Did you miss me?

I haven’t been posting because we have had house guests and social activities.  I turned 50 on Monday and we celebrated the better part of 3 days.  My poor husband not only had to put on the party, but he and his friend, Russell, have been working like dogs getting the trenching done for our vineyard irrigation.  They also had to put up the steps to our deck in preparation for the party and installed the counter in our tasting room bar.  And it has been hot here.  My friend, Di and I have kept the home fires burning with laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Of course, I’ve had some winery admin. as well between insurance, accounting, advertising and selling.  So here are a few pictures, including RJ and I at my 50th dinner, the trenches and our birthday party on the deck.  The birthday party on the deck was actually for four up us, Joyce, Henry, Keith and me.  Enjoy!

Kitchen Before and After

Now this is a reveal!  We got the cabinet doors and hardware on yesterday.  What a difference.  Of course, we haven’t painted the kitchen yet; that will really change it.  And also counter tops.  I do have to do alittle touch up paint, so don’t look too close.

More labels, tilling and ground cover

For some reason, I didn’t spend much time at the winery.  I had some paperwork to do regarding employment, DEQ, etc., but also wanted to get things caught up at home.  However, RJ spent alot of time at the winery tilling between the rows to get the weeds down and designing the drain field.  On Wednesday, I bought one flat of Elfin Thyme to see how it would work as “stepping” ground cover around the picnic tables.  (I also bought a few more annuals to fill up pots around the house.)  I liked it so we bought 6 more flats on Friday and planted them.  That is me planting in the picture. Dirty job, but someone has to do it.  We also labeled 3 more cases of Rose’.

Three Steps Forward…

We had a couple of wins.  I would say they were big wins, but I’m getting paranoid and don’t want to jinx anything.  First, the water test results from the lagoon, came back and the bacteria is within tolerable limits, so we don’t have to pump out the lagoon.  This means the lagoon CAFO permit will be closed and we can apply for our DEQ permit.  We also received our Access permit.  That is a big one on our checklist to be done for our building permits to be released.  Today, we shoveled 7 yards of dirt around the picnic pads in the back.  Boy, does my back hurt.  I’ve included pictures of the front steps, ramp and our sign.  RJ carved the sign and I painted it.  I’ve also included pictures of the picnic area in back.

Slow Week

You haven’t heard from me much this week because I really haven’t been able to spend much time at the winery.  But things happen without me.  The rest of the concrete got poured so we now have steps to the front door.  RJ’s hand-carved sign in up in the front also and looks fantastic.  RJ also got the diesel tank filled but it has a link.  That is causing us some distress because we lose money with every drip.  RJ put fill dirt around the picnic table pads and walkway in the back.  We are supposed to get our cabinet hardware today.  Hopefully, they work and we can get the kitchen put back together.  That will take some time, however.  We also bought five more round glass tables for the back patio.  They were a very good price.  Just couldn’t resist.  Now we need 2 more picnic tables.  For pictures today, I am attaching before and afters of the kitchen to remind you (and me) how far we’ve come.

Progress that Pictures Don’t do Justice to

So we achieved some things this week.  I have painted my final coat on the kitchen cabinets.  The hinges have been ordered (cross your fingers they work) and the hardware we got many months ago will work just fine and we have enough.  The 3-compartment sink or the bar arrived today.  It’s small but I like it.  Paul Lewis concrete poured the back area, 3 pads for picnic tables, the cover for the septic and the ramp.  He stamped every piece with the grape stamp and it looks fantastic.  You sure can’t see it in the pictures.  Joyce painted the built-in.  I love the terra cotta inside.  So pictures include the kitchen “parts”, Darolyn painting the kitchen, the built-in and the concrete.  It is really coming together.

More of the same

You haven’t heard from me much this week because it seems like there is not much new, but when I look back, that isn’t the case.  First of all, Darolyn and I, have been working almost daily on the kitchen cabinets.  The cabinets themselves, including the insides are done (Thank you, Darolyn).  And I have the doors and drawers about 2/3 done; two more days of painting, I think.  The once “built-in” that came out of the wall dividing what is now the tasting room, in once again “built-in” and ready to repaint.  (I think that is a project for Joyce H. because she is such a good detail painter.)  Speaking of painting, I manage to get more on me than on the project.  On Saturday, after a full day of painting inside the cabinets, I was covered.  In fact, two ladies at a garage sale, asked me if I got any on the walls.  And I still have paint in my hair from Saturday.  It looks like gray streaks.

We’ve also met with Dpmt. of Ag. about the pond.  He is really supportive and trying to avoid draining the pond.  RJ replaced the door to his shop.  Thanks Michael for the replacement door.  All the concrete has been framed for pouring.  I can’t wait for that.  The window boxes have been painted and are up.  Quite a bit of mowing and weed wacking has taken place on the fields.  RJ finished the trim in the bar area and I sanded it, ready for stain.

Tonight, we are pouring at Urban Decanter.  If you’re in the area, stop by.

Moving Forward

I took another run at the county yesterday.  Spent 2 hours there but to no avail.  So we are going forward with doing our processing at the winery.  The two big steps are getting a DEQ permit and upgrading our TTB license both which are underway.  As far as physical work at the winery, I stayed home and did home things, laundry, ironing, cleaning and paperwork.  RJ did some more trim work and began carving out a tasting room sign.  Also, the concrete guy formed the pads, etc., for the concrete.  That should be poured this week.  I don’t have any new pictures so here is a picture of my craft books.  I did some organizing of them.  Just want to remind you (and me) that I do have another life and interest…crafting; I miss it.  The baskets on the shelves are unfinished projects.  As you can see, I have some more organizing with all the bins in front of the shelves.  The other picture is my scrapbooking and paper crafting area.  It is more organized than the picture shows.

Kitchen and Built In

We made some big progress this weekend (so far; we plan to work tomorrow yet).  RJ tackled some small but complicated things and because the weather turned he had to work in doors.  So he decided to tackle the built in cabinet.  He had to cut it in half and put it back together sliding the top backwards.  I hope you can see from the picture how the top is now in the back like it should be.  Now it needs to be trimmed out and painted.  We are going to paint the inside terra cotta like the fireplace wall and cubby.  The outside will be white like the trim.  I worked on the kitchen with a dear friend, Darolyn.  Not only did she help me get the primer and one coat one, but she was very good company.  Our barrel tables were finished and delivered today.  I love them, but not sure the stools work.  I have to make them work because they weren’t cheap.  I almost forgot, Dave brought us two sink bowls to pick from.  They are on the furniture we bought for the bathroom.  The pictures show the two sizes.  We are leaning towards the larger size.  Pictures include the kitchen before and after and one of the tables and stools, the built in and the bowl sink.

More Small Things

We both worked at the winery today.  No one from Washington County has returned my calls, so I might as well sand and paint.  A few friends came up to give us some advice on how to proceed.  Anyway, RJ got the quarter round trip up at the bar and worked on the side of the bar.  He also tore out the bricks on the patio side, so the door could be enlarged.  He did alot of cleanup and he put a door up in the storage room.  I sanded and patched more kitchen cabinets.  I am really tired of sanding.  It gets in my eyes, nose and mouth, plus I am covered with it and it hurts my hands, but I am 2/3 done.  As a break from sanding, I helped move wood, etc.  We are trying to get the back room cleaned out to store wine and use as a project room.  The other picture above is our cubby with our wine and glass and the chalk board we had painted to update clients on our wines, etc.