Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Aerie Report, September 8, 2010

Well, we're back to our regular routine. After 75 days of being together Every. Single. Day. I was alone at nights in the trailer at the camp while Terry was alone at nights at the Aerie. Then I went to the Bolt Hole for the weekend and Terry was at the Aerie. I came back to the Aerie and two days later...Terry took off to pick up her Mom in New Jersey for a trip to Gettysburg. She (or maybe they) will return to the Aerie on Monday. Just about when I might be getting a call that the trailer repairs are done and I'll have to head north to retrieve it from Alpin Hous in Amsterdam and take it to the Bolt Hole.

Then there's the NY hunting season and Terry's SAGA convention in Norfolk, VA and who knows what else.

Hope we can get together for Thanksgiving. ;-)

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Traveled down to Jersey Shore (that's a town in PA, not a reality show or a place on the Atlantic) to pick up my log splitter. Joe had it all summer and put it to good use. He cut up some logs left by the previous owner of his new home and then split the rounds into firewood. Stacked as it is, it looks to be five or six cords total.

He said the splitter did yeomen's work and never whimpered all summer. In return, Joe did everything but Simonize and wax the darn thing. Probably got spoiled rotten from all the TLC he gave it. I'll have to see about that. I've my own wood to split both here at the Aerie and up north at the Bolt Hole.

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When I left the Aerie to head south, it was promising to be a warm day with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70s. I came home at 3:30 and it was heavily overcast, drizzling and in the upper 50s. I went around and closed all the windows I had left open hoping to keep the temperature comfortably cool and not sweater-mandatory.

The forecast now calls for a breezy night with lows into the 40s but at least the rain will not get very serious. Hopefully it will hold off so Adam can get even more staining done. He's already got the east side of the garage and nearly all of the south side of the house (garage, laundry, bedrooms) done.

Don's got all the stone in place and is now pointing it (applying mortar to the joints between the stones). It's amazing how much mortar it takes to do that. I think he's getting between six and eight square feet done for every 80 pound bag. First he uses a batter bag to squeeze it into the joints and then pokes it in place with skinny little trowels. He finishes it with a stiff brush to give it a smooth appearance. It really, really looks great when he gets done.

5 comments:

Rev. Paul said...

"Hope we can get together for Thanksgiving. ;-)"

I bet it does seem strange to be separated after such a long trip. But I bet it's even nicer to be settling back into the previous routine.

joated said...

I don't know about that. Having completed THE trip, we are (sorta) glad to be home, but I think we'd almost rather be hitting the road again tomorrow--together. And after look at those pictures you put up on Facebook.... Has your daughter started planning Thanksgiving dinner yet?
Won't take us but three weeks to get there.

Stmpjmpr said...

Sorry, gotta inform u home owners. that would be a grout bag, grouting, and a slicker, for the proper terms. mine are still gatherin dust, as u know....lol. and i dare u to change the oil in the splitter, good luck....lol

Cassie said...

Sure know what you mean about being together. Pat and I had a full 2 weeks up in N.Idaho and reconnected here in Boston last week. When he goes back to work and I'm back with the pooches it'll be a time of readjustment. My time with him is the best. Can hardly wait til he retires.

And la-de-da, Stumpjumper has all the proper terms! hehe. I'd have called it "icing, glu & a spoon"!!!Bwahahahahaha.

joated said...

Cassie, how's the old saying go...Ansence makes the heart grow fonder.

As for Stmpjmpr, he is a real mason so he knows all the proper terms. You should hear the ones he knows to use when he drops a concrete block on his toes!

(Stmpjmpr = my buddy Mark from the Bolt Hole)

Sorry I missed you when you were in the PA neighborhood. We could have compared log homes and talked about northern Idaho.