Getting all cozy for winter...

Stef has the stove installed! This is excellent news. Not only does it look great and throw a lot of heat on his frozen fingers, but Oni says you can also make really nice coffee on it.

Here's Oni, our friend from paragliding circles, who's been Stef's right-hand-man for the past few months. Not only is he good with a hammer, but he has also equipped the house with a bar fridge, temporary dining table, 2 chairs, and a host of other comforts. That was probably my job. Thanks Oni!

Most of the windows are now in (a few are still being repaired by the company; they had broken 'flanges' -- the bits that hold the window to the walls -- so the company is replacing them).

The doors have been ordered, though they're not here yet. The sliding doors for the balconies (all 3 of them) are coming from Builders' Doors, stained the colour 'autumn gold'. This should roughly match, or at least go with, the colour of the front posts (which is Rona Stain Exterior, semi transparent, traditional cedar CD037-851... colourants S-red oxide 040; X-brown oxide 040; Y-yellow ochre 080). We decided that would be nicer than having them match the dark 'architectural brown' of the windows, especially since they're the same colour on the inside as the outside. The front door, and the door to the suite, are coming from Wood Doors Vancouver, and are shown to the left. We'll have to stain them to match too.

Finally, you can also see in these pictures some white stuff that the house has been wrapped in. This is not frost, nor Christmas wrapping paper. It's a gore-tex-like layer that allows moisture out but stops moisture from getting in. I've been contemplating making a poncho out of it for rainy days. Notice the fantastic Dupont slogan on it :)

The funny thing about the progress at this point is that everything (plumbing, wiring, window installation, exterior painting, wrapping, a few last interior walls, etc etc etc) is getting done in bits and pieces instead of batched. This is for logical reasons -- you do the work that you can reach from the scaffolding wherever it happens to be before you move it. And you can't install windows that haven't arrived yet. But it makes for somewhat frustrating work, as nothing ever gets ticked off the to-do list. It will be nice when we hit 'lock up' stage -- when all the windows and doors are in. Not only will it be warmer inside (and more secure, though that doesn't seem to have mattered at all so far - only in Pemberton can you leave tools lying around on site!) but it will also be a really nice landmark of progress.

In the meantime we have to train our cat Floosie not to munch on door frames, as she has recently taken to doing. That's fine for a rental suite, but not for the new house.