March 27: The Great Unwrapping

Harry admires the queen post as he unwraps the timbers.

More unwrapping as he works his way toward the king post.

Free of wrappings, the beauty of the hammerbeam construction is revealed.

Harry goes to any lengths to get that last bit of tape off the timbers.

Erik fits the cedar around windows, the door and joists
as he finishes the west face of the entry.

For months, the timbers, wood plank ceilings and windows were wrapped to protect them from drywall taping, plaster and paint spray. (Beams Harry and I haven't seen since the topping off more than a year ago!) Yesterday, it was like unwrapping a big present as the beauty of the timbers and craftsmanship were revealed. Harry enjoyed working on the scaffolding where he could get up close and personal with the lofty beams and appreciate the intricacies of the timber framing.

Erik worked outside, finishing up the cedar siding on the west wall of the mud room/main entry.

Now that the painting is done, and the exterior siding is nearly finished, everyone is looking forward to finishing up the inside.

March 17: Great Gray Owl

The Great Gray Owl is back on the garden post.

Erik was thrilled to get this photo with his 'old' camera
while Harry the professional forgot to bring his 'fancy' camera.

The owl perches on an old fence post nearby, looking for snacks,
and wasn't bothered by our presence.

About 10 days ago, Erik had his first sighting of this magnificent Great Gray Owl. It is enormous - more than 30 inches long with a wingspan of about five feet. For days the owl hung around, sitting on fence posts, a deck post of the new house, and in trees nearby.

This "phantom of the forest" didn't seem to mind power saws and sanders, a big chocolate lab, or three of us digging a raised bed for the vegetable garden. He would kept a wary eye on ravens as they harassed him and then drop into the grass to feast on voles.

But then, he moved down valley about a week ago, and we thought he was gone for good...until late this afternoon, when he reappeared. Erik saw him sitting on a fence pole, and then the owl enjoyed scanning the field from our deck posts. What a fascinating creature - we hope the owl sticks around so we can continue to enjoy watching him!

February 20: Let There Be Sun

Thirteen modules comprise our solar array,
which is generating lots of power even on cloudy days.

The wireless readout keeps us informed about all the details.
This screen shows we were generating 2.42 kilowatts at about 2pm yesterday.

The solar panels started to produce energy this week! Our hookup to the grid is complete and even on cloudy and drizzly days, the panels were collecting solar energy. During the past three days, there was bright sunshine and the panels pumped out lots of power - a stellar performance for February days when the sun is low, and much better than we anticipated.

Most fascinating is the wireless gizmo that tells us many things regarding our power generation, including how much we are making, what we are saving in pounds of CO2, and how much energy we are using vs. supplying to the grid.

February 12: Doors and Floors

Here is one set of doors made for the window openings in the loft.

A stained closet door waits to be hung downstairs.

Taking a break with Beau.

Taping the edges of the dyed concrete floor before etching.

Removing all the tape from the floor in my office after etching.

Harry and Erik apply the penetrating sealer.

The interior doors arrived and were treated with an environmentally friendly wood stain, a light oiled finish. A special set of doors was made for the loft windows - so we can open and close them as needed, like shutters.

But before the doors are installed on the lower level, we needed to etch and use a penetrating sealer on the dyed concrete. This involved a few days of taping edges, etching, and three coats of sealant. Good to have that job done!

February 6: Solar Panels Ready to Power Up

The solar array's 13 modules will generate 3 megawatts of electricity.

The solar panels will be on line any day now. The system was installed in late fall by Rainshadow Solar, and it's passed a series of inspections. We're going through the application process to connect to Orcas Power and Electric Co. (OPALCO).

The panels will generate 3 megawatts of power and the system is expandable to 6 megawatts. We'll generate our own electricity when the sun shines, and sell any additional power to OPALCO. The goal is to break even, taking power from the grid on most wintertime days, and selling excess power to OPALCO in the summertime, when days are long and the sun is strong.

November 20: Drywall Goes Up and Snow Comes Down

The hammer beam structure stands out against the new drywall.

The southwest corner.

View from the loft.

And lots of progress on the lower level.

A storm brought wet snow and crunchy ice.

The balcony is interesting in all types of weather.

It's not easy to hang and fit drywall in and around the posts, purlins and knee braces, but the work is getting done and it's rewarding to see the timbers stand out. Lots of progress in the main space and in the lower level. And then it snowed! Fortunately, we should have heat in the house in a few days.

November 10: Drywall Delivery

The boom lifts sheets up and over to the balcony.

Three hundred sheets of drywall arrived from Bellingham and were hoisted into the house through the balcony door. If each sheet weighs about 60 lbs., that's nine tons of drywall!

November 5: Railings Enhance Exterior Spaces

The railings lead up to the deck on the south side and surround the loft balcony.

Erik's railing design complements the timbers and siding.

View from the deck looking south.
The railing caps are chamfered to shed water.

The balcony looks inviting.

The view from the balcony across the valley...

And down valley toward the Olympics.

There is much progress to report. With the design and installation of the porch and balcony guard rails, and application of penetrating oil finish to the lookouts, the exterior is 100 percent complete on three sides - north, south and east.

Erik and Doug constructed the railings with steel mesh framed with cedar. The design complements the cedar siding and decking while providing a fetching spot for Beau to watch the valley wildlife. The balcony looks particularly inviting!

Fog, a Flicker and a Full Year

The flicker was a well-behaved visitor
and didn't peck the timbers or break any windows.

A thick fog envelops the house and a flicker pays a visit—Erik says birds often fly in through the open front door. Fortunately, the woodpecker didn't run into any windows (that could be trouble) and he got out of the house safely.

As we put this post together, we realized it's been a full year since the Eye On Orcas blog was started on October 28, 2009. So much has happened, and so much more to come! Imagine—a year from now, we'll be settled into the house and the blog will be following the progress of barn construction...

Heat Tubes and New Views

Looking into the stair tower from the kitchen.

View from the landing into the living space.

And the view from the loft. These radiant heat tubes will be toasty warm.

Looking down on the cedar deck from a perch on the balcony.

The solar cable conduit leads to where the solar panels will be –
Erik graded and seeded around the concrete piers.

A glance inside at the kitchen area and loft above.

And a closeup of the loft framing.

The past couple of months have revolved around rough electrical and plumbing work. The electrical inspection is complete, and most of the plumbing has been approved as well – just a few minor issues to take care of and the plumbing and framing inspections will be behind us.

In addition, the solar rough-in/inspection is done; concrete footers were poured to support the panel array and the conduits are ready.

The stair tower is taking shape, and the deck looks inviting!