Sheetrock

The sheetrockers have started their work. The crew came from Phoenix and thought we had power so they didn't bring a generator.....big mistake.

They had to go back to Phoenix and get a generator as Pat's died and needs a new motor. No electricity is becoming a bigger pain in the neck.

What can I say....sheetrocking is messy!

Today we are off to Arizona Tile in Scottsdale for the fourth time.....we have picked the tile for the entry way, hearth, office, laundry and bathrooms but we need to nail down the design so the tiler knows how much to order.

Windows should be here on Friday and the guys will be working on Saturday.

Insulation and Siding Continue

The insulation company arrived today to finish the job. They have a late afternoon inspection so everyone is working hard.

Downstairs is done. It's blown-in fiberglass. First netting is stapled and then a hole is punched in the netting, and the fiberglass is blown in.

It provides better insulation than standard fiberglass batting.

They promised me they would clean up the extra on the floor.

Pat continues to work on the siding.

Dry Wall guys are next......it will be delivered this afternoon. And windows arrive on Friday.

Insulation

Insulation started on Friday. We are using open cell spray-on foam for the roof.

It provides the most insulation for the amount of money you spend on it.

It will help keep our passive solar home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Cooper got a new fuzzy soccer ball.

He's had it for a whole 24 hours and has not destroyed it.

He just loves getting a new toy.

Climbing in Jack's Canyon

Stuart, Heidi and Wren drove to Jack's Canyon which is 60 miles northeast of Payson on the way to Winslow. Water has carved the rock in this canyon. The majority of the climbing here is characterized by steep highly pocketed limestone/sandstone mix cliffs.

(Reminder......you can click on the pics to enlarge.)

Wren really enjoys climbing. This place is like an outdoor rock gym due to the amount of manufactured and chipped holds.

There are almost 300 routes for sports climbing.

They brought food and stayed all day exploring different parts of the canyon.

Random Family Visit Photos

Grandpa fooling around with the grandkids after dinner.

Stuart has a unique way of cutting up a pineapple.....it's not fast but it's pretty.

Heidi sketching the cliffs and rock formations. She always packs a sketch journal and a small watercolor kit.

A hiking snack break for Dakota...

Climbing boulders in Payson.

You never get tired of looking at the cloud formations.

I took Cooper for an early morning walk on the golf course yesterday because he was going to spend the day in the backyard. We had to take Heidi and family to the airport and then wanted to stop at Ikea in Tempe. The sun was just coming up and I "bumped" into a herd of elk lead by a very large bull elk. Cooper was intrigued and we watched them for quite a while. (I didn't have my phone or camera so no photos.....darn!)

Grandkids Visit

Randy's daughter Heidi and family are visiting this week from Chattanooga. Dakota is enjoying the sun with Buster in the backyard.

Wren and Cooper have become good friends. Cooper is chewing on a "Greenie" which is supposed to clean his teeth like a toothbrush.

We have been hiking most days....Wren and his dad love to climb the boulders.

Yesterday we went to Sedona to hike in the red rock. The rocks are red because of rust! The red color found in most of the layers is hematite or iron oxide, a mineral found in great abundance in sedimentary rocks.

The trail was steep in the beginning but well worth it when we got to the top. Wren was the trail leader.

Lunch break.....

The magnificence of Red Rock Country has been 330 million years in the making. Traveling from the Mogollon Rim high on the Colorado Plateau to the depths of Oak Creek Canyon, visitors pass through a geologic record very similar to that of the upper Grand Canyon. Like pages in a book, horizontal layers of rock strata tell stories of ancient oceans and swamps, floodplains, vast deserts of sand, and violent volcanic eruptions.

We just sat and took in the views......amazing.

Over the course of millions of years, Red Rock Country has risen high above the oceans to its present elevation of 4500 feet above sea level. Wind and water have slowly eroded and sculpted the land to create the deep canyons, towering cliffs, and fascinating rock formations. Erosion and other geologic processes continue to shape this landscape, forever changing its form, color, and texture.

Cooper Hikes and House Update

Not much has been happening at the house site this week. Plumbing continues. Some doors have been hung and installed. Matt spent a good part of the day cleaning up the place.....getting ready for insulation next week. (Sub contractors are not necessarily a neat bunch!)

The hot water solar panel has been placed on the roof. A 120 gallon hot water heater will be installed after insulation and sheet rock. In case the sun doesn't shine, we have electrical back up for our solar hot water heater.

We have been hiking a new trail just 6 minutes by car from our house. It's called the North and South Boulder Trail. Cooper loves it.

Lots of rock and a happy dog.

Typical scenery in our area...

Cooper loves to run off lead.

Sometimes we leave the lead on....just in case. It's almost time for the female javelinas to be guarding their babies.

There are several three mile loops to follow in this area.

A man and his dog......what more can I say.

There is a small stream running along side the trail. Cooper loves taking regular slurps....he is such a slob!

Inspection Here We Come!

The roof is almost complete....just one more section. We like the 50 year shingle as it has a random pattern to make it look more like old fashioned wooden shingles.

You can see the solar pedestals where the solar panels will be mounted in this photo.

Lots of blue (cold) and red (hot) plastic plumbing tubing.

The tub arrived for the downstairs bathroom.

We are installing a "whole house" vacuum system. We will have a hose upstairs, downstairs and in the garage. Plus in the kitchen there is a vacuum outlet that we can sweep things into instead of using a dustpan.

This is the junction box for all of the low voltage wiring such as Internet and cable TV. You can't see all of the wires because Scott put a piece of cardboard over the wires so no one would mess with his work.

We're getting there.....

Buster and Ta are doing just fine.