The fun has begun

Renovation time. Well maybe.  We decided to have a larger patio area for entertaining installed, pour sidewalks, and a new driveway. The porch isn't all that small but it's getting crowded with wood, grill, chairs, table, etc so we decided to expand.
Now sidewalks we really need.                          

As you can see they're non-existent really. The flag stone was just thrown out on top of the dirt which was very had to walk on but with David’s help we can walk on it now.  David leveled the ground and then spread crushed granite and used the flag stone to line the sidewalks and flower beds. Only problem with the granite is it sticks to the bottom of shoes and no matter how much you wipe your feet before entering the house it's still all over the floors especially if it's wet out.    The week before Christmas the workers showed up and started laying out the patio area and framing. Yippee. Then we didn't see them again until after New Years.                                            

David decided to dig the trench for the new drain and water supply connections for the outdoor kitchen we hope to put in one day in the mean time. Well he sorta had help... And I don't mean the dog.  David had called it a night and was putting his tools away and when he came out of the garage  10 minutes later part of the end of the trench was filled with dirt. A gopher was tunneling and tunneled into the trench.  All I could think about was the gopher in the movie Caddy Shack. So far I haven't seen any gophers dancing but they are definitely tunneling around our yard. You can just barely see it in the picture but there was a perfect round hole at the end of the tunnel where the gopher had tunneled.

David dug out that dirt and by the next morning the silly gopher had filled the end of the trench with dirt and covered the hole. When he dug the trench along the garage for the conduit to run water and/or electrical and out popped the gopher. This time David came inside to get Pam and I so we could watch the gopher fill the trench. He popped his head out at least 3 times but very quickly.  He wasn't as cute as the Caddy Shack gopher. Oh well enough about gophers.

Our workers have been very sporadic. They have now poured the patio and have the frame work for the garage expansion and a small area between the porch and the driveway ready for concrete. We weren't sure when they planned on pouring the concrete but can't be soon enough. Apparently they've been trying to finish up another job so they can devote they're full attention to us. Faster boys I'm impatient. Anyway Monday afternoon 2 workers showed up with a trailer with wood and cedar post. What does this mean I'm thinking?...
The construction supervisor said they had finished up the other job and they would be starting our cover Tuesday. YIPPEE........... excitement was short lived. Woke up to Rain but as soon as it cleared up that day the workers demolished the old walkway cover.

Wednesday they set the cedar posts for the columns to hold up the new roof that will cover the new patio area and did some framing.       

When I got home yesterday they had done some more frame work and they poured the concrete in the area at the end of the porch and the garage expansion. I can't wait to see what they complete today. The driveway widening and redo will be the very last thing they do.

One last picture to share and that's a family picture celebrating our 1st Christmas and New Years in our new home.

 

 Until next blog.....Never let yesterday use up too much of today. ~Will Rogers~