Good Grades

Sep27

Today at Pye Acres, Cathy’s science students weren’t the only one’s working on good grades. As Grade 11 students enjoyed a hands-on lesson in tree identification and species classification, an A+ went to the bulldozer\high-hoe operator who gave our new home it’s final grade. It looks awesome.

In the words of Mark Twain, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Obviously, the literary legend must have had a terrific teacher, like my amazing wife Cathy, who goes the extra distance to provide her students with special learning opportunities. Today’s class trip to Pye Acres is one of a dozen of more that we have thoroughly enjoyed hosting. The student’s enthusiasm for wide open spaces, and their fascination with wildlife, plant life and various creepy-crawlers, remind us why our outdoor opportunities are so important to share. I’m proud of Cathy for shaping our future’s environmental education, right in our own backyard.

For Goodness Shakes

Sep23

In addition to the expert installation of soffits, fascia, eavestroughs and siding, there was a-whole-lotta’-shakin’-goin-on around our new home this past week. The shakes contrast brilliantly with the board and batten siding and they really make those timber accents stand-out. The siding is now making its way around the rest of the house. Inside, Andy and his trim work team returned to finish the rest of the baseboard trim. They also affixed all of the door handles and assembled our stunning new stairway railing. Only 11 more sleeps until we’ll be up and down those stairs with our moving boxes.

Also worth blogging about….

On Saturday night, another dream came true: an up-close and personal performance from Pete Anderson, the California-based guitar legend who produced 20 years of Dwight Yoakam music, etc, etc. Pete is the real deal and I respect his no-nonsense approach to delivering great music. His new album is called Even Things Up. It’s awesome.

Love at first flush

Sep20

Here’s how yesterday’s visit to Pye Acres went:

“Daddy, I have to go poo!”

“Cathy, Charlie just said he has to go poo!!”

“Quick!!! Text Eddy and ask him if these new toilets are ready for first flush.”

Way to go, Charlie! You just christened your newly installed toilet. While Charlie was busy, I took pictures of other un-preoccupied rooms that have more features since our last Blog post.

3 Pears for a New Kitchen

Sep19

“Dreaming is only dreaming ‘til the dream is the only thing that’s true.” No truer lyrics were ever recorded, and they are found on a newly released album called 3 Pears, the latest masterpiece from Dwight Yoakam. This new Dwight song, titled Long way to go, could have been played as the soundtrack to the long journey that has brought the Pye Family to a “thing that’s true” – a dream home with a dream kitchen.

I have been a devoted Dwight Yoakam fan since I was the Atherley paperboy. During the course of Dwight’s 20+ album career, I have become infatuated with his music. Everything the Grammy winner touches becomes a Dwight original and an understated tribute to his influence from the styles and sounds of Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Ralph Stanley and even the Bee Gees, Rolling Stones and the Beatles. What’s more important than the musical education I have received from years of wearing out Dwight albums (and I mean that literally), are the life lessons I have gained from his personal approach to career and life.

When I was 14, I memorized almost every word of an early Dwight Yoakam radio interview that I received on cassette. In that interview Dwight talked about things like “keeping your eye on the prize” and “to thy own self be true.” Dwight relayed the important advice his Dad gave him as a teenager – the same message my own Dad expressed to me — about “just being who you are.” Dwight talked about seeing beyond the mainstream as he introduced me to a word called TENACITY; and if I didn’t know what that word meant then, I learned about the importance of tenacity through 27 years of observation of Dwight’s rise as a music-making icon and a leading movie actor. I was moved by the way Dwight so genuinely and intelligently articulated his admiration for his own idols, as well as family, friends and fans who have been inspired by his conviction to stay true to his roots.

Welcome to our new kitchen. Here you’ll find 3 Pears – and not the kind that sits in a fruit bowl on our new counter but the kind that will be playing on the day that we officially move in and during many more great Pye Family-home events. Our new kitchen came in on Monday, and my pre-ordered copy of Dwight’s new album landed on Tuesday. I am equally excited about the arrival of both.

Floored, etc, etc.

Sep14

In the past 48 hours, our great room got a lot greater. Our bathroom got a lot splashier. And, our entire home got a lot brighter following the hook-up of all our lighting fixtures. The pots, spots, domes, fans, carriages and chandelier cast the perfect light. In just one day, every square foot of our hardwood floor was installed. We are floored. It’s awesome. It’s a perfect match for our country home.

Some days there is just too much to Blog about so lets jump to the highlight reel. Here are Cathy’s top 10 photos of the past two days of construction.

Kitchen and bathroom vanities are ready to come home on Monday. Stay tuned.

Take a walk on the tiled side

Sep11

You know what they say about tile guys… they really know how to make an entrance. 🙂 Apparently, they also know how to make a kitchen, a mudroom and bathrooms, all of which have been getting the trowel treatment since my last blog post. Nosing up to the tile edge soon will be our hardwood floor. We can’t wait. This is an adrenalin pumping phase of our custom home construction. With every incoming material delivery come the personal taste elements that we last saw only as samples in the showrooms of flooring, kitchen and lighting stores. As Cathy said, it really feels like it’s coming together when we start to see that installation of the things we picked out weeks ago. However, we didn’t do it alone. We are grateful for the caring advice and direction from Mary Jane at Floor Trends as well our GC, Eddy Prins who cared enough to actually go shopping with us. I’m not convinced that there are many contractors who would demonstrate so much enthusiastic involvement about getting it right for a client. We certainly got it right so far. We really appreciate their help.

Our GC, Eddy Prins and Mary Jane, from Floor Trends, are a major support.

On the Home stretch

Sep6

It’s official. October 4 is the BIG Day. Only 28 more sleeps until we are home sweet home. And oh how sweet it is! As the second coat of wall colours dry, the tile installers are ready to lay’er down in the bathrooms, kitchen and mudroom. “Wow” is all we can say about the finished stonework work, inside and out. The masonry is marvelous. The only thing our fireplace is missing is a deer. There’s an 11-pointer hanging in my office that has been destined to fill that fireplace spot since this Pye Acres house-raising dream began nearly six deer hunts ago! We can’t wait to go hunting this fall in our new backyard.