Kitchen Remodel... :)

Well, it has been a whirlwind kitchen remodel. All of the sudden, we took out a counter that served as a junk collection station. Then we took out an L-cabinet and counter-top. It was an accident, I swear.

Next thing I know, we have spent two weekends we are ripping off drywall, and chipping away at plaster to reveal original lath and the brickwork behind the chimney as well as built-in cabinets too. Then one a Wednesday, my father-in-law came over and helped us to re-pipe the gas lines to move the stove (and reconnect the dryer in a more concise fashion.)

Being inundated with snow has kept us inside a lot and every day this week has been a new piece to the puzzle. We re-finished sections of the floor, sealed the chimney bricks and even had an electrician over today to reconfigure some switches and make space for a sconce (light over the sink) and a ventilation fan over the stove. We sold the refrigerator- downsizing for one that fit better into our new space. And tonight, we insulated the exterior wall.

We hope to do the drywall this weekend... and then we'll hire a contractor friend to install the counter-top and put up some shelving and a built-in cabinet. We'll then install the sink, connect the plumbing and be set to go!

Barring anything out of the ordinary, we should complete this project in swift time (maybe under a month) and with a very reasonable budget. Pictures can show the story too:

Fixed the fence :)

Less than two weeks later... it's all good. Kept the fencing, had an extra treated wood 2X4 that was exactly the right length, had some spare outdoor wood screws. All it cost me was $0.27 for four new fence staples (I reused the two that I found) and an hour's time. Lucky!

Hawaii :) 1 of 2 [First Half of trip]

Leaving the snow and cold

enjoying the balmy, tropical humidity, sans snow :)

first night's dinner. seared ahi over arugela. simple, easy, cheap (er than a restaurant!)

end of northern most road

black sands beach (west side)

green sands beach

black sands

green sands

really--- green sand!

eroded olivine

Now, onto volcano national park

big craters

steaming volcanic activity

huge dropoffs into the ocean

rainbows :)

craters and rainbows together

rock rainbows (sea arches)

petroglyphs

indigenous hawaii

Hawaii :) 2 of 2

 Kilauea Crater in evening

 And now for some morning crater pictures;

 The Nene... Hawaiian Goose

 Big Banyan (?) tree in Rainbow Falls Park (hilo)

 Volcano House AM coffee :)

 More rainbow falls

Hapuna State Beach- last day :)

Tree down!

Woke up to a tree that fell into our fence. What strong Nor'easter winds! Fierce and cold arctic blasts. What luck that it didn't hit the fence posts, nor the blueberry bushes :) We may have lost only an asparagus plant, some fencing, one 6-foot piece of treated wood and some of my future time to repair it. But as far as tree falls go, this was the luckiest one we could have had.