Wednesday, November 29, 2017

doors, floors, and butterflies


Work stopped on my studio room last week and it was kind of nice to have a little respite from all the carpentrying going on. The Monday before Thanksgiving, Rocky showed up to touch up the paint and start on the flooring but I thought it would be better to wait until the door to the Little Backyard came in and he agreed so off he went to work on the next house in the queue. The door came in Saturday and Rocky was back on Monday 

my man Rocky on the left

and the new back door is in and the paint has been touched up, mostly, and yesterday they started on the flooring with much cursing, crying, and gnashing of teeth. The concrete step up to the rest of the house was giving them fits and finally they had to take it all up and start over but today it's going in like wildfire, 


sitting here listening to Rocky's constant stream of commentary and instructions to his helpers. He'll have it in today and maybe the base trim too at the rate they're going. After that, it's the punch list.

I'm happy with my display 


so today I'll dismantle everything and start packing stuff up. Set up is tomorrow. I have requested dinner before the evening hours on Friday this year to the provider of such instead of trying to find something quick at 9:30 PM or later as usual. Still have to sit down and price the new stuff, make the little signs that give additional info, and pack up some model making stuff to work on during the slow times. I got the new sign and 'instructional' poster re-made. I've never been so prepared with so little new stuff, but, Harvey...

On another note, the butterflies are migrating through. For the past week the yard has been full of monarchs, queens, fritillaries, sulfurs, skippers, longwings, unless it's the same crowd hanging around for a rest stop. Also saw a swallowtail or two and a rare painted lady. Out there this morning I bet there were 20 or more butterflies on the cosmos and penta and butterfly weed.

     
swallowtail and sulfur

  
queen and monarch

fritillary



14 comments:

  1. Wow! I love that flooring! It really looks good, Ellen.
    So does your display. I wish you so much luck at the sale.
    I've not seen so many monarchs but the zebra longwings have been in the area for months now and today they were practically swarming me on my walk. Such a weird, weird winter. It's like eighty degrees right now and I am sweating.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love those flying flowers, nice to be in the path of them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know it has been a hard road the last few weeks but it really looks good! Hope the shows goes well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those butterflies! Gorgeous. The floor isn't too bad either.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I could sit in your garden and watch butterflies, all day. And yes, the display does look nice.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Those butterflies all migrate? I thought they just laid their eggs and died. Saw TWO butterflies in my yard today...a sulfur and a fritillary and there is NOTHING for them to eat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lots of butterflies migrate, most famously monarchs but also queens, sulfurs, fritillaries, skippers, painted ladies, and many others.

      Delete
  7. Butterflies always cheer me up, and I needed it today. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your floor & display look great! And I love that swallowtail - so fancy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amazing progress and so smart, makes my work space look very scruffy! Well done with all preparations - hope the show goes really well for you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The studio looks really nice. I wish you the best of luck at the show.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The display looks just great -- and so does that flooring. I loved seeing all your butterflies. Believe it or not, I ran into blooming green milkweed in Brazoria County last weekend. I didn't see many butterflies, except fritillaries and some white ones that refused to light anywhere for me to get a closer look, but it was a great day for the "flutter-bys" anyway.

    Smart, to get that dinner early. You're going to need your strength. Happy sales!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a relief to have the flooring going down. And it looks great! As for butterflies, well, it's hard for me to imagine them at THIS time of year -- but they look great too. :)

    ReplyDelete

I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.