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Fox Drive 2008 | January 2008 | Cobb | 2005 improvements | 2004 improvements | yard | nocturnal visitors | March 2006 snow | November 2006 | December 2006 | Geyserville
2005 improvements
July 3, 2005: We've done a lot of little improvements including finally buying a "real" refrigerator instead of the mini-frige we've been using, as well as a nice barbecue, since Doug barbecues almost every night we're here. He's been using the little one from the motorhome. One nice addition has been umbrellas--one for the main deck and another for the small deck off the bedroom. I love the way the bedroom deck has turned out:
 This is a view from the north side of the house--the rose is in full bloom and looks so pretty up there!
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 I've got a couple of really comfortable folding chairs and made a funky little table with a tile and a plant stand.
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 This rose is a transplant but it seems to like it here.
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 This doe and fawn wandered through for a drink this morning. They didn't eat anything that I could see...the Liquid Fence appears to be working...it stinks so bad the deer just sniff the plants once and move away!
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May 21, 2005: My digital camera broke so I haven't updated--too much trouble to scan! Doug bought me a new one last week so I'm back in business--I just got some photos of the yard. It's been such a wet spring, everything is gorgeous. Today's the first really warm, dry day in ages:
 Ferns along the north side of the house.
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 Really green up here! It's usually brown and dry by now.
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 I've got foxglove growing all over the yard. So gorgeous!
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 This is my pride and joy! My new potting shed. It's definitely funky but a perfect place to work. I just put the stones in today to keep mud from splashing inside when it rains.
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 This is looking across the yard from the potting shed.
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 The flowers on the deck are finally getting some sunshine!
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 Brought this rose up awhile back. It seems happy here!
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 Added the funky little mirror in the guest room.
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March 19-20: We had Luca up Friday and Saturday and it rained the whole time, so didn't get much done. However, we are beginning to move more furniture up to Cobb, and it looks great in its new home!
The little cabinet has been in the hallway in Geyserville, next to the bathroom, for the past fifteen years, but it looks great in the guest room in Cobb. The shot on the right shows the finished doorway into Doug's basement shop.
You can tell Luca has been here to visit by the toys in the living room! The deer in the picture to the left is a young buck. His antlers are just beginning to bud, but his tongue is long enough to lick the birdseed out of the feeder! I didn't try too hard to run him off as he's got a badly injured left rear leg and limps quite a bit...probably all show to get residents to let him eat their gardens!
Feb. 26-27: We only had a couple of days up at Cobb but got a lot done.
 I got the closet doors hung, finally. Have new knobs to put on them...the plastic looks cheesy, so I bought wood.
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 Moved the oak armoire up from the house in Geyserville...I bought this at a garage sale in Turlock for $10 in 1980...it was painted white! Took the wine rack out of the bottom, added a shelf and will use it for the DVD and satellite receiver.
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 I stained the back side of the door. Doug finished up the threshold and started work on the wiring in the basment.
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 Wiring and weather stripping are next week's jobs.
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Doug cut the trim for the door and I stained it. Still need to paint the door jamb dark brown so it won't show white around the door, and will add the weather stripping. I did plug the gaps under the molding with foam rubber stripping. which should help a lot to keep the drafts out. I love the convenience of a door from the house directly into Doug's workshop. This essentially turns our house into a four storey structure...no cellulite on this girl's legs!
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Feb. 18-21: (long President's Day weekend) Doug installed the door between the TV room and the basement workshop, essentially turning this into a four storey house!
 This is where I really didn't want to hear Doug say, "Oops."
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 Sarah and Tony gave us the door, an extra they had which matches the outside door in the room. It looks great...just need to finish the trim.
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 Looking out the door into the basement shop. Doug built the stairs and landing last week.
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We really got quite a bit done the weekend of Feb. 12-13. Finally moved into the master bedroom, though the closet doors aren't on yet. I'm really pleased with the way the new mini-blinds look.
 Installed new mini blinds in the bathroom.
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 Moved a king bed into the guest room--still need a frame for it!
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 Installed new blinds in the master bedroom--need a bed frame here as well.
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 Doug's completed the floor in the front of the basement and is building the landing for the door into the TV room.
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The molding in the master bedroom is done and I just need to refinish the closet doors and reinstall those. Doug cut the molding and I finished it with stain and tung oil...turned out really nice. Also plan to get new blinds for the windows. The "mauve" blinds have got to go!
We still need to do the molding around the floor, but at least we've got the laminate down and we're that much closer to being finished. It is really somewhat like putting together a puzzle...I need to rehang the closet doors and will stain and finish the molding once Doug cuts and routers it, but it should be done by next weekend. (January 29-30)
Snow shots! Obviously, we had nothing to do with THIS improvement! Taken January 1, 2005,
The photo above is from the third floor office window...the other is of our Christmas tree!
Have two guest rooms finished...the "Green Room" and the "Yellow Room." Okay, so I'm not all that creative...
The TV room (below) is about done, and the third floor office/workshop is wonderful...but we need to patch the roof! Jon refers to this as the "Penthouse Suite" as we do have an extra bed up there...but the roof still leaks.
