GNC Project Final weeks

Its been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted anything about the GNC (Garden House).

A couple of those weekends we stayed in the city so we didn’t go up north to the lake. The last time we went up to the lake I was working on the building and some other things, but the pace has slowed down considerably. Mostly there are little things left, and while they have to be finished they really are not obvious to see by looking at a picture.

Some of the little things I worked on two weekends ago are: The deck required more screws. When I put down the deck boards I didn’t put in all the screws so I could go faster. Well now all the screws are in and its ready for a Minnesota winter. Caulking and bits of staining and 2nd coats occupied some of the time as well. I was going over all the staining twice, and making sure that everything was sealed and caulked to keep out moisture and insects.

The garage was a mess from the building process. As we worked on the garden house we just piled stuff in the garage. Part of our weekend was cleaning up the garage so it was livable again. Sorting out the lumber scraps that are left and getting them in a pile to burn. Margaret will have a good fire burning in the next couple of weeks.

One thing we discovered is that the hot tub is really high. Poor Margaret’s legs are short and she can’t step over the tub wall from the floor, so we will have to make a step. Here you see me building a small step from some of the scrap wood so Margaret doesn't fall getting in or out of the tub.

Here is the step finished and sanded, but not yet stained as we check out the function and height of the step next to the tub. The first try was a little unstable. I had to widen the feet, but all is well now.

After solving the stability problem stain is now applied and the step matches the tub and the building.

Saturday ended with happy hour down on the dock. A quick picture snapped one handed by me results in a strange smile from Margaret.

With the pressure off and the building mostly complete a few otherwise ignored and put off jobs usually accomplished in the summer were taken care of between details on the garden shed. Such as disposing of the dead trees here and there in the woods on our property.

Of course dead trees require the “Great Stumpman”

Normally I would edit the movies so you don’t see all the miss queued stuff and trash, but the end of the previous video has a bit of a story. You see the world famous videographer that was taking the video of the tree cutting wasn’t paying a lot of attention to where the tree was going to fall and all the action at the end was the videographer (Margaret) running to get out of the way before the tree falls on her. My she sure can move fast when she wants to..

Back on the topic of the pressure is off, and taking care of details here and there leaves time for… Well lets just say all the time lately hasn’t been spent on working.

The Next Weekend

One of the things we learned making the room for the hot tub was that it is really nice having windows looking out over the woods in the back of the Garden House. So after a brief discussion over the week while in the city at work, we decided to put one more window in the back of the original shed before calling the project done.

During the week I procured a few supplies from Menards and we arrived a the lake this weekend with the parts we need to put in a new window in the back corner of the Garden House.

Friday night after arriving in 90 degree weather I pulled the inside panels off the wall where the window was going to go to see if there was any issues such as wiring to deal with.

It looks like everything will be good. I just need a few pieces of wood from the lumber company in Park Rapids in the morning and we are good to go. No drive to Bemidji on Saturday morning to Home Depot will be required.

Saturday morning after a few 2x4’s were acquired locally the roughed in frame it is ready to go.

Now we only need to cut the half log siding and sheeting on the outside for the window to fit into.

Margaret the world famous videographer braves the flying sawdust, the noise and the danger to record for history the opening of the window into the garden house.

The roughed in opening is now ready for the window,

The finished window a couple of hours later with trim and accompanying stained glass hanging.

That still leaves another piece of stained glass to hang in the sliding door of the hot tub room. So up it goes. It seems like it has found a permanent home.

On one of my trips to the lumber company a few weeks ago I bought a couple of solar garden lights for Margaret as a present. Well that turns out to be a mistake because now Margaret has discovered solar lighting in a big way!

Solar lights are now popping up all over our lot, like mushrooms growing after a spring rain!

There here in the garden now!

On both sides of the deck, out front by the driveway, and in front of the Garden House

For a few hours after sundown you can wander around our yard and its almost like downtown

An update on our problems with paddle boats crashing on the rocks! I’m happy to report that since Margaret placed the light house on our waterfront we have not had a single water craft crash! (Come to think about it we didn't before either.)

Enjoy your Summer they are such sweet things!