Construction: Weeks 6, 7 and 8

These were three more big and periodically overwhelming weeks. 

Week 6

Progress continued to be rapid in Week 6, with the cabin quickly getting sheathed and wrapped, in time for a couple of stormy days.  

All closed in. Photo courtesy of Anckaert Built. 

That's a wrap! Photo courtesy of Anckaert Built.

Week 6 ended on a bumpy note. The locks I'd purchased for the doors didn't fit in the holes that had been drilled in the doors. I had failed to specify the size of the holes when I ordered the doors, so they had reverted to the default size, which I didn't realize would be different from the holes in the door of my shed. So, when I bought the same kind of locks, they didn't fit. 

I admit that I had a meltdown that day, in the parking lot of the Superstore in Bridgewater. Not very fun, or pretty to look at. Often, it is difficult for me to make mistakes or feel like I am out of my depth. And there has been more than enough of that in this project. The learning curve is steep. The problem with the locks was not high stakes, but it felt that way to me on that Friday afternoon.

Fortunately, I keep learning how to ride my own emotions more gracefully. And after talking with people in every hardware store in town, none of whom seemed to have the least clue about how locks are installed or what the measurements on the packaging referred to, I felt quite a bit better. I mean, if it's part of their job and they don't know, it seems more than fair that I don't know either. 

On Saturday, in my absence, the slab contractors came back and added styrofoam to the outside edges of the slab. I would have liked the styrofoam to extend a little further down – I plan to correct that when I add the insulation "skirt" to the building. 

Week 7

The beginning of Week 7 felt about the same as the end of week 6. I came over on Monday morning with new sets of locks and doorknobs, but I wasn't able to install them, because the doors needed to be prepped first and that lies a bit too far beyond my skill set and comfort zone.

The crew wasn't on site that day because of the rain, rain that came with high winds that later on blew a tree down on the power line that runs from the road to my shed:

So, there was no power on site Tuesday morning, which meant that the crew were only able to work a half-day until the batteries wore down on their tools. 

On the plus side, they were able to use some of that time get the locks installed, so my house is now lockable. 

Two more keys to add to my strangely large (and strangely beloved) ring of keys.

I came over in the afternoon on Tuesday and hung around waiting for the power company crew to show up and fix the lines. Fortunately, it was warm enough that I could sit outside and do deskwork most of the afternoon.

Expected restoration time for my power was 3pm, then updated to 6pm. Shortly before 6 pm, the forestry crew showed up and deftly cut the tree off the lines, bless them. My restoration time was updated to 9pm and I went home.

Before I went to bed, my restoration time had been updated to 11pm. I was afraid that it was going to keep getting pushed back into the next day, but fortunately, in the morning, power had been restored and work could resume at full tilt. 

For the construction crew, Week 7 was all about strapping and adding trim. I didn't come back to the site until Friday afternoon. 

The Heart of this project

As I got out of my car, I was struck by the delicious smell of The Crooked Wood. I had parked in the turnout to keep the driveway clear for the other folks on site. So, I strolled down the driveway and was greeted by the sound of music and banter and the sight of the crew working cheerfully and efficiently. I have a huge sense of gratitude for all of the good energy that I feel is being infused into my home, with each board and nail, each piece of siding and sheet of metal. 

My tiny house was converted by a very good-hearted person; I feel that energy all the time when I'm in Wholehearted House. I knew it was important to me to have good-hearted people work on my permanent home, too. 

• • • 

I spent the afternoon of that last Friday of Week 7 sanding down the door that I bought on Kijiji which is going to be hung, barn-door style, at the entrance to the bathroom. I love this door – with a single pane of textured glass, it reminds me of a door to a private investigator's office in a typical noir film from the 40s. 

Sanding is relaxing.

I love how distressed this big ol' monster is. 

In addition to the work that can be seen happening in these photos, I was also trying to figure out solutions and get estimates for work on digging the well and septic system. There are a lot of challenges there, many of which I'm still working through. There were moments when I felt extremely frustrated with red tape and with people not getting back to me.

The cabin at the end of Week 7

A little autumn beauty spot in #TheCrookedWood. I love how oak trees are among the last to lose their leaves. 

Naked maple

Week 8 went somewhat more smoothly. There was more progress and the crew were able to start putting the siding on the exterior. There were also more rain days, and for me, more frustration trying to nail down the situation with the well and septic. But there were no more downed power lines! And I call that an improvement!

I wasn't on-site much myself during Week 8. I had desk work to do and it has gotten too cold for me to sit still and work on the site. And, there wasn't much I could contribute by being there, so I mostly kept out of the way.

The plumber came and did the behind-the-walls plumbing.

I imagine most people don't find this kind of infrastructure beautiful, but I do. It's so neat and orderly and enables me to envision what the finished bathroom is going to look like.

And, here's the exterior of the house at the end of Week 8. 

My outdoor tap in the foreground <3

Looking good! I don't want to tempt the fates by saying this, but I think I might be halfway through... 

The Driveway Completed (A Tiny Home/Land Development Report)

What a week this has been! It's amazing how quickly things can happen sometimes!

My driveway entrance

I have felt this to be a rollercoaster week emotionally. I was elated on Monday – so excited about work beginning on the driveway sooner than I had hoped.

Around the gentle curve...

I was advised to install one culvert to manage water
through the "dip" in my driveway

I felt frustrated and aggravated on Tuesday and Wednesday, because my volume of desk work was very heavy and I had to stay in my home office, ploughing through work, when all I wanted to do was go out to my land and watch the bulldozer and dump truck do their thing.

But, I consoled myself with the thought that I need all the desk work I can get in order to pay for the work being done on my land. It's the age-old Catch-22 of time but no money, or money but no time. And since working for money is vital to this land-development process – while sitting out there watching wouldn't contribute anything – it was a no-brainer where I needed to be. Even if my inner-four-year-old did spend a little bit of time whining about wanting to go see the big machines in action.

A call out on Facebook for photos from neighbouring friends resulted in two different people sending me pictures of the work done on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Those photos, and the kindness of the people who sent them to me, soothed my soul.

My clearing, facing the sun and the
jeez-I-hope-I-don't-have-to-cut-down-that–maple.

My clearing, facing back out
toward the un-driveway

Yesterday, I was so excited, I actually forgot it was market day and missed the Lunenburg Farmer's Market for the very first time since I started living in Lunenburg for the winter.

Happily, I was able to get out to my land for about an hour, in time to watch (and enjoy) the process of digging the septic system test pit. I can't remember ever having been that excited about a hole in the ground.

The backhoe dug a deep hole (big rocks! very cool) and the engineer had a good look at my dirt. Sandy loam was the verdict – very auspicious soil for a septic system. The topography is also favourable for a less-expensive gravity-fed system. We discussed the best site for the house, too, and I believe I have settled on a location that means I won't have to cut down the beautiful old maple tree in the middle of my clearing. All in all, an excellent day.

The septic test pit

And, the driveway is now completely done! My contractor had predicted five days, but finished in four. All that's left to do is run a cheque up to his house today or Monday. 

A number of people have warned me that everything about this project will probably take longer than expected and cost more than I thought, but so far so good! Buying the land proceeded ahead of schedule, cutting trees went more quickly (and was less expensive) than I thought it would be and the driveway too is completed earlier than I thought and didn't cost as much as I feared (although it's not small change, I feel like I paid a fair price for the work done).

This feels like a big milestone to reach. I don't know why it should be so, but the land looks and feels more "open" now that there's a road instead of just a lumber-strewn cutting.

I am one year into this process. I hope it's going to be only three years in total before I am all set up. Because I like graphs and stuff, here is a proposed timeline:

My next two big tasks are to establish my garden and to move my tiny home from West Dublin to Crousetown. Stay tuned for all the news!

(Now back to work for me! I have never seen such a busy April! The VERSE is throwing whacks of work my way, which is very helpful and for which I am very grateful!)