This week in Maine’s Western foothills, we’ve had an unpredictable mix of sunshine and summer rain. It’s been hot enough to sweat through your Carharts while working outside, then suddenly cool enough for hail. Our emotions have been hot and cold as well. As we counted the weeks to go and assessed the scope of the work still necessary to get the Red House ready to move into, we began to panic. If we couldn’t move in August 1st as planned, where would we live? We had made some short term plans for July but a meeting with the GC confirmed our fears that we need another month. Happily, our landlord has granted us an extension so we can stay put until the project is completed.

On the worksite, two crews worked through the fluctuating weather. Outside, carpenters used the Genie to attach siding to the highest parts of the East and West sides of the farmhouse and began building one of two deck door overhangs that will protect our heads when we stick them out in a storm.

Inside, the insulators finished blowing dense pack cellulose into the exterior walls and packing fiberglass insulation into the interior walls, and HP timber batts into the ceilings. It was a messy job but the crew cleaned up after themselves, knowing what comes next – blue board sheetrock and plastering.

The week finished on an optimistic note. On Friday, supplies for the next stage were delivered!

Meanwhile, we got to spend our time thinking about decor…