7th inning stretch

Not a baseball fan but it seemed like a clever title. I just worked 7 days in a row and have one day off. It seemed a little bit overzealous to head upstate but also quite essential. 

And thank goodness I did or I would have missed some splendid photo ops. (The J's are back at it and we all know that things happen fast when they are!) 

I haven't been up here since the Swedes left and James is back to work after spending some quality time getting LOTS done on the outside. Soooo, Clintondale all by my lonesome it is. A bit melancholy for sure, summer is coming to an end. The vacation is way over and it was so GOOD, I miss them Swedes like crazy! When do I have to say good bye to the humming birds? They are supposed to head out to Mexico I hear and sometimes I wonder if this isn't the year when they are going to realize that staying down there is a much better idea than commuting every season. So will we see them again next summer?

But part of me is looking forward to wearing boots and sweaters. Fires in the fireplace. Halloween. Making BIG soups. The return of the Juncos. The colors of the valley. Apple picking! And our green house!

For the country it was pretty noisy this morning when I awoke. The J's are tearing down the half bay window by the living room and last night a cicada got stuck inside and was whooping and making a racket all night long.

By friday the boys are saying they will have this patched up! 

So - before.... (waaaaayyyy before. This is when we first moved in. No new windows yet.)

and afterish...

Some old clapboard siding exposed. It's in pretty good shape actually but we are sticking to our plan. Paint the shingles. Low maintenance baby.

They built the lower part of the wall and poured concrete today and closed the top up temporarily. 

And that is all that is left of the ugly bump.

The ever amorphous south side went through another transformation.

Spring time obviously with the lovely Star magnolia in bloom.

And today with the taller windows installed and the door finished with it's step stone. Only thing left construction wise is the top attic window which has been ordered and should arrive soon. And then paint!

Bedroom from inside with windows James can look out of without bending down!

Our new door handle which I think is so very Scandi and nice!

The smaller windows from the south side have a new home.

New bathroom and pastry shop window facing west. 

Bathroom from the inside.

Before James left he got a bunch primed:

The eave above the front porch.

Eave above the living room.

Dining room window. Or still life with finch sack.

And this is a really flexible chipmunk.

And this is a finch party. Boss.

And Woody in flight.

Late summer bloom.