This Post On A Friday Night With the Family Gone, Gone, Gone

Now I’m pissed. I just spent a good hour liquering up to the correct degree, downloading some pics, queing up some Tom Waits – I mean, really taking the time to set up the atmosphere, - and I’m nearly complete with the opening genius of a great blog paragraph when somehow my reflexive hands hit the 4 wrong keys at the same time and 17 pictures and a paragraph of genius is gone baby gone.

So then you are left which the indelible instinct to go watch some Law & Order instead of writing about this total love and affection for life’s little travails. And the thing about it, the travails really usually aren’t that trivial or nuanced, they are serious and attention-getting and in the end, really just the guts of life.

'Now the sun is coming up and I'm riding with lady luck freeway cars and trucks stars are beginning to fade and I leave the parade' - --- just me trying to stay up with a Tom Waits tune -

These Modern little houses like the one above repel people like a Tom Waits song can do to the wrong crowd, - like a bad David Cross joke, or a sick Gavin McInnes plot line, or a lame joke about burned butts - these new little modern houses really have a tendency to rise the ire of the long-time country set. The 2-D version of the plan submitted to my friends at the building department always motivates some gutteral real negative response.

For me, I love them. Retro Ranches, turning the joke inside out on themselves. Proving the often proved cliche that you can't please all the people all the time.

By Mr Waits - " i spent all my money in a mexican whorehouse, across the street from a
catholic church, and then i wiped off my revolver, and i buttoned up my
burgundy shirt, i shot the morning in the back, with my red wings on, i told
the sun he'd better go back down, and if i can find a book of matches, i'm
goin' to burn this hotel down.

well willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat, drivin' dangerous curves
across the dirty sheets, he said when the bitch is wound up, and her parents
are gone, man you ought to hear her with the siren on.
you got to tell me brave captain,
why are the wicked so strong,
how do the angels get to sleep,
when the devil leaves the porchlight on."

I mean, this is no Nantucket talk, Martha Vineyard's whisper, Key West line or Aruba tunage. This is strong stuff for strong stomachs. Waits always kicks it clear of good taste and foot-tapping cleanliness.

Mr & Mrs Mitchell's 2600 sq ft farmhouse on 20 acres has never looked so good. Nearly 60% complete, without a hiccup, a home starts the big bend towards the home stretch of finish and livability.

"Down the shore everything all right, don't you my dreams come true when I'm down the street with you..."

My wife and young son are out of town for a 11 days - not just out of town, but out of touch, in rural Ohio, for some wedding way out in the boonies. Lisa always accuses me of not listening, but I definitely didn't catch the part that she was out of touch - no cellphone, no landline, no passenger pigeon can reach this girl of mine. The Callicoon Farmhouse on the hill outside of Callicoon Center is really taking shape. Talk about kicking ass and not taking names - I mean, this was hillside pasture 800' off the road just 2 months ago - and now we we will be painting in another 3 weeks.

And Cottage 29 just about wrapping up. Just a few faucets and sinks and countertops and grass growing and then we will really have something.

Here's Van and Eric checking out Cottage 29. They are building a very nice new design with us - Cottage 31 on lot 11 on Lake Ridge Road. That house will start construction here in about 10 days.


And Barn III looking real sharp. I don't when we got the building permit but this house will be finished in 7 days and the Tenkman family will be in, enjoying the fall breezes by the end of the month. I'm currently in shorts in my office, and the chill in the air is decidely Autumn in character.

This big wide open barn with 2 bedrooms and a grand loft is killer space.

Above, in these pics, we are installing the handhewn beams across the ceilings that really made the whole house pop.

Steve working away in the bath.
And the bad ass red countertop. I love it - I mean - bam - what a risk - totally worked and a great accent.

Van in the house, getting some ideas and inspiration for his soon-to-be-construction abode.

Screened in porches are all in fashion all of a sudden.

Here's the whole crew - James in the foreground, and Nikki and Gary and 2 very handsome children in the background. Van with the man purse and Eric taking it all in.
Here's a beauty - Cottage 28.

and Susan's Cottage 20.

And the entry way to Ranch III, which we are just finishing up and set to close on Wednesday.


And some great pics of some deep sleeping beauties. Lucas looks like he is 15 already - 'who's that man in my bed?!'

Big long weekend - every one of my homes seems to be occupied this weekend - pretty cool to provide the country way of life to so many.