement faucet arrived, the exact same model and not defective this time, and the kitchen sink is finally sorted.
Hot Tub Update – Pad done and new tub purchased
Our new hot tub is a Maxx 461 from Trade Winds Spas in Los Gatos, picked with no hard sell, and the pad is leveled and ready.
A bit of decor
Two little benches from the craft store give the front foyer a spot to sit down and take off shoes.
The end of the purple
Learning to paint textured interior walls, starting with spackle and primer, as the purple room nears its end.
Neighbors up here…
Our neighbors’ horses escaped onto our property, and the rider who came to fetch them left a present on our driveway.
Purple Update
Prepping the purple bedroom for paint: lots of spackle, two useless phone jacks plugged and a growth chart about to disappear.
The final bit of the planter box story.
The final bit of the planter box story, from our SF balcony to a new home at Purgatory.
Different Days, Different Looks
Living up in the hills means ever-changing light and ever-moving clouds.
Invaders
Lots of people get lost up here, and sometimes unusual things happen, like a car-retrieval drama playing out in our driveway.
Updated Floorplan
Building a better floorplan of the house with a laser tape measure, after trying a few apps that didn’t quite work.
Drinking Hard
A happy water moment to lighten the day.
How California Politicians Screwed Up My Kitchen Sink
Our new kitchen faucet arrived defective, and by the time I tried to replace it, buying one had become illegal in California. A giant rant.
Forgotten nugget of PO craptasm
A very corroded pool light bulb, because the previous owner wouldn’t spend a few extra dollars on a new housing seal.
Purple…
A rainy-day project: repainting the horrible purple bedroom, with help from the Sherwin Williams paint app.
Next Project: Hot tub, Step 1
The 35-year-old hot tub that came with the house turned green, and the plastic was disintegrating, so it’s time to find a new one.
One stall at a time
Cleaning out the junk-packed barn, one stall at a time.
Some mornings we wake up in a cloud
Some mornings we wake up in a cloud.
Changes in the Pantry
New pantry shelving that doesn’t seesaw and will keep things safe in an earthquake.
Our First Christmas at Purgatory
Our first Christmas at Purgatory: a quiet day, meaningful decorations and soft-boiled eggs with toast soldiers.
Holiday Cheer
A holiday recording I made for Agent Smith. Feel free to laugh…a lot.
So many wood chips
Spreading the giant piles of wood chips around the property, a few cubic feet at a time. Who needs a gym?
Will it rot?
A varmint-proof composter and a Bear Cat chipper, so we don’t end up with a trash heap of our own.
The good bad refrigerator
Why our side-by-side fridge annoyed us, and how we ended up with Mr. Freeze, an LG French door unit.