The foundation is the FOUNDATION

I'm still waiting for final bids to come in on the excavation and structural repair. I am hoping to be able to pick a bidder in the next two weeks and begin work in early September. If all goes well, Mike Veeder at Kool-Temp will be able to install my heating system in a nice, new and most importantly, DRY basement in October just as the colder weather hits upstate New York.

In the meantime, we keep doing what we can. One thing I did was get Poison Ivy all over my arms. Here's what happened this week.

David ripped out the kitchen floor.

I started to clean up the "sidewalk" on the North side of the Church which is how I contracted said Poison Ivy.

I have finally come to the sad conclusion that there is really no way I can keep the large spruce out front and have the heavy machinery come up onto the property. So I'll be making an appointment with LB Tree Service to have it cut down and the wood hauled away (spruce isn't so great for burning).

And this is why I do it all: the view from what will be the extended deck on the North side of the Church. Coxsackie village buildings bathed in sunset light with the Hudson in the background. One day I'll be sitting out on that deck with my feet up!