When not working for one of my clients, I spend every spare minute on the River House construction site. I lend assistance to the crew anytime I see an opportunity to help. Most of the time this involves carrying materials or providing an extra set of hands to hold something or keeping the site tidy. When my direct assistance is not needed, I spend time picking concrete remnants, glass, and wood scraps out of the dirt, removing large staples used to attach protection materials to the lumber, caulking and insulating gaps in the framing that will be difficult to reach later. Generally, all the little things that will lead to a better project outcome. Today, my contribution was to build an insulated box to prevent our temporary water supply from freezing when temperatures head south. I was determined to use nothing but scrap lumber. Each side of the box has a sliding window. One to allow access to the spigot and the other to the shut-off valve. The inside is lined with insulation and I will also construct an insulated cover for the exterior. Finally, I will add a thermostatically controlled heating element inside to keep things toasty when the weather gets frosty.

Now that framing is underway, a sign promoting both our architect and builder has been erected at the entrance to our driveway. It puts to shame the simple one that I constructed to display our Department of Natural Resources permit number. Thus far, we are extremely happy with our partners on this project and I can recommend both without hesitation. We feel quite fortunate to be working with them.

Jeanine and I woke up at 4 am to enjoy the lunar eclipse this morning. Weather conditions could not have been more perfect for viewing and our Road House is situated with a perfect view of the setting moon. When time permits, I hope to post a composite image showing the various phases of the eclipse.

Disappointingly, our framing crew had to complete work on another job squandering a perfect day for construction. As cold weather approaches, we are in a race to pour the basement and garage floors in above-freezing temperatures. If the temperature is below 32F during the pour, water in the concrete can freeze causing cracks. Additives can be incorporated to prevent this but they reduce the strength of the concrete which we are hoping to avoid. Before the floors can be completed, we must backfill the foundation walls and that is dependent on finishing the first-floor decking. The decking provides substantial support for the walls to ensure they are not damaged by the substantial forces generated as the backfill is compacted. The idle day did give me an opportunity to take my time photographing the existing structure both from the air and the ground.

After a disappointing string of losses, my soccer team concluded our fall season on a positive note. We traveled to Hopkinton this morning, where we inflicted a 7-2 drubbing on their team. The score was tied at the end of the first half but we racked up 5 unanswered goals in the second. Two of those were mine. The first was a blistering rocket from the 18-yard line that bounced off the post and into the back of the goalie’s legs and then into the net. The second was a very pretty header off a corner kick. Regrettably, I managed to flatten one of my teammates who was also trying to play the ball. I put in a second, even prettier header off a direct kick, but was correctly called offsides and it did not count. The 40-minute drive was not without some very lovely scenes including the one above of the town’s center all decked out for Veteran’s Day.

In the afternoon, the entire family met up at Kyle’s for brunch. He served a delicious egg bake that he prepared while we enjoyed watching Liverpool play Tottenham. Later Kyle and I continued work on his basement renovation project. By my estimate, we now have one more day of wiring and one for plumbing before it is time for insulation.

Working to make up for a delayed start, the framing crew was on site today to install the first-floor joists. Make sure to watch the time-lapse video above to the end where things get very interesting. I spent the entire day with the crew to validate measurements and lend a hand moving lumber. At several points, I thought the crew had installed a framing member in the wrong location. In each instance, however, they had hit the mark perfectly giving me great confidence in how they will perform for the rest of the project. Twice, I did catch when floor joists were about to be installed with the wrong orientation (they have a top side as well as a left/right distinction). I did so before the first nail was fired making the corrections trivial and preventing the propagation of that error across the entire floor span.

At long last, framing work has commenced at the River House. Prior to the crew’s arrival, I excavated 6 beam pockets in the ICF foundation walls realizing that this work would be far easier if completed before the mudsills were attached. It took me about 20 minutes to clear each pocket which will be used to support beams running underneath the first-floor joists. I finished just in time and to my great amusement discovered I was covered in tiny bits of insulation. The photo above was taken after I thought I had dusted most of it off my body. The framers, possessing goat like balance, spent all of their time walking on top of the very tall foundation walls. First they capped the entire top with a thick copper foil that will prevent termites from reaching the wood structure. Next, pressure-treated mudsills where cut to size, drilled to accommodate the concrete anchor bolts, and fastened to the wall tops over a bead of sealant. The video below is a time lapse of the operation.

I installed a pair of meters on the circuit breaker panel in the Road House today. Each meter displays voltage, current, power, power factor, frequency, and temperature as well as total energy consumption over time. With one for each phase of the power line, I can also determine how well the load is balanced. When this photo was taken, I was charging my electric car which consumes roughly 40 amps. Normally, when no major appliance are running, the house consumes less than 2 amps. Clearly, this project screams NERD but I am proud of the label and look forward of tracking our energy usage over time.

The framing crew that was expected to start work on the river House today did not show up. They ran into some issues on their current project and I am told they will not start until Friday morning. We shall see. I spent several hours loading a 10 cubic yard dumpster with all manner of debris, but mostly pallets, from the construction site. I oriented them so that I could fill the open spaces between pallets with more refuse.

Meanwhile, at the Road House, we were visited by a rooster for the second day. Given where our house is located it was not at all obvious where our guest came from. Jeanine, a friend to all animals except snakes, captured the rooster and handed it off to a neighbor who knew the owner and agreed to deliver it to him. I was not present for the roundup and am very sorry I missed it.

Using some wood shelving I saved from the River House demolition, I fashioned a threshold that will sit between the bamboo floor and cork floor in Maya’s tiny house. It will need to be stained an appropriate color before being permanently installed and finished with polyurethane. It has a rather complicated profile which is not apparent from the photo.

While in Istanbul, the US National Amputee Soccer Team had a day off between World Cup matches. Players, staff, and family chipped in for a cruise on the Bosphorus River which separates Europe from Asia. Despite less-than-optimal conditions for swimming, members of the team took advantage of the opportunity to take the plunge. I used my drone to capture videos of the team plunge and a solo by Nicolai.

Using the leftover cork from the Road House entryway project, Maya and I installed it in the bathroom of her tiny house this afternoon. Because it is such a small space, it only took a few hours and the results were quite nice. Maya did virtually all of the work while I simply offered guidance. I love how proficient she has become in all things construction related. Kyle, who joined us here for lunch, is also becoming quite proficient in the trades. If not for the fact that they have full-time jobs, I think the three of us could build the River House ourselves. Speaking of which, framing on the new house is set to commence next week barring further weather, supply chain, or lack of truck driver delays.

I spent 90 minutes on the soccer pitch this morning as my team had only 11 players. We actually started the match with 10. Our opponents had 8 subs and after 30 minutes they had worn us down. It was demoralizing as they scored 5 goals over the next 40 minutes of play. In the last 20 minutes, however, they also became fatigued and we were able to score twice which took the sting out of the loss. Next week will be the season’s last game, and I am hoping we will not be similarly shorthanded.

Jeanine prepared this tribute for her good friend and mentor, Peter Hilton.

Open Table mourns the loss of its former leader Peter Hilton. Thanks to his visionary leadership and compassionate heart, thousands of people in our community were fed and the foundation was formed that allowed us to become an admired regional food relief organization. He died Thursday, October 27th at the age of 78.  Peter served as President of Open Table for twelve years (2002-2013). During that time he made transformative changes resulting in an inclusive, respectful culture that positioned our organization as an innovative leader in the food relief arena. Peter’s vision to expand to a second location in Maynard did not come without numerous hurdles. His empathetic belief that poverty isn’t town-specific led Open Table to grow beyond the boundaries of Concord. He was adamant that people who were already struggling should not have to endure administrative red-tape to get access to food, reinforcing our “open” core value that “all are welcome, no questions asked.” By the end of Peter’s tenure, people were coming from more than 80 zip codes to receive support, which also included financial aid, school supplies and warm winter clothing. Always seeking to improve the nutritional value of the pantry food selection, Peter established partnerships with Gaining Ground, Drumlin Farms, and the Greater Boston Food Bank, often driving the U-haul himself to South Boston for the 5000-lb monthly pick-up. These partnerships brought in fresh produce, meat, and dairy which greatly enhanced Open Table’s grocery and dinner offerings. An early proponent of food sovereignty, Peter understood the importance of allowing guests to choose the groceries they wanted, a service that made OT stand out among our peers.  Peter’s infectious optimism made him a magnet for attracting incredible volunteer talent while his compelling leadership style kept the same volunteers engaged – often for well over a decade. His desire for Open Table‘s community dinners to be people’s best meal of the week inspired cooks to showcase their most delicious recipes for clients. Many volunteers noted they never ate so well at home! Peter knew he needed strategic thinkers on OT’s board who would help establish a long-term plan and locate a permanent home for our organization. With support from Lyn Zubrigg, the Board Chair at the time, they recruited local business people. Peter singlehandedly established a base of loyal donors and his gift for grant writing resulted in donations from many foundations that continue to support Open Table. He was instrumental in helping to build a financial base of support which enabled Open Table to finally make a down payment on the purchase of our own facility. Peter led with heart and action. There are hundreds of people who were touched by his personal kindness. There were no limits to the magnanimity of Peter’s caring. We salute you, Peter, for instilling us with a legacy of caring that still thrives at Open Table.

After taking care of some work things and house things, I decided to do a little fall photography. Peak color has passed but there is still an abundance of subjects to enjoy.

One of my stops was Wilson Farm where I thought I would get an aerial view of their hay bale maze.