The Adventures of Ron and Elsa

New Photo Album

2008-05-29T20:38:00.002Z

Finally! We've created a photo album so you can take a tour of the new house - just click on the top link under PHOTOS to the right ---------->

Mick's Haircut

2008-03-24T09:11:00.003Z

We're into mud season now, all the worse because we have no paving, hardscape, or landscaping done yet. We decided last week that it would be a good idea to get Mick a buzz cut, to cut down on the mud he brings into the house! Here he is in the basement with his favorite indoor toy, the Puppy.

They've found our stash...

2008-02-25T19:21:00.002Z

A couple of weeks ago the Dept of Wildlife Resources (DWR) finally decided it was time to step in and start feeding the deer. OK, so we'd decided that on our own prior to governmental intervention, but regardless... The great part about DWR involvement is that they are now providing the food and have also provided us with an additional 3 feeders and a salt lick for the deer! We've been storing the bags of feed in our entryway and it was just a matter of time before some of the more resourceful - or less timid - animals figured that out! I had to stand to the side of the window and just stick my arm out with the camera in order to get this shot...

Visitors

2008-02-02T09:36:00.000Z

The snow has driven the deer down from the higher elevations - every day we have at least a dozen wandering around our yard in search of food. The one in the background is raiding our compost pile.

What do we do now?

2008-02-02T09:32:00.000Z

Now that the house is "done", we've got to find other ways to occupy our time! Fortunately, we're having a stellar winter, so we're practicing our powder skiing...those are our fresh tracks behind me!!

We are staying in the new house ....

2007-12-23T15:47:00.000Z

Picture explanations - The first two show the difference in the slate tiles before and after they have been cleaned and sealed. The rest are different shots of the kitchen, the cabinets and the appliances. A few trim pieces are needed but we know that the work will not end for a long time!

All of the pieces fell into place, well almost, and we moved into the house on Saturday December 22 and even spent the night there!

Despite more than a foot of new snow the tile folks showed up to grout the back splash and seal the slate floors and bathrooms. As they worked away the home inspector from the bank was suppose to show up and make sure that we actually built what we said we built. The closing on the permanent loan was scheduled for 3pm local and at 2:30 nothing from the inspector.

We went to the escrow company anyway and started signing papers. Well it turns out all the paperwork was not complete and since it was coming from MN we ran out of time due to the time zone differences. Back on Monday to finish that, however we are expecting another foot of snow so it will have to wait till the afternoon sp we can chase the powder. Oh wait Monday is 12/24 so maybe it will happen Wednesday 12/26.

We are living in the house hoping that the bank forgets about the loan! We spent Saturday moving our belongings and will continue that activity on Sunday. We only have a few large pieces to move and will borrow a trailer and few neighbors for that.

More later ......

3 days and counting

2007-12-21T14:32:00.000Z

On Wednesday and Thursday the appliances got installed (pictures soon). The pantry is basically finished, a few shelf pieces are missing or have to be trimmed for a better fit and the storage lockers and seating area in the mudroom are not coming together the why we envisioned so we need to work with the vendor on this.

The county inspector did his thing and gave us a temporary occupancy permit, good for 6 months, so we can move in without breaking the law.

The weather continues to be stormy with snow, hail, rain, thunder and lightning (picture sent of lightning sent me by a friend across the valley).

Lets hope that the tile guys can get there on Friday to do the grouting and sealing. Our plan B is to do the sealing ourselves over the weekend if we can get the material.

2007-12-19T04:05:00.000Z

The master bathroom is done with the shower surround finishing the work.

The final coat of polyurethane was put on the hardwood floor and stairs on Tuesday, needs 24 hours to dry before you can walk on it and 7 days for complete cure.

The appliances are delivered and should be installed on Wednesday.

We are hoping to move in Sunday 12/23 *IF* everything falls into place;

12/19 - Appliances installed, pantry finished
12/20 - Dishwasher installed and final inspection by the COunty
12/21 - Kitchen backsplash to be grouted and all slate floors and travertine to be sealed
12/22 - No activity as floors need 24+ hours to dry

Weather is for snow all week and we did get 15" on Tuesday night!

a few weeks left

2007-12-05T23:34:00.001Z

We are hoping to get our occupancy permit and move in prior to Christmas.

It has been very dry in Northern UT as you can see from the first picture taken the day after Thanksgiving.

Front and side glass is finally done, ask Elsa about the saga! She designed the glass and worked with the stained glass maker. It looks great.

Finally a new posting!

2007-10-25T00:50:00.000Z

Ya ya it has been a long time since we posted anything new. A lot of work has occurred but nothing that is easy to show. The final grading has started and the cabinets have been delivered. Plus the staining and painting should be completed Friday; the painter have been on-site for eight weeks. We were wondering if they were going to move in!

Sneak preview

2007-09-29T19:10:00.001Z

OK, so this are not very exciting pictures, but our cabinets are ready and we went to look at them so we could decide on hardware! They really turned out beautifully - can't wait to see them installed!

paint, stain, master bath, rock and more

2007-09-29T18:34:00.000Z

The paint and staining for the main floor has been completed, of course touch up will continue. The master bath tiling is well underway and the rock on the outside has been completed, except for the columns!

more staining, paint, outside rock and master bath work

2007-09-19T15:10:00.000Z

Lots of subcontractors working around the house. The master bedroom and bath are painted, the tile is starting in the master bath, the heavy timbers in living room are stained, and the outside rock has been started.

More hardwood flooring and inside staining

2007-09-06T08:47:00.000Z

The hardwood flooring and stairs are hickory. The flooring has the edges distressed for looks and to also mask any shrinking and expanding that may occur. This distressing is done onsite and makes for a one of a kind floor. The stairs are a solid plank hickory.

The master bedroom is being stained and painted first. Here are pictures showing the stain and clear coat will be applied on Thursday.

wood flooring, painting and staining

2007-09-05T01:42:00.000Z

This week the wood floor in the living room is being installed, interior staining will begin and the timber staining outside should be finished or continued.

Sanding of heavy timbers inside is done, now all trim is being sanded and prepped for sanding

Soffit staining

2007-08-26T14:37:00.001Z

Here are some pictures of the soffit coloring and how it contrasts with the siding, trim and faccia. The stain used for the soffit is the same as the siding and the trim but comes out lighter due to different wood, cedar on the siding and pine for the soffit

What's happening?

2007-08-23T02:33:00.000Z

The blog posting have been quiet because Ron has been out of town for a couple of weeks traveling and the work going on is hard to document and provide good pictures. Let's try these:

The cedar siding is being installed, including flashing, the inside trim is almost done, the drywall and texture is done, interior doors are installed, the heavy timbers inside are being sanded in preparation for staining and the basement floor has been acid washed and stained.

The basement floor is really cool. We have installed radiant heat and decided not to cover up the floor and take advantage of the radiant heat. The color of the floor varies from foot to foot and it picks up chemicals in the cement, trowel marks and even a foot print or two!

Enough about the new house

2007-08-08T00:30:00.000Z

There's a feeding frenzy happening on our back porch - the hummers are just wild! At times I have counted up to 12 of them - all vying for 8 spots on the feeders. Some are quite aggressive - bullying the others and keeping the feeders to themselves.

Time for exterior finishes

2007-08-08T00:24:00.000Z

Well, we have sheet rock and texture inside, but that doesn't make for great photos. Here's a shot of the progress going on outside though - shingles for the gables! I spent all weekend staining them so they'd be ready to install this week!

Sheetrock installation begins

2007-07-25T01:10:00.000Z

The sheetrock should take 3 weeks, that includes taping, skim coat and plaster! Sorry do not know what splatter got on the lense

Sheetrock arrives

2007-07-21T17:16:00.000Z

On Friday July 20th the sheetrock was delievered. Installation, taping and skim/plaster coat should take 3 weeks. The exterior doors are installed, except for the 2 that were ordered incorrectly. After sheetrock interior doors will be installed, trim around windows and baseboard in bedroom will be installed. Rock and siding installation should start by mid-August

Insulation

2007-07-18T17:13:00.000Z

The insulation is being installed with sheetrock to follow within a couple of days. A fine wire mesh is stapled to the framing and then a hose with a sharp metal tube pierces the mesh and the fiberglass material is blown in. Goes quick and should delivery a R26-R30 value with the 2x6 framing. We did not get pictures of the fiberglass being blown in because we did not have any breathing masks with us and we did not want to inhale the stuff.

When walking into the rooms that have the insulation installed the sound changes dramatically as the exposed absorbs all sound, creapy!

Mantel, more wiring and septic tank

2007-07-10T00:08:00.000Z

Yup, we have to deal with sewer. We need a septic tank and, because we located the house down hill from the common piping system that connects to the leach field, we have to add a lift station (fancy and expensive way to say pump). All wiring for electric, audio, phone and network are in. Big inspection on Tuesday.

Last week of June ...

2007-06-30T17:59:00.000Z

Work on the roof overhangs, outside ceiling's for the deck and entry, plumbing and rough electrical continues. Next is a tough week due to the 4th of July holiday but they are hoping to finish the T&G, electric and install final windows and doors. Tuesday July 10th is the current plan for having the county perform the the 4 way inspection; structural, heating/cooling, electrical and plumbing.

Yes work is still continuing ....

2007-06-24T15:24:00.000Z

gypcrete pour has occurred. This product is used to cover the radiant heat for the main floor. It is nothing more than a thin concrete and it has a great property; self leveling. Little to no chipping or cutting should be needed by the floor folks.

If you are involved with pouring the gypcrete inside you get to wear cool shoes!

We wrapped the inside timbers to prevent gypcrete from splashing on them and more imnportantly to help protect the corners and faces from unintentional 'hits' and the stuff that get leaned on them

The windows have arrived and are installed. Tough to take pictures that do them justice. The manufacturer we chose is Loewen out of Canada.

smurf house?

2007-06-13T00:30:00.000Z

The vapor barrier material is installed. The crew is now calling the house the smurf house! And yes more inside timbers and plumbing, copper and not all PEX.

More pictures of the interior timbers, plumbing and cooling

2007-06-12T00:55:00.000Z

The interior timbers are almost complete. The guys worked hard determining a way to interconnect the timbers with minimal to no hardware showing. The post from Friday shows the notches and here are what the joints look like! Amazing work.

We have mentioned that these timbers are extremely heavy, here is a picture of the machine used to hoist the timbers. The forks are raised by manually cranking a set of handles just like you were hoisting sails on a world cup sail boat.

The rough plumbing and cooling was started today.

Sap and electric

2007-06-10T23:42:00.000Z

The electrical wiring started on Saturday, here is the obligatory hanging wire and shot of the light!

The last post showed some of the heavy timbers that were set inside, well they are Douglas Fir and like pine they have sap. One reason t hey need to sit, or stand, before stained

internal timbers

2007-06-10T14:13:00.000Z

For the last week or so framing, sheeting, sheeting inspection and placing of heavy timbers inside the house has been occurring. Nothing exciting to post or see until Thursday/Friday.

We have learned that there is no need for paper at the construction site just grab a pencil and find a piece of wood. The first picture is the 'punch list' and the person that guesses the meaning of the of the specific action item in the second picture wins three free nights at the house when it is done!

some more internal framing

2007-06-01T02:59:00.000Z

The fireplace and the ceiling step down between the living room and the kitchen are done. The sun ray colors are unaltered, 8:10 pm May 31st, special special. Many have asked what the house will look like, while it is nice to see the pieces what does the puzzle look like when finished?

well here is the back of the house, 3D rendering courtesy of our architect

Garage gable work

2007-05-25T23:55:00.000Z

It is the day before Memorial Day weekend and Andy is the only one on site. He works on the gable over the garge. I meet with plumber and the AC folks to coordinate activities and installations.

the work continues .....

2007-05-25T00:17:00.000Z

Here are a couple of more pictures of the back deck, the roof is now on, and the timbers around the garage. Next week the ducting for the AC will begin, the roof will have 'dry in' done, the rough electric and plumbing will start

Entry way and other work

2007-05-22T23:26:00.000Z

Is work slowing down? Not really it is just very diffic ult to get pictures that show the details that are being completed. Plus framing is framing and without knowing the floor plan it is difficult to get excited about the progress.

Here are some pictures of the entry way, side of garage and other details. Elsa is out of town so some of these pictures are for her.

back timbers are done, decking on and more roof trusses

2007-05-16T23:01:00.000Z

It took three days for the heavy timbers to installed. While they are installed they still need braces, screws and other 'stuff' installed to meet code and the engineering requirements. A few folks have asked the size of the timbers. Well there are 8x8, 8x12 and 8x20 Douglas fir timbers!

Some more pictures

Heavy timbers and deck

2007-05-15T01:06:00.001Z

The heavy timbers finally arrived from OR and the are quickly used. It is hard to describe the massive size and weight but we will try to get pictures that do them justice. They will be set by Tuesday, the outside timbers, and the deck completed. This will allow the rest of the roof trusses to be put in place. The last last picture shows that you need a big saw to cut big timbers!

Roof Trusses being set

2007-05-08T16:55:00.000Z

On Monday the trusses were added, rather quick process. The crane was delayed as he was stopped at the port of entry and did not have all the paperwork with him, a couple of hours delay and a $100 fine! Sheeting will start on Tuesday. When the heavy timbers arrive next week the rest of the trusses will be set. Not much more to say, the pictures say it all.

Here a truss, there a truss everywhere a roof truss

2007-05-05T20:41:00.000Z

Framing has continued through out the week, Thursday was a non-work day because of rain. The roof trusses were delivered Friday and the crane will be here on Monday at noon and they should be set by5pm.

more framing done

2007-04-29T15:37:00.000Z

The last week has seen the framing for the main level and sheeting for both levels added. Everything is moving quickly due to a great crew of framers, on time deliveries of materials and weather that has cooperated. The first picture is from Monday, the section framed is the garage. Second picture is looking out the SW wall from the front door, third is the eating area off the kitchen and the last picture is the SE wall of the master bedroom. We changed the middle to be tall since we vaulted the ceiling. Yes we know that we have to be careful to make sure it does not look like church!

This coming week looks great from a weather stand point and the framing should be completed and interior framing will also be tackled. The roof trusses have been ordered as have been the heavy timbers.

More floor .....

2007-04-23T16:06:00.001Z

All of the floor joists are on. Using pre-fab material speeds the process. The second picture is the hall way down stairs. The last picture is the metal beam supporting the main level. Vertical metal columns will be added as soon as they are delivered.

It's looking like a house

2007-04-20T23:52:00.000Z

The framing is moving at a good clip and it really looks like a house. Here is the view from the fun area in the basement and then from the office. The third picture is the first floor joist.

Framing begins

2007-04-18T14:26:00.000Z

The wood has been delivered and the framing begins! This phase forces us to finalize decisions on windows and whether we want that optional door in the garage.

The weather is changing and we may get moisture moving through the area this week. We will see.

yes there is activity...

2007-04-15T00:54:00.000Z

The last week was spent getting ready for the basement slab pour plus the columns in the back for the deck and the columns in the front for the roof overhang.

The radiant heat tubing was installed on Wednesday and it passed inspection that afternoon.

But first the pipes for Radon gas removal must be installed. Of course that requires some of the footing cement to be jack hammered away; let's see pour in cement, hammer it out.

A couple of pictures were taken to show the county that re-bar was actually used footings for the columns.

On Saturday 4/14 the basement slab was poured along with the columns. Sometimes the forms do not hold. Damn! This is going to be a real pain as it is way back and required a pump truck so not sure how cement will get into the rebuilt column!

2007-04-06T01:17:00.000Z

There was a total of 120 tons of gravel used to fill the foundation. 10 truck loads plus. Yes there are a lot folks just standing around a few working!

The plumbing is then laid out and trenches dug to get the right fall. The county inspector shows up looks at the work and watches the system get pressurized at 7 lbs for 15 minutes with no leaks. The first test resulted in a end plug getting blown 10 feet in the air.

The first picture is what county inspectors and plumbers do while the pressure test is occurring.

yes work is continuing ...

2007-04-06T01:04:00.000Z

In the last week the foundation drains has been installed, dirt back filled around the foundation, gravel shot into the foundation and the plumbing in the basement installed and inspected. Next week the slabs in the garage and basement are to poured! Framing will start 4/18!

2007-03-27T17:45:00.000Z

water proofing

2007-03-27T17:44:00.000Z

The cement has been allowed to cure for a week and now the waterproofing is applied. Not sure if this is really needed as the ground shows no sign of moisture but this is not a representative for moisture. Better safe than sorry.

Took under an hour but not a job I aspire too. To many chemicals.

2007-03-20T00:30:00.001Z

Similar pictures to the pouring of the footings, the main difference is the scaffolding (sp?) put up. Pretty shaky but the workers do not seem to mind. As you can see there are many warnings on the pumper truck and the cement trucks.

If you ever decide to enter the cement delivery business I would reccomend the driver of the pumper; they show up first and use the remote control box to controlthe boom and flow of cement.!

Form Form and more forms

2007-03-20T00:26:00.000Z

The forms are finalized and the pouring begins. How many cubic yards? We do not know but will find out and pots

foundation wall form

2007-03-17T16:45:00.000Z

On Thursday and Friday 3-15 and 3-16 the forms for the walls are being put up. The goal is to have everything done for the walls to be poured on Monday 3-19.

Compaction and footings

2007-03-14T22:12:00.000Z

All of the compaction was completed y 2pm Tuesday 3-13 and the testing company performed 9 test areas and got readins from 95.5 to 99! We are all excited about about this and everyone was able to get home early. Well not everyone as the civil engineers came at 6 to stake the foundation on last time. Yes again they will pound stakes just to have them ripped out in the morning after the footing folks perform their measurements.

At 7:50am on Wednesday 3-14 the footing folks arrived and everyone got busy as the county inspector was to show up at 11:30 and all rebar and forms needed to be place. Well the county inspector showed up at 11 and everything was ready and easily signed off.

While all this is happening the cement pump truck shows up and get ready. The cement truck drives, electronically lowers the chute and they start pumping concrete.

The rebar is set 2 foot centers to allow for walls up to 10 foot and the measuring tool is simple; a stake with marks that layed out, a mark made in the cement and the rebar is set in! Who needs those stinking satellites!

There are a bunch of peope involved, one to run the pumper via remote controls, a person to aim the cement delivery hose, one to hold the rebar in place, one to rough smooth the cement after initial pour, one to further smooth the cement after 2-3 minutes of settling, one to final trowel the cement smooth, one to mark the 2 foot centers and one to place the vertical rebar.

When the trucks are lined it goes fast but the trucks are late everyone sits around and waits, throws rocks, looks for dear on the hill side or strategizes on how they can capture thewild turkeys!

The forms are removed 4 hours later and the job is done. It sounds like the foundation wall forms will start to be set on Thursday.

Monday 3-12 update

2007-03-13T18:09:00.000Z

The weather is looking promising for the week and we are optomistic on making great progress. Yes the digging and compacting continues. The compacting is done to ensure the foundation will be on stable ground, there is much expansive mud and water in these hills.

The area where the foundation footings are going to go has to have at least 18 inches of 95% compacted fill. It is done in two layers or lifts (those code words again). A company comes and checks the compaction amount with this fancy machine that scares me because it is stamped radioactive!

All compacting is done and final compacting test should be done Tuesday afternoon around 3pm.

They dig, re-dig, re-stake, dig some more

2007-03-10T20:25:00.000Z

On Friday 3-09 the tarps were removed and more digging was done after canals were made to allow the water to drain out. We got almost 3/4 of an inch of rain and it is muddy!

The complete foundation has been dug and the engineers have to come back to restake the exact location of the building corners so that the footing locations can be marked and dug. The footings must have 18+ inches of 95% compacted fill material.

This staking process is pretty amazing to me. The engineers come in with fancy GPS equipment and a site map illustrating building corners that are uniquely numbered. These numbers have been loaded into the GPS. This is the GPS unit. The foundation hole has been dug oversized and house corners will be marked. Then the excavaters measure and mark the footing locations and then they dig out the footings wiping out the stakes that were just put in! Seems to me that there has to be a more efficent way.

To get into the tight areas a mini backhoe was brought onsite. To compact the driveway area and eventually the ground where the basement and garage slab will go a compactor will be used. The compactor is remote controlled and I hope I get to take it for a spin.

The geotechnical engineer came by the site and approved the digging and footing approach. Next week we wll have to have the compaction engineer, different company, come and inspect the material and certify in writing that 95% compaction is achieved. All of this could have been avoided if we did not have a geo technical report done but we wanted to determine if there was the presenece of expansive clays before we started digging. Better safe than sorry.

Rain again Friday night, we are hoping everything dries out for Monday. Hoping for footings Wednesday and then foundation forms by Thursday.

Thursday update ...

2007-03-08T20:06:00.000Z

It rained hard most of the night and early morning. The backhoe operator is sick so no earth movement today. The civil engineers need to restake the hole so exact determination of locations for the footings will be marked. Also the hole had to be 'stepped' to ensure that they were able to get below the frost line. This means that we will have to fill with gravel or other materal.

With the stakes in place we can minimize the amount of fill.

Yes the hole is a muddy mess.

Oh yeah, the driveway has been cut and covered with base and compacting has begun.

We are hoping for the footings to be done by Wednesday 3/14.

The movement of earth continues

2007-03-08T19:20:00.000Z

No problems have been encountered so far, just the normal (as we have been told) decisions that need to be made. The dirt is covered with blankets to ensure the ground will not freeze if it gets cold at night. The hole is being over excavated to allow for the twisting of the foundation if we decide we want to move it to ensure we take advantage of the view.

The dig begins ....

2007-03-08T19:16:00.000Z

Well it started, the dig has begun Monday March 5, 2007. We are hopeful the weather will cooperate and we can get some momentum. Here is the first bucket of dirt being moved.

We went skiing with friends from Iowa and returned to see this much done. The builder thought that they would have it dug out in one day but it appears we got the 'slow' back hoe operator.

Temperature swings ...

2007-03-04T16:29:00.000Z

It is March and in UT you expect dramatic weather swings. 2 feet of snow on Thursday/Friday, 12 below zero on Saturday morning but mid-20's in the afternoon. It is forecasted to be in 30's Sunday and 40's and higher through mid-week.

With the bright sun, metal roof on the house, and warm temperatures in the afternoons we have interesting ice formations occuring. Here are a couple of pictures trying to capture nature's work.

Let it snow ....

2007-03-04T15:51:00.000Z

As mentioned in a prior post we pushed out the beginning of the dig one week due to forcasted storms and colder weather. On Thursday 3/1 it start to snow and Friday morning we woke to almost 2 feet of snow. Mick is having a blast with the deep snow and it wears him out!

Since Mick likes to catch and eat snow we decided to give him a treat!

After dealing with the county and determining not to relocate the house stakes we went skiing to relax and enjoy the powder. Here is Elsa enjoying the new snow!

Dealing with the county

2007-03-03T15:43:00.000Z

We are building in the unicorporated area of Weber County, UT. The process for obtaining a building permit is well documented - we followed them to a "T" and obtained the permit in early December 2006.

Our builder was contacted and was told that the county engineering department was reviewing our lot to see if an identified drainage easement, which only requires a 20 foot set back, is actually a stream. A stream can require a 50 or 75 foot set back!

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can imagine that Elsa and I were confused and upset at this last minute issue. We spoke at length to the county planner and learned that a new ordinance was passed a year or so ago and the review process for building permits was not adequate enough so they changed the process and were reviewing all recently issued permits for conformity. The county engineers were scheduled to meet us at the lot on Friday morning at 9:30 to review the situation and provide us with decision.

Why is this decision so important? We planned the placement and layout of the house based on the lot topography and the view of the valley and mountains. If the drainage easement is determined to be a non-year round stream then the setback requirement would be 50 feet which we could deal with by moving the house less than 5 feet *but* we would not be able to put any type of structure in that 50 foot setback, including a tool shed. While we have no plans to do anything at this point we would like to have our options open.

If it is determined to be a year round stream then the setback would be 75 feet. This would cause major problems and possibly require us completely redesign the house! Can you say ten's of thousands of additional expense?!

We met the engineers and after 30 minutes of discussion and walking the lot and uphill areas the senior engineer determined that the drainage area is just that and it is *NOT* a stream. We will be sure to get this in writing!

So, now we can proceed with our original plans. Stay tuned to see if we start digging on Monday March 6th

Hurry up and wait

2007-03-03T15:33:00.000Z

The builder and excavating folks were scheduled to start digging the foundation on Monday Februaury 26th. As we had mentioned to numerous folks the snow would start to fall when we staked the lot. Be careful what you ask for as it snowed on Suunday and there are 2-3 storms lined up for the rest of the week. While snow itself is not a large problem the temperatures at night are the focus. Once the hole is dug the foundation footings need to be poured and Steve does not want the temperatures below 20 degrees as it can make the cement brittle.

Everyone got together and decided to push the start date to Monday March 5th.

more progress

2007-03-03T15:19:00.000Z

We were hiking in the hills around the neighborhood and noticed a truck pulling a trailer with a earth digger on it! The truck had driven more than 1/2 mile past the lot looking for a place to turn around and must have decided it was futile as s/he had started to back down the road!

Later in the day we went to the lot and found this. Wonder if they will provide lessons so I can help with the dig.

Staking the lot

2007-03-03T15:04:00.000Z

On Thursday our building lot was staked, show exact house placement, by the engineering company. The person in the foreground is our builder Steve Young, Solitude Builders http://www.solitudebuilders.com/and the other guys are the engineers.

They use a hand held GPS based device that provides accuracy within 2 to 3 inches. This device uses a standard hand held GPS similar to what any consumer can buy but also utilizes a base stations that provides triangulation measurements! Got to love technology

2007-02-23T22:48:00.000Z

It's too late to turn back now! The lot is staked and we're planning on breaking ground on Monday the 26th! Woohoo!

2007-02-23T22:07:00.000Z

Here he is - my favorite birthday gift! His name is Mick and he's a 4 year old Border Collie. His job is to keep me in shape - and he is busy enough to do just that! This is one of his favorite poses - it's called "waiting for mom to throw the stick".

Happy Birthday

2007-02-23T21:59:00.000Z

Well, it's official - I am now eligible for AARP! But hey, it sure beats the alternative...
Here I am enjoying my birthday party in fine fashion - yes, that is a tiara on my head! And a PetCo gift card in my hand... that's to go with my best present!

2006-05-24T13:02:00.000Z

A number of folks have asked how we get in the air with no mountains in FL. We getted towed by ultrallights and launch off carts as pictured here. Very civilized!

Days 5 and 6

2006-05-24T13:00:00.000Z

The weather has turned overcast with no lift. Both days called. Hope it breaks.

You can track the competition results at http://flytec.com/Events/2006/2_5_w_worlds/scores.htm

I am competing in the rigid category

Task 4

2006-05-24T12:56:00.000Z

Another triangle to get us back to where we started. It is really nice to be able to land back at the flight, keep your equipment together, have a beer, a shower and sit down for dinner!

Same theme as the last two days; poor start (the gaggles were staggering today with 40+ gliders in a single thermal seperated by less than 200 feet vertically and 100 feet horizontally). i was glad that there were no mid-air collisions.

I caught a number of folks on the last two legs but still placed 28th for the day. Altitudes of over 8,000 were had today!

Fun times, long days with high temperatures and humidity.

2006-05-24T12:54:00.000Z

Task 4 on 5-21. Distance is 80 miles

Task three

2006-05-24T12:50:00.000Z

We run around the green swamp today. This is always a fun flight and to go fast you must be willing to fly deep into and over the swamp. the first started well for me but I stumbled at the first turn point and almost landed. After recovering I chased the pack but again was very slow, reoccuring theme! Again I made it around but placed around 30th for the day

2006-05-24T12:49:00.000Z

Task 3 - run around the green swamp ~98 mile flight

Day two

2006-05-24T12:47:00.000Z

I had a poor start, got low a couple of times and flew slowly. Placed around 25th but I made goal. Fun flight and long drive home. There is a whole lot of nothing in the part of this state!

2006-05-24T12:46:00.000Z

Flight from 5-19 a crosswind flight of 127 miles.

2006 Hang Gliding World Championships

2006-05-24T12:41:00.000Z

We are in Groveland FL for the words. The first day, Thursday May 18th was windy so we did a cross wind and down wind course to a great horse and RV ranch for a length of ~67 miles. I flew OK and placed 9th. Here is a copy of the flight log, the red line starting in the left hand corner. The times stated are UTC, subtract 4 for the EDT.

Good start to the competiton.

2006-05-24T12:40:00.000Z

Flight from 5-19 first day of the worlds. 67 miles down and cross wind

2006-04-20T11:45:00.000Z

Who is this guy?

Bernie's new best friend

2006-01-14T19:30:00.000Z

You'd think his fur coat would be enough to keep him warm, but Bernie just loves the wood stove.

Practicing in powder

2006-01-14T19:12:00.000Z

A beautiful day of skiing at Snow Basin, with almost a foot of new powder! Here's Elsa trying to get over her powder phobia!

January Sunset

2006-01-14T19:07:00.000Z

A beautiful sunset over Mt Ogden and Snow Basin ski area, taken from our front door!

Our fine feathered friends

2005-12-26T21:18:00.000Z

Here are a few of our wild neighbors...

Our First House Guest

2005-09-15T21:38:00.000Z

Labor Day weekend brought our first houseguest since moving to Utah. Elsa's friend Linda came to visit from San Diego from the 3rd thru the 7th. We enjoyed hiking, shopping the local consignment stores, a long drive thru the mountains and a couple hours of pretending to be cowgirls - great fun!

Construction Update

2005-09-15T21:11:00.000Z

The remodel is underway - here's our new bathroom and closet floor. It doesn't look like much yet so stay tuned...

A Visitor to our Deck

2005-09-15T21:03:00.000Z

This little guy (gal) came to visit early one morning in late August. Its mother wasn't far away - just below the deck - they both bounded away when I tried to get closer for more pictures.

Balloon Festival

2005-09-15T20:35:00.000Z

The weekend of August 20-21 brought the annual balloon festival to the Ogden Valley. We watched the launch early on the 20th, and then returned to the festival in the evening to hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Who knew they were still alive, much less still together?

On the road again

2005-08-04T18:02:00.000Z

Back in Denver for a day, on our way to Big Spring Texas for the annual Hang Gliding competion. Had to stop in at Lakeside and ride the Cyclone and Wild Chipmunk!

Demolition

2005-08-04T17:41:00.000Z

Here's Ron, hard at work demo-ing the master bath and closet. It looked a lot easier (and faster) on HGTV!! Fortunately, we made it through demolition with only a couple of minor injuries.

Life at 5500 feet

2005-06-29T12:26:00.000Z

We've been having a great time getting settled into our new home in Huntsville, Utah. We closed on the property at the end of May, drove our remaining stuff from storage in Denver in early June, and have been hard at work ever since! Ron's been working on refinishing the decks - all 1400 square feet of them! - and Elsa has been painting. So far the "gold" room has been transformed to a nice, mellow, sage green and the turquoise bathroom is well on its way to being neutralized as well! Both of us have been spending a lot of time doing weed control and clearing out what seems to be a few years of neglect on the property. Lots of sore muscles, but it's gratifying work!

There's a large flock of wild turkeys living in our little canyon. Several of them hang out on our deck in the early morning and evening hours - the cats are very curious about them.

2005-06-29T12:24:00.000Z

Bernie is dreaming of a (wet) wild turkey dinner!

At Home in Huntsville, Utah

2005-06-29T12:02:00.000Z

Well, we’ve been here for a month now, so it’s time for an update. Been so busy with yard clean-up, refinishing the decks, painting inside, and general maintenance that we haven’t taken time to keep the blog updated. Sorry to those of you who have actually checked for news!

Competition results

2005-04-30T14:29:00.000Z

We were able to fly 6 out of 9 days. I made goal 4 out of 6 days 8-(

It was a fun time, I made too many mistakes and the new glider I was flying took longer to adjust to then I hoped. The ATOS VR is a great glider.

The final results can be viewed at http://flytec.com/flytec_usn_05/scores/cumrigid.htm

Congratulations to all the winning pilots!

2005-04-30T14:23:00.000Z

View looking west from the backyard

Finally!

2005-04-15T22:54:00.000Z

Wow, almost 2 months and no entries, SORRY!!!

Major developemnt; we are buying a house in UT, along with land, and plan on closing by the end of May. We will post a few pictures in the next couple of posts.

The US Nationals of Hang Gliding are April 15-23 and you can review the results at

http://flytec.com/flytec_usn_05/index.html

Today was too windy and no flying, we are hoping for better weather starting on Saturday. This meet is a major step to qualifying for the US World team for 2006.

Back in FL

2005-02-18T02:02:00.000Z

We are back in Florida for the next couple of months. We had a blast in UT and confirmed our feelings, the Ogden Valley is the place we want to live. We are working on acquiring a 2+ acre property on which to build our "dream home".

Stay tuned

2005-02-18T01:59:00.000Z

View during a typical winter day

2005-02-18T01:58:00.000Z

Sunset from our property

In UT skiing

2005-02-11T20:44:00.000Z

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we are in Utah from February 1^st through the 15^th skiing and searching for property.

See an aerial shot of the Ogden Valley at http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=16&x=34&y=357&z=12&w=2 (it is the valley around the lake)

We are skiing at Snow Basin www.snowbasin.com and Powder Mountain www.powdermountain.com .

Pictures will be posted soon

Ron & Elsa

2005-02-06T16:39:00.000Z

Yes, Poma lifts are still in use

2005-02-06T16:37:00.000Z

Looking west over Ogden and advanced terrain

2005-02-06T16:34:00.000Z

Self portrait

2005-02-06T16:30:00.000Z

Relaxing in the upper lodge before attacking the slopes

2005-01-27T15:33:00.000Z

On the road