Masonry, Lions and Lights

 This is the Xanderblue glass that is going to be the back splash to the stove wall. That is the hood to the right of picture. The guys were laying it out on great room floor and numbering glass so they knew which piece went where.

This is a door they finished to the electrical room which is at the bottom of the great room stair

 The guys built this semi circle form work in the opening between the fungeon and wine room for us so we could trim the arch is brick to even out the uneveness left from the cut.

Here is the pile of bricks we will use.

 they finished off the back door with the wood planks!

They also finished off the back of the front door finally with the wood planks, no more blue spray foam and people asking if it was going to stay that way.

Miscellaneous castle decor jus cool.t lying around and very

 They took out all of the temporary lighting that had been there since we purchased the castle over 4 1/2 yrs. ago.

                            Lots of trips to the hardware store and Tosh was always up for a ride, let's go!

 Brian and Marc deserve a huge round of applause for this. Andy has been trying to get Time Warner to get us internet, but every time they came out they couldn't do. We finally got OK to dig trench our self from main road to castle and now that the cable is right there, they will hook it up. Brian and Marc said it was a B*!tc&, and we should all thank them for use of our cellular devices now at the castle. All hail Brian and Marc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

                   Rex was master mixer of the mortar, he makes a mean batch with the perfect consistency.

 I carried 15 2x2's in one arm in one carry from truck to site. used these to keep bricks tight against the arch form. That's a pretty lame muscle shot! ugh

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                                              the beginning of the brick laying on right side.

                                                                       and the left side.

 Andy's Dad got to the castle mid day on saturday with his older brother from Nebraska and his oldest son Christopher. This is Mike jumping in and stealing my job. Yes, he has a very white beard and  mustache and says it is for his Gandolph halloween costume.

  

      This is some of the glass windows we did with my mom, dad, sister and the Johnson's in March.  They are going along the balcony in front of the big window so we can still get alot of light into great room

                                                        Cousin Chris the handsome knight

                                                                   Kingly Grandpa

 It was a beautiful, crisp, clear Adirondack night Saturday Night, so we star gazed on the roof! Andy said the flash was too bright for his sensitive eyes.

 

 This was not the weekend, but today Brian and Marc got the Awesomely heavy lions into the great hall. Our Care taker Thomas got a for lift and they hauled them to back of castle and lifted them into the great room where they will be the bases of the fire place. Very exciting, because I helped moved them from Saratoga to Castle and they are heavy. Kudo' s and more kudo's to Brian and Marc.

The Long Anticipated Roof Design

 Andy got a new toy this past Christmas for the office, A 3D printer. His staff, Rex, and he have been busy learning the ins and outs of how to use it and here is one example.
This is the 3D model of what the roof of the castle will be.
The 20 foot tower with spiral staircase inside for access to look out at top, yes, that means it will be 60 feet high and will overlook the tree lines.
The Parapet (def. - a low protective wall or railing along the edge of a raised structure, such as a castle) Wall.

The Tower and Parapet are going to be constructed from steel frame with the Spray Foam and concrete finished that was used for the outside of the castle and the other decorative features around the windows. Thus, the tower will be strong and walls will be structurally strong and sound, but not too heavy to lift into place. 

The other nice aspect of this design is that the tower and parapet can be built off site and assembled on site, once done, in one day. Insta - Castle Roof and Tower so to say.

 

 
  Andy had originally planned on Greenhouse on Roof, but as we won't be there all the time to maintain and care for it and because we want to be up on the roof whenever we can, in any type of weather, he has now decided on a wood frame structure, noted in the model as the paper roof structure. That too can mostly be done off site and assembled quickly once on site.
                                          
            So, we are hoping for finished Roof top by end of Fall before the Snow Falls!  For all you artesians that are working on this, let's get moving!