The end of June already???

Hurray, we have permission from the City to replace the roof! Since we’re replacing a cedar shake roof with a cedar shake roof we don’t need to get the approval of the full Historic Resources Commission; the Executive Committee has approved this. We’ve hired Sprick Roofing who said they’ll buy the cedar now because the price has been going up, and it should be lower now than it will be in a couple of months when they replace our roof. Every little bit helps and we appreciate their forethought.

Our Project Managers jacked the house up to level it so we can also have the windows reglazed and replace the broken panes. Then we’ll weather-strip them and put storm windows on the inside for energy efficiency.

The open house was a lot of fun! We had about 70 people come through including a few who think we’re seriously nuts for taking this project on. Everyone else was having fun making lighthearted jokes about our sanity and the condition of the house. Yup, it’s in BAD shape!! The most interesting attendee was 96 year-old Marion Gathercoal (Paul couldn’t attend, unfortunately) who bought the house in 1940 and lived in it for about 4 years when they sold it to Paul’s brother & sister-in-law. She had lots of information & stories about the Caton House. She told us that when they bought it there were no indoor bathrooms so they lived in their camper in the backyard until Paul could install a half bath upstairs and a full bath on the main floor.

We’ll be working with Citizen’s Bank to get the funds for the renovations. They’ve been very helpful and we’ve liked working with them in the past. We have no worries about their end of things!

Brian removed the supporting beams (see photo) from under the 1948 addition making us wonder what was holding the place up. As someone once said to us the termites & carpenter ants were holding hands!



We’re having Beth Young Garden Design do the landscaping plan. We want the landscape to be easy to maintain, and not distract from the main purpose of the building. She and I haven’t had a discussion about specific plants yet, but I’m looking forward to that.

Terry Johnson is drawing up the plans, and doing a fine job, too! You can learn more about him at www.shelterwoodhomes.com. Terry is an excellent designer who we have hired for jobs in the past. Our clients speak very highly of his work and his professional approach.

Oh my aching back!

The house is officially ours, break out the champagne! Brian took this week off so we could get lots done in and around the house. I’ve been cutting blackberries, edging the lawn, and trimming overgrown shrubs. I found an interesting plant (photo) called a Voodoo Lily or Dragon Flower (Dracunculus vulgaris). I plan to dig it up before the excavator starts and save it for the final landscaping.

Brian had to dig a hole near the foundation and found an old chamber pot lid, still in one piece. Maybe we’ll find the rest of it later! The only other treasures we’ve found have been botanical, and many of those are beyond help because the landscape has been neglected for so long. Near the lilac is a rose bush that is fighting the blackberries for dominance. It has small flowers and a soft scent.

We’ve been pulling a lot of old lumber from under the house. Some of it we can use but what we can’t use we’ve been piling near the street with a “free” sign on it. It’s been disappearing along with other items we’ve found: an old chicken coop or maybe rabbit hutch, and the old kitchen stove. We’re glad that stuff won’t end up in the landfill. One man who stopped to get some pieces of the newer siding said he has the same siding on his house and needs a little more to repair damage!

The open house is on track and we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone. I’m having a “future home of...” banner printed at AlphaGraphics as well as some posters for the open house. They do a great job and offer good customer service.