Goodbye Flea Market!

April 2009: We waved our final goodbye to the Barnyard Flea Market and RV Park in West Columbia where we have been camping for the past three months. Although our new home won't be finished for a few more days, the park said they had had enough of us and so back to the gypsy life we return. (Actually, they ran out of room as they had a big group coming in that had space previously reserved.)

The staircase is almost finished. The stair treads and rails should be stained in the next day or two. The bamboo flooring and light fixture installation upstairs are almost finished. The kitchen counters are being installed. We decided to go with Zodiac Mossy Green from Dupont which is 50% quartz and 50% recycled consumer glass. These food-safe countertops are non-porous and so won't need sealing like granite does. The back deck is in the process of being finished. The wood we are using has been treated with a new more environmentally safe copper-based treatment from Phibrowood. The heating and air conditioning system is also now being installed. The air handlers will be located under the house in the crawl space. The crawl space is encapsulated with insulation blankets and will also be conditioned with the HVAC air flow. The conditioned crawl space will prevent mold and mildew and add to the energy efficiency of the home by keeping the cold damp air out from under the house and thus from entering through the floors. This, in turn, will keep the floors warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. And, over the weekend, the concrete is setting up in the driveway and front porch area.