It's Only Up from Here

June is upon us in Creede. The nights are a tiny bit warmer and the days are feeling hot in the sun.  People are spilling into town and the Creede Repertory Theatre has two shows up and running already. The Mann Sr. house it getting a lot of attention as it turns heads as tourists come into Creede from Highway 149. Progress is slow but steady, and a new phase is about to begin full of electrical work, siding and roofing. Please note the majestic photos below:

View coming up the hill from the south 

Garage in the foreground, house in back.

South side. 

Front view from across the street. Off center front entrance.

View of the beautiful soffit.

North side.

More soffit.

***Most importantly, Sheri and Roger have officially put the Keenesburg, CO property on the market. It's a large, beautiful Victorian-style property with  that has been their beloved home for 30 years. Much love and care has gone into making it what it is today. So, check it out! The house is located on a 10 acre lot about 40 minutes from downtown Denver. If you want to check it out, click here, and/or spread the word! 

A Change In The Landscape

One of the main reasons people live in Creede is because of the views. The mountains are breathtaking in any season, the air is crisp and there is a stability about the landscape. A familiarity when one drives into downtown and the canyon presents itself before you.

The major framing of the Mann Sr. house is complete. Several people have now commented that, as they drive in from 149, the landscape has changed. And that's due to this beautiful structure that has risen on the corner of Capitol Street. Located just above town, this house is now a focal point. As in many small towns, not everyone likes change. There surely have been and will be some griping about the change of scene. But I am happily biased, and I am so excited to how this house continues to transform. 

The old house to the right (now the garage/workshop) and the new on the left. 

Another amazing view.

Attic Framing.

Master Bedroom View. 

Cool window work. 

Looking up. 

North side. 

Contemplation Window

View coming down Bachelor Road. 

Higher and Higher

Folks, we're gettin' high! But not just because we live in Colorado. The Mann Sr. house has its third story, (well, attic space) and if the weather stays sunny and warms a little, RJ and Jess will finish the main part of the roof today and finish up enclosing the structure.

Winter is a difficult season here in Creede. Especially in December and January, when night temps drop to the negative double digits. Nose hairs freeze on reluctant morning walks with the dog. And if you work in construction, it's colder than a...well, you get the idea.

I'll make this short and sweet and just share a couple of shots I took this morning. This continues to be a stunning piece of Victorian-style architecture.

It is a cold, cold mornin'.

View form the angled front. 

Here is a boosted up detail of the beautiful windows to the right of the main door. 

What's Happened This Summer (and why I'm only telling you about it now...)

Apologies for the lack of upkeep on this blog. The summers often have a way of trumping everything else I'm trying to do in my life. That's what living in a town with mostly summer tourism will do to a person.

When I last left you, we had just moved the original structure to the back of the lot and onto a garage foundation. The old house is to become a first floor garage, second floor woodworking shop and top floor art studio, navel contemplation area.

Since then, that part has stayed relatively the same. RJ wants to get everything enclosed by the time snow arrives up here (which could be next week). Because summer is a busy time for everyone, there was a lot of time spent waiting for digging machines and concrete pours. But, the building of the new structure is underway and they are already moving up to the second floor. Also, RJ's co-worker, Jess Biernet, found an incredible tree in the middle of the forest while scouting for elk a few weeks ago. It is covered in burls, and can be worth quite a bit of money because they are so rare. Jess generously let the Mann family have it and it now lives as the centerpiece of the downstairs.

And may I just say that the views from this house continue to astound me. They are breathtaking. If Roger and Sheri aren't careful we might just move them into the Mannsion and steal this house. :D

But let's get to it! Here is the continuing story in pictures:

RJ goes over plans with Roger and Sheri. Things are reworked a bit as to not overwhelm the small lots. 

Entrance to the garage.

Steps leading down down down

Fast forward to: dug down and poured the concrete for the house's basement. The deck appears on top.

More deck. 

Sheeting on the completed deck. 

A shot from a window I took a few days ago (mid-Sept). You can see the color starting way back there. 

And we have walls!

The burl-filled tree in its natural habitat (dead for some time and even, it looks like, hit by lightening)

Roger drags the top half of the tree down a mountain.

And voila! It's in the house. 

Curved staircase, burled tree support, Jess Biernet, and one of the official job dogs--Ms. Cass. 

Sheeting started for the second floor. Plus some cool beams.

Jess working hard. 

View from the top of the stairs. I can't stop staring!

After this weekend they will complete the sheeting on the second floor and start building the walls for the second floor. Until next time...

And one last view from the downstairs windows facing south:

How about them apples

Yes, We Really Did Move a House

Though it wasn't very far and only took about 6 minutes, the prep took over an hour. Though I hear that's pretty good. A house down the road took 6 hours to prepare and 6 minutes to move. The ground was wet and the house kept sinking making it difficult to get the straps underneath it.

We waited for the crane to arrive from the valley. The company charges about $250 per hour for the "small crane" and will usually charge for at least the time it takes to get to your residence if not the way back as well.

After the crane arrived, the operators secure it so it doesn't tip over, though it weighs several tons. Everyone (Crane guys, RJ, Jess, John Stynchula, Frank Freer, Papa Freer, and Bradley Fullen) helps feed two, large, thick straps under the house. The straps are then attached to wires that are connected to the crane. We ran into one problem when we couldn't get one of the thick straps to move underneath the house through to the other side. There was some solid dirt the house was sitting on that we couldn't get through by pulling, and had to cut a hole in the floor to help move it along.

But once that was taken care of and the crane was connected, the whole moving process took just under 6 minutes. And again, it's just easier to show you in the world of pictures and videos. Video of the moving is near the end of this post.

The Before. The old house (on the right) sits next to Capitol Ave. We need to move it to the back of the lot where you can see the garage walls (left side). 

Crane arrives. RJ helps the operator secure the crane. 

Guiding the first strap under the house.

Strap.

Trying to pull the stubborn one through. Not working...

It really is a Wide Load. 

Crane.

Connecting together. 

The crane moves over to the house. 

Centered over the house.

More crane.

Connecting the crane to the straps.

Tightening it all. 

So close.

And it begins. Watch the video to see the entire moving. I almost missed the beginning because I was busy putting the dogs in the car for their own safety. :D

Settin' her down. 

After. On its new foundation.

View from the garage level. 2nd floor will be the workshop. Small 3rd floor an art studio.

After
Fini!