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Our Philipsburg, MT Trip - October 2013

• First travel day 10-19-2013
• Second Travel Day 10-20-2013
• First Project Day 10-21-2013
• Second Project Day 10-22-2013
• Third Project Day 10-23-2013
• Fourth Project Day 10-24-2013
• Fifth Project Day 10-25-2013
• Sixth Project Day 10-26-2013
• Seventh Project Day 10-27-2013
• A day of rest 10-28-2013

We have finally reached the end of this project. Sandy began making to-do lists a few days ago so we would not foget any detail we thought of as we headed towards the finish. Today was about clearing each item on the list as we watched the weather that is headed our way. We have planned to leave Tuesday morning, but we are supposed to be hit with a major snow storm that will extend through Wyoming, our path home. The next few pictures show a detail that began in August and Sandy and Gary completed it a few days ago and we did not note it here. This mantel was a piece of fir lumber that was part of the mantel that extended along the south wall above the tin siding. We removed 4-foot of it to build the storage closet and we took it back to Dan's shop where he planed it flat, rounded the ends, and finished it in its natural color.

It is fastened to the wall with the same brackets that held it to the south wall. They were pieces of 3" heavy duty angle iron and we finished them with hammered brown paint.

And just in case you were wondering about the pieces on the mantel, Sandy added an empty Duct Tape screw top wine bottle (we drank this in August and found it a good Merlot) and a Sambo's coffee mug (Brian sent this to Gary as the only known Sambo's restaurant still in operation. If you wish to comment on the wine or mug remember we placed them there just because we could.

Included on the to-do list today was clear silicone caulk around the floor edging as well as along the backsplash and counter. Sandy was kept busy all day trying to clean up the messes Dan made finishing the minor details.

The living area is almost complete. We still need to find doors for the bedroom and storage closet.

While on the subject of doors, Sandy completed her project for the bedroom closet. Since the room is so small adding a convential door was going to be a problem. So instead she made this fabric curtain to hang on a metal closet pole. We used 3/8" brass grommets at the top and bronze shower hooks so it slides easily. We wanted an outdoor themed fabric but nothing seemed to fit as well as this striped heavy fabric.

Dan added an additional coat of water base poly to the counter top edges, which were made of black walnut. We also touched up the wall paint where we had corrected a builder error around an outlet box. When the previous owner hung the sheet rock his router got away and created ugly holes around the outlet to the right of the range.

We also leveled the washer/dryer unit so it would not wobble when being used. The only detail left to complete is to install the fluorescent lamp in the fixture above the sink and black silicone caulk in the corner of the sink area backsplash. Gary is bringing both items back with him from Missoula on Sunday night.

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