A week of plus 25 weather and lots of sun. Stucco guys have finally completed the paper and wire, and most of the first coat of stucco.  I expect another 2 weeks before they are done.  Siding guys had the siding delivered last week, so I expect them to complete their work next week.  It will be really nice to have the scaffolding gone so that I can start to do some of the backfilling around the buildings. Fixed up a couple of minor framing mistakes, the cedar in the entry wall, and some odds and ends. Lots of time spent viewing tiles, paint, countertops, etc.

Week 4 of the drywall taping and sanding. Brian is doing a good job, but taking longer than he should. He said he will work this weekend so that it will all be done by next Monday. I would not want his job.  The ceiling in the photo will get a skim coat (they call it level five) so that it should be impeccably smooth – light from the clerestory windows will show any imperfections.  We finally decided on the paint colours and the painters are scheduled to start next Tuesday.  They will spray primer/sealer on all surfaces and then Brian will then do a final inspection and fix any imperfections.  They will then spray/roll all the ceilings and give the walls on the main floor two coats.  About 6 days in total.

Photo of the ensuite shower/bath area. The board is a special tile backer board. We have finally selected all the tile (except for the basement bathroom – that will come later) and the tilers start their work on May 13th!

This is a view of the rental house yard. The deer do not spook easily. They came under the fence in the background to munch on the grass. Hime is fascinated by them.

bought some cedar and spruce that will become 10′ posts and 16′ beams for the porches, eventually. Oyama sawmill stopped cutting several years ago and is selling off the wood they have stored in their warehouse. Really good prices. And really nice dry wood. Most cedar and fir timbers for sale is quite wet and would no doubt twist and turn if used before it dries, and it takes more than a year to dry.  These are 8″x8″ posts, and 10″x4″ beams.

I had a 10′ piece of culvert lying around so I decided to use it to widen the entrance to the driveway.  It will make it easier to come and go.  My neighbour Kevin was a great help in getting in place well and connected to the existing culvert. This photo shows it partially backfilled – thanks to the somewhat-trusty Bobcat.  I need another 4 or 5 buckets full of fill, and some large rocks for the upstream entry side.

Not a lot to report on the stucco. They have been at it for about 5 weeks but usually only one guy. I expect it will move faster now and be completed in about 2 to 3 weeks.  Have been using the time to select tile, paint colour and countertops, and to find someone to do the work. Have also been working on the driveway doing some widening and smoothing. The Bobcat’s bucket is getting rather worn down as I use it to back blade the drive and there is a lot of rock and rocks on the driveway.  The taper has just finished the garage and shop today (will sand tomorrow morning).  So we will be able to prime it on Wednesday.  Will soon be able to use it to make stuff and store stuff.  Bought a log splitter from Princess Auto a few days ago (great store, originated on Princess Avenue in Winnipeg) and am now shopping for a chain saw.

These are wild daisies, and they are all over. Really nice.

These are all Saskatoon berry bushes. We have more than 100 on the property. The berries are supposed to be quite good (not as good as those from Saskatchewan) – the bears apparently really like them as well.

We are in about week 3 of stucco.  Matt, sometimes joined by the owner Dave, has been putting on the tar paper ( 2 layers) and the wire for the past 3  weeks.  Involves a lot of scaffold.  Last week they started the scratch coat and it is about 1/2 done.  Three pallets of cement and 12 yards of sand have been delivered so far.  Fortunate that we were able to get the pressure tank installed early last week so that they have water to mix the mud.

Got the garage doors installed. We needed them as we need to heat the garage/shop for the taping of the drywall. One is operating and the other two are just standing up – they will have the tracks installed once the drywall is done. Doors are insulated to R12.

The drywall board installers finished up on Tuesday. More or less. Overall, they did a really good job. There are very few joints to tape as they ordered and used 8′, 9′, 10′, 12′ and 14′ boards. They did forget a few spots but we will remedy that easily. The taper started on Wednesday – lots of mud, tape and bead.

Here is Mizuho inspecting the drywall. We need to review all the electrical and place a final order for fixtures. Then we will be deciding the flooring, the paint and the tile. I will continue with some cedar siding, some grading and backfilling (although most can only be done after the scaffolding is removed), and sourcing some timbers and trim. Weather has been really good – sunny, warm and dry.