Winter 23

My big hope for Lena and me to be snowshoeing and skiing on the property, as well as seeing her happily ensconced in her studio by the time she retired, was quashed by the slow build. This being said, things have happened in a furious way at times during the major part of January into early February. Ski winter in Glengarry has come late and is rather insecure. A fair amount of snow, but a short period of ideal temperatures to produce proper snow conditions. A brief bit of backyard snowshoeing and a single ski on Mt. Royal is all I have managed so far. While working inside, I have watched a few nice days go by. So close and so far, but happy to be in a great winter spot, seeing the season at its best. And the work does goes on.

The cladding continued in the mild weather. Joe and James, with an occasional visit from Niki, worked on ladders, scaffolding and, finally, the genie lift to complete the vinyl, soffit and fascia. Early in January, they also assembled the deck. The results are fabulous. As unsure as I might occasionally be about the suitability of the inside dimensions, those of the deck are much what had been hoped for. So glad we pushed the garage forward to be flush with the front of the house thereby adding a foot to the width. Screened in, it will be a great summer spot.

As January rolled towards February, it was great to see things move towards completion.

At this time, the trades came in. The electricians and plumber spent a few days roughing in wires, electrical boxes, pipes and water lines. We even got two more working plugs. Even better, I booked a truck at Home Depot and brought back 3 toilets a hot water tank, the kitchen sink and a central vac to be installed over the next while. The garage heater in the basement, and the borrowed heater that Dennis brought, made both floors quite comfortable, even without insulation in the ceiling. The price to pay for this has been the Hydro bill — a sizeable $800 for the month. As, Dennis says, this is the cost of construction in the winter. The positive is that the house is looking and feeling more substantial and this makes me yearn even more to have it complete.

As the month of January drew to a close and February began, the activity has been steady. There were the inspections of the electricity and plumbing, air barrier, as well as the roof and framing. The first three passed, but the roof requires a bit more bracing, and the deck will be examined on the next visit to complete the latter. The truly exciting developments include the beginning of the roof insulation and the first foray into drywall. Dennis and I are handling the former, and brothers John and Richard are doing most of the latter. Real spaces and real warmth.

Though the third and fourth of February have bought the first real bite of winter — everyone took this -25C Friday off — we’ll get back to things after the weekend. In the meantime, the surroundings are displaying all the lovely qualities of the season.

Further into February, thee is more drywall. HVAC on the way — ducts, hydronic piping under the main floor and a boiler, hopefully. By March, with spring around the corner, the appliances arrive mid-month, and we may be talking about moving some stuff in from storage and the garage in the city.