Massive

Wow! Although the work has just begun, I can tell I am going to love my new deck. Good progress today. There is a massive amount of lumber--the effect is massive compared to the old railings.

As you would expect, the deck is being built of treated wood. According to the guy at the order desk at the lumber yard, the wood needs to cure for about six weeks before it is stained or painted. Timing is everything. The deck needs to be completted in the next week to ensure that it can be painted by October.

The Third Rail

The old railing on the old deck is coming down. The heat has abated some and the work is progressing nicely. A pry bar, a T-square, a sledge hammer, a carpenter's pencil: Everyone wants to come to the party.

Cement Cylinders

Yesterday was a day of progress. The Moonlady Ravine now has two cement cylinders, drying, curing, deep in the ground, soon to become the foundation for the deck extension.

Last night, a subcontractor was identified to do the tiling and plumbing in the guest cottage. He is scheduled to come out on Monday morning to see the job and make a bid to do the work. I so hope that we can come to an agreement and that he can get the work underway right away.

In the meantime, we must endure one more excruciatingly hot and muggy day. Fortunately, the general contractor is committed to making progress on the project despite the weather. Today he is planning to remove the railing on the original deck and preparing it for its new look. I will head into town to seek a refund for the two eighty pound bags of cement in the back of my Jeep.

The Wood Is On Its Way

The wood for the deck extension and new stairs has been ordered and paid for. It will be delivered on Thursday afternoon. For optimal adhesion, the deck can't be painted until six weeks after it is built. Given that, there is every reason to build it as soon as possible.

I am very excited about this particular improvement. It will be one of the showier aspects of the extreme makeover.

FAMOUS Pedestal Sink III

The contractor off-loaded the FAMOUS Pedestal Sink from my Jeep and lugged it into the guest cottage. Yes, it is a little too big, but we are going to make it work. It is very special piece and will work out well even though it will dominate the tiny bathroom. As appropriate, the FAMOUS Pedestal Sink will own its own space.

FAMOUS Pedestal Sink Update

This morning I drove to DC to fetch my FAMOUS pedestal sink. It is amazing. The photos I posted don't begin to do it justice. It is truly a work of art. James and Hilda, the former owners, gave me a photocopy of the Washington Post article featuring my FAMOUS pedestal sink that indicated that its price in 1994 was $4000.

I love it. However, it is rather large. I hope, hope, hope it will be suitable nonethelss for the tiny bathroom in my guest cottage.

The Makeover Continues

Sometimes, even if it doesn't make sense, even if arguably it is to your detriment, you must push through to achieve your vision. While it is possible to be a visionary even if you fail, it is unlikely that you will be known as a visionary unless you are able to bring your vision into action.

So, the work here will continue on Monday. It has to be completed by October 1. The contracter has indicated that he will do what is necessary to meet the deadline. My vision for the Moonlady Ravine will be achieved.

A FAMOUS Pedestal Sink

I am now the proud owner of a "famous" pedestal sink. Famous because some years back it was featured in an article in the Washington Post. The sink will soon call the Moonlady Ravine home, although I haven't yet decided exactly where to install it. Perhaps it will go in the guest cottage or maybe it will become a bird bath. Either way, it is just the kind of quirky art object that should be celebrated here.

Valerie Spotted

Valerie the turtle, defying all odds, has apparently decided to stick around here at the Moonlady Ravine. She is quite welcome, of course. I hope she continues to find everything to her liking.

Never Chili in the Summer

Although it isn't really a summer dish, I am making a huge pot of chili today. I started with a pound and a half of really lean beef (Laura's) purchased on sale at Safeway. I browned the beef along with two, huge onions, chopped. Then I added chopped celery and red bell pepper. When the beef was fully cooked and the vegetables were caramelized and softened, I stirred in generous amounts of roasted garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Finally I added homecooked pinto beans from the freezer, a can of corn, a large can of tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce, a quart of water, and six cubes of beef boullion. I will let the chili simmer all afternoon; it will be delicious.

This Is Not a Turtle Blog

This is not a Turtle Blog, but I wanted you to meet Valerie, the turtle, nonetheless. Here is a photo of her taken today during her brief visit to the Moonlady Ravine.

One predictable outcome of damp weather here in the mountains is seeing box turtles crossing the road--perhaps to hunt for earthworms. When a box turtle is spotted, it has been the practice here to capture the turtle, name the turtle, admire the turtle, photograph the turtle, and release the turtle. That practice continued today with the capture of Valerie.

After approximately one hour of captivity, Valerie was released at the Moonlady Ravine and invited to stay. Like many others before her, she didn't appear to accept the invitation.

Quick Update

Dead branches were removed from my favorite tree. The gutters were cleaned. (Yes, only a few months late.) Most importantly, there was a meeting of the minds on the plans for the deck. It was a day of good progress towards the Extreme Makeover.

Garlic's Last Chance

The huge bag of garlic that I bought several months ago was at the very end of its usefulness. So, I peeled all of the cloves, cut off the sprouts and brown spots, and oven roasted them in olive oil. Now I have delicious roasted garlic spread and no more guilt about the garlic.

Assisting me in this task was a nifty little tool that I purchased at a cookware store in the downtown mall in Ithacca, New York. All it is is a short, flexible plastic tube. You put several cloves in the tube, grind down on it with the full weight of your hand, and then easily remove the paper shells. When I first saw this gadget demonstrated on a television cooking show I thought it was incredibly silly. I was wrong, however, because it works out really well. It also comes with a fond memory of my visit to Ithacca.

Morphing Into a Food Blog?

For months I have been eyeing the HUGE chocolate layer cakes at Costco. So big, so dark, and presumably so delicious. A great tempation for sure, but on my best rationalizing day there was no way I could justify buying myself one. Still, the large cake loomed large in my imagination.

Yesterday, to my delight, the Costco bakery was serving up samples of my fantasy cake. I helped myself to a little chunk nestled in a fluted paper nut cup. And. the cake was good; it almost lived up to my fantasy. I told the employee who was passing out cake samples that I would like to buy one, but since I live alone, buying one was out of the question. She remarked that I could slice the cake and freeze the slices, permitting me to eat the cake over a period of time. I told her that the problem with that is that I (one person) would still be eating the entire giagantic cake. She appeared shocked at that thought and exclaimed, "No you wouldn't!", still thinking that I was talking about eating it in one setting. I somehow couldn't make her understand the point--whether I portioned it out in a reasonable manner or sucked it down in a carb craving craze--either way, I would be eating the entire gigantic cake.

Actually, the sample was enough to satisfy my cake fantasy. For now.

Sunday Lunch

So here is what is planned: A big salad with iceburg mix, spring onioons, sliced salad turnips and French breakfast radishes, chopped tomato, smoked turkey, blue cheese, and a few raisins thrown in. It will be tossed with a homemade peach vinegrette. For dessert, cantaloupe.

Progress?

The loud intrusive noise of nearby construction is interfering with an otherwise peaceful holiday weekend. The Moonlady Ravine is private and secluded and in the progress of becoming less so. While this turn of events was somewhar predictable, it saddens and worries me.

A Turkey for Your Thoughts

At the Safeway store in sleepy, little Middleburg it is usual for me to encounter bargains. Recently I had the opportunity to buy three fully cooked Butterball smoked turkeys for about five dollars each. The butcher told me that the frozen turkeys were marked down because they were "tired of having to inventory them every week." Now I must acknowledge that a whole turkey is quite a lot of turkey for a woman living alone. And three times a whole turkey is...well, a lot of turkey.

Today, I dealt with turkey #2, which had been thawing slowly in my refrigerator. I sliced the breast to use in salads. I chopped the dark meat to use in a turkey salad spread. I wrapped the legs and wings individually and re-froze them; I will use them to flavor bean soups and greens. Finally, I used the bones and the remaining meat to make stock, adding a little vinegar to leech the calcium from the bones. A lot of work, but worth it.

This is the same Safeway store where Elizabeth Taylor shopped when she was married to Virginia Senator John Warner. I wonder if she ever bought a smoked turkey.

She Retired; They Are Fired

Yes, it is a slow day at the Moonlady Ravine, but it has been a day of changes nonetheless. My favorite Supreme announced her retirement. And there was another change in employment status which effects my life more directly. My CSA farmers sent me an email to say that they had been fired unexpectedly.

Although I don't know the details or reason for their termination, the professional farmers (a couple, expecting a baby due in August) made the whole farm share experience delightful. They were obviously very invested in improving the farm and kept us informed of their impressive progress. The vegetables they produced for us were gorgeous to look at and delicious to eat.

The farm goes on, but what a loss to all of us.

Slow Day at the Ravine

No improvements today. My contractor and I are re-evaluating past plans and trying to determine whether to make extensive changes to the exterior of my house or to leave that for another season --and another contractor. Funny how a home can be analogous to a life.