Let the Kansas Summer Begin

Did we pick the best weekend to begin summer work on the house, or what? Thunderstorms and flash flood warnings have caused this first weekend of home construction to go slightly slow. Though we don't have more than an inch of water in the basement (seeping in through the cracked foundation due to the high water table), the water heater itself is located in a small dip of the foundation, so there's about an inch of water surrounding the water heater - just enough to keep the pilot light from wanting to stay lit. Fortunately, the sump pump has been working like a trooper. I attempted to block the water by using makeshift sandbags out of dirt and Walmart plastic bags, though they really didn't help much.

As for the housework itself, the majority of the first part will be the repainting of the exterior. The four colors of the house will remain the same, keeping in league with the Victorian color style of the period when the house was built (back in 1875). In addition, stupid little weeds growing in the sidewalk will be pulled, the backyard grass killed off for future replanting, and more than likely the privacy fence will get a fresh coat of paint as well.

Tomorrow the early mornings start - the plan is to be working by 6am until lunch time, since working during hot summer heat isn't fun, then after an afternoon off, work in the evenings again. So we'll see. Keep coming back for future posts on how the mansion make-over is going :)