Ulgedook Open House... November 1st

Please join us for refreshments on November 1st between 1:00-5:00 pm, and see how we have used your renovating and decorating ideas (see post for November 13, 2008) to transform the former Wesley United Church to Ulgedook Cottage.

New Sign

With the transformation from the Wesley United Church to Ulgedook Cottage, we thought it appropriate to replace the old, slightly worn sign, with a new one. The new sign largely retains the original design, excepting the United Way Crest which has been replaced with a diamond generally in the shape and coloring of the peak of the stained glass windows. The sign continues to commerorate the former church.


The United Church Crest is the official signature of The United Church of Canada. Its oval shape is derived from the outline of a fish, a symbol of identity by early Christians.

The "X" at the centre, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, is a traditional symbol for Christ. In the four corners of the crest are symbols:

• The open Bible represents the Congregational Churches with their emphasis upon God's truth that makes people free.
• The dove is emblematic of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10) whose transforming power has been a distinctive mark of Methodism.
• The burning bush is the symbol of Presbyterianism, and refers to the bush that burned and was not consumed (Exodus 3:2), and symbolizes the indestructibility of the church.
• The symbols alpha and omega in the lower quarter are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and symbolize the eternal living God, in the fullness of creation (Revelation 1:8).

It's official; Ulgedook Cottage is complete

According to the law, Ulgedook Cottage is complete in that we now have a:

• certificate of potable drinking water,
• approved certificate of installation of a septic system (holding tank),
• and our occupancy permit.

Of course, as renovations go, we're really not complete in that we have lots more to do, but we can soon move in furniture and kick our feet up for a while.

We have many to thank for the work done so far including, but not limited to:

• our contractor, Tim McKinnon and his crew,
• Winchester Disposal Service,
• Lester Berrigan, Berrigan Surveys,
• L.E. Veinotte & Sons Well Drilling,
• Lawrence Veinotte Enterprises for our septic system,
• plumbers Trevor Whynot and Glenn Bristol,
• Harold Hatt Backhoe Service,
• David Stobbe, The Chimney Specialist,
• Jeff Langille, Mortgage Intelligence,
• George Mitchell Insurance,
• Bill Leighton, Municipality of Queens Building Inspector,
• the generous painting efforts from Carolyn and Robert, and
• the patience of my father, Joe Baltzer, to install the "worst G$!^ D@&* laminate floor that was ever made."

A new look

Thanks to the generous help from Robert and Carolyn this past weekend, we were able to bring the painting up to about 90% complete. Particular thanks to Robert, for his tireless efforts of raising the roller above his head to paint the ceiling (no easy task when you work from stage).

Nearly there

Renovations are coming together nicely. Watch the videos: 1) loft view, and 2) guided tour.

Another update

Even more work to report on now, as our contractor (Tim McKinnon) has been busy with a final push to wrap things up. Here are some quick notes since our last update:

• bathroom and kitchen cabinets installed, just waiting for kitchen counter;


• pressure tank and hot water heater installed;


• electrical fixtures and plumbing fixtures soon to be installed;
  
• doors and trim are on;
  
• loft and stair railing installed (look great with the black metal balusters);
  
• bathtub installed and tiled; and
  
• so much more (thanks Tim!)

Once Tim concludes his work, we will be busy with painting and other finish work, and hope to have everything wrapped up by October.


Drop by anytime.

Update

There has been so much work done, we've not had a chance to bring you up to date. More details in future posts, but for now, here's a few quick tidbits.

• All the inside walls are up, gyproc installed and primed...just waiting to be bathed in CIL's Indian Corn. DIY tip, the ergonomic handles for paint rollers are much heavier than their cheaper, old fashioned cousins. Somehow my wrist ached anyway!


• The well has been drilled, to a depth of 190 feet. Thankfully, our eventual water strike was much like striking oil, at 30 gallons per minute.


• The septic holding tank is installed, but not as deep as intended, leaving a three foot high burm when covered over.


• Electrial and plumbing are roughed in. The neighbour's dog will help himself to the delicious leftover roast pork on the picnic table. Thanks Nancy and Clay!

Time for more painting.

Progress, it's a good thing!

As the expression goes, pictures are worth a thousand words.

Great Finds

One of the challenges with this renovation is storage. Where do you put all the stuff you need, while trying to work in the space? We try to keep things out of the contractor's way, and he's a good sport to work around the growing collection.

Another challenge is obtaining all the stuff you need without breaking the bank! We've been fortunate to discover some great finds at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Pictured here is an old counter from a golf shop that will be transformed into a kitchen island. If you have any clever ideas for painting techniques and the like, please share. We're happy to support a good cause and give new life to some retired furniture.

Squirrel Update

As you may recall from a previous post, we had squirrels in the attic and they weren't in a hurry to leave. We made numerous trips to check the live trap and participate in the squirrel relocation program. Each time, the squirrels enjoyed their snacks and went on their merry way. They were obviously clever and industrious squirrels! Friends who live in rural communities gave us suggestions on what to do. Since then, the squirrels have either gone outside to enjoy the summer weather, or have gone to the "other side." However, we suspect the squirrels may be back in the spring as they have an entrance we can't find.

Unusual Wildlife

There's so much to tell you about, but we'll start with the sighting of some unusual wildlife (at least unusual to us!).

We camped at Ulgedook on the weekend and were enjoying some pleasant evening weather (also rather unusual lately), and decided to have a small campfire. The stars were coming out, the mosquitoes were staying away and just before turning in for the night, we saw this exotic creature clinging to our camping torch. It's a luna moth.

A quick Google search will tell you these are unusual moths indeed. They have one purpose, to reproduce. They don't even have a mouth for feeding! Luna moths fall prey to bats which was unfortunate to learn as I've been thinking about hanging some bat houses to deal with the hoards of mosquitoes. And I thought dealing with squirrels was problematic. More about the squirrels in another post. Back to the luna moth. Apparently another obstacle to their raison d'etre is outside lights. The moths get so distracted by being attracted to light, they forget to look for a mate. And you thought the human dating scene is difficult!

Work started

Work is underway inside, while others laze outside.

Welcome to Summer

Meet Ulga the Ulgedook greeter... kind of like Wally the Walmart greeter. Ulga was crafted locally, and acquired at Bob and the Boys Farm Market in Hebbs Cross. If you plan to visit Ulgedook, then make sure to stop at Bob's for a large selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers, craft items, and ice-cream.

It's now officially summer, and we anxiously await the start of renovations. Our contractor will likely commence work this week, followed soon by well drilling, and septic installation. Hopefully we'll be able to occupy soon, and in the meantime we can stay in our small travel trailer parked out back.

Evasive Varmints

Despite repeated attempts to snare our wascally wabbits (squirrels), the pesky varmints continue to evade our traps. The light-footed, brazen bandits steal the tasty bait, without triggering the trap gate (hey..., a rhyme). Susan says, “the heck with live traps..., give me a gun.”

In the meantime, we had the property assessed for a septic system, and are close to choosing a contractor for the interior work. Can’t wait to see some tangible transformations from church to cottage, but shudder at the cost.

Permanent residents

Susan and I spent a leisurely weekend in Queens County this weekend, and stayed overnight at Motel Transcotia.

During breakfast (yummy!!), we enjoyed the pleasure of meeting Region of Queens Mayor John Leefe, and his wife Nancy. Prior to municipal politics, Mayor Leefe served the Constituency of Queens in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978-1999, including portfolios as Minister of Fisheries, Environment, and Natural Resources respectively. We learned that John and Nancy are a very interesting and engaging couple, and hope that they will visit Ulgedook Cottage some day.

We went to Ulgedook for a short while, during which time I climbed the belfry to identify any discerning markings on the bell. I discovered that it was manufactured by The C.S. Bell Company of Hillsboro Ohio. Learn more at:
http://www.towerbells.org/HillsboroFoundry.html

Also while in the belfry, I also had the pleasure of meeting Ulgedook permanent residents Bert and Greta; two pesky squirrels with the audacity of approaching me within arms reach. I will now need to determine a way to evict these critters, prior to us occupying Ulgedook.