Nuts to You!



One of 3 Pecan Trees

 If you’ve been a faithful reader of this blog, you know we’ve already had several close calls when large limbs suddenly broke off of our pecan trees and crashed to the ground. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and there was minimal property damage. However, two occurrences in just a few months was enough for Larry and me to begin thinking about whether we should be making plans to prune or maybe even take down these trees. But that was in July and August and now it’s November. Fall is time for gathering pecans, and boy did we do our share of harvesting!

According to the NC Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina produces 5 to 6 million pounds of pecans annually. Pecans are harvested when the shuck opens, allowing the nuts to drop to the ground. This natural process is fostered when strong winds prevail, as we had with Superstorm Sandy on October 29 and 30th. For a small-scale operations like that at The Big Yellow House, mechanical aids can also be used to speed nut fall. In our case, those devices were neighborhood boys swinging long sticks.



Our Neighbors Enjoy the Harvest



After gathering our first crop of nuts, Larry and I carried them to the attic and laid them out on window screens to dry. When we went back to the attic two weeks later, I was delighted to learn either we have no “attic critters” or those critters don’t like pecans and decided not to share in our stash. Not one pecan had been disrupted; they were all spread out on the screens just as we left them.



Pecans Drying in the Attic



The following week while Larry’s Dad and his girl friend were visiting from California, Jane and I bagged the nuts so they could be shared with those who attend The Big Yellow House Open House on December 2nd.



Bagging Nuts to Give Away

While Larry and I collected about 6 gallons of these tasty treats, our trees also provided an ample supply of delicious tidbits to several of our neighbors, the mailman, one of the salesmen from the local Sherwin Williams paint store, and a group of four women driving by on their way home from church.

We were delighted to share our harvest and hope we are able to do so again next year. There’s been no more discussion about those trees coming down any time soon.



Hurray, It's Moving Day!



Want to Buy a House on the Potomac River?


What can I say other than moving day has come and gone… and Larry and I are exhausted! Moving day was actually three days so perhaps that has something to do with why we are so tired.



Larry Says Goodbye to the River House







The festivities got under way early Monday morning when the All Star Movers team arrived in Colonial Beach to pack up the “River House”. While not yet sold—doesn’t anyone have a friend who would be interested in a steal on a weekend house with a million dollar view--, we decided to remove the furniture and take it to Edenton.  

Larry and I were both sad to leave our River House.  We've really enjoyed the time we've spent there, enjoying the quiet and solitude while watching the Potomac River flow by. 

On Tuesday morning, the movers arrived at our condo in Vienna with not one, but two trucks. It took them just about half a day to fill the first truck before they drove over to the storage unit to fill the other. Since it was late in the day when they finished, the movers decided to stay the night locally and drive to Edenton in the morning. Wanting to make sure the house was ready for their arrival, I left town when the movers headed off to the storage unit. Poor Larry made the four hour drive to North Carolina that evening.

Waiting at the Condo for the Movers



The Movers Arrive at the Condo



Wednesday morning, Larry and I had several hours to “prepare the house” for its new belongings before the moving trucks arrived from Virginia. It was nearly 7:00pm before the job was finished and the movers were headed back to VA. I was happy not to have to make that trip again and instead climbed into my big bathtub for a long soak before sleeping in my own bed in our Big Yellow House.

 

Working Hard on Labor Day

It was Labor Day weekend and boy did we "labor" at the house! I’m excited to see all our work coming together and am anxious to move in at the end of the month.

Last time I wrote, I mentioned I wanted to show you the progress we’ve made in the laundry room. Here is a photo of the slate floor that was installed in the laundry and mud rooms.

We unexpectedly came across some similar tiles in Lowe's, and installed them as a backsplash over the sink.





The laundry room is also home to all the water purification and softening equipment we purchased. As you can see, it takes up quite a bit of floor space in this tiny room. However, the water softener in particular will help extend the life of some of our new appliances so it was worth the trade-off.


Fortunately, we saved some space in the room by replacing our old water heater with a tankless version. Not only will it ensure I don’t run out of hot water before my tub is full, it’s a more efficient way of heating water. Unfortunately, the box that houses the mechanism is located on the side of the house visible from the patio. We definitely need to find a way to hide the equipment without impacting its operation. Does anyone have any creative ideas to share?


How Can I Hide this Monstrosity?

Larry and I spent most of the weekend painting. Returning to our original list of priorities to finish before we move in, we tried to complete all the painting in the master bedroom and bath, kitchen, mud room and first floor powder room.  We didn't make it, but we got close. 



Painting the Mud Room

Since I was also curious what the outside of the house might look like if we painted the window frames, corner boards and belt course Classic French Gray , Larry agreed to do a little experiment at the back of the house. While we won’t make any final decisions until the back door is painted Teal Stencil, I’m thinking we'll probably go with this new combination when we paint the house next spring. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think? 

Experimenting with Gray

After many hours of holding a brush we went home on Monday with big smiles on our faces knowing we just have one more visit before we move in.

A Costly Miscommunication

Admiring an Antique Clock

Larry and I made a quick trip to the house this weekend. Since the water heater had been removed, we stayed at the Pack House Inn. This time, we stayed in the main house—once known as the Proprietor’s Inn. Michael and Giuliano run a great B&B and I was happy each evening to go back to a hot bath and a real bed. Ironically, while I was wondering around the main building I came across an antique clock that could be a cousin to a clock I bought at auction in Colonial Beach about a month ago.  I’d show you a picture of my clock, but it’s at the clock shop in Vienna being cleaned and repaired. When I get it back, I'll post a picture of the two together. I can’t wait to get it back and sit it on our living room mantle.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

When we arrived at the house, I couldn’t help but sing the lyrics of Signs, a well-known song of the 1960s by the Five Man Electrical Band. “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind. Do this, don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign?” It seems like everyone was getting into the act advertising their business by placing a sign on our front lawn.

The Color on the Roof is Called "Edenton Green"

The signs told us R&D Construction had been to the house, giving us a newly repaired and painted roof. With a 5 year warranty, we are hoping this investment will ward off all future ceiling leaks. The second sign, from HomeStyle, announced our appliances had been installed. I couldn’t wait to get out of the car and into the kitchen—but not before thinking maybe we should get our own sign that says, “Almost Out of Money”.

The Counter Tops Look Awesome

As we entered the kitchen we were welcomed by our new granite counter tops. They looked fantastic and really showed off the cherry cabinets. I immediately loved them. As I walked around the room, however, it seemed something wasn’t right. The center island was too high. I pulled up one of the counter stools from our Stone Vale house and it was immediately obvious the center island had been set at bar height vs. just above counter height as I had envisioned. Crap. How did that happen? And what could be done about it? I’m paying five times what my annual salary was in my first job for this kitchen and it’s not what I wanted!!!!

The next day Scott came by the house and told me (after a big sigh) it was possible to take the granite counter top off, cut down the counter and re-install the granite. Taking a big breath and letting out an even bigger sigh, I asked him to make the change. I may be smiling in the picture, but inside I was crying. My dear patient husband didn’t say much, but inside I’m pretty sure he was screaming.