Happy New Year

Happy New Year from our family to yours.  I hope and pray 2012 brings a "positive change" for our nation.

Grandmother and Pa Pa Neal on the bridge at Elkmont in GSNP.

In the "wild" N.E. part of GSNP, Pa Pa Neal looks at Mt. Cammerer.  It was a beautiful last day of the year.

Just past the Cataloochee Campground, Pa Pa Neal ponders which  trail to take.  In the end we took the trail back to I-40 and then to Gatlinburg.

Heading over to The Ridge

Heading to The Ridge tomorrow after we get Anna on a plane back to Louisiana.  Greg and Renee are driving down from Indiana and Grandmother and Pa Pa Neal will be coming in from Birmingham.  Not sure about the weather for the next week but we do expect it to be colder than it has been.  As stated before, no work is planned on The Ridge during the holidays.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Cookie getting into the Christmas spirit.

Three (3) generations at Christmas.

Sheetrock & Risers

We tried to head over the mountain early on Friday, but work got in the way for Brent and so we did not start the journey until 1:30 pm.  The weather on the drive over was mild, rainy and once we hit the park, a very heavy fog was added into the mix.  No snow was spotted when we crossed Newfound Gap, but the temp was in the low 30's.  The light Smoky Mountain type rainy weather continued as we arrived at The Ridge.  That night the rain cleared and the temperature dropped sharply.  On Saturday, we awoke to frost on the ground and cold temperatures so it was a legitimate excuse to keep a fire going all day.

We had a shorten work schedule planned for the weekend, because we need to pick-up and organize the tools neatly in anticipation of our guest arriving after Christmas.  On our agenda we planned to install some of the risers.  We were able to box in the ceiling over the stairs and install sheet rock in the ceiling and around the canned overhead light installed last week.  We also installed two (2) sheets in the wall in the stairway and completed six (6) risers.

It will be about ten (10) days before we head back to The Ridge as we will be spending Christmas at the rental, so we filled all the bird feeders to capacity and warned them to ration the food and keep the squirrels away.

Boxed in the ceiling area above the stairs and added sheet rock.

The stairwell wall now has two (2) sheets of sheet rock.

The view of the tools to the left of the stairs is just a small sample of the items that needed to be organized and stored.



Since there was not a third stringer, we decided to add a back brace for the riser. 



A view of some of the installed risers with the construction treads.  It will look better after the oak treads are installed.

Cookie loves to watch all the construction activity.  I guess she still thinks she is an inspector at Zelda.

The work on the stairs is completed for the weekend.

Cookie loves riding through the park and one day hopes to hike the trail to the top of the Chimney Tops.

Skirtboards on Stairs

Heading across Newfound Gap this Friday, we were greeted with snow and ice.  The roads were fine but there was some remnant snow from a storm earlier in the week and the familiar large icicles were hanging from the rocks and ledges along side the road.

The skies were clear all weekend but the temperature did dip in the evenings.  On The Ridge, the temperature highs were in the mid 40's but the lows were dropped into the upper teens.  We did enjoy a nice fire both Friday and Saturday.

Work continued on the stairs.  This weekend the goal was to install the skirt board along side the stairs.  In a new construction, this would be placed besides the stringer, but as usual nothing is easy.  Brent had to cut and notch the skirt board to fit the rise and run of each step.  This was very easy and went really fast. NOT.  After using a square and cutting the board, it average another four trips outside to trim to the skirt board to fit.  The fit does not have to be perfect because the tread will hid a 1" gap and the riser will hide a 3/4" gap.  The problem was getting all the gaps to fit within that range.  Well practice makes perfect and Brent did have a lot of practice.  Additional foundation work on the stairway was completed and additional finish work should be completed next weekend.

We have decided not to install the stair treads until after the New Year holidays.  Brent has decided not to doing any work during the holidays (or very little) and does not want people walking on the stair treads before they have been sealed.  The treads will first be installed and then any screw and/or nail holes covered in wood putty.  Then the treads will be sanded, stained and protected.  The less traffic during this ordeal the better.  We have one more work weekend before breaking for Christmas and the New Year holidays.

The girls have finished their tests and the 2011 fall semester at UT is now a memory.  They met us at The Ridge on Friday and followed us back across the mountain on Sunday to the rental house and will stay with us till the Spring semester begins.   

NOTE:  Sorry about the rotation of some of the pictures below but I am unable to change the attachments to a profile view.

Driving through the park on Friday and Saturday was beautiful.

The skirt board is cut and ready for one of many fittings.

Skirt board in place after final fitting.

Even with the rough construction treads the stairway is taking shape.

The new treads are waiting to be installed.

Since there is no third stringer, the added 2x4 in the middle provides additional support for each tread.

One Step Closer

The weekend at The Ridge was spent with Brent working on the stairs.  All the risers on both stringers have been adjusted to a riser height of 7-1/16".  This was accomplished by cutting out "filler" pieces which were attached to the tread base of each stringer.  The filler pieces were held in place by using plywood has a coupler along with liquid nails and wood screws.  After each piece was attached to the stringer a 2 x 4 was inserted between to provide added strength and stability for the oak treads.

Next weekend, Brent plans to install the skirt boards, drywall and build the landing at the top of the stairs.  If this is accomplished we should have the new oak stair treads installed the weekend before Christmas.

The girls drove over from UT for the weekend.  Classes have ended and finals are in process.  Jennifer already had a test and has two (2) more.  Jessica has several papers due and one (1) test this week.  We also had the 99 Dodge 4x4 pickup towed to a garage at the base of ski mountain road.  The mechanic should advise us the week of the financial impact.  It is very strange not to see the truck parked in the driveway, but there is a lot of extra parking.

The temperature was very mild for this time of the year and we did not have a fire all weekend.  In crossing Newfound Gap, there was no snow and very little ice hanging from the rocks.



The tread base on the stringer before any modificaition.  This stringer was originally fabricated in the 1960s.  This bottom step was about 2-1/2" different in height which caused alot of stumbles at the bottom of the stairs from family members.




Above is a typical filler piece with the plywood coupler.  The filler piece was liquid nailed to the plywood along with three horizonal wood screws.




Here the assembly is set which "caps" the orignal tread base on the stringer and brings the tread base height to 7-1/16".  Additional liquid nails was applied to the coupler and more horizontal screws are used to fasten the coupler to the stringer.




Finally, two long wood screws are inserted in the verticle postion to bind the filler piece to the stringer.  Not shown:  4" nails were shot into the studs and a 2 x 4 member was used as a cross member.  This process was repeated on the other side and for each of the remaining 15 steps.



The deck in front of the house was the ideal location to set-up the saws and work.  The weather during the weekend was great.

 

A view of the mountains from Newfound Gap.  There was no snow or ice.





The state line is at the top of Newfound Gap.

 

Thanksgiving Holiday Felt More Like Labor Day

We had an early start to the holiday as Brent did not have to work on Wednesday, so with a quick pack, we left on Tuesday evening and got to The Ridge around 9:00 pm.  It rained the entire time and driving on highway 441 through the park, it was very foggy.  Passing Newfound Gap, the visibility was very low but soon cleared up.

On Wednesday, we headed into Sevierville to get some materials at Lowes and/or Home Depot but we did stop by the thrift stores near downtown.  We did score a 1920s to 1930s club chair at the Salvation Army with plans to have it recovered.  Brent started removing the stair treads and risers on the stairs to measure the height of the riser cutout on the stringers.  Needless to say that they are not the same height and we will have to height to each riser.  The the nails were removed from the stair treads and replaced with screws so we could continue to use the stairs.  The girls arrived from UT in the afternoon and stayed until Sunday afternoon.  We celebrated their belated 22 nd birthday that night.

On Thursday, the chalet was filled with the delicious smells of the Thanksgiving meal.  We used the smoker to prepare the turkey and side dishes consisted of corn bread dressing, gravy, acorn squash casserole, broccoli casserole, cranberries, rolls and a ham.  Jennifer made a pumpkin pie for desert.  While Lynn and the girls were preparing the meal, Brent was on the roof installing the amplified HDTV antenna.  While on the roof, he also cleaned the gutters of leaves for the second time this season.  After stuffing ourselves with food for lunch, the installation of the antenna was complete and we went from 12 channels to 20 channels.  We did pick up an ABC channel which we had been missing.  Still no Knoxville channels as all the tv stations are out of the tri-city area in Bristol, TN.

On Friday, JoLynn, Jessica and Brent headed into Sevierville around 3:00 am to participate in the black Friday mayhem.  Jennifer and Cookie decided to sleep in at the chalet.  After fighting the crowds and getting some bargains we were back at The Ridge by 8:30 am.  Brent ran some electrical wiring and installed a new can light in the stairway which really improved the visibility of the stairs at night.  As usual, during the course of installing the light, we needed to make another trip to Lowes.

On Saturday, JoLynn and the girls headed into town in the morning for some additional shopping.  Brent stayed at The Ridge and installed the plastic window film over the windows in the upstairs bedrooms and did the final blowing of the leaves.  He also figured on each riser height being 7-3/16" and then drew a line next to the stringer on the wall for each riser. 

On Sunday, we awoke to a lot a wind as the edge of the front was near Gatlinburg.  We went to Church and then returned for the final attack of the leftovers.  Everyone left The Ridge by 2:30 pm.  We had a great time with everyone during the week.  Plans for the upcoming three (3) weekends will continue to attack the stairway.  Next weekend Brent has a goal to increase the height of each riser and install the skirtboards.  If time allows, some sheetrock will be installed.



Happy Birthday to.........................................



With the dining room furniture being staged at Zelda, this year we set a mean coffee table.

The space-aged amplified HDTV antenna is installed.  It also rotates.

Taking off the risers and stair treads, making measurements (see outline of stairs on paper) and then temporarily  reinstalling treads using screws.

Watch your step.  But there is not step!!

Running the electrical wiring for the new stairway light.

After a small amount of modification, the light is installed.

The club chair purchased for $20 from Salvation Army in Sevierville.

Evansville or Bust - 22 x 2

We made the trip up and back from Evansville with no problems.  We left mid-morning on Friday, and having good weather to drive up to Indiana, we stop at a couple of thrift stores.  One just outside of Atlanta, and the other is in Evansville.  Needless to say, we were able to find some treasures at both stores.

We had a good but short visit with Greg and Renee.  They both had to work on Friday and Saturday, so we arrived Friday afternoon and went out to eat at a Greek restaurant. which was great.  Cookie made the trip and enjoyed her time with Annie.  Saturday, while the kids were working we headed off to obtain the final ingredients for the "Pre-Thanksgiving dinner later that night.  Of course, since we were in the neighborhood, we did happen to return to the thrift store.  After running around from store to store in the morning and returning to the apratment to take the dogs out and put the turkey in the oven, we proceeded on our quest to mecca aka Menards.

We were going into Menards to get our oak stair treads for The Ridge and ran into a small issue.  After getting to the aisle with the stair treads, risers, handrails, etc. we had immediate sticker shock because the price had risen on the stair treads since our last visit in October.  An increase of $4 dollars per tread is not the end of the world but when you have budgeted a certain amount into the purchase, the additional $50 dollars gets you a little disappointed.  Now we stand more dumb founded than usual in the middle of the aisle and after some debating and fusing, we decide to check out prices for stair treads on the internet after supper.  We leave Menards empty handed.  In just a matter of minutes, Menards has fallen from a building supply shrine status to teetering on making Brent's "X" list.  If you know about Brent's "X" list it is trouble for any compnay to make and be "Xed" out.  The family has just recently been able to include Outback Steakhouse as option to eat after an eight (8) year boycott which was because of a non bowl game invitation.

That night we did enjoy a Thankgiving feast of turkey, dressing (grandmother's recipe), real mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and rolls.  Greg did the honors of carving the turkey and for desert Renee supplied a homemade pecan and pumpkin pie.

After checking on the internet and getting over the dissapointment of the price increase, before leaving on Sunday, Brent went back to Menards and purchased the solid oak stair treads.  In summary Menards dodged the "X" list.  Even though it was a short visit, we are thankful for the time to see the kids.

We did miss spending time with Jennifer and Jessica on thier 22 nd birthday on Sunday.  We have moved our celebration with them till Wednesday night as we all will be at The Ridge for Thanksgiving.  Happy Birthday Girls!



Renee and Greg, the Evansville franchise of the Conleys.

The butchering carving of the turkey.  Practice makes a.......

 

After all the carving, Greg was exhausted.

 

Still on the "OK" list for now.



The birthday girls with the birthday boy.  All three (3) have birthdays in November.



Work Begins on the Stairs- Sort Of

After lugging up the tools, taking an inventory of the materials and finalizing the plan, the actual work on the stairs began about 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.  Brent was able to put in about three (3) hours of actual work on the stairs.  We did make a trip over to Lowe's and Home Depot in Sevierville for materials and nails with no stops at thrift stores. Honest.   We did stop at a thrift store in North Carolina on Friday and obtained a few treasures but we did not go "thrifty shopping" on Saturday.

The girls came over for the weekend and we had a great visit as usual.  They baked some items on Saturday and we did break out the smoker and Brent smoked some chicken with apple wood on Saturday, which was another minor distraction from the stairs.

The weekend concluded with another weekly ritual of the "blowing of the leaves" and a quick trip over to inspect Zelda.  We are going to Evansville, IN next weekend to spend Pre-Thanksgiving with Renee and Greg as they both will be working during the Holidays.  While in Evansville, we will go by Menard's and pick-up the oak-stair treads for the stairs.  Brent is still optimistic about completing the stairway before New Years.

No bears were spotted this weekend at The Ridge but we did see some in the park on Friday.  In fact, driving through the park we were slowed by traffic as people stopped in the middle of the road to view bears and elk.  No they were not in the same location.  The elk, which consisted of a herd of about eight (8) were located in the large field adjacent to the Oconaluftee visitor center while the two (2) bears were located on Hwy 441 about three (3) miles from the Sugarland visitor center coming from the Chimney Tops.




Our reconenance trip to Menard's in October for oak stair treads yielded the best prices and selection.



The stairs and stairwell have been stripped of carpet and panelling and thanks to Pa Pa Neal who pulled out lots of staples and nails.

 

Some artwork uncovered from a worker building the house back in the 1960s.



The roses are still in bloom.



The tram makes it pass over head every 24 minutes during operating hours.



Work on Stairs to Begin

We will head over to The Ridge tomorrow and start work on the stairs.  The goal is to finish the stairs before New Years 2012.



Cookie is already "dog tired" just thinking of the work to be done at The Ridge.



Chopping Wood

The entire expected gang did show up and we enjoyed the weekend.  Everyone arrived by 7:30 pm on Friday night.  We had a good visit and enjoyed a lot of good food.  The apple pie from the Barber Orchard literally disappeared on Friday night.  The weather only permitted two (2) fires but we were able to split and stack the firewood, which will hopefully last us the winter for weekend trips.  David and Brent had a good time displaying their wood splitting skills to an appreciative crowd that gathered on the balcony and the occasional onlookers from the overhead tram.

We enjoyed Saturday dinner at the Bear Creek Restaurant and then the crowd split into two (2) groups.  One (1) car headed back to The Ridge and the another "fun" car headed into Gatlinburg.  Saturday night dragging the streets of Gatlinburg did require a jacket but we manage to bear the cold to purchase some fudge.  Later that night we made homemade funnel cakes. Grandmother was unable to get anyone excited to play cards so she kept an eye on Stella which is the youngest family member.  It was a fun weekend spent with family at The Ridge and everyone made in home safely.   

The fall color has passed the peak and a few areas down low have a few leafs remaining.  We had some color around The Ridge but the leafs are falling quickly.  Brent cleared leafs for about an hour and a half and will need to do so again next weekend. 

Midway through splitting the pile.



David having trust in Brent swinging the sledge hammer.



Brent does not share the same trust as he watches from afar as David attempts to split the wood.



David swings and ...................another miss.

 

Spinning the ball outside Ripley's in downtown Gatlinburg.

 

 

Pa Pa Neal gets a "1931 Model" hat from Jessica and Jennifer



Taking it easy is the order of the day at The Ridge.



The anticipation of the "breakfast surprise" is almost unbearable.