My New Job

OK, its not exactly NEW, but I haven't really talked too much about it yet. After getting laid off from "Wayne School" I called Ian MacLean, another of the respected builders on the island and asked if he needed any help. The timing was right and I started work the next week.

The foundation had already been built and I went to work right away building pony walls to support the floor of the house. We're now in the home stretch for the framing phase. It'll be a gorgeous house with several rooflines clad in metal roofing, and sided with cedar shingles.

Today we installed 2 fir posts to support the overspanned rear roofline. The fir posts will lend a funky Hornby aesthetic to the place and allow for a huge vaulted ceiling.

I'm 1 of a four person crew that has decades of accumulated artisanal building knowledge and experience. The mood is always light and the banter hilarious. It's been a great change and a chance to learn different techniques and skills.

I find framing to be the hardest work of all the phases of construction and its easy for me to start feeling overworked if I don't take care to keep healthy and well rested. The 8AM start time required a shift in lifestyle, tho. No drinking during the week and into bed by 10PM is now the rule. Its a small price to pay for working outside beside the ocean, though.

Today I was up on the rafters installing the roof strapping. There was a nice onshore breeze blowing that salty smell of seaweed up onto the lot. The eagles were screaming, the songbirds singing, and there was no hint of traffic anywhere.