Gardening with a back hoe

Late summer was spent landscaping.  Loads of material were used to grade the yards so water would run away from the building.  This porous pipe was dug into the backyard to divert water away from the building to the lake.  It was covered with stone to act like a French drain.

A band of washed stone abuts the foundation.  Walking paths are bark chipped and all other areas were layered with top soil and seeded with rye to keep the dirt in place when it rains.  On the following weekend, after this photo was taken, sixty trees were transplanted into this yard.

The under window benches were upholstered and the couch arrived.

The vintage fabric on the cushions was a lucky eBay purchase.  Note the register in the kick plate.  All of the hot air vents and cold air returns are covered with these thin custom stainless steel grills.

The colour of the couch leather is a good match to the vintage lounge chairs.  It's hard to see but now that the leaves are down, the view to the water is unimpeded.

There was enough fabric to cover this bench seat in the library.  In this recent photo, the new green lawn and some of the transplanted trees are visible outside.

A cold return air register in the kitchen island.  Lots of other progress has also been made:  built double doors for the storage room; finished the cement board siding on the storage room, installed some of the outdoor staircases; installed a bathroom sink cabinet; dishwasher installation; and got the plumbing ready for winter.

Finished the guest cottage interior.  The room will be heated with baseboard heaters so it was insulated and a vapour barrier was installed.  All of the walls were strapped with 1/4 inch oak plywood.  Here a worker is installing square oak plywood panels with a thin reveal between each panel.

Baseboards, windows and the door are trimmed with white oak.  The walls and ceiling were treated with penetrating oil.  The floor is a dark grey basket weave textured (plastic) tile.

With every passing day the autumn sun sets further south and increasingly too early.

Beautiful Lake Winnipeg rolls in angry and cold.  We are looking forward to freeze up for the calm.