The Two Year Anniversary of Highlands Bangor, a Segue

Dear Reader,

The last year has seen substantial changes at Highlands Bangor, and because I (Fenchurch) am reluctant to abandon this blog, I think something needs to be said as a segue between previous posts and future posts.

Two years ago, when I took possession of the keys for this old house, there were 6 people and a dog who had a mutually beneficial plan to live here, restore the house's beauty and prepare it for modern living.  We achieved some of that, but it also became clear that not everyone was mutually benefiting from the arrangement.  And so at the end of July, the family of Zaphod, Trillian, Frogstar, Frankie and Benji moved out for a new town and their own space.

This leaves your's truly as the sole resident and therefore primary caregiver of Highlands Bangor.  It is not a situation I would have willingly chosen two years ago, and it is not a situation I have much more enthusiasm for today.  The house is too big.  There is too much yard, too many floors and windows and not enough money.  And the Maine winter has arrived and clearly has no intention of leaving until April or May.

I frequently remind myself that I could be walking north through Mexico right now, but instead I have a good job, two cuddly dogs and a house that has survived 180 previous winters.  Also, the modern world has invented meal delivery services - so I can now have vegetables Fed-Ex-ed to my door while I ignore the weather, try to keep a greyhound puppy from chewing on the window trim, and adjust to the idea of living long term in Bangor.

At the end of a difficult season, the best plan I can formulate is to hibernate for the winter and hope for something better to grow in the spring.

Yours,
Fenchurch

Happy Tuesday

https://youtu.be/vQgZx8gLRnA

Fenchurch Tests Her Camera

Fenchurch Remembers Year One

One year ago I drove into downtown Bangor and signed a lot of papers in exchange for a set of keys to the oldest house on Thomas Hill.  I had a few moments of quiet at the house before the plumbers arrived to jack hammer a decayed cast iron waste pipe out of the basement floor.  It seems like there's been banging and cutting and a great deal of crashing around ever since. (Some of it, but not all of it, intentional.)

I think I can safely say that I am still on the steep part of the home renovation learning curve. And the safe use of power tools learning curve.  Also the how to be a good business partner and how to peacefully coexist with others curves.

I spend a lot of time just being tired.

But a lot has been accomplished in this year, due mostly to Zaphod's hard work (and perseverance in the face of suffering).

• Rotten cast iron waste pipe replaced.
• Laundry / half bath upgraded.
• New wood stove and back chimney lined.
• Structural repairs have progressed.
• Front chimney has been rebuilt and relined.
• Rotten exterior stairs removed, damaged roof repaired, new balcony added.
• Electrical service upgraded.
• Corner of foundation dug out and mortared inside and out with drainage added.
• Family room demoed.  Bathroom demoed.
• Lightbulbs replaced.
• Leaves raked and wood cut.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed though encouragement, cleaning, scraping paint, swinging a hammer, pulling the trigger on a power tool, or bringing us vodka. (It's a muscle relaxant, Fenchurch-Mom!) 

We are grateful for your support as we make plans for another busy year.

Zaphod's Best Weekend (Ever!!)

It is a well known fact at Highlands Bangor, that Zaphod loves to dig.  His love for digging is second only to his love for moving things.  So this was pretty much the best weekend that Zaphod can imagine.  (If anyone knows a good libel lawyer, Zaphod is taking names....)

On Saturday, while Trillian kept the little people occupied, in an attempt to prevent the entry of water into the basement, Zaphod and Fenchurch dug their trench a little deeper and then started throwing mortar at the wall, literally.  Fenchurch found that her instinct to "color inside the lines" did not really lend itself to throwing mortar at a wall, so Zaphod threw and Fenchurch mixed...because mixing mortar is kind of like mixing "just add water" cake mix.  Except you wouldn't want to eat it.  And it's a looooooooot heavier.

Four bags of mortar later and Zaphod and Fenchurch were both done for the day.  And only about 1/4 of the way around the wall.  Thank goodness next weekend should be sunny...

On Sunday, to rest from throwing mortar, Zaphod and Fenchurch moved things around.  There seems to be an unwritten rule at Highlands Bangor - if you're going to move something, the place you put it must be as inconvenient as possible for whatever job needs to be done next, thus forcing you to move the thing again.  The heavier the thing, the truer this is.

But rules are meant to be broken - so Zaphod and Fenchurch moved slate (for the keep-water-out-of-the-attic project) and wood (for the let's-not-freeze-to-death-over-the-winter project) to places which should hopefully be relatively permanent until the slate goes on the roof and the wood goes in the fire.

And Zaphod is looking forward to doing it all again next weekend!

Flash and Bang

Fenchurch-mom and Fenchurch-dad spent this past week at Highlands Bangor; Fenchurch-dad sawed and banged and carried things with Zaphod while Fenchurch-mom ran in circles after the orbiting Frogstar for whom baby gates now represent mere obstacles rather than boundaries.

We are indebted to them for their help and generosity.

Fenchurch-dad had hoped to see the dark red balau decking go onto the balcony, but alas, there were too many prerequisite steps and he had to go home without seeing the balcony completed.

Another day's work by Zaphod and Fenchurch has finally brought them to the point of laying the deck. 

Tomorrow. 

After Zaphod buys the screws. 

Because he didn't mention to Fenchurch before she went to the hardware store today that he didn't have the necessary screws. 

Because he didn't think they'd make as much progress as they did. 

And Fenchurch declined to go to the hardware store twice in one day because she needed to make sure she had time to passive aggressively snipe at Zaphod via blog post.

Someone has to get up tomorrow to go to the hardware store, that's all Fenchurch is saying.  And that someone probably isn't going to be her.  No sirree-sir, Bob Zaphod.

Videos of the day's work are below.

For those of you who have the time to watch all 4, you can leave your vote in the comments.  Alternatively, we may also call him Wonko the Sane.

Highlands Loses a Deck