Friday, May 13, 2011

Building progress-- May 12, 2011

The weather has been amazingly good this spring for the construction of the shop. It has been mostly in the 50s- to lower 60s, not too much wind and lots of glorious sunshine! Doesn't get much better than that at breakup in Alaska!!
 The tresses have all been built, and are up over the apt. area of the shop. The floorboard is down on the 2nd floor.

 It's coming together.
 The floor creates a nice workspace for building tresses. We have a lot of space there!
 The "view from the top" is great according to Dallas and Kevin. I think we should put a deck up there, personally. A hot tub would be grand, too.
 Kevin, Sam, Keith and Rod..They look like this is way too much fun to call work!?
 Kelly really hard at work.
 The "Minds" at work......
 These guys always "smile pretty" for me ..
Kevin loves me to take pictures of him...

Friday, May 6, 2011

You Did It Stewie!!!

 Stewie walking up to accept his diploma. He graduated from Kenai Peninsula College,
 a satellite college of UAA (University of Alaska)
 He got it!! There were only 3 students who received both Process Technology and 
Instrumentation degrees. Way to Go Stewie.
 Me and my "Baby" Brother
We've had a great time having him in Alaska with us the last couple of years. We hope he'll be around up here for years to come.
 Dallas and Rod with their "twiner" flat-caps.
 Even the "boys" got to quit early and go to Stewies Grad, and out to dinner.
It was a nice change. Don , Aud and kids came to grad, but opted to go home instead of dinner, since it was a school nite. 

We went out to Dinner after Graduation. Out of everything on the menu, he only wanted Hawaiian pizza

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Another Step....

One giant garage door up, two small ones to go. Dallas , Kevin and Sam figuring it out.
The days here have been unbelievably beautiful the past 2 weeks during the framing process.
 Lots of sunshine, temps 40-60's. Makes working
outside much more enjoyable.
View of all the walls framed from the hill the main house will set on.

All the walls are up now. Way to go building crew!!
Two small garage doors and  one giant drive thru.



Look!! The first bit of green on the Peninsula! Found in the forrest on the building property.
I do believe we have "Break Up".   

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Framing the Shop

The "Project" is moving along nicely. The framing will hopefully be done by next weekend. Its great to watch it growing. Of course we do have quite a crew on hand to help out, and it's always a "good time" with Rods brothers around!



"Doc" surveying the days work after his day of work.
He was very pleased, by the way.


The building crew....
Rod, Sam, Dallas, Keith, Kelly, Kevin, and Stewie.
Stewie playing in the bobcat working on the dirt work around the building.
This guy's good. My daddy taught him well!!

Today one of our good friends and neighbors  brought a grill over and grilled moose burgers for the crew. Thanks Don Adams.
And the other day another friend/neighbor Jeff Anderson brought yummy fudge for a treat.

Several other friends have shown up to help with cement, and whatever along the way. We have good friends up here.
'Cowboy Sam" all geared up

The "Doc " took time away from the office to pop in and help out with some of the construction!!

How many men does it take to hold up a very tall framed wall????

The main floor of the apts are framed, as is the "meat processing" room.
The days in Alaska have been beautiful.







Kevin Chadburn (Jamie's husband) has been a great help with the building. He knows his stuff.

The "Bosses" checking out the work



Keith working his stuff!

The last wall put up today.
It is 16 ft high, 20 ft. wide. It will be a drive thru bay for the shop. Nice, eh

This was all kinds of fun to lift into place. Addi six "muscle men" and a viola!...you have a wall.


Kelly hard at work

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

THE "FAMILY" BUILDING PROJECT

Looking toward the street from on the property.
Keith and Kelly reunited!!

As many of you may have heard, we have started a "building project". We have purchased a lovely lot with a nice view of the mountains around Homer and the Caribou Hills, some 40-80 miles away, and have started building the first phase, a shop/ with 2 apartments in one end. Dallas & Melany and Rod & I will live in the apts while we build homes later.

The building is 50'X70', two stories tall, and will contain two apartments, a fish/meat processing room, a walk in freezer and cooler (Those of you who have been up here fishing/processing with us in years past will appreciate this little addition. I know I will!!!. There will be work rooms, tool rooms, food storage rooms and a high ceiling drive thru bay with garage doors on both sides for working on big equipment like boats, RV's and such. It will be a Great Shop. I will have a car garage now that won't include snowmachines, 4-wheelers, trailers and various vehicles that need to be worked on!
Road Stewie built going into the property
The "Bosses" consulting. Dallas & Rod
Happy to be here!
Smooth moves from Dallas
Looking toward the "shop/apartments during the construction . Forming the foundations/stem walls, and getting the floor work ready for the cement.
Stewie playing on the bobcat. He's actually working, but he makes it look like play!
Stewie and Sam
Rod supervising the construction crew!
Looking back toward where the house will set (where the truck & trailer is).
The Happy crew, taking a small break

Looking toward the back of the property from the street view
Keith and Jared Thomas working the cement

The backhoe Stewie used to clear the land, dig footings etc. Notice our first visitor, a young moose beneath the bucket helping himself to some tender branches left over from the excavation.



My brother Stewie Dave has been doing the dirt work, Septic, Water lines and digging the foundations as well as driveways into and out of the lot.
Rods brother Dallas has moved up and is the construction Supervisor. He is an Electrician and General Contractor. Keith and Sam (Dallas' youngest son) joined us next, then Keith's twin brother Kelly came up last week, who is helping with concrete and will do our plumbing, (He's a plumbing contractor) and they love digging trenches, building forms, shoveling dirt and pouring concrete!!! Kelly and Keith are having quite a time visiting, they were very close as children, being identical twins, but they live several hundred miles apart. With families and work they just don't get a lot of opportunity to work together.
Tomorrow they'll start standing up the walls! Pretty exciting, should go fast now, at least it will seem like a lot of visible progress for a while. We'll continue to take more photographic evidence of the coming progress.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Oh, Canada, how Long you are

So, this week I went to North Pole to help Jenny and Garry move to Spokane, Wa. They are being transferred there with the military. After finally finding enough banks to exchange some American money for Canadian, and after a two foot snow fall in North Pole, we finally got underway. Skies were blue, roads good,and we sailed along. At the border we ask the " friendly" clerk if she knew what the weather was like up ahead...She replied, " I don't know, you'll find out when you get there!!"
The kids have been great, baby Ellie even better. Beautiful landscapes. The first nite we stayed in a cute little cabins at "Buckshot Bettys"!.
Great service with home cooking. The second nite we hit some snow and finally found one very small room, which we were very grateful for, at a place called Johnsons Crossing. I've traveled the Alaska Highway many times in the last 16 years, and all I can say is the road goes on and on....forever!
No pics now, maybe later..

Monday, February 14, 2011


Thanks Rod, I Love you.


Tonight my Sweetheart of 35 years surprised me with my favorite
Flowers.. Yellow Roses. He gave them to me 35 years ago after only
1 date, after I had eye surgery. The roses were the first thing I saw when
I opened my eyes. Yes, he did win my heart forever.


Nestled among the yellow roses are a half a dozen roses of varied colors.
My baby brother, Stewie (I know he's not a baby anymore) brought
me this afternoon. Thanks Dave, your a great brother.


I have a Great Family!

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