TuTu's Chandelier

Remember that thought about finding a crystal chandelier somewhere in the rustic log cabin?  Well here it is!   TuTu bequeathed her chandelier to Lauren and it has remained boxed in the attic for years.  It has special meaning to Lauren, who as a three-year-old, exclaimed at her first visit to TuTu's southern Arizona home, "Oh, TuTu, I love your prisms!" (She was a Pollyanna fan and had watched the scene many times where the kids discover chandelier crystals create rainbows in the sunlight.)  So, dearest Grandma, if you are catching a peek from Glory, I hope you see the joy your beautiful light fixture continues to bring...perhaps even a rainbow upon occassion.  Thank you.

Home for an Elk

Uncle Scott went elk hunting in Colorado years ago.  A trophy elk isn't something just any home can have hanging around.  Since Scott moved from his prior home, Mr. Elk had been in storage, unable to impress anyone.  He's now mounted up on the the main cabin's fireplace to preside over the gathering room.  We are so glad to have an amazing hunter in the family and that he allowed Mr. Elk to come live in the cabin!  Thank you, Uncle Scott!

Garage Doors

Western cedar garage doors have been installed by Ringers out of Florence Alabama.  With the hardware added on, the look resembles traditional carriage house doors.  The new wood and old woods are blending together quite nicely.  The height on the doors will accommodate our accessible van.  Poor van has never known what its like to be kept under a roof. 

Devin's Ramp and the Porch

This ramp leads from the screened porch on the main cabin down along the pond.  Philip and Alan fashioned the railings.  Cannot wait to wheel Devin up and down the ramp! 

Here is the inside of the porch, looking out over the ramp.  Although the heat was excessive outin the sun, the covered porch was relatively comfortable.  Perhaps that living roof is working!

Floors

Oh, will you look at the incredible beauty of the reclaimed white oak flooring?  Arc Wood and Timbers are a source of amazing materials.  Gary and Lisa delivered the flooring over Memorial Weekend.  We enjoyed seeing them again; they had provided the large hewn beams and logs last year.  The flooring has been waiting in the cabin for a month to acclimate to our humidity.  "Doodle" prepared the floor and carefully put three coats of finish on the wood.  Once again, the efforts of  people from San Francisco to Ohio to Tennessee...everyone involved put forth their best and the results reveal a tribute to craftsmanship. 

Living Roof

The roof over our screened porch has been waiting for months to receive its covering.  Finally the day arrived when Southeast GreenRoofs made the delivery.  Glorious pallets of a variety of sedum plants have been placed onto the waterproof membrane.  The pallets make it easy to install a field of plants fully grown and filled out.  Easy, except for the intense July heat radiating off of the black rubber.  Happily, the requirement for a thorough watering came in the form of an afternoon shower - the first rain in two weeks. How perfectly timed!

This type of roof has several benefits.  One, of course, is the beauty.  Another is the value of temperature moderation.  It acts as an insulator for the space below.  With the heat and humidity in the South, we are hoping it will make the porch a more comfortable location to enjoy.  As the plants continue to mature, there should be a few tendrils that manage to grow over the edge.  If you are wondering about maintenance - yes, there will be some, but we were created in a garden and I count it joy to continue to tend and keep a garden, whether in my heart or on the roof!