Magnolia House

Cynthia's Studio is Jacked-up, Baby...

Today is Cynthia's birthday, and she's away in Pennsylvania.

So Happy Birthday Cynthia, here's some progress on your birthday present: your studio,  jacked up and leveled.

The shed was originally built on a wood foundation, back before termites and rot were invented.

Since then it has been eaten by termites and rotted.

Next weekend, I'll set some posts and reframe the north wall with pole barn construction.

I'll work my way around the building until it's all firmed up.

Cynthia would like to keep the rustic feel. Maybe I should stop at this point... lol.

Here's what the north wall looks like now...

Which way does the wind blow? Toward a Studio!

I mounted my Blowy Man weather vane today; a reminder of the days when Cynthia's studio was up and running and I was scuplting.

Today, we cleared out the old shed slated to be Miss Cynthia's new studio, and began the demo work to examine what we have to work with. Not much.

The building dates back to who knows when, and has no foundation. It has a concrete slab that was poured much later, with a big ol' crack down the middle. I think it might be that same big stump's handy work. We'll call the resulting slope in the floor "for drainage."

I have a feeling it will end up being a post barn when I'm done, with as much rustic siding as I can come up with. The building is badly termite damaged...

So, the story starts now. I'm hoping to complete a bulk of the work by July, and have Cynthia throwing pottery by September.

Here's where we start...

The building is leaning a bit to the right. Cynthia's worried it will just fall down as I start working on it.

Nah...

Maybe...

Nah...

The Back Yard War Zone

Well, we're pressing ahead with plans in the back yard, which means things will get worse before they get better.

The big hedge is gone that hid the old garage.

Now I HAVE TO get Cynthia's studio construction going.

That's my summer project.

We also removed three trees from the side yard.

It was bitter sweet, since the avocado tree was planted from seed by Mr. Almen many years ago and had grown to a foot plus in diameter.

But alas, it and the other trees needed to go to make way for a hidden garden of sorts...