the end in sight

J---:
Starting last year I have been working on our own little project on the Chesapeake Bay.

Things are beginning to take final shape and we can see the end of the major work in sight within the next month or so. We only have first level flooring, kitchen countertops, and trim molding on the first level to complete our project. We'll be converting our construction loan to a mortgage and will then be able to throttle back on the pace of our efforts. We'll be taking care of some remaining details in a more leisurely pace.

After all, ours is a very simple house built for what was at the time a lower class citizen. The finishes were simple without a lot of detail (1x trim, for instance, instead of beaded moldings) and that's helped us keep ahead of this race with the one year construction loan. I'm building furniture to put in our house but it's not the same scale project as a renovation/restoration. At least it'll help keep my head in the game.

With the end in sight it's almost bittersweet. I've really enjoyed watching how our efforts transformed an empty shell to a real home. It's been a good first outing. I've wanted to do a project like this for 25 years.

The day will soon come when my sawhorses will be folded until the next batch of trim needs to be painted, the ladder will once again hide in the garage. Paint brushes will get the final cleaning, etc. So it will be a sad thing and a happy thing when I pack up my chop saw and air nailer for the last time and bring them back to my home in Northern Virginia. I'm not quite sure I'm looking forward to the end.