It has been a while since I last posted and there have been lots of changes inside and outside the Espatch.

First, my website has had a major update and is now sporting a brand-spanking-new Effectus Skin on top of the latest Thesis and WordPress software.

“Ah the sheer luxury!”

Oh yes, oh yes, even my comment fields are now working…mind blowing I know!

Outside there has been lots of odd happenings of late.

It all seemed to start when an eerie dense fog descended around mid January.

Shortly after, major domestic appliances started to materialize in random locations around our back garden.

Then rather large mounds of debris started to pile up.

Hmm, that pile looks a lot like something I would make…except I didn’t.

Then I went out the back to do some laundry, and well something just felt a little ‘different’.

I hate washing clothes at the best of times, but traversing exposed beams whilst straddling exposed nails and carrying a significant basket of laundry…well, luck will not be on your side for long.

Our remodel had finally begun.

Not a big remodel I must add, just a significant one, one that would test our resolve, one that would define who we were.

“Having fun yet kids”?

Things got very dusty,

and very cold.

Answering the front door has become a comedic athletic event,

as is using the restroom.

In hindsight the blue tarp was actually relative luxury compared to what we currently have.

The plastic tarp got replaced with some loud rustling paper nonsense that constantly needs to be repaired and taped up.

I have to adopt a Gollum-esk gate to enter and exit the facility at night so as not to wake everyone. I have noticed that I adopt a very similar facial expression whilst performing this maneuver.

I am not bovvered though?

No, In fact I am really excited.

We are to gain another small bedroom and toilet with this remodel, replace and fix a crappy leaking roof, move our living room and create a new dining room space.

All this from just enclosing our existing tiny porch and redesigning the interior layout on the inside to be more functional!

Existing porch and partial roof removal in progress.

Before we started the remodel I had a dream that rain was pouring through our roof.

The removal of some very questionable insulation walls?

New foundation in place. This back wall will also be demolished.

Must remember about that drop off when I let the dog out at night.

New floor in place, this will become the new interior footprint.

Taking shape. Getting ready for windows and a new back door.

New roof in place.

Sadly the right half of this mountain laurel has to go to make room for a landing platform from the new back door. I have been pruning this tree into shape for years!

Oh well.

Out with the old hook saw!

Yes, well, er…lets not dwell on this.

New interior layout getting framed out. That is the irritating rustling paper restroom I was talking about earlier.

Windows!

“Use your legs!”

As a new deck will be constructed off the back door all the existing Elgin Butler bricks in the existing brick / concrete patio needed to be removed and re-purposed.

It felt good to get all that concrete out of the ground. This patio has caused drainage issues since we purchased the house in 2001.

And I have just the spot for all those bricks…

I still have a few more perimeter brick circles to go to finish this fire pit area.

No concrete here.

Backdoor and windows going in.

More on this project in my next post.

Stay Tuned For:

“Monster in the Closet”