Water and power. It be coming, mon.

      We are getting down to the last few items to finish before 'move-in' day.
The granite counters arrived last week and were assembled on site. They came all bundled together in two large, and very heavy crates. One of the back-splash pieces was broken. But our trusty installer was able to put them together and I can't find the seam. Amazing.

      Here we have evidence of power! The new cook-top. This is an induction unit which may involve some learning to master. The pan heats, not the surface. We went with one of these because of experience with gas ranges and wind. Unreliable in de breeze.

      And here is evidence of water! The kitchen sink. Hey what's that sitting inside? Looks like Bob has been around. Well at least he didn't leave empty bottles sitting all over.

      Water and power are good. But a house isn't really a home until the BBQ goes in. That will probably be completed over this weekend. The granite guy has to cut the various pieces to fit the grill and side burner. Also because the back wall is curved there will be some careful fitting and trimming to be done. If the power goes out on de island we can just cook outside!

      We aren't allowed to occupy the house until we have a Certificate of Occupancy. And we can't get that unless the decks have railings. So, in go the railings. Bronze posts with wood caps and cable running between the posts (not here yet). The cable will be covered in PVC, just like on a boat. But black, not white, so your eye will see through it. Aren't we clever?

      Our furniture from Connecticut arrives on-island next week. Or so we think? Anyway, the contractor is working fast and furious to get everything ready. We are so excited that the house is coming together so well. Also, we are being kicked out of our rental. Well, not kicked out exactly. But the house has been rented for January and February. We will start the new year in a new home!
      What else do we need? How about light? Let there be light!

      You will definitely see furniture in the next posting. Stay tuned!

Water, water everywhere, but no where to swim?

     
      Jim and I have been staring at an empty shell of a pool for months now. The process of selecting a plaster finish has been a nightmare. So many colors. So many different types of plaster. So many different opinions from pool installers. After wading through the options (sorry for the pun), we finally picked a finish of small aggregate pebbles in a soft beige color. Supposedly this will yield a long lasting finish with a pale aqua water color. Really?
      Let the plastering begin!





















      The crew began work on a Thursday afternoon. They grouted the tile and waterproofed the entire pool surface. The next day was plaster day. The stuff goes on like cake frosting. Thick and runny.

      After a bit of hand troweling, they let the stuff sit for awhile. Lunch! Then it was time for the acid wash. Yuck. Muratic acid fumes and smell. Scary stuff! Can you believe they pour that junk on the walls with a garden watering can? Whatever.

     
      After poring on acid, they power wash it off the walls. This is the process of removing excess plaster and revealing the small pebble finish.


      Well, it didn't all go according to plan. They let the finish sit too long and it hardened up and the power washer couldn't take it off. Maybe that lunch was too long? Anyway, off they go to get more acid and a stronger power washer. Scruba-dub-dub and washy-washy and the pebbles emerge. All is saved.


      So here we have the completed plaster job. Lovely. But something is missing. Oh yes, water?


      Bring on the water trucks. Two of them carrying 4300 gallons of liquid each. Hummm, that be a ton of agua. Back the suckers up our driveway? Not an easy feat. But, ya mon, we do dis all de time.
No problem, mon.

      I'm wondering exactly how much water it will take to fill this pool. The delivery guys tell me that two truckloads may not do the job. Three" Are you kidding? Oh well, we're about to find out.

      It doesn't take very long to go through the first truckload. On to the second. The goal is to fill the pool up to mid skimmer door level. When the second truck is finished we are shy about 4 inches. So out comes our hose and we top off the job from water in our cisterns.  Voila! A pool!

      Hey just look at this. It's a cloudy afternoon but the shimmering water is amazing. Just the color we imagined. It matches the shoreline down below. But you can't see that here. Trust me.

      And it looks just as inviting from the far-end looking back at the house. Nice color.
Hey, how did we get this picture?

      Well somebody had to try the pool out.
'Hello' to all our friends up north. It's 88 degrees here today. We've heard it's a tad cooler elsewhere. He, he, he!

Have we lost our way?

      So many things are happening at once that Jim and I can feel our heads spinning. At the same time, nothing seems to be happening at all.

      Our island friends tell us that this is a normal experience. Once the walls and windows are finished, the project seems to move in slow motion. And yet there is progress!

      Why look, we have a compass to point the way.
And a nice marble one to boot. Nicely sitting in the middle of our outdoor pavilion, surrounded by lovely travertine. Is it pointing at true north or magnetic north? You will have to come and see for yourself!




      The driveway is finally attached to the main road. There is a whole, long story about this. Friendly me sends an e-mail to the neighbor who owns the lot immediately below us to advise about our driveway and hers. Guess what? She hires an attorney and complains we are blocking access to her lot. Enter the developer, and our driveway is now complete. All we need are a couple of columns and a gate. Fun in paradise.

       Moving on. And yes 'moving' is a good word for the next subject. Solar blinds. The sun is so intense down here that the furniture and rugs would be burned to a crisp without some kind of protection. So we came up with a valance system to hold solar shades and ceiling lighting too.
We weren't sure these shades would roll up and down correctly and be hidden when stored. Surprise! It works. No, there is no motor. You have to move them the old fashioned way. With your arms. Kind of like forced dumbbell curls. Pull that cord. At night, lights shine up on the ceiling. Groovy!

       Check out the stucco work. We have chosen two colors. An off-white for the main house and a dark greyish brown for everything below. You can see here a hint of the 'below' color at the left. We think it all is coming out very well. Anybody who wants to help plant bushes is invited. Hurry!

      OK. So I understand that the weather up north is getting chilly. So sad. So sorry. He, he he.
Down in de-islands it's time to go boating. In 15 days the ol' boat will be launched again.

      Can't wait! So many islands to explore. So many Pina Coladas to taste. So much fun to have.

      Hurry down. Hurricane season is just about over and the weather is spectacular. The Christmas winds are just around the corner.

      House? What house?

Let's walk through the house. Tread lighty.

      We can hardly believe it, but at the end of the month it will be one year since we broke ground on our home in paradise. Yes, twelve months and we can see the finish line. Not there yet. But we can see it in our mind's eye. Didn't I just have cataract surgery?
      So here is Bob's vision of the approach to the main floor. Don't you just love Photoshop?

     
       And here's what it looks like right now. October 5, 2014.



      Pretty close. OK, so there aren't any plants. And the stucco hasn't been completed yet. Also, no deck railings. But you have to admit it's getting there. Check out the ceiling in the outdoor pavilion. We think it's cool. Whatever.

      Let's head up to the deck, shall we?

      Up on the main deck they are still laying travertine. The pool tile is done and we are stressing over the pool plaster. Should it be a dark color? How about turquoise? Maybe a pebble finish or just smooth? Jim likes good old fashioned white. Some of the newer finishes require certified installers. Do we really want to fly a bunch of people down here from Florida to throw plaster around? Maybe we do.

      Let's go inside.

      Step on in to the Great Room and our new kitchen. Well, we can't cook anything yet since the appliances aren't there. No running water either. Tisk, tisk, we'll just order take out!

      As you can see the bamboo cabinetry is installed. We just had all the counter tops templated. So the granite should be cut next week if all goes according to plan. The electrician and plumber are both in high gear.
Hand me a socket wrench, please.

      Leaving the Great Room, you head through a hallway, up a few steps to the den. But first, make a quick right turn and check out the Powder Room. It's also a full bath in case we have an extra guest sleeping in the den. How about the vein-cut polished travertine? Snappy.
Once again, no sink or faucets yet. Hey, where's that plumber guy again?

      Let's go into the den next.

      So here we are in the den. Again with the bamboo cabinets? Well, at least we're sort of predictable. The TV will be behind the largest doors. The printer will live in a lower drawer. And we have file drawers on both ends. All the spaghetti of wiring will be hidden from view. And Jim can work at the desk. At least he says he will, but I doubt it. He's a wanderer. Especially when on the phone.

     

      Let's wander on ourselves.

      Here we are in the Master Bedroom. What, no bed? That chair doesn't look very comfortable.

      OK, Bob, it's time to order a new mattress. Maybe it will get here sometime in the next year. Not to worry. We still have the 'ol bedding from Dolphin Cove. If we sink to the floor we can always go sleep on the boat. It won't sink. And it rocks you to sleep for free. Such a deal!

      We've ordered the outdoor furniture. So we will have the perfect place to sit on the deck in front of this bedroom. Perfect for the morning coffee, or tea for you know who.


     

       Here's the Master Bathroom and adjacent outdoor shower. A shower for two. His and his in this case. Fortunately, there are plenty of trees and bushes to the left of the shower. So only the iguanas will be laughing out loud.

      A master vanity with no sinks and no faucets. I sense a trend here. But the light fixtures are installed. No mirrors yet either. Maybe that's a good thing. All this Caribbean food is expanding my waistline. Love it though!

      Our tour will finish up with a look at the rear patio that's just outside of the den. This is where we will hang out to get away from the wind and heavy sun. Also, this is where the Bar-B-Q will live. Can't wait to fire it up!



      Next blog post I'll take you downstairs.


      In the meantime, here's Bob's vision of the rear patio. Can you say....Architectural Digest!

     

It's fall. Time to go swimming!

      So we are now half way through September, which means that summer is coming to an end and most folks are thinking about pulling out the winter clothes. Not.
      We're thinking about filling the pool. The tile man has been busy making his magic. The knife edge is being refined and we're almost ready to plaster the whole pool. If we can pick out a plaster color. Much debate. Blue, green, white, grey? Pebble, quartz, smooth finish? After looking at tons of photos on the internet we're in visual overload. Mr. Pool-man, send us some samples please.

       Inside the house the work is moving at breakneck speed. The washer and dryer showed up. Tile is climbing the bathroom walls. Closets are being installed. All the floors are finished and base-board tile is starting to run around the rooms. Door knobs? Who has the door knobs?

      Even the kitchen cabinets have been delivered. But where to put them? How about a big pile in the middle of the great room? Where's my screwdriver? Oh, it's somewhere under there. Now, do the door pulls go horizontally or vertically? Hey, where are the counter-tops? Still in Florida?

      Back outside, the stucco guys are working their way around the house. They may have the whole first floor finished this week. We are anxious to see the darker color applied downstairs. How about a sunset reflection in the windows. Nice. Let's order some outdoor furniture shall we?

                           Turn around and there's the 'ol sunset again. We never get tired of it.

Labor Day laboring?

       We thought that Labor day was supposed to be when everyone took the day off and celebrated with a bit of rest. Not. The guys were out working on the house today! There seems to be a lot more crew at the site too. Roofers, tile people, plumbers, electricians and plasterers. We had to dodge people coming from every direction.

    
      The floor tile is going down quickly. Here the fellow is placing the first interior piece of travertine. It's wild to watch how they do this. First a mastic is smeared on the floor . Then on goes a pile of cement. It looks kind of dry. Then they smear mastic on the back of a tile and place it down. What follows is a lot a tapping with a rubber mallet. All very slow and carefully done. Look how thick the cement layer is. Whatever.

      The travertine is just about finished outside. But only on the main level, they haven't started downstairs yet. We love the look. The outside tile is a rougher version of the interior stuff. So when you stand inside and look out, it all seems to be seamless and all the seams line up. Of course they do. We are both art directors after all!


     Notice that the windows are in, and if you look closely you will see the sliding bug screens just at the right side of each door. The screens slide across the whole opening. Solar panels will come down from above, hidden in a valance that is yet to be built. Have we forgotten anything?

      Meanwhile, the roofers are hard at work overhead. They are laying down the shake shingle roof. Actually it's not true cedar, but it looks like it. This is a composite material from Canada that is hurricane rated and enviro-friendly. Part wood, part tires, part 'who knows'?



      Shake rattle and roll, the roof is flying on. They have managed to finish the whole job in just over a week. You may notice that there are no downspouts on this house. They are hidden within the walls. All the water that falls from the sky goes down through the wall system and into our cisterns. Pretty cool, no gutters to mess with.

      Jim is checking out the rear patio. You can get a good idea of the finished roof from this shot. Even the flat roof that connects each pavilion catches rain water.
      Back here on this patio will be the outdoor grill. The forms for the grill are behind Jim at the left. Then go to the right, inside the door and you're at the kitchen. When it gets really windy we will sit outside in this patio. If we close the windows to the den there is no wind. It's a small patio but we think we will welcome the relief from the sun and wind.

      Here I am back out front on the main deck. Hey, where's the railing. It's coming soon I hope. It's a long way down to the first floor.
      We need some water in that pool. It's averaging about 85 degrees every day.

       Don't jump Bob!

It's all in the details!

      All of our island friends warned us that things would start to slow down. But progress is happening, one small detail at a time.
      This week we took delivery of all the travertine floor tiles. And boy do we have a ton of tile!

      The interior tile is a creamy white. The exterior tile matches it, but has a rougher texture so that it won't be slippery if wet. You can just see the difference between the two. The second tile from the right (left picture) is the interior one. All the travertine feels really good on your feet!

Also arriving this week, the bamboo interior doors.  These came all the way from California. The wood came from China. They are 'fosilized' which means that the color is a rich medley of browns. The bamboo is run in a horizontal pattern. This is the same wood that is up on the ceilings. And also this wood will make up all our cabinetry. Cool!

    


      More details. They are beginning to face the stairs that lead up to the house with stone. As you can see this is the same stone that was used to build the planters. Most of this material comes from our site. But they did bring in some additional colors to add to the mix. The stone mason is definitely a master craftsman. All of these pieces are fit by hand with a hammer and chisel. It's really time consuming. Yes, it's expensive! But worth it, right?








     
      Hey look! The driveway is starting to creep down towards the road. There will be a retaining wall along the downhill side, notice the rebar waiting for wall forms. Off in the distance you can see our closest neighbor. All that 'white' above their house is the retaining wall that holds their driveway. Retaining walls are just about everywhere on this island. Otherwise everything would end up in the sea. We've decided to stucco our walls with a dark color. That way they will disappear into the foliage. Landscaping will help to hide the walls as well.

      The last of our windows came this week. So pretty soon the house will be closed in and the roof will be finished. Just in time for hurricane season! We've had one tropical front pass through, but nothing scary. We have finished purchasing all we need to finish the house. Things are still arriving from Florida in a steady stream. Now we wait and watch as all this stuff gets assembled. Details, details. It's a good thing there are two of us to keep track of everything.
      Hey, how about some water in that pool? It's hot down here!

Raise a glass to glass!

      As many of you may remember, our current abode has no glass windows. Only screens. Which is fine as long as you don't mind rain blowing inside. Or dead bugs. Or dust. Or just about anything that can find it's way through old screens.
      But now! Our new house has windows! Real windows. Not just made of glass. But hurricane rated glass. 200 mile per hour wind rated windows. We are pairing them with screens too. And the end result should  be awesome. See for yourself!

      The guys began to install these plates of glass last week. It took a bit of work to man-handle them into position. After they had all the panels installed in the great room, we figured out that they were all in backwards.
Ahh, de Virgin Islands. No problem mon, we just move dem to de other side, mon.

    

 Oh look, de windows, they be upside down?
No, de screws are on de inside. Are de screws sposed to be on de inside? I don't tink so.
Is there a book. You know a book to read to see bout de screws? I don't see no book. Let's look in de box. Oh yea mon, dere be a book in de box. Should we read it? No it be lunch time. Let's read it after lunch. Cool. It be too hot to read anyway.



     Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. But once I found the installation guide and read the passage about the adjustment screws being on the exterior, all was well. And the windows move really smoothly!
More so than de installation.
Whatever.


     Jim has become quite the task-master. Each Sunday night he sends out an email to all involved with an update as to work completed and outstanding issues. The result has been amazing! All the trades-people follow the memos. I think it embarrasses them to read if they have missed something. Watch out...Jim is on de job!

 

      All work and no play... well you know that part. So over the Fourth of July weekend we went for a sail. And some sail it was. The winds were blowing over 30 knots per hour. Which put us and the boat to work. It was amazing! We loved it. And of course we got to take in a caribbean sunset after a day of sailing. Both of us slept like rocks that night. In the morning it was raining. Who cares?

      Bob was a happy camper. Sitting on his own boat in a quite bay in paradise. Doesn't suck!

      Pass me a chardonnay, mon!