BACK OUTSIDE

I realize it's been quite a long time since I took any exterior update photos, and I've actually made some progress out there.  Here in the front facade you can see that the slate siding is complete, we've just hung the steel balcony, and we've almost finished the porch ceiling.  

Oh, nice -- I just learned how to do captions!  Always had trouble with my text running wild all over the page and seemingly no way to format it.  Maybe I'll go back and fix all my other posts.

We ran out of wood for our porch ceiling - 8 boards short.  Now we have to wait 2 weeks for the new material to come in.  

This is the big wall, the money wall, as Mike calls it.  We've run about as much slate as we can until we place the two lower windows (more about that later).  Those are copper vents about mid-way up the wall (range hood, bathroom exhaust and gas water heater).  This is the service side of the house.  All the bathrooms, utility area, mechanicals, etc. are on this side, because it's the most hidden from view.

Another view of the front, but I chopped off the columns in formatting.

These are the steps down to the lower terrace, just below the spill-way.  They'll all get clad with brick shortly.  We ordered 100 bags of black mortar (really it's not black, but charcoal) and received 100 bags of buff mortar.  But what's another delay, really?  It just gives us time to work out a few more details.

Details such as this, my copper capped exterior outlet.  It will get worked into the slate.

And our copper corner.

The back porch is nearly complete, but again the slate is held up by the window and door details.  We've finished the ceiling and the gable wall, but need to start on the windows.  The balconies were challenging.  They weigh about 250 pounds, so we lifted them close with the tractor, then finessed them into place.

So here's our son's bedroom, looking north toward the meadow.  In the foreground, we'll have a n outdoor shower, and to the left will be the pond.