January Check-In

Thank god for the plowing service - we can finally pull into the driveway in the winter.

Well, I said I was closing down for the year, but I haven’t been up to Shangri-La for a little more than 2 months and it seemed like I should check on the place. Would I find some undrained portion of the plumbing frozen and cracked? A family of squatters relaxing on the porch? An army of mice running wild over every surface?

Last time up we completed the wall board on the 'command center'...

None of these things, as you might expect. The place was quiet, cold, and exactly as we left it. I drove up in a freezing drizzle, and unpacked my tools as the rain turned to snow. I fired up the heat, checked the basement, and set to work. I had planned to complete the electrical – bathroom light/fan combo, wiring for the living area ceiling fan and the track lighting on either side of the bridge – but the snow got intimidating, and I’m pretty cautious after our adventure getting the car stuck last year. We really, really need a 4WD for this place.

...and in the kitchen. I left an access panel to the bath plumbing behind where the fridge will be.

After a few token items – putting up the final two batts of insulation and installing 2 more vertical blinds – I took some pictures and hit the road. And a good thing, too – the snow was slippery enough that my 2WD pickup couldn’t make it up the hill by which we head south, and I had to back down (very slowly!) and loop north back to the highway. 6 hours on the road for 90 minutes of work kinda sucks, but at least I know the place is OK without us.

The insulation half completed in the loft.