Must be "tile" day.

Crikey! I looked at the wagon wheel window post and now this and wondered whether you were rebuilding the entire house at BPN?
Still, it's all steps towards getting to BPS for good...
Good work Gary!
Cheers
Neil

Hi Neil,

Part of what sets our house here apart from others, is the third floor. When we bought, it was just an attic. You stood and looked at the underside of the slates. The rafters went right down to the floor plates. No plumbing up there. One or two light bulbs. I framed it out, wired, plumbed, insulated, and sheathed. Then plastered and trimmed. A big project I picked at here and there.

Since we put two families together, we ended up with 5 kids 8 - 12. That became five teenagers closely spaced. We needed more space and isolation! Haha. Thru the years, young families and parts of the family displaced when the other was stationed abroad - used the lower rooms. I began the third floor renovation loooong ago. That involved getting the materials up there via a elevator lift I build right alongside the house - 20 years ago. Ahhhh the foolishness of youth.

We figure this 3rd floor suite of rooms is gonna make the place stand out. Double lot with the shop building, the patios, and the 3rd floor. But - the whole health saga really bit me in the buttstock. As I said - those second and third shifts became harder and ceased for years while we sorted things out.

We had the 3rd floor usable with a sence of humor - but not salable as a real asset. Now, to sell and just give away the twenty years of work because it was not finished - would have really bitten into and returns. I hope folks recall that I have had a near total stop on orders for quite a few years as I've tried to use available energy to catch up as best as I could. That doesn't bring in the best cash flow.

Now, with the move winding down - I needed to cash out of here as best I could. Not just give away the 3rd floor loft since it wasn't complete - or sell the house as a fixer up since there were issues I hadn't corrected yet.

We hope we have nearly completed the list now. You only sell once. Leaving a bunch on the table would really hurt the ledger efforts. But - it appears that we might pull it off. Don't know about the market but we've done all we could.

Thks for the comment Neil. I just posted some thoughts here that you reminded me of.

Cheers!
Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2013 03:39PM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,

Any estimate of when you'll wrap up? Week, month, year? I won't hold you to it.

Lon

Ah Lon .....

You know how I LOVE to estimate the time it will take to complete things. Thanks Bud. Nothing ever goes wrong.

I'm gonna say a weonth. Kelly says we drive away as they are hammering in the for sale sign. I hope they are painting it now.

Gary

Less snow - more palm trees, and that'll work.

Gary


Sorry - I was fiddling with an Emocon App and it didn't transfer.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2013 05:24AM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,

Just when I think you are surely done, you show us another project!
Keep at it! And, I pray you are almost there.
Scott

Scott

Thank you Scott.
I surely appreciate that prayer!!! Me too.
The backtracking and the known unknowns" killed me.
But ... we've kept at it. I know we won't get any extra prize for the extra work, but hope we get our projected goals when we started.
Many Thanks,
Gary

Don't you just LOVE fixing up old houses?

It's been raining all week, so we've taken a break from our "what I did on my summer vacation" project of digging ditches and spreading gravel. We decided it's time to finish up some of the "light duty" indoor work...laying a brick floor.

I guess we don't get to do any work around the place unless the required component parts all weigh a ton or two per load. Doesn't do much for the aching back, but I guess it's "building character".

And I'm right with you there on the "it doesn't get any easier" bandwagon. The next house is going to be lucky to get a new coat of paint.

Yeah Sean

That's why we decided to go with "real simple and low maintence" on this BPS project. Now - for an artist - that's just admitting defeat. High peaks, Soaring lines, Winding Staircases, Terraces, etc., are what the eye of the artist wants to see. But - life grinds you down to where it wants you. And it doesnt give you "a skilled staff" to maintain your desires. So; I hope the soaring lines will still come off the workbench.

Gary

Michelangelo didn't live in the Sistine Chapel, but he still did some OK work there anyway.

That is a very valid viewpoint, Sean.

I like that. Thks.

Gary

Hey did you know that even though Michelangelo Did paint The Sistine Chapel he wasn't happy about it he did it under duress ( much like Gary ) ! After all he was a sculptor not a Simple painter . He pretty much Did it because he had to And it took away from his time at carving statues ! Back in them days there were frescoes everywhere and painters We're pretty easy to come by but.... When the church calls you better come running !!!! So keep up the good work Gary you have to be done soon .

Thanks
Kurt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2013 05:51PM by kurt wag.

Exactly right Kurt. You read "the Agony and the Estacy" didn't you? Great book.

This is under duress - you bet. But the Pope didn't demand it. Haha.

Look at the pics I just posted. Thanks Kurt

Gary

Well, fresco painters might have been easy to come by, Michelangelo's were not. Not a bad call by the Pope! The chapel looks great in pictures but you really have to see it in person to appreciate it fully. The tour guide had to force me along....

You are correct Jerry ! You really have to be there to truly appreciate the magnitude of it all. They rush you through so fast also . I thought they were going to arrest my son when he raised his camera up ( he was 9 or 10 ) 3 security guards bum rushed him yelling no photos! What I really appreciated was the scale of the painting the way each painting appeared the same size from one end looking down to the other end. Also the way the eyes seem to follow you as you pass thru . It must have been really vibrant when it was new. I could never take from my brain and transfer to canvas like some of Gary's paintings or carvings ! All my people look like stick figures from the same family !

Thanks
Kurt

No pictures .... ah ... I know why. They are afraid that everybody will be COPYING it in their Cathedrals.

You can't be too careful.

That and the fact that the gift shop sells books, post cards, and dozens of other things with the images on them - I suspect.

I do suppose the art work is stunning. It's also amazing, to me ... that they knew how to apply a plaster to cut stone work, that would remain tight for 500 years!!!!! Through seasonal changes. There is always soooo much to any work of art BESIDES the actual art work.

Gary

The whole thing will come down off the roof some day, it's inevitable, as Italy has some pretty severe earthquakes from time to time. Already happened in a couple other historic churches in Italy. And when it did, they literally picked up every fragment and stuck it back up.

Full employment act for art historians, I suppose.

I think that level of obsessive restoration is worth it in some cases. The Sistine chapel is definitely one of those. I hope it never faces damage, not all art is worth comment, some is worthy of extraordinary protection.

The Romans were masters at Portland cement . I believe it had to do with the salt water and the volcanic ash that gave it strength! ! At the time when they told my son couldn't take pictures I guess I assumed it was from the flash on the camera And the effects of millions of visitors constantly taking photos with flash on burning the colors out , Like you said the. Gift Shop at the end of the tour probably at something to do with Gary . Even Venice which is been constantly bombarded by water is. Still standing and strong due to the cement in the structures , I am sure If there isn't Another Napoleon out there it Will be standing a long time for all to see and enjoy ! I think he blew out a huge section Of Leonardo da Vinci last supper and honestly you could barely tell had they not pointed it out .

Thanks
Kurt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2013 02:12AM by kurt wag.

Hi Kurt,
Napoleon must have been an early art critic. I thought (when I was in Egypt - at the Pyraminds in 1966) we were told Napolean's canon took the nose off the Spinks. What a little twit!