Concrete pad laid for sprinkler tank

One of the tasks that Mike, Chris, Buffy and Liseli did when WinterSong was cancelled was to clean out half of the tractor shed. We're having to use half of it for the water storage tank of the sprinkler system to the ACC. You may recall that the riding mower, snow blowers, and camping equipment was stored here.



The concrete was poured on December 16th. That's mostly ice on the ground!



CNS had prepared the area for the concrete.



Let the pouring begin! The diesel tank in the foreground is for the tractor.



This is the same crew that poured the concrete for the new Bugg House. Quite a change in the weather from the summer!



Almost finished.




The concrete cured, the tractor shed is waiting for the 3,000 gallon tank to be installed next week.

Red Oak Flooring Finished after WinterSong weekend

The floor was sanded by staff: Here's Mike Clark with the sander. And no, my camera isn't dirty, it's the dust in the air!



Margaret Lew with a hand sander.



Chris DeRoller checking for rough spots .



Liseli Haines sanding in the hall for the last time.



Then came the clean up before the polyurethane was applied. Mike is handy with the vacuum, isn't he?



The yellow room after 3 coats of polyurethane



The finished landing: room 1 is to the left.

week 28 - snow and ice slow us down

The beginning of the week saw soft snow. The sprinkler installation continued as did the trim work.



The ACC with a dusting. But then on Thursday, the ice storm hit and all work on the ACC renovations stopped. The following pictures were taken by Buffy Curtis.



Ice clung to everything.




Yet, there was beauty.





Lots of limbs and small trees down. This one is in front of Knoll House.



Clean up is still going on. Electricity was restored on Sunday night around 8 pm just in time for the sprinkler folks to come on Monday!

wk 26 & 27 -- the deck continues

Whenever the weather cooperates (no rain or snow), Chris DeRoller is out there, working on the deck. When the 4th & 5th graders were here, Margaret Lew came up and they worked on the benches. This photo shows the creativity of these 2 women in getting electricity to their power tools!



More of the benches are getting their backs on.



Fine craftsmanship in the corners.



A good place to rest and reflect. Thank you, Chris and Margaret!

wk 27 - wood trim inside

A few years ago at one of our annual work weekends, several Friends rolled huge logs from downed trees up to the central lawn to await a sawyer. These trees died when the new septic tank was put in north of the Pitt Hall library. The sawyer came and made lumber out of the trees. We stored the lumber in the garage to "season." It's now ready for use -- you can see the beautiful butternut and cherry boards above. It is being used for the trim around the doors and windows.



in the sun room



in the bedrooms



around the open window from the art porch to the common room.



The trees, planted by Wilson Powell when he first homesteaded this land in Columbia County continue to provide beauty and connection to those of us crossing the threshold of the ACC. CNS finished downstairs this week and will do the trim for the upstairs next week.

Weeks 26 & 27 -- Red Oak Flooring

Last week, CNS started to put in the flooring on the 2nd floor of the Bugg House. Here's the red oak boards waiting on the sun porch. The 4th & 5th graders helped to move the boards upstairs to the green room which was being used as the staging area.



The yellow room



In the hall -- I'm standing in the door of the lilac room to take this photo.




The finished hallway. Straight ahead is the green room. Room 1 is behind and to the left. The open door you see leads into the big bathroom in the new wing.



Finished laying the floor in the orange room.

Tiling the bathrooms

Last weekend also saw Friends grouting the tile in the big bathroom upstairs.



Paul Nowak, Ellen Harris-Braun and Chris DeRoller making the plan.



Ellen testing the grout!



Paul making sure the consistency was just right.



Finished product.



After the big bathroom was finished upstairs, Chris moved downstairs and started tiling again. This time it's in the accessible (smaller) bathroom.



Sunday, Chris came back and continued tiling in the little bathroom downstairs. The renovations continue.

First Floor Priming and Staining Doors

Saturday found several of us either painting or staining as well as tiling (see tomorrow's blog).



Here's Chris Koster beginning to apply the stain.



Katherine Wood and Chris Koster finished the doors upstairs in the new wing. Don't they look great?



Here's Tim sweeping the ceilings before we applied the primer.



The group in the art porch -- David Gerhan on left; Julia Giordano & Kayla on right.



Good thing David has long arms!



Julia and Kayla working on the walls.



At another 1st floor entrance, Denise Sherman, Mike Clark and Anita Paul prime the walls.



Denise in the southwest bedroom.



David reaching for the wall.



Katherine and Ann primed the larger bathroom downstairs on Sunday.



The art porch primed and ready for its coat of paint.



Sunday morning Mike started painting the ceiling.