fireplace, propane tank, painting and Laquer on

This is cute Darren Mathews, Vicki's brother that has been sooooooooooo faithful to come here from his regular job of chinking, painting, caulking million dollar huge cabins in Bear Lake, Utah. He brought his own sprayer and other equipment, but most of all his great knowledge and experience to our round house. He just loved this log and ZOWIE, when he lacquered this log, what a beauty..... He hugged it and said, "oh, if only she was a woman". I laughed and took this photo. He painted all on the outside until it got tooooooo cold. Then he did a lovely cherry stain on all the windows and ledges. He took off the knoty Alder doors and took them to Vicki's resturant (that will be some other building when finished, someday)...and did all the 4 coats of laqure on these. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, soooooooooo lovely. THANK YOU DARREN.
Here is Darren with his working magic on my house.......and as I say frequently, "all with his left hand!"
OH WOW, before it got nasty weather, I had the 500 gallon propane take delivered. yep, cost BIG BUCKS to fill it, but I'll have a gas stove, hot water heater and furnace, so filled her up as well.
Sterling Petersen here is beginning to put in the outside pipe for our free standing VERY LOVELY Napolean real fireplace. It was starting to get cold all the time, so we got all motovated to get this hooked up.
Our truck decided NOT to work a few days before this event and so I had a pile of sand bags that were at the house I live in now.....went home and got these and emptied these out and then the gas guy laid the pipe after this. You can see Darren with his Perma Chink going over to help them with something.
ahhhhhhh, AHHHHHHHH, I can't tell you how much I love a real burning fireplace inside this home. This is such a beauty and puts out fantastic heat. We put a fan in back of the stove to bring out more of the heat faster. Darren suggest that "just for now'. I've sat and sat in front of this heater, yep, THINKIN AND THINKIN. Then brought up one of my recorders and played music for hourse as well.
I love this darling dog....this is Silent Bob, he Vicki's "construction dog"...and comes here not often enough.
This is Vicki's nephew and he was needed to help with putting the sand down before the propane gas tank came. sooooooooooo cute. age 13. He enjoyed working with his Uncle Darren.

Plumbing fiasco

It's quite a long story how this all came about, but because I don't want it ALL ON MY BLOG, I'll be short with it. Our house was "targeted" and "someone" who had a "beef" with someone else, called in the STATE plumbing inspector. He requested that I tear up the floor and he could "inspect it" and then have it all replaced. sad, but ture. Vicki and Aki used the international Plumbing code and checked everything. They had other building folks come and check it. All the houses that Vicki worked on in Nauvoo area NEVER had a state building inspector come. oh well. In fact, NO ONE on this street on all the houses that are built have had a state inspector. Illinois has a "higher code" and 4 inch pipe is required under the house....and other little nit picky things, but it's done. aloha, $1,600 for Joe the Plumber. and another amount that will go for the septic tank outside. What is done is done. Not going to keep crying over the beautiful cherry wood floors that were already done. sigh.
these have since been reinforced but not covered up yet. We're waiting for Sterling and Clark Petersen to return to this working site. They are wonderful workers and seem to know what to do without being asked. What a blessing they have been in building our house.
Vicki was so disgusted that all this had to be done. AGAIN...and in such a mess.
But for the record, I put it all down. Setbacks for building anything just happen.
Vicki and I got a "cool tool" that can cut into the remaining cherry wood, and somehow we'll be able to get some new cherrywood down after these holes are covered up. yep, it's all been inspected.
This was the worst tear up. what a mess. hrumph
And down the middle of the main "great circle room". just for 4 inch pipe.