Slow news week

Actually, lots of things have been going on, I've just been in denial all week. (It's my 'overload' defense, and it does not serve me well.) We're moving ahead with the appeal on the sprinkler system, as nobody wants to talk sense there. (I swear they'd be happier if we bulldozed the building and put up a Wal-mart.) There was some confusion about how to file the appeal, with the township pointing at the code inspector and the code inspector pointing at the township, but I think Dawn got that straightened out today.

Meanwhile, Mike is making good progress framing out the baths and shoring up the dormers. In fact, he's moving too fast -- he wants to get the ductwork in next, but I haven't decided if we're doing a conventional system or a geothermal system yet. It's strictly a cash flow issue; hence the denial. Thinking about our cash flow for the next couple of years is an extraordinaly depressing activity.

Gary Geiselman, our contractor, paid Dawn a back-handed compliment: He said when we first met, and I was volunteering Dawn for much of the grunt work to save costs, he didn't think Dawn would last two weeks. Well, it's been two months now and Dawn is still going strong, so Gary volunteered her to do all the exterior wood and window sashes as well. It's the Pennsylvania Dutch equivalent of "G.I. Jane."

Needless to say, no pictures have been taken since I left, so I will leave you with a 1950's photo of "the circle." You can see the mansion in the background.

Speedwell Forge Dairy