Snow

Winter has brought to the mountain a cozy 2 or so feet of snow. The Holly family, whom we were hosting for the holidays, did not know that their trip included 4 hours of shoveling snow. With the snow thrower down, Neal came to my aid with a shovel and a strong back and we made a nice day of it. It wasn't all work as we built a fun sled run down the hill and enjoyed a couple hours of sledding. I will post some pircures of the track and sledding fun following this post. As for the house, the contractors are here tearing the old siding off the house and wrapping with polyethlyne. The new siding will go up in the next few days and will provide much needed improvement in the R value of the walls.

Winter is Here

Winter has arrived early here in Orford. As Laura and I have found, the minor elevation gain that we experience here at the base of Mt. Cube creates for a very different weather as compared to Hanover, where we work. While we may have 3-4 inches of snow here, there may be only a minor dusting down the mountain. We are still doing work on the house. I have waterproofed the garage door, which after several bouts of minor flooding during heavy rains appears to be cured. I also painted the upperstairs landing. It is a yellow that is an aquired taste. As for heating, I am experimenting with anthracite coal as a supplement to wood. While it requires a bit more time and attention, it does provide a very cheap and intense heat. I am convert. I did have some hesitation at first provided my anxiety about the CO2, but from my research it burns more efficiently than wood with only a marginal increase in CO2. Last, please take a look at my recent pictures. Several dozen deer and fishercat tracks were found around the grounds. It has made me realize just how wild the area is.

Week 2

Before I get to the house, I must announce that Laura and I are officially residents of Orford, NH. We stopped by the town offices after work on Thursday to register to vote and register our cars. In small town NH the town offices have wacky hours like 3pm-8pm on Thursday, twice a month. The elderly lady processing our paperwork via a very slow hunt 'n peck method of typing is a lifelong resident and said she went to school in the town offices when it was the school house. As for the house, working around the compound this weekend has been made so much more pleasant with 60 degree days. The weather has allowed us to get to those needed spray painting projects (i.e., coffee table, iron bed, and some shelving). Yesterday we stacked our recently delivered cord wood, one cord as a decorative wall in the driveway and the other stacked in the basement for the ready. I would like to personally thank Thomson Family Tree Farm here in Orford for the late season delivery. I think we are set for the season with four cords. Check is in the mail. Really, it is. While it took me two weeks, I think I have mastered the art of fire building in the furnace. We had a very toasty evening last night. So, Jennie Patteson, I hope you feel safe to visit now. If all else fails I bought five wool blankets yesterday. Today we finally paint the hallway landing-from rust red to an antique mustard, actually "cowslip yellow." I will post some before and after pictures next weekend. In addition, I will be trimming one of the monster elm trees in our front yard, hanging joist hangers on the lean-to, and setting-up the guest bed room. So, for all who visit please know that your room will be done in a lavender rose theme with sage accents. Be well.     

First Week

Friends,
The first week in the home has been more than busy. Laura had some really long days at work which meant that we weren't getting home until 7pm most evenings. This meant that working on the house took me well into the nights. Taking a cue from my father, I wired some lights without turning off breakers. I only came close to shock once. I also dug out our window wells, that over the years had filled with dirt and debris. Frost heaves had also caused the metal wells to buckle, which required me to refit thos. That job took a while. I also took off work this Friday to meet with the furnace repair person and the chimney sweep. The furnace guy said that our unit looked as if it had not been serviced in years and that the filter was essentially glogged. Even after working his magic he said that due to the age of the unti it would be most economical for us to burn wood, which was the plan all along. So, we are spending this Sunday looking through the wood sales in the classifieds. The chimney sweep's news wasn't much better. I need a new liner for one of my chimneys and both may need to be rebuilt from the roof line up on the exterior. This is simply what comes with the joys of buying an old home. We will get it tip-top soon. I will be posting pictures right after this entry, keep an eye out.

Closing and Moving

Friends,
Closing on Friday was actually pretty painless. The paperwork was extensive, but we breeezed through without event. We also had a chance to meet the sellers and found them to be really nice, even downright playful. The actual move on Saturday was painless provided that we had a moving company haul all of our stuff. The movers were locals and were able to give me the names of local contractors for future home repairs. One mover even told us he would help us refinish one of the floors upstairs. We also had a chance to walk to entire grounds. We found some black bear poop under our apple tree and three circa 1930s cars out in the woods. We spent most the weekend moving fire wood and working on the furnace. It was hard to get out of bed this morning as a result of soreness and just wanting to work on the house some more. Will keep folks posted as we progress. Be well.

Closing Friday, October 29, 20010

Friends,
Laura and I close on the house this Friday. After many rounds of house hunting, home inspections, and deals falling through, it is finally here. We decided to buy an 1830s expanded Cape in Orford, NH. It has a ton of historical charm with some modern conveniences. Best of all we have six acres that include apple trees, plumb trees, raspberries, and blackberries. We will likely add some Rhode Island Red laying hens in the spring. Sheep have also been discussed. Being an 1830s home there is of course work to be done. I will keep you posted as we make updates and improvements. If you are wondering where the name "Two Boot and Shoe" comes from, I borrowed from the Orford, NH historical record that detailed the industry in the town during the 18th and 19th century which included among other things a grist mill, a tannery, and "two boot and a shoe factories."