Architecture - 5 cents

We were very fortunate to get a 3-day visit from our old Peace Corps friend, Dan Roll this past weekend.  Dan just finished a 3 year program earning a Masters in Architecture from the University of Oregon.  Conveniently for us Dan was, in his words, "unemployed and on vacation".  Certainly a common status for architects these days who are coming up with creative ways of marketing their skills in a down economy.  So knowing about our new craftsman place Dan swooped in to play, which usually means poke around, play with the kids, and fix stuff. 

In addition to Dan's now highbrow professional credentials, he also does plumbing, masonry, drywall and paint, and pretty much anything else that presents an interesting challenge.  He also knows cows and chickens, which he spent a little time teaching our son about.  This trip was Dan's opportunity to simply get acquainted with the house and start to assess repair/remodeling needs for us for purposes of energy efficiency and just... the stuff that needs fixin'.

This weekend though we did have a project, which was replacing the back door.  This incredible endeavor deserves a post just for itself, which we will do when the final cost has been tabulated.  But to make that long story short, after nearly three days of solid work we now have a back door that can be secured without propping it up with a stick.

One nice thing about working with Dan is his patience and attention to detail.  This is especially impressive given that he is usually working on something that is not his own.  No amount of anal retentiveness on my part is too much for Dan even if I myself cannot produce work that meets my own standards (with Dan's help I usually can).

We do give him beer and food for his services.  So if anyone needs an architect who is not afraid to get his hands dirty with neither caulk nor manure, I know a guy.  I suspect, however, given his wide range of skills that he may not be available for much longer.

The first weekend project... vegetation removal

Acer circinatum.  Latin for "lovely from a distance".  Anyone who has the pleasure of driving over Stevens Pass in the fall knows that Vine Maple offers some of the best fall colors we have in the northwest.  But anyone who has to work in Vine Maple can point to the scars on their shins and can tell serious stories of bushwhacking through a temperate jungle.

About half of our backyard was consumed by one tree, which in and of itself is bad enough.  But in Seattle any plant that has the audacity to grow more than ~3 feet high on the south side of your property is asking to be firewood.  This particular tree-shrub did just that 

Mr. Circinatum meet Mr. Stihl.

Marya dusted off her fire boots from her Hot Shot days and fired up a rental chainsaw.  For about 45 minutes she methodically took down about half of the tree while observing every safety rule in the book.  When her arms needed a rest Brooks, in his Asics running shoes, finished off the rest only getting interrupted twice by a screaming Marya for apparent safety violations..."use two hands!"  

In any regard the tree was reduced to a few piles of cord wood.  And we now have enough daylight in the backyard for a vegetable garden and space for the chicken coop.