Raising the Roof - 7.16.11

We spent the past weekend on the roof and we had lots of helpers. Our Friend Kristi and her daughter came up to become castle workers and most of the Gallagher family was back over helping. We got alot accomplished and it was a beautiful weekend to spend working and gazing out over the mountains.

Here is Samantha excited to get going. Aurora said this was her first time on the roof, we had to wait until she turned 7 last week!

Andy power washed the side of the castle roof and Kristi worked hard on the roof top. We wanted to get all the grim from the last 5 years off the roof so the waterproofing material would stick better and get a better seal.

Chris & Andy planning what to do next and their boys, Jack & Rex, wondering what fun they can have with the crane.

Patti, as always, is very concerned about how everything is going to work. "what goes here?", "what is this?" "How does that happen?" Here she is seeking comfort in Andy's detailed plans. She felt much better after spending time studying them. And if you have questions about the castle and Andy isn't around, ask Patti.

Here is Chris insalling one of the corner roof panels as seen from the bottom of castle. and then here is Chris and Andy placing that panel into place from the roof view, not as scary.

Andy & I reviewing all the front roof panels. He lifted the palate jack and power washer up with the crane he installed a few weeks before.

Here are the roof panels that will go around the circumfrence of the roof. Once they are in place and the water proofing is put down, we will pour more concrete into these to form a new water proof roof. Andy had a hard time getting the last screw out of the crane, so I put some elbow grease into it.

Here is the power washer going down from the roof. We had to move the crane from the front of
the building to the side so we could get the front panel on and also in preparation to cut the opening for the circular stair to come to the roof in a few weeks!

Here is the front and back of the castle with the roof panels on. Andy was hoping to get the front done and we got the front and back done!

A knocker worthy of a castle door - 7.9.11

We had a quick work weekend a few weeks ago. The boys finished a week @ Sabattis, the Boyscout camp outside of Tupper Lake, and the girls spent some time visiting family in Lake Placid, but we all met up for a day and a half of work at the castle.

We put on a new temporary front door and hung the door knocker Andy designed and had built, it looks great, don't ya think?

I had some time before the boys arrived and Ruby was still with family, so I cut off the branches of the trees that got knocked over recently when we were doing some excavation work. Here are the limbless trees and the limbs waiting to be burned.

Andy and Rex filled in an opening that was above the center window. If you look back in the last blog or so you'll see it use to look like a "T". Now it is just three matching windows!

It was the Annual Lumberjack Compitition in Tupper Lake this weekend. We missed most of the events as we were working, but we went down in the evening to experience some of the action. That is Ruby as a lumberjack and that is her climbing the palm tree, she is up near the top.

Apparently Lumberjacks also like cowboy hats. Here is Rex trying to pick just one!

Go Lumberjacks!