Saturday, January 7, 2012

the conclusion of the porch saga

what can i say except that isn't she a real beauty?!?!?!



here it is in all of it's infinite glory! the porch wrapped in plastic! can anything be better? i think not!

the boots and shoes and mitts and gloves and work-clothes have now been moved from my tiny kitchen and that, in itself, is a glorious wonder!

one thing that we have learned since moving to Framboise Manor is that you gotta learn to make do. and that is what we are doing! the porch needs to be replaced and we will build an enclosed porch next fall. until then - this will just have to do. and i must say that i love it!

here is the side view (and my fingers!):



and the back:



it sure isn't much to look at and has become the talk of the town but hey - i will live with anything to get the coats and boots out of the kitchen!

not only does the porch take care of getting coats and boots out of the kitchen - it also holds our seeding tray! our seeding tray is a monster that jambaloney's stepdad built and gave to us. we have used it to start our seeds for several years now - last year using it sucked as it really is a monster and we had it in the tiny kitchen! but not this year - it now lives on the porch - woohoo!

i will post some inside pics of the porch as soon as it is tidied up - right now it looks like a bomb hit it as everything that has been laying around and getting underfoot is out there! we just need to sort, organize and then give everything a home - on the porch!

i told you that it would make MDR blush!

25 comments:

  1. Looks great.

    Keep up the good work.

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  2. You will be amazed at how warm that plastic porch will become during the day. It will work as the same principal as a greenhouse.

    We closed in our back porch 10 years ago as we were going to build on to the house. It has not happened and I have wished a thousand times that I still had my porch.

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  3. LOVE IT! I can't wait and brr for your fingers all so we can sneak a peek! Thanks for the peek.

    I went back to that post! How did I miss that post? I am thinking the preps to Bill's surgery. I promise to go back, as I love your life you two have carved out and do not want to miss one episode!

    xoxox

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  4. What are you talking about, that's high cotton right there.

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  5. Don't throw rocks at people in plastic houses. The rocks bounce off and hit you back!

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  6. thanks Muddy - it doesn't "look" great but it is well made! jambaloney's idea to put sill plate foam gasket (for studs) on all exposed surfaces, followed by the 10ml plastic, followed by non-rip hurricane and finally wood strapping has really worked!!! we have been having some pretty windy days and nights and the plastic is holding up just fine!

    MammaBear - that's what i am planning for! the porch is still pretty cold at night but it does really warm up on nice sunny days - and we get alot of those over the winter. but come spring - woohoo - greenhouse! we intend to start the seedlings out there as the seed trays have lights above them and then wrap the seeding tray in plastic every evening to keep them warm overnight. i am sorry that you lost your porch!

    Jen - the fingers didn't get too chilly - the weather here really hasn't gone below -5C during the day so it is not all that cold to someone who is used to -30C every day! as for that post about you being the inspiration for our table - i am glad that you got to see it. because you were the inspiration! i am pretty sure it was right around the time of Bill's surgery so am not surprised that you hadn't seen it. and we love your life and all that we have learned from you! xoxo

    Matt - read the comment to Muddy. ditto to you, too - bahahahah!

    MDR buddy - i just had jambaloney look up "high cotton" on the urban dictionary as we had no idea how to interpret your comment! that's a high compliment coming from a builder such as yourself and we'll take it.

    Russell - isn't that just the truth? although in our case the rock would probably go right through the plastic. no probs there tho as we have extra for patching - bahahahahah!

    thanks for all of the supportive comments guys and gals - we really are just "winging it" out here and it is really nice to have friends that understand that, have been there, or have done it!

    we appreciate you all!

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  7. OMG, I have not laughed that hard in weeks. Hold on still laughing........
    I nev, I never, Hold on.........
    OMG I can't type.....Laughing to hard.
    Okay, I am sorry to use such slang. I should be sensitive to others that live North of the Red River.
    You mean to tell me they have a dictionary about the way I talk?
    I can't, I can't take any more....It hurts.....
    Sorry

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  8. MDR buddy - we were laughing too! we didn't have a clue what you meant? we were like "is that a compliment or a jab" - what the heck! and yes - you can look up "urban dictionary" online and they have all kinds of crazy colloquial speak - including crazy Texan slang.

    i am glad you laughed buddy! jambaloney's head isn't fitting through the doorways too easily since he read your compliment - it meant a lot coming from you!

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  9. Wow, it looks awesome! The first thing I thought when I saw the pictures was "greenhouse" so I'm glad you're using it for your seed tray. You should be able to get a good jump on the season.

    Too funny about the "high cotton" comment! Now I can't get the Alabama song out of my head.

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    Replies
    1. Kris - oh ya - we are planning to use broken-down pallets in the inserts on the long wall to start growing lettuces, kale and swiss chard very soon - well, first we have to build the boxes. but we plan on stuffing that porch with all kinds of seedlings and plants so that when it is time to plant them outside - we'll really have a head start!

      and ya - we were totally stumped by the high cotton comment. and have been saying it to each other all day - we're goofy like that!

      thanks for stopping by Kris!

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  10. In the spring you can replace the plastic siding with screen, it's actually a perfect porch! People thought I was crazy with plastic on my windows, but single pane windows from the 1950's might as well be an open porch like yours.
    Style is over-rated.

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    Replies
    1. Max buddy - thanks! we are thinking exactly along the same lines! jambaloney has already procured about 20 windows and will probably get another 20 this spring during big garbage pick-up week. for the summer we will screen it and during the winter we will put windows in and some use junk wood laying around to fill it in.

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  11. When it gets warmer out, you could let visitors sleep on your new porch.

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    1. Flier - that's a great idea! however, when you and Kathi visit - there's no porch for you guys! you guys will be treated like kings - you'll sleep in the vandura - bahahahahah!

      thanks buddy!

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  12. Awesome. You can walk to the green house without having to put shoes on! :)

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    1. Tnago - yer on it honey! yep - we can walk to the greenhouse without shoes OR clothes - and that's how we like it - bahahahah!

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  13. Well it looks warm and cozy to me!! You did a great job. I can't wait to see the inside shots now. ;)

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    1. Joey, buddy - thanks for that! i promise inside pics coming soon! i love it when you stop by, eh?

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  14. Excellent!! I can't wait until we can use our mudroom for coats and whatnot :)

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    1. oh Donna - getting the boots and coats and crap out of the kitchen is awesome! you are really going to love your new mudroom! and i can't wait to see it!

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  15. Sorry it's taken me so long to read and post...life, you know. Anyway, nice dadgum porch. I like it. Well done.

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    1. no problem at all Stephen - it happens to all of us! but thanks for stopping by my friend!

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  16. I suppose I am the only person who did not blink at "high cotton." I live in Alabama.

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  17. PracticalP - yep, you knew what he meant. the rest of us were stumped - bahahaha!

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