Waltzing Matilda - Goodbye to a Family Member

We had to put our Australian Cattle Dog, Kiwi, to sleep yesterday afternoon after a long cancer battle. The vet was nice enough to do it in our backyard on our soft, fleece blanket while we held and comforted her.

She was an amazingly intelligent dog who travelled across the country with us many times and was a root part of our family. She started her life in California, but spent her last years in rural Pennsylvania, where she got to scratch her back in the sun, eat voles, trounce through the snow and frolic in the brisk autumn wind. She was loyal and obedient, but with attitude, and could always be counted on.

She was loved. She will be missed. She can never be replaced.

Kiwi

January, 1997 - October 22, 2008

Kiwi on the farm

Scratching her back in the sun with Newt


Kiwi and her sisters, yesterday

They broke the mold with Kiwi

Here's a Kiwi cartoon I made a few years ago that seems appropriate

The Push

The walnuts are falling, the leaves are changing color and the barn is nearing completion.

The last fortnight has been all about finishing things up. Painting, filling in drywall holes, getting cabinets in, finishing electric work, adding a stone driveway and a myriad of little things.

Next week we'll get the roof, our plumbing fixtures and even get our radiant floor heat operational. We have the movers booked for October 27th and 28th.

The driveway area is crushed stone, while we added topsoil and grass seed to the rest

Laurie's shower tile is finally all in


The wainscotting is up in Kattrina and Brian's bathroom and looks great


The leaves, they are a'changing


Scott gets his cherry bookshelves


Laurie's office begins to come together


The long-suffering kitchen lights at last find their home

Our new robotic guard dog from Honda

I'll take what's behind door #1

The front door has been installed.

Close up of front door hardware. The remaining details will be added soon.

Interior view of front door. The stain is absolutely beautiful in person.

Kitchen loft flooring is completely installed. View toward bedroom areas.

View toward deck. The future chimney for the cooking stove is framed out.

View of the great room from the kitchen loft.

Scott's vanity installed. Still waiting for countertop and some electrical work.

Laurie's room gets trim. We'll definitely be painting next weekend too.

Another view of Laurie's trim.

Lofty Expectations

There was a torrent of activity at the barn yesterday. Mike and Mario laid the subfloor for the kitchen loft and even got down about half of the cherry on top of it, all in a single day. Not bad.

Oscar was upstairs doing wonderful things with trim and Pablo was on float, helping whoever needed it. Duane was back and installing bathroom vanities while Noel was hard at the tile.

Overwhelmed by the warrior spirit, we spent the whole weekend at the barn painting doors and trim.

Mike calls for another cherry board in the kitchen loft


Scott's octopus finally gets its grouted border

Kattrina and Brian's quarter-sawn vanity is in


Scott's pocket door, one of the many painted this weekend

Shoe moulding goes up in the loft

The low window height gives the trim a nice look

The moulding continues down the 2nd floor hallway

The dishwasher sits proudy in its designated spot

Don't Drop The Soap(stone)

The soapstone countertops were installed in the kitchen yesterday and coated in mineral oil to bring out the beauty of the stone. Fun fact: fruit flies are attracted to mineral oil.

The wood flooring is being wrapped up in Scott's bedroom and will all be laid by the end of this week. Door casing and trim continues to be nailed in upstairs.

Epoxy grout was administered to the downstairs bathrooms and Scott's octopus is set to gets its mosaic border today. The slate in the foyer has been enhanced and grouted and the slate sill/ramp is ready for the front door to go in tomorrow.

Soapstone is impervious to kitchen stains and heat damage

The mineral oil has made the stone glossy, but time will turn it matte

Kattrina and Brian's bedroom is all floored

Scott's bedroom is the last to get hardwood


The door casing goes in upstairs

The foyer slate is enhanced to bring out its innate color

Scott's bathroom is grouted but for the border mosaic

The border mosaic is in the building

Kattrina and Brian's slate bathroom floor is grouted and enhanced