Kurt has turned the corner now...

He is finally at the rebuilding stage.  The new floor joists are going down...

Tomorrow we will cover the root cellar again- to be sealed in until 'someone' decides to knock a hole from the basement through to the root cellar.

The latest progress from the work site

Kurt has been plugging along at the next step of the livingroom remodel.  He has removed half the flooring and taken down the sheetrock from the 2 exterior walls and the ceiling. 
Yesterday he started on the first re-building step- getting ready to lay the new floor joists which will be level with the top of the old root cellar.  He needs to cut slots in the root cellar collar to drop in the joists- like you can see in this picture.

To lower the floor he needs to lower the level of soil under the house.  Several days this week were spent wheelbarrowing dirt outside (Betty, Where are you?)

Then yesterday he poured cement pillars to support the joists on the left side of this picture.  And he anchored a joist hanger on the right side of the opening

All in all, it feels like progress!

The spectacular Columbia River Gorge

We had a leisurely drive along the Columbia River on our way to Portland on Friday.  Multnomah Falls was a highlight..

We drove up on the overlooks and had some pretty spectacular views of the river....

and the road way

Nice to have top-down driving weather near Portland in April!

The number of wind turbines has greatly increased in two years since we last drove this route.

And some other interesting sights- here the basalt rocks hang over the historic old road.

Here is a pool of water filling up the crotch of a tree

and finally....Forget-me-nots were in bloom along the old highway- so cute!

Dear Al Gore, The REAL reason for global warming.....

Lisa's final gift to us- a double compost bin

Lisa worked on one last project before heading back to Denver- She built us a compost bin.  It has a center divider so the pile can be rolled over into the second side.

She is now very handy with power tools.

My overwintered compost pile actually made some compost- so Lisa sifted it and took two wheelbarrow loads to the garden.

Here is the finished composter

It is already half full!  Thanks Lisa!