Drunk Drivers

Now, this....this is my favorite!

Not the best folks are they? We were trying to get to a hotel on a four-way in a little city in Virginia, around 2:30 this morning. Sidewalks all rolled up, not a car for miles....we'd been on the move since around 8:30 AM, including a couple of hours walking in Mobile and Blue Mountain Beach Florida, and a lot of driving.

Suddenly some yahoo appeared from the other side of the four-way and sailed up the street on the wrong side, weaving all over, right for the Camaro.

I screamed. Alan reacted. Fast. Had he not, Mr. or Ms. DUI would have taken us out. As it was we kissed mirrors with a bang and the culprit took off like a streak.

It took a very long time to file a police report. Alas, the police in that particular town were belligerent and unpleasant to us.

"Were you drinking?"

"We can't find any debris except animal tracks, are you sure it was a car?"

"Were you drinking?"

"Where were you going? What were you doing? Where did you come from?"

"Were you drinking?"

It went on and on until we all got pretty ticked off. I finally told the guys, "Look, I'm his mother. He's traveling with his mother and his sister, not exactly party animals. What he said happened, happened."

Eventually they handed us an accident report, which accurately detailed just what we told them, so I guess they actually did believe us. However, we drove back to where the cars impacted (we had had to move up the road a bit to find a safe place to pull off the road.)

There were the parts of both mirrors and a mess of plastic off the other car lying in plain sight in the road. If they really cared at all they could have seen it. Alan picked up the insert from his mirror and stuck it back in place...the glass was broken but it reflected cars coming up behind us, albeit in a manner somewhat reminiscent of a disco ball (perfect for New Years right?)

We skipped the whole stopping thing and just came on home. We were lucky to get off so lightly, and I don't mean to whine. Had things gone down even the least bit differently a lot more than mirrors would have been broken, but geez, get somebody to drive you home if you are too drunk to find your way.

Unreal how people drive these days. We saw at least fifty accidents and hundreds of incidents, probably more than that, from a tractor trailer full of pallets lying on its side in a rain storm to dozens of fender benders, cars off the road in darned near every ditch south of Pennsylvania, three dead bears, a couple hundred flat raccoons, several finished off foxes, piles of possums, one dead Turkey Vulture, which smelled far worse than the many deceased skunks he joined on the road, and one lady who passed us going at least 95 MPH. Yowsa!

We next saw her a couple miles up the road on the far side of the other side of the four-lane, her car nosed into the woods and swamp. How she got across all that traffic without being injured is beyond me, but she was standing by the road holding her baby and being comforted by passersby when we went past. Yes, a baby.

Scary huh? We had an amazing time, but the Interstate system and the byways that lead onto it are not for the faint of heart or slow of reaction. It is good to be home where everything is standing still and staying in its own lane. Hopefully everyone will be wise and careful tonight and make it home safe. Happy New Year!




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Pelicans and Scavengers

We drove down to Cedar Key and Manatee Springs today, retracing our trip from two Brown Pelicans down in town and hundreds of Turkey and Black Vultures at the springs. 

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3 Holiday Season Remodeling Ideas

Tired of all those to-do lists and home improvement projects piling up year after year? Here are 3 holiday season remodeling ideas that you might want to consider, including: interior and exterior, lighting and upgrades.

Image Source: Flickr

Interior and Exterior
A beautiful front door and front entryway is not only the home’s first impression it is a traditional symbol of the holidays. Adorned with wreaths and garland, highlighted by permanent and seasonal lighting, a beautiful front entryway is the perfect way to welcome guests. Whether its upgrading the door, the hardware, the lighting, building a new porch, or adding stone steps or decorative elements, this effort can make a beautiful first impression. Many of our clients are looking to us to update their interior entryways as well. New flooring, stair railings, dramatic lighting and custom woodwork can all add interest and elegance to your front entryway.
“Unfortunately it’s a little too late to build an addition, remodel a kitchen or add a guest suite – will have to save that for next year. But there are still a few fun ideas we can accomplish to make our homes a little more festive this holiday season.” Source: HurstRemodel

Lighting
The lighting plays a huge role in getting the holiday feel. By selecting the right lighting materials for your living, dining, and foyer areas, you can add personality to your home. This holiday season, install oversized lights for a more dramatic effect. Source: PremierRemodels

Upgrades
– Upgrade your kitchen. The holidays are often associated with lots and lots of food, but it’s hard to prepare a large meal if your kitchen is too small or lacking the proper amenities. Consider remodeling your kitchen by upgrading your appliances, adding extra food prep space, or installing new cabinetry.
– Remodel the bathrooms. When you have lots of guests, you’re going to need lots of bathrooms—it’s just a fact! Why not consider upgrading your fixtures and installing low-flow toilets before your aunts and uncles descend upon your home for vacation?
– Finish your basement. Sometimes a single guest room isn’t enough. If you’re worried about where your guests are going to sleep, consider finishing your basement. A finished basement will give you extra living space, additional guest rooms, and a place to store all of those holiday gifts that won’t fit under the tree.
– Spruce up your guest room. Is your guest room too small? Does it have enough closet space? If not, consider expanding the closet to give your guests more storage space, or add on a guest bathroom for additional privacy!
– Add on. Maybe your home is lacking a guest room—if so, add on! Adding on to your home can give you the additional space and comfort you crave year-round. Source: DesignBuildRemodelingGroup

Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains
8279 Ross St, Vancouver, BC V5X 4W1
(604) 360-2114

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Hey Mom

Safe in Florida. By way of Tennessee....and Alabama....Georgia....not necessarily in that order. Love you

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A Gift to Myself

After Christmas with a toddler...a very good little toddler, who when given a gift and being told it was from...say, Aunt Becky....tried to give it to that person, being hard pressed to understand that it was all for her.....and saying "thank you" faithfully and often....

Some quiet time was in order. Most of the family was out in-lawing, all was reasonably calm here...

So I took myself out to do an eBird checklist.




It is sunny, warm for December, too icy to go far, and the wrong time of day for many birds. However, it was a great pleasure, indeed a gift, to just be able to be outdoors for an hour, alone with the birds. My kinda Christmas!

And tomorrow is the Johnstown Christmas Bird Count. The weather is supposed to be nasty, but we have some good wooded places where the birds will be sheltering from the weather. It's always fun.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Corn snow and snowmobile tracks make for pretty good walking

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Not for Nothing

I sure hope Santa can run.

Or that he has some sugar cubes. 

Liz was at the sink washing bowls from making cookies and rolls, and I was waiting to get water to mix dog food, when across the heifer hill, tails blazing whiter than the snow, ran a pair of does.

I don't want to rain on any parades or harm your cornflakes in any way, but I am pretty sure that it was Cupid and Vixen.

And they were already flying low if you know what I mean. Didn't see any sled either, other than the Firecats on the trailer and lawn.

I sure hope he catches them before tonight.....

Hmmm.....Liz has two quarts of molasses here....nah.....better not.....

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‘Twas The Shift Before Christmas

‘Twas The Shift Before Christmas
And all through the café
No dish in the bus tub
Not even a tray!

The milk rags were hung in the hamper with care,
In hopes that the health inspector would soon not be there.
The bagels were nestled all snug in their case,
With visions of cream cheese schmeared on their face

While Becky made mochas and Jared pumped steam
I snuck to the back for a rip of whipped cream
When there in my walk-in, so cold you could shudder
A jolly old elf named St. Nick I discovered!

Ol’ Nick was so cheerful, sweet as demerara,
His nose was a bright and as red as cascara!
He wore a cap’d stocking and sported a tattoo
That said “Temp 200 is Perfect For Batch Brew”

I couldn’t believe it! St. Nick in my shop!
But what happened next made my happy jaw drop

He said with a chuckle from his head to his toes
“Tomorrow is Christmas! This shop should be closed!
I’m dialing your owner, the phone’s ringing thrice
I’m going to tell them who’s naughty or nice
Is often determined by how you treat staff”
He giggled aloud and then both of us laughed

And so with a twinkle the elf he did pay off
And gave this barista a much needed day-off
No Clopen! No Bus Tub! No Dial-In! No Decaf!
I’ll stay in pajamas and watch Celeb Rehab

A Christmas Eve miracle, bro that’s so sick
All from the hands of Jolly St. Nick

When once more in the walk-in a sleigh did appear
And so I made lattes for eight thirsty reindeer
Donder’s a grande, Blixen’s a tall
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all
(We’re trying to close early, thanks. I’m turning off the Wi-Fi.)

Said St. Nick with a grin as he flew out of sight
“Merry Christmas to all! You can party tonight!”

The post ‘Twas The Shift Before Christmas appeared first on Sprudge.

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Berlin: Inside Five Elephant’s New Mitte Cafe

Just in time for Christmas, Berlin coffee tastemakers Five Elephant have opened a brand new bar in the heart of the city’s bustling Mitte neighborhood. This is the third cafe for the brand, and their second to open this year following this summer’s launch of a Five Elephant cafe in Chengdu, China.

Perhaps to cap off the geopolitcal garbage pile better known as 2016, there’s a different sort of elephant in the room right now for the coffee scene in Berlin. “It’s a bit of a somber mood here,” Five Elephant co-owner Kris Schackman tells Sprudge, referring to the tragedy at the Berlin Christmas market just a few short days ago. “We’ve all been in shock, and the city is very quiet right now, but the reality is that business goes on for a lot of people, and Germany has this very quick ‘back to business’ attitude, which is part of a long history of trying to heal things. It’s a sad fact of the time we’re in, but that’s life these days—a lot of people are writing books about it; we’re opening a cafe.”

About that cafe: it’s years in the making from Schackman and the team at Five Elephant. “We knew that to keep our staff motivated, we needed to provide opportunities,” says Schackman, explaining his move from quietly buzzy Kreuzberg to fashion-thumping Mitte. Housed in a former “strange belt shop”, the cafe was a total rebuild from the previous tenants, including plumbing in water and redoing electric in a building originally built around 1900. The bar comes armed with a two-group Modbar espresso unit, paired with a miniature Mahlkonig EK-43 grinder. There’s no pour-over coffee on offer here, but 5E have delicious filter coffee dialed in on a Bunn Smartwave batch brewer. Of course it wouldn’t be Five Elephant without the brand’s signature line of cakes, from recipes by co-owner Sophie Schackman, including their famous cheesecake recipe, available in smaller, more convenient sizes here in Mitte.

The space sports 10 bar stools, with ample standing room to accommodate the busy neighborhood. Mitte is one of Berlin’s most popular neighborhoods for shopping and tourism, and 5E’s new spot adds the already deep bench of cafes in the neighborhood, including cafe favorites The Barn and Father Carpenter. The cafe was designed by architect Nic Warner of Sunst. Studio, and sports a distinctive terrazzo-style bar and counter tops with brass inlays, inspired in part by the 130 year-old floors they found deep below the cement when renovating the space. The overall effect evokes a classic milk bar in a contemporary style, with little design touches like sacred-geometic lighting vents.

This new cafe is miles away literally and aesthetically from Five Elephant’s original neighborhood cafe space, near Gorlitzer Park in Kreuzberg. Visitors over opening weekend can expect washed Ethiopia Idido espresso and washed El Soccorro batch brew, as well as a rotating selection of teas by Companion. But for Schackman, beyond the coffee and cakes, the most important element of the space is perhaps the most subtle: “I want our staff to be happy, and as an extension of their happiness give really great service. That’s what leads a customer to have a very good experience—at least I hope so.”

Five Elephant Mitte is located at Alte Schönhauser Str. 14, 10119 Berlin. Hours daily. Visit Five Elephant’s official website for more details, and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Gabriel Dunn contributed to this reporting. Photos by Gabriel Dunn for Sprudge Media Network. 

Sprudge Media Network advertising partners are mentioned in this article. A complete list of partners is listed on the right hand side of this and every Sprudge feature.

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Kicking over the Traces

Tomorrow the family Christmas get together.

Sunday the holiday itself. With a two-year-old. She is so excited.

Monday Johnstown CBC. 

Monday night. If all goes well, and the good Lord willing, and the crick don't rise, and all of the ifs ands and buts fall into line.

Heading south. Where the birds and the sunshine live.

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2016 Review: Log and Timber Homes

Where has the year gone? 2016 has been a busy and exciting year for the A Team. We had the pleasure of building homes for clients in the United States, across Western Canada and two log cabins in Italy. We traveled some beautiful countryside, completed some stunning projects and met some great people along the way.

We thought we’d share a quick roundup of some of our highlighted projects from 2016.

In addition to our own projects we also partnered with a couple of larger development firms in B.C. It was great to work with these companies installing some wood elements where traditionally steel is used.

Saanich

Recently featured in Modern Home Victoria, this large diameter cedar post and beam house is beautiful inside and out. This 2,185 square ft. post and beam home has two very special flared posts going from floor to ceiling in the centre of the home, with a little wood burning fireplace set between. The main floor of this house maintains a nice open feeling with 18’ vaulted ceilings down the center and huge windows taking in the view.

Our clients couldn’t be happier with the home and love all the open space to entertain and spend time with family.

Timber Frame in Mission

We had the privilege of building this 3,300 square ft. custom timber frame home about 10 minutes from our shop.  Our clients came to us in early spring with a scale wood model of the large trusses to be found inside the great room, we had them engineered and proceeded to hand cut all the beautiful Douglas Fir beams that can be found through the home.

Our clients couldn’t be happier with the results.

Arizona

In September, we had the privilege of building a beautiful post and beam log home near Eagar, Arizona.  Our clients choose to build in the mountains about 3 hours east of Phoenix where they can escape the summer heat and enjoy the local horse facilities and endless trails.  The cabin is 2,000 square ft. on 2 floors plus a full basement.  Designed to enjoy the outdoors year around, there’s a large covered deck area out back and a semi-attached garage. With 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, the large cabin can suite most families’ needs.

They are still finalizing a few of the things through the cabin and we can’t wait to see the finished pictures in 2017.

Blackberry Kitchen

The Blackberry Kitchen, also known as the Norma Kenny House, was originally built by Artisan’s co-founder Rob Littler in 1986.  The project was initiated by the Continuing Ed faculty at the College of the Fraser Valley where Rob led a class of 12 local builders and successfully built the house in one of Missions largest parks, Heritage Park.  The current tenants have since transformed the home into a beautiful rustic restaurant, The Blackberry Café. They decided they needed more room and a larger kitchen, so after 30 years, Artisan returned to the project and helped remove the entire loft structure to expose the huge vaulted ceilings while using re-claimed logs from the loft as new posts throughout the main floor and a custom bar top.

It was a fun project to work on knowing that two generations of the Artisan family have worked on the home. If you are ever in the area it’s a must to stop by this restaurant.

Vancouver Island

On Vancouver Island we built anther log cabin, Bowser Cabin. This 24′ x 24′ cabin is small by some standards but designed very well to maximize the living space.  It was designed to have a warm, cozy and inviting feel as the couple that is moving into it next year will be retiring and wanted a home that was relaxing.

Located near the ocean on Vancouver Island, the cabin was built with Yellow Cedar due to its amazing natural characteristics that make it very resistant to decay and weathering.  They also choose hardy plank siding and glass panel railings for low exterior maintenance.

Rivard Family Home

The Rivard family has moved into their large custom Post and Beam home in Northern Alberta.  Its been a labor of love and they’re thrilled to be finally enjoying their dream home.

This home has been one of our most popular styles due to the large cedar flared wood we used in the design. You will likely be seeing more of this home in the future.

Italian Log Home

We also had the pleasure of heading back to Italy to work with our clients from a few years ago.

Following the build of their log home in Italy in 2012 we returned to help our same clients build two cabins that will be opened as a bed and breakfast in spring of 2017.  We supplied and built 2 very unique elevated log cabins in the Piedmont area of Italy.

Theses cabins are built 16′ off the ground with an amazing set of circular log stairs to access them.  The views are spectacular and will be thoroughly enjoyed by many lucky visitors in the years to come.

Timber Frame Entry for Peninsula Seniors Center

We were hired by Kasper Developments to engineer and build two large timber frame entrances for a recent project in White Rock. These massive Douglas Fir Beams average 10” x 16”.

It was a great project to work on with Kasper Developments and hope to work with them more in the future.

Log Shelters for Playground

Cressey Development hired us to build 4 custom log shelters for an outdoor natural play area for a daycare in Richmond B.C. The playground is located on the 4th floor of a building right in the city.

We enjoyed this project as many of the children have never played on real logs and wood before.

 

Every project is unique and special to us. The people and the families that we meet along the way make every home memorable. We are very fortunate to be invited into the homes of our clients and made part of their family as we build them their dream home. It is a huge pleasure and honour.

Thank you to all of our clients past and present and we look forward to an even better 2017!

If you or someone you know is interested in building a custom log home, cabin or timber frame please visit our Log Home 101 section which can help answer some of the common questions you might have when it comes to building. As always, you can contact us and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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