It's official...

[Bryan]

We really enjoyed having you and Katie over! Thanks for coming up and we're looking forward to having you guys over again!

Now one of us has to post a Halloween 2008 trip report!

[islander]

Bryan did you ever make it over to NB when you were on the island for that week?

[Bryan]

No, hanging insulation was more work than I ever imagined! I did run the boat around it returning home from the hardware store on South Bass. Judging from some of your MySpace pics, I think I seen the house you grew up in. East banned, mid way, with three very destinctive arches on the front porch?

BTW...seen an old picture of your Dad in the Gazette!

[islander]

You did see my old home...the Simon Fox House, built in 1861. He was the first guy to start a ferry route between Sandusky and DTW. And he planted the first acre of grapes in PIB Twp. on NB in 1856, and he was also the first Justice of the Peace in PIB Twp. The house was in the family until 1961, we moved in abt 1973 and moved out when Dad built in 2004.
My family will be the last to ever live there. Sad, but then that house is so special that I couldn't imagine anyone else living there, specially if they didn't respect all the history that fills that house from one end to the other.

Yea you saw my dad when he was just a young punk, abt 21 years of age. I love that picture, so I thought I would share it with the public. The pic is great with Mary in it...she was not afraid to lug that shot gun around or to use it!
So four of those people in the photo are your neighbors, upper island neighbors, but we are all neighbors none the less.

[Bryan]

Thought I'd post some updates, we've been pretty busy over the winter! I took a week off from work in Dec and hung the drywall, I hauled all the baseboard heaters up in the airplane in Feb, when the ferry boats started running in March I hauled up 1500 bricks to make the sidewalk and patio. I also took another week off from work and installed the tounge & groove wood ceiling, that was a 5 day job by itself! Last weekend a couple friends of mine finnished the dry wall (mud & taped, smoothed), these guys own a dry wall finnish buisness and let me tell ya, they can sling some mud!! They finnished the whole house in one weekend!! We're ready for paint now!

Pic of the ceiling...

[Bryan]

Eric applying the tape...

[Bryan]

Matt's turn at the scaffold ladder combo!!

[Bryan]

Progress!!

[Bryan]

I wont be able to get back up there for a couple more weeks, when I do it's paint time! I have to put up the crown moulding and case the triangle window in before I install the hard wood floors, that way I can avoid rolling the scaffold around on the hard wood. It will be a day of celebration when I can take that scaffold apart for good, I hate being up on that thing!

[Mills]

Thanks for the update Bryan the ceiling looks unbelieveable!! That scaffold does not look like fun at all LOL!!

[Mister Kay]

Damn that house looks good, I can't believe you got so much done in such a short period of time, especially doing so much yourself!!!


Congrats!!!

[Bryan]

Damn that house looks good, I can't believe you got so much done in such a short period of time, especially doing so much yourself!!!


Congrats!!!

Thanks Mr Kay! The islands are pretty quiet during the winter, wasn't much to distract me! I did go through a lot of beer over the winter!

Mills, I cant wait for you to see it in person!

[Bryan]

All of the drywall is finnished and painted, and the hall way ceiling is up. It's kinda hard to tell from the pics but the color is a sand/cream, looks a lot better in person!

[Bryan]

I'm not sure if I'm going to trim everything out then start on the floor or vice versa. But no matter what, all the edges where the ceiling meets the wall will have either quarter round or crown moulding depending on the location. It's still in the "rough" stages now.

[Bryan]

I also got this part of my yard seeded in, still got a LOT more to go! Got to finnish the patio/fire pit before seeding the other part.