Hybrid House Update
My trip to Shreveport, LA was fantastic. Not only did I get to visit with LilSis, she went to “work” (if you can call it that) with me all three days. She ran the power point presentation, while I yapped away to elementary school students about our wetlands. I guess we reached about 400 folks at two schools.
On Saturday, I read the book to a small group of squiggly pre-schoolers who had no clue why LaLoutre didn’t care for saltwater. LilSis and I stayed on for another three hours meeting folks and signing books.
Of course, part of the fun of being together is getting into trouble –NOT! We absolutely behaved ourselves and only reached gluttony stage one time. That would have been Friday night at the Athenian restaurant where I think we might have made an oinking sound or two while wolfing down some hummus and flat bread.
If you’re the kind of person whose life centers around food, then I’ll go ahead and tell you the food highlights of the trip: There was fresh, whole fried catfish at Shockley’s out in the wood somewhere near Lake Bisteneau, served with homemade green tomato relish (which I loved) and cole slaw (too oniony for my taste). The French fries were easily passed by, as well as the hush puppies, which were shaped like they were shot out of a small cylinder (not appetizing to me). Then there were these little pieces of fried biscuit, which I had no clue what they were for. It was a country spinoff of the sopapilla of Mexican restaurant fame. These were only bite-sized, though, over browned; and unlike sopapillas, after eating one, I was done.
I already mentioned the Greek food. And on Saturday, there was the ultimate comfort chips and salsa at the Mariachi in Bossier City, LA. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. It was delicious.
Arriving home late Sunday, this is what I found . . .
A nice, little, round sewage treatment plant, almost hooked up to the drain pipes coming down from under the house, and out in the backyard . . .
a clearing where there was overgrowth before I left and some white pipes lying on top of the ground. Does anyone know what that is called? If so inclined, I might do a separate post on this sewage system . . .
And then I went up the steps, which were covered in a white chalky substance, into the house, and this is what I saw . .
walking into the back door, looking toward the front door. Wow! It looks like the inside of a real house. A R E A L H O U S E ! Is this O U R house?
Oh, and look what a lovely job they did framing up the ends of the shower. Looking into this room, with that transom window, gives the illusion of a grand bathroom. I hope I don’t mess that up with paint choices and the wrong vanity. It feels like the ceiling is 12 feet high, but it’s not.
This is the living room. I just can’t believe the reality of it all.
This guy is doing a great job. I’ve never seen anyone work on stilts before, and it was pretty amazing. I don’t know his name . . . he does not speak English . . . being from Ecuador . . . but I made him a ham sandwich yesterday and he ate it up, appreciatively.
I hope he’s not an illegal immigrant, because he could not refuse to pose for me . . .
after eating the sandwich I prepared for him. See how food influences people? His face is blurry, so I think his identity will be safe from the law for a while longer– at least until he finishes this job.
And before you slam me, badger me, and otherwise write me off your list of true Americans, I did not go out seeking starving immigrants who were begging for work out in the Home Depot parking lot. This crew has proven themselves over the past couple of years through my builder. He recommended them; and having seen their top-notch work in camps worth half a million, I decided they were good enough for me. Besides that, the boss, Enrique, gave me a price that I could not find elsewhere, for which I am very grateful.
And so the Miracle Bayou Tree House continues to be a miracle of caring people, who work hard for a living, but know when a family can use a break and does so willingly. Add Rainbow Drywall and Paint to that list.
I have not been able to fish. I have not been on a wetland tour since Susie CR was here. The boys are out of school this week. and Termite has begged me to take him fishing in his little boat on the lease. It’s on the list, right after this blog post, and a visit with a guest I hear knocking at the door right now.
For now, I am busy as a bayou bee in springtime!
BW
Your house looks great! I can’t wit to see it!
Me, too!
BW……….It looks amazing. Things are looking up.
Thank you, ma’am, it does look good!
Yay!!! Walls! And you’re right, that bathroom does look quite grand! I vote for a very light powdery/slate shade of blue with dark wood for the vanity and bright white towels!
Well, Dotter, that sounds lovely, but not for boys. We’re going more masculine than that and I’ll just hope for the best.
But it’s not a “boys” bathroom only, it’s also the guest bathroom! I’m not envisioning a pastel paradise, just something classy and bright. I’ll be excited to see what you’re thinking of though, as it seems I can’t have my way this easily. 😉 (Can you tell I am itching to have my OWN house???)
I think you need a ‘mud bath’ down on the ground level for boys, goats, dogs and their pets.
Pretty dang kewl. A drywall guy I knew a couple years back at the lake was gonna run a 5k run with his ‘boots’. I never heard he did.
So you got a weep field and a dry well or sump. The dune folk by Lake Michigan have similar things.
Getting ready to kayak over weekend. Trailer fished out of garage tonight.
Kayak out of barn tomorrow.
Yeah, Blu! Banish those smelly, dirty boys to an outdoor bath. THAT’S what you can do with the back porch, mom! An outdoor shower! 😉
Where were your brilliant people BEFORE the plumber finished?
Just run a hose up there. They don’t need hot water. LOL!
You may be joking, Steffi, but I remember many times when we were kids and thought it was fun to play in the “hose” in the yard and then wash our hair outside afterward!!
We call that sewer system an “aerating” system. They have them near my daughters home and it stinks in the summer! Good thing she lives on the south side of them.
The house looks GREAT!! Not much longer now until finished.
Well, the one at Camp Dularge does not stink, so I hope this one is the same as that.
Looking great! Walls…cool!
I’m amazed at how those guys work in stilts, I can barely work in shoes and I sit down at my desk, lol. It looks great. Don’t write Dotters color scheme off, I think it would be very pretty too. White towels are easier to upkeep than colored ones since you can bleach them to the Heavens!
Oh, I agree about the white towels . . . that’s why I put them at Camp Dularge. And about the color scheme . . . well . .. I was trying to be more design oriented since I don’t intend to repaint any time soon. Her colors do sound “divine” but I think I’m sticking with one main color throughout the house, including that bathroom. That color is Delta Fog. I used it at Camp Dularge, and I love it. I’m afraid pastels will show every little scuff mark they make on the walls and need repainting all too soon. But thanks all the same!! And I’ll still do white towels!!!
What type flooring did you decide on? At one time you were kicking around the idea of using Bamboo. I’m astonished how much progress they made in a week’s time.
P.S. Our boat still floats! We put it in Blind River yesterday since it hadn’t been run in soooooooooo long. (Hooking the hose up to it in the driveway doesn’t count.) Brought the Ultra lites with us. Actually caught 7 Bass, 1 Bream and 1 Sac-a -lait.
None were “Keepers”, but it was nice to get out on the water for a couple of hours anyway.
Any kind of fishing sounds great right now! Glad y’all got out! The living area and master will be hardwood from recycled storm-felled red oak trees. In the bathrooms/utility room, I am looking at “fiber floor”, sheet flooring.
It looks good! You got me hooked on Delta Fog but I couldn’t find it and ended up with Sea Salt for my new office. We’re off to the farm to mow. We have some lookers but still no sale. I really am working on our pictures to send you some.
HI Susie! Would LOVE to see pics. I failed to tell you that Delta Fog is an old Devoe paint, but have discovered Home Depot found it in their system and can copy it. Sea Salt sounds good, though. What brand is that? Good luck with the sale, and happy mowing!
I am brilliant but modesty makes me shy. Heck every ‘camp’ I been too at least has a potty at ground level so a shower ain’t much of a stretch.
I am a country white guy but my bathroom is light mint green but name escapes me.