Harvest

Jeff planted some onions in the deck planters this spring. Cooper loved to dig these bulbs up and I thought they would never survive.

 Jeff harvested the first onion. As you can say it is pretty big. I don't like onions, but he said the taste was semi-sweet but very strong.

The UNC Tarheels need to recruit this guy

Infinity

The infinity light which I ordered for the living room finally arrived. Now that it has been installed, the room is completely finished.

Owls and Growls

I heard Otis pacing and whining at 3:00 AM.  I reluctantly got up to take him outside.

We began to walk in the yard. From the trees above us I heard the Hoot-Hoot-Hoot of an owl. Otis began to growl - loud and fierce. Otis had no interest in doing anything but staring into the woods, growling.

I realized that the reason Otis had been whining was because he heard the owl. Otis did not need to go out, he was bothered by the owl's calls and pacing as a result.  We immediately headed back inside.

Family Room

The family room has been painted, new window treatments and carpet are installed and the furniture is back in place! This paint color is Antique Beige and a much lighter shade than the formal living room.

I was hesitant about buying such a colorful carpet. However, Jeff convinced me that it would be a good way to add color to the room, especially with brown furniture. The couch has tiny red flecks and I think the elements go well together.

You will notice that there is no television. We moved our old tv upstairs and are going to buy a new flat screen when things calm down. The cardboard is the size of a 46 inch tv. We are trying to decide if  a 42 or 46 would be better.

Cooper and Otis are enjoying the new carpet. I wonder how long it will stay  clean.

Cooper's Favorite Spot

Cooper has taken to sitting on the stairs lately.  Seems as though you can get a pretty good view through the new door if you're sitting on the right stair.  If you look at the picture to the left, you'll see his reflection in the top of the door.

Mission Control

When we renovated, we put a lot of thought into where we want the light switches.  Previously, we had to go to four different locations just to turn the outside lights on.  Going from the front door to the kitchen was always at least a three step process of flipping switches and walking back and forth.  Now everything is in one spot.  Of course, that one spot looks like Mission Control at Cape Canaveral.

5 minute fan

Now that the family room ceiling has been painted, Jeff installed the ceiling fan.  The Hunter fan box states that it is a "5 minute fan", meaning that it is very quick to install.

One hour later, the new light is now installed.

Crisp Autum Leaves

When we renovated, I thought that it would be nice to paint the dining room blue. That is, until I learned that in the world of interior decorating blue dining rooms are a big NO-NO. I realize that I can choose any color I desire, but the last thing I want is to have an unappealing room.

With blue out, I began to look at other possible colors. It seems that red is a dining room favorite. We had a red dining room in a previous home and I did not want another one. I began to think about a dark orange/pumpkin.

When I saw Crisp Autumn Leaves, I thought bingo! This color  is a cross between red and orange. In our beige home, it will be a bold  splash of color.

I painted a sample to see if I really love this color. Crisp Autumn Leaves will not go away easily, so I want to be sure I can happily live with it.

Potato Chips

I was snacking on potato chips at the kitchen table. Otis was sitting nearby looking at me with pleading eyes and drooling. Cooper was nowhere in sight.

As I was finishing, I gave Oti a chip. Immediately, I heard a thump,thump, thump. Cooper was stretched out under the table. How he knew that Oti had a potato chip is beyond me. However, Coop wanted to make sure that he too would get a snack.

Spoiled!

Open a wine bottle with your shoe

I don't know if this is another one of those "You can open a car door over your cell phone" things, but interesting anyway...

http://www.wimp.com/wineshoe/

Furniture

Finally, we have a place to sit ! The living room furniture has been moved from the garage to back upstairs. We still have some pieces stored in the guest room. Hopefully in the next few days the room will be completely  finished.

OK, now this is depressing

Read the story here.

Curtains

UPS delivered the curtains rods I ordered.

The curtains have been hung in the formal living room. I think they look great. I tend to prefer valances over drapes, but I think that these curtains give a more elegant feel to the room.

Thrill of victory

Green

Several  weeks ago, Otis snapped Cooper's leash. Since then I have been searching for a new green leash to match Coop's collar. I looked at Pet Smart, PetCo and Walmart, but none of these stores sold green leashes.

Poor Cooper was embarrassed to be seen strolling in Wilton Center with mismatched accessories.A purple leash and green collar earned him the nickname, "The Joker".

Overstock.com to the rescue. Overstock had a green 6 foot lead for sale. I quickly placed the order. Cooper's new leash arrived today.

Books

The other day on the news, I heard that Amazon.com had sold more Kindle (electronic) books than hardcover books. I was surprised to hear this and wondered if paper books would soon be a rarity.

I am a big fan of traditional books. I like the feel of a book in my hand. A book is always travel ready - no chargers or power needed.

I do understand in a green world, why the ability to download books is popular. Traveling with the light weight Kindle is easy. I wonder if I am becoming a dinosaur in this digital age.

I'm a chameleon, too

Cooper's golden coat may blend into the hardwood floors, but Oti's auburn coat mirrors the front door.

Up close, it looks like we color matched the door to Oti's coloring.

Stain

To finish our new fiberglass door, we needed to stain it. I knew we were in trouble when we opened the stain kit and there was a 20 minute video on how to properly stain the door. The video claims that if you follow all 12 steps, the door will not only look great, but require no maintenance for 5 years. The kit says the door can be finished in one day.

Staining is a messy job. We had hoped that in a few hours the entire process would be complete. Unfortunately, we had to apply multiple coats to get the color we desired. Wearing patches of cherry stain, Jeff said he will never again work on this door.

2 coats of sealer still have to be applied. Hopefully this can be done next weekend if the weather cooperates.

I really like how the door looks. From a distance, you would think it really is a wood door, not fiberglass.

Living Room

The formal living room has been painted! Jeff and I took 3 days off from work to get this done. I have to say it rates as one of the worst vacations ever.

There is still a lot of work to be done, before the furniture can be moved back inside. There is dust everywhere and a good cleaning is needed. I am not sure how many times I will have to swiffer the floors.

Drapes need to be hung, but the rods will not arrive until next week. Outlet covers need to be installed. The trim for the recessed lights also need to be installed.

I still have to select and order a center light, but have not had time to shop for one.

Trim

The crown molding, window trim, columns and baseboard in the living room have all been painted.

I do not know how many hours we spent painting these areas. All I know is that my hand is sore from holding the paintbrush. However, I really like the way everything looks.

Spotted Goldens

Cooper and Otis like to be near us while we paint. As you can imagine, having two dogs underfoot with open paint cans, brushes and rollers can lead to some unexpected events.

Jeff was painting the ceiling and Cooper was laying under the area being painted. A blob of paint rolled off the brush and landed right on Coop's backside. During the terrible thunderstorms Coop curled into a newly painted corner.

The floor has been covered with plastic to protect the hardwood floors. Otis loves to run and slide on his side. This means that any wet paint ends up on Oti's coat.

The other morning we were walking the dogs and I realized that one of Oti's ears was white.

It seems like a bath will be needed for both dogs when we are finished.

Colors

As the photo shows, it is time to pick a paint color for downstairs.

We went to Rings End and purchased some Benjamin Moore samples. We also painted swatches of the colors currently used in the house. Ironically, we decided to use the same color that is currently  in our upstairs hallway.

Due to the openness of the home, we needed a color that would work in multiple rooms.

Ceiling

For the last two weeks, Jeff and I have been filling nail holes, caulking and sanding in preparation for painting. Our goal is to paint the formal living room first and then move the furniture back. After two months without, having a place to sit downstairs will be a novelty.

The ceiling has finally been painted. We will start on the crown molding and window trim next.

Jerk

I was heading home on Route 7 (4 lane road) Saturday morning and stopped to let a family of geese and goslings cross the road. The geese had made it across 3 lanes when a man in a silver Range Rover came flying down the road  in the opposite direction.

The man saw the geese and rather than stopping, switched lanes to get into the 4th lane and stepped on the gas. The lead goose was nearly hit.

I was furious and could not believe that someone would be so thoughtless. What could be so important that he could not pause for 30 seconds? I have traveled the world and believe that CT drivers are the rudest, most thoughtless people I have ever met.

I often notice that the people who drive the most expensive cars display the worst behavior.

Happy Birthday Otis!

Otis has been with us for 1 year! It seems like yesterday that Linda F sent an email asking if we wanted Cooper to have a brother. When we saw how adorable Otis was, we could not refuse.

Oti LOVES people. I don't think we have ever had such a people focused dog. Otis doesn't want to just get petted, he loves to lean into you,  as if he can become one with you.

Even though Oti is now 4 or 5, he is still a big puppy at heart. I think that Otis will never grow up. Otis sees shoes, towels, hats, gloves and anything that is not nailed down as a potential toy.

Every morning, before the alarm goes off, Otis jumps on the bed and wiggles his way up until his head is almost on my pillow. The instant the alarm goes off, Oti jumps on top of me wanting to be petted. From Oti's level of excitement, you would think Otis had not seen me in weeks. I find it odd that Otis never jumps on Jeff. I guess we know who the Alpha is in our pack.

Otis has been good for Cooper. Coop certainly likes to boss Oti around and Oti seems happy to have a companion when we are at work.

I hate when that happens

Stargazer

I mentioned before that Stargazer lilies are one of my favorite flowers. I found a bag of Stargazer bulbs this year at Walmart and planted them. I am thrilled with the beautiful flowers.

Bobbi & Linda

Hi Maine Moms -

It's me, Otis. My birthday is coming up. I've been thinking about the last year  and  wanted you to know I have not forgotten you.

Bobbi, you rescued me from the animal shelter. I don't want to think about what  might have happened if you hadn't come along. Too bad I don't like cats. Living in a home filled with home baked dog treats would have been a dream come true.

Linda, when I could no longer live with Bobbi, you graciously took me in. Considering that you already had 3 of your own Goldens, that is a tremendous kindness. Even better, you found me my forever home in CT!

Every time I chew another baseball cap (Otis 3, Caps 0) Mom threatens to send me back to Maine. I just smile and wag my tail because I know she doesn't really mean it. Even if she did, I know you'd keep me safe.

Our yard IV

 

Our hydrangea has  a lot more flowers than usual, but our rhodies had very few flowers this summer. I was disappointed since I fertilized the rhododendrons last fall with holly tone and thought this would increase the blooms.

Let There Be Light

New electric wiring was run throughout the downstairs for the renovation. Several new circuits were added to the house but they had not been connected to the electrical panel.

The electrician has now installed the new circuit breakers and we finally have outdoor and indoor lights!

Where's Steve ?

After 7 weeks of having a construction crew at the house, Otis became accustomed to hearing trucks arrive at 7:20 am.

Poor Otis, spent the morning staring out the window, waiting for Steve to arrive. I know Otis will miss having additional  people  to pet him in the morning.

Finished

The renovation is COMPLETE!

Now Jeff and I need to paint the entire downstairs. With 3 rooms, 2 hallways, 200 ft of crown molding, 200 ft of baseboard, 7 columns and  14 windows to paint,  it will be weeks if not months until we are finished.

Blog postings will be limited since all free time will be spent with wood filler and a paintbrush.

Distinguished Gentleman

In 2 more months, Cooper will be turning 9 years old. The other day I noticed that Cooper is getting white hair on his face and throughout his coat.

When I spoke with Dr. Duffy, I mentioned that Coop was getting old. Dr Duffy laughed and said that 9 was not old, when Cooper turns 12 we'll talk about old.

The longer Cooper is with us, the more his Golden personality shines. I often wonder what Coop would be like if someone had cherished him in Alabama.

Railing

This is our old wrought iron railing along the staircase. It screams, welcome to 1960.

The iron railing has been replaced  with oak and the staircase opened.

Baseboard

The baseboard molding and baseboard heat has been installed.

8 paws, 140 lbs

I went to walk Cooper and Otis. Both leashes were in my left hand as I opened the garage door.

The door opened. Coop began to bark and both dogs charged outside. I looked over and saw the coyote in the front yard.

Imagine 8 paws and 140 lbs of muscle tearing down the driveway with me acting as an anchor.
The coyote took off running. I hoped Otis would not snap another leash. Coop is not terribly strong, but Otis is built like a linebacker.

Once the coyote was out of sight, the dogs lost some of their enthusiasm in the chase. All I can say is it is a good thing I had my running shoes on.

Closets

The new closet doors have been installed.

Adding the additional closet has doubled our storage space.

Hooded Merganser

Jeff said, "We have a Merganser on our pond." I said, "A what ?"

It turns out that the contractor Steve, who is a hunter, had noticed the Merganser swimming on the pond. We have not been able to get a photo of this shy creature.

The white markings around the duck's eye show it to be a Hooded Merganser.

Photo by ODNR:

Windows

The window trim has been installed for all the windows.

Our yard III

The Easter Lily was planted in the garden after it flowered last year .The sunflower sprouted from a seed that the birds and squirrels missed.

Crown

The crown molding has been installed.

Previously, the crown was only in the formal living room and dining room and did not have much detail. The new crown is taller and more intricate. The crown will now run thru all rooms and the hallways, except the kitchen.

Our yard II

Some more photos from our home. The construction crew and dumpsters have kept the deer and woodchuck away and allowed my lilies to thrive.