It's Friday, so it must be time to drive.

It's Friday and we are just about ready to head over Newfound Gap to Blackbearry Ridge.  There are a couple of thrift stores that we plan on stopping by in North Carolina.  Looks like more sheet rock installation and the beginning of the mudding are on the agenda.  Not sure if the girls will be able to make it for the weekend.  Will post pictures of our progress later.    

A Goal Set and Met

Despite a late start, we did make it across Newfound Gap with no problems and arrived at Blackbearry Ridge at 4:30 pm.  Almost immediately, the truck was fired up and off to Home Depot we headed for lumber.  Our goal this weekend was to install top portion of drywall over the stairs, which is in an awkward location.  To accomplish this, we needed to build a sturdy scaffold over the stairwell that would still allow us to use the stairs.

Saturday morning was productive and the scaffold was built.  Then prior to lunch we headed back to Home Depot for some additional supplies.  Then we had a few challenges that required taking down the the existing molding and also removing the ceiling beam.  All of this just to be able to remove the paneling.  As in all our remodeling projects, the surprises take a few extra hours but we are always victorious.  The last piece of drywall was installed around 7:30 pm.  It was later than expected, but we had reached our goal.

Now in the near future comes the taping, mudding and sanding.  Oh brother!

The challenge of removing the paneling and then installing drywall.

The stairwell that need to been spanned by the scaffolding.

A view of the completed scaffolding from the kitchen area.

The span over the stairwell still allows us to use the stairs.

Cookie inspects the scaffolding.

All the paneling, molding and the beam are removed.  This was required because the paneling was installed first, then molding and finally the beam.

The first sheet of drywall is installed.

Mission accomplished.  A very long but satisfying day.

There were moments of looking at Mt. LeConte and the snow at the peaks.  It arrived on Saturday but was gone on  Sunday.  We had clear passage coming and going across Newfound Gap this weekend.

Cookie loves standing on Brent's shoulder and sticking her head out of the sunroof as we drive through the Smoky Mountain National Park.

Having to make-up for a missed weekend

We missed heading over to Blackbearry Ridge last weekend due to another commitment.   Unless the paying "work" requires Brent to stay here this weekend, we will head over Friday afternoon with the goal of installing sheetrock over the stairway.  We will need to build a scaffold to reach over the stairway and to the peak of the way and still allow us to use the stairs.  Hope we don't forget to bring the sheetrock up the stairs first.

Pics to follow after this weekend.

Stepping Up

As we started our journey over to Blackbearry Ridge, Highway 441 across Newfound Gap was not open.  During our ride over, JoLynn received a tweet that the road was open, so we made a bee line to Cherokee.  There was very little traffic on the road and once we got into the higher elevation, the roads were a little icy.  We made it through fine and about an hour after we got to the house, the park service closed the road.

The girls made over from UT after dark and were spending the weekend with us in Gatlinburg.  After a trip to Home Depot on Saturday morning, work continued on the stairs.  We did have to cut the work period down because we went to the "Hatfield and McCoys" dinner show in Pigeon Forge on Saturday night.  We had a great time and glad we got the local discount.

We headed back early on Sunday, because we swung by Zelda in Kings Mountain, NC.  Because of the cold weather, Brent wanted to shut off the water and drain the lines at the house even though the heat is on at the house.  With all the thefts of ac units for the copper content, Brent did not want to have someone steal our units and then have to deal with water damage inside the house.

The work done on the stairs for this weekend did include finishing the bottom landing post and preparing the bottom for sheet rock.  There were a lot of areas that did not have sections of wood to screw in the sheet rock and we had to adjust the depth of electrical receptacles for the sheet rock in stead of the paneling.

Just pass the turnout to Clingmans' Dome and prior to Newfound Gap.

The entrance to the tunnel past Newfound Gap.

Entrance to the tunnel just past the Chimney Tops trail head.

The Chimney Tops

JoLynn, Jennifer and Jessica at the Hatfield and McCoy dinner show.

Work - Postponed

We did not perform any work on Blackbearry Ridge this weekend.  This weekend the girls moved their stuff from the rental house as they start their last semester at UT this upcoming week.  Brent had to work late on Friday, so Jo Lynn and the girls headed over to Gatlinburg on Friday morning.  Brent did arrive around 6:00 pm on Friday.

So planning was done, but this just turned out to be a "Rose" weekend.

We do expect to start back on the stairs next weekend.

Jessica and Jennifer in Singapore, circa 2004.  Hard to imagine that they both one (1) semester from graduating college.