Windows!

For weeks, my main concern was closing off the house before the weather got bad — Eastern Canadian bad. We’re far from the former and closer to the latter all the time. Driving has become even more surreal than ever. Daily hour plus commutes ending in big city rush hour now have a night time dream quality. Though I thought this might cause more anxiety, it hasn’t quite, or at least, not as I expected. There is a way where the darkness mellows and almost lulls you into a more relaxed state, which, when you think about it, is almost more alarming. One way or another, I will be glad when the commute disappears.

Windows are a big part of the closing puzzle, along with doors, including those for the garage, soffit and concrete floors. Windows and doors add other dimensions of concern. Having these lie around is a recipe for anxiety. They’re expensive. They’re a complete item, something appealing to thieves. They have a certain fragility and they are heavy — the big ones, unspeakably so. What to do? Curtails your sleep. I later found out that I was not the only one afflicted in this way: Dennis and Robbie both spent some late night time thinking things thru. In realizing this, and the actual labour involved in installing them, I confessed to Dennis that I was embarrassed that others had to pay for my vanity. The windows arrived on Monday, November 7th. Tuesday, Wednesday, and especially Thursday were a romp I will not soon forget.

As winter has approached, Tuesday and Wednesday have become curling days for Dennis. Something he enjoys a lot, not just for the game, but also the responsibility of being part of the ice maintenance crew. He usually shows up in the afternoon, which he did on Tuesday with brother Mike. We got to work immediately and installed the “low hanging fruit”. This included the two fairly large garage windows. From there, 4 of five smaller windows on the basement floor were put in place. One remained to do because the [buck] frame had been built too small. Mercifully, it was a fairly easy fix: replace the 1-1/2 inch sides with 3/4 inch boards.

Remarkably, there was also time for the main floor, ensuite window. Mike impressively went up the ladder as I held it. He took the window from Dennis on the inside, and somehow managed to balance himself and the piece while placing it in position. Much respect for the man! With this, the first day saw a total of 7 windows installed. Great stuff, but the main challenges were yet to come.

On Wednesday, post curling, Dennis and Mike were back and Robbie joined us. With the extra help we were able to install the two large windows in the basement. Heavy, unwieldy over rough terrain, a fearful thing to do, but it worked.

It was at this point that Robbie told us about his thinking on the upper windows. We had thought we would use the scaffolding that was there for the roof, just bring it in a little closer. What Robbie had in mind was to move it and bring in a scissors lift. It could be a bit difficult to get the windows into the lift, but it was certainly a good way to get it up to the second storey. While presenting us with this idea, Dennis was doing his own thinking.

For the rest of afternoon, Mike, Dennis and I were able to put in the 2 corner windows and things started to look pretty good.

What was left come Thursday were the largest windows in the most precarious locations: the kitchen and the three at the back, second storey. Dennis’s thinking — his plan — involved more hands. So, he asked two more brothers, Richard and John to join. They did. Mike’s friend, DJ MacDonald, also came along. We were 7, including 4 French Canadian brothers, 1 nephew and a Scot. With mongrel me in the minority, you can hardly have a more typical Glengarry moment. Perhaps, even more demographically à propos, four of us were either over, or pushing, 70. The other three clocked in at early sixties, 55 and 46. Windows, hardly a young man’s game. Still, it made for a formidable crew, with Dennis and Richard doing the inside work — preparing and attaching brackets to windows. The rest were preparing things outside — removing the scaffolding and putting the scissors lift in place. This latter entailed a bit of drama.

The lift doesn’t have independent suspension. Dave did a great job of levelling out the east side of the house, but below the corner, things get pretty rough. While turning into place, the lift tilted and one of the drive wheels dug into soft earth, and the other was dangling in the air. No movement, just spinning. The solution came out of years of experience. Shovels, planks and 5 guys climbing onto the lift and applied their weight to get traction. Dennis went one step further and stood on the wheel while Robbie moved the vehicle slowly. Bit by bit it worked, and the lift was positioned for the first window. Brilliant.

The windows part of the closing process is done. Doors and cement floors are next, especially the garage floor. With its doors installed, the garage can be used for storage, including the soffit, flat stock for fascia and siding. Well, this is the plan, at least.

A week later and the weather is stalled in early winter pattern. Hovering around zero, sometimes a nasty windchill, sometimes a bit of sun. Wearing multiple layers, lined pants and a serious tuque, occasionally shivering while Dennis is still in the same jacket and baseball cap he wore in mid-October, looking quite at ease. Nonetheless, while shovelling gravel, first in the garage, then the basement, I warmed up rather nicely and remembered how much I like being outside at this time of year.

The time has been productive, Dennis compacted the gravel in the garage, we set up a chalk line to identify the concrete level and blocked off the front so that the cement would stay inside. Very good, news: it appears that we have a date with Popcorn for the pour and level this week. In all good hope….. Finally, we chalk lined the divisions on the main floor, prepped for raising the divisions. Not bad for late fall.