September 2019 -- We buy Hidden Groves
Lot Warming Party
Hidden Groves diary
2019–2021
December 2019 -- We first submit building plans
2020 -- We planted the orchard, the pineapple guava circle, and much more.
First nectarine in July 2020
2020 -- we build several sheds and the first greenhouse
April 2021 -- We get building permits
Krista finishes Soul of the Sun. April 2021
cottage foundation April 2021
A crew built the forms and had the concrete poured. Now we are taking apart the forms. Lumber costs have tripled since last year so we will reuse as much of it as possible.
June 7, 2021: Passed Subfloor Inspection
Sill plate, floor joists, and underfloor wiring, plumbing, and drain lines done.
July 1: Starting to Build Walls
Lumber is so expensive this year!
July 14, 2021: Walls
It's starting to look like a house!
July 26, 2021: Rafters
Frankie is painting the fascia boards for the outside of the roof.
July 28, 2021: Roof decking on.
There's sort of an indoors now.
August 9, 2021: Front Porch
And now lumber prices start to come down...
August 11: Starting Windows
The cottage is 640 square feet and has 18 windows. The house we are renting now is 1400 square feet and has 8.
August 12: Doors
Maybe we thought there was an indoors before, but now we mean it.
August 17, 2021: Loft above shower and shower vent fan
The loft is exactly 6 feet long, and now we realize that if we had made it 4 inches bigger, we could've squeezed a mattress up there. Oops!
August 19: Plumbing
We have run water lines to the bathroom, kitchen, and outdoor spigots, as well as all the drains and vents.
August 26: Started Electrical
We have begun putting in some of the wiring and receptacles. We bought a 400 Amp circuit breaker panel, but it won't be installed for weeks.
September 2, 2021: We have roof
It's only September, and we're pretty much ready for rain. Our roof sheds water. It's supposed to, anyway -- we haven't tested it. Next up, stucco and electricity. Our mini-split heat pump is on backorder until October 15, so I hope we'll have juice by then.
September 9: Stucco Lath
We passed the stucco lath inspection. We did a 1-coat job, so we'd get another inch of styrofoam insulation on the outside.
September 18: Stucco done
The house is now weatherproof. Or it will be as soon as we have doorknobs, I guess. Next up: Doorknobs! And electrical panel.
September 21: Temporary Stairs
Joe failed the cinder block challenge, so we made some temporary steps out front. Eventually we plan a terrace of some kind.
September 28: Doorknobs
We just learned that when you get deadbolts at the same time, you can look at the key number to make sure the same key opens all of them, so our front and back doors use the same key. Handy!
October 7, 2021: Circuit Breaker Panel
This is Jon, our electrician, after installing our 400 Amp Circuit Breaker Panel.
We still haven't dug the trench that goes from the telephone pole to the cottage (about 200 feet, 3 feet deep), but we're hoping in the next week or so.
After the trench, we'll bury the conduit and get an inspection, then about 2-3 weeks to get the power company to pull the wires and give us juice.
With electricity everything will change!
October 22, 2021: Electrical Conduit
We had to dig a 200 foot long 40 inch deep six inch wide trench (involving renting a giant trencher) to lay in 3 inch conduit from the electric pole to the cottage.
October 23: Rain troubles
After laying our conduit, we had an improbable and unseasonable three inches of rain that flooded our trench -- making the conduit float up out of it while mud sluiced underneath. Poop! Fixing that caused some delay. Finally got our electric tags on November 4.
November 15, 2021: Electrical Meter
Finally got our trenches and conduit and wires and whatnot sorted out, and SMUD has hooked us up to power. Yay! Next we'll have to install all the circuit breakers in the panel and start getting the power on inside.
November 20: First wall
We built one side of one interior wall so that when we turn on the power we have a place to plug things in. It's unfinished on the other side so we can still get inspections.
December 5: Hot mopped shower
We had the professionals tar and feather the bottom of the shower stall.
December 20: Rainbows at noon
We have some refractive film on the big kitchen window that sprays pretty colors on our one wall at noon.
