• knottHAUS •

Outside is now on the OUTside!

2010-01-05T11:59:00.010-05:00

Ken and our friend Spencer were busy guys last weekend... The temporary living room ceiling peak insulation was replaced with ventilation trays and properly installed insulation. Now it's toasty warm and ready for drywall! Thank you so much Spencer for your willingness to help us get this project to the next step and spending the day up there helping ken. Hey, at least the view was nice!

Gifts from the Orchard

2009-07-28T06:17:00.002-05:00

The yield from the 2009 harvest of Kenny's peach tree was the most we have ever had! He picked a bushel for "show and tell" yesterday that beg to made into something yummy. Celebrating the Lord's provisions.

Recovery Gardening on a Shoe String

2009-07-13T07:11:00.006-05:00

"Recovery" pertains to both the continued healing of the surgery foot as it continues to build strength and for the slow reclaiming of the gardens as Suzan is able to do more. Here is a BEFORE photo of our dividing hedge row in the back yard. Pretty scary, huh?

Mulch and woodchips didn't fit the budget this year, so making new friends in orange trucks were in order. Not premium product of course, but free woodchip/mulch and free delivery with a smile is not a bad thing at all. (photo not original... yanked from a google search).

After lots of pitchfork and wheelbarrow hauling, and Suzan learning how to back up a trailer (close your eyes and imagine the calamity), the hedgerow was reclaimed!

Wrangling Trouble and Relocating Spring Growth

2009-05-05T14:12:00.003-05:00

MANY hours were logged-in this past weekend hauling loads of damp cat tails from the banks of the pond to the compost area, weeding, cutting back and thinning out dry grasses, major pruning of bushes and trees, re-directing climbing vines, and transplanting new residents.

Thank you to the Stonebacks for sharing your zebra grass and to Christine Sames for sharing all of your lilies! They have been successfully transplanted and are all taking root in Perkiomenville.

WOOT! For Working Parts

2009-05-02T11:02:00.003-05:00

We no longer have to use scary electricity maneuvers to start the tractor. Thanks to Ken for having the patience to fix it and a BIG "THANKS" to Dennis for being an expert consultant!

Fab Weather and the Pond Lady

2009-04-26T22:23:00.004-05:00

This weekend's weather made it possible for hours of yard work catch up. Mass post-winter clean up was accompanied by hose fun, sun burn, and yes, a broken lawn mower.

Sunday evening, Suzan finally had a chance to get into the pond and clear out some of the over grown cat tail plants. Just as she was heading out, Ken and the kids had spotted a 3' water snake. Ken double-checked the Internet to identify and make sure that the snake was harmless, which it was. So, fighting slithery snake phobia in an effort to teach her kids not to be wimps (even though she was freaking out on the inside), she decided to proceed with the mission. Then her hero jumped into action: Ken spotted the snake near the bank (with a frog in it's mouth!) and was able to capture it! The task was put back on track, and even though it was a bit unnerving rooting around for things unseen, with the help of the kids and metal rakes, a portion of the over grown plants were uprooted and cleared out.

Meadow Frontiers

2009-04-13T20:45:00.007-05:00

For a few years, we have talked about putting camp sites along the path of our upper field, leading to the fire ring area. Today, Hayden and his friend Jonathan were given the task of planning the site locations. They set out with a check list, a google map of the property and flag markers. As you can see, they took the quest seriously (and yes, we are still pondering Hayden's choice of head safety gear). Morgen helped finalize the map after she got home from school. They came up with a solid plan that we intend to implement over the next month. We look forward to working on this project and sharing the meadow with our friends this summer.

Spring Activities Have Begun

2009-03-23T06:12:00.004-05:00

Spring was celebrated at the Knott meadow this past week. Not only was it the official start of spring on the calendar, but we were finally able to have the lawn tractor repaired. "Inga" is running smoothly again and has her blades sharpened and is ready to go! We also trimmed back the zebra grasses and pruned up the cherry tree out by the pond.

Other signs of spring this week: a picnic basket lunch in the fort for Morgen + Hayden, the early purple and yellow blooms, and pond visitors— a blue heron and a mallard duck. Welcome!

Edible Architecture

2008-12-05T23:33:00.006-05:00

This post is a worthy diversion from our meadow projects because it celebrates old traditions and gives an ovation to time-invested creativity. This Thanksgiving took us over the river and through the woods to Oma and Grandad's house. On Black Friday, while the masses were sleeping off tryptophan comas and dashing to early bird sales, Suzan's Mom was rolling out her famous gingerbread and helping the kids to construct their own edible wonders. As always, she was brimming with clever tips and tricks... AND THEN ... pulled out the magical box of colorful confections. Right down to the chocolate candy-coated rocks that they used on the chimneys. Morgen and Hayden probably clocked over 13 careful, detailed hours planning and pouring their creativity into these delightful creations. They are eager to share them with their friends, so, while they are still in-tact, they deserve a moment of fame.

Morgen's house is an awesome candy shop. Visitors follow the Necco wafer path to little awning-covered windows with merchants inside, ready to assist their customers. Hayden proved that all things confectionary do not have to be "girly". His hunting club is equipped with a turkey blind and a trophy bird. It also includes a quail cage and a big scary mystery (not allowed to tell) inside the house to surprise his friends when they eat down the house.

Thanks mom, for dusting off those custom made gingerbread cutters you created with a welding torch all those years ago. And for sharing your tips, your creative gifts and for reminding the next generation that it really is worth it to slow down and pour yourself into something once in a while, and to take pride in going above and beyond.

The Prairie Dog Town Grows

2008-11-21T07:47:00.005-05:00

The efforts of Ken and Scott last week seem to have worked wonders, but it also brought us to the next step. Identifying that there is still significant clogging in the little seep holes in the laterals. Ken has been digging holes at alternate 6 foot intervals and drilling new seep holes in the pvc to assure that once it is closed up, it will function properly. Woodchip, the coolest kitty in the township, was on hand for inspection.

Septic Prairie Dogs

2008-11-12T10:04:00.006-05:00

Hey- that would be a perfect name for a heavy metal band!

No, the prairie dogs on Meadow Lane, were two hard-working, patient men. To forge ahead with the trouble-shooting efforts of our mystery septic drama, Ken took a day off (w/out pay of course) and Scott sacrificed a precious vaca day to investigate and repair the backed up system. Ten accurately placed holes later, the junctions of the sand mound's laterals were exposed. A hand-held snake (in photo) was not enough to remove 20+ years of backed up glop, so we rented a bigger one for a few hours. Our high-pressure power washer helped to dislodge and clean everything out. Testing revealed a working system, so we will cap and seal the system, but leave the prairie dog holes as-is for a while until it can be determined if this actually did the trick. If not, the next step would be to dig out and drill new seep holes. If THAT doesn't work, we are probably looking at a major excavation and replacement. So for now, we'll celebrate the successful baby steps!

Thank you Scott for your time, muscle, expertise and friendship! [not to mention your tolerance of working on a nasty project]

TimBeR!

2008-11-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

On Sunday afternoon, we took down all of the trees that were against the tall side (south) of the house. We'll miss them, but they really had to come out. Hopefully next weekend we can finish the job and cut and stack with everyone's helping hands. They are perfect firewood size!

Fishing With Snakes

2008-10-26T17:27:00.002-05:00

Sorry friends, this is not a NATURE post, unless you speak of the NATURE OF ALL THINGS SEPTIC. The snakes I refer to are Plumbing Snakes.

The new septic pump ceased working this past week, so it was back to mega-conservative mode until Ken could take a jaunt back down the hole to assess things. The pump was removed and tested in a garbage can of water and it worked just fine. This told us that there must be a more DRAMATIC event happening between the secondary tank where the pump is and the sand mound.

Thanks to a borrow from Mike W., Ken fished the snakes in and there seemed to be no clogs. Measuring the supposed path of travel on TOP of the ground, the line did not stop until it made it all the way to the mound. So there just might be something wrong on that end that is causing everything to back up and stop the pump from pumping. yummy.

So, the mystery continues. The pump was returned back into its home in the hole and after a few days of water use, we will know if the snake activity jostled things back to order or if we will need to call in an expert after we plant that money tree.

IT IS WORKING!!

2008-10-14T11:58:00.005-05:00

We are hesitant to let our guard down. However... BIG NEWS!

When taking a peek with a flashlight under the septic tank lid after a few days of almost normal water/drainage use, the level is far from alarming.

It is accompanied by the pleasant whir of something that is supposed to be working, that really IS working!!!

Hi-Fives all around.

Wireless in the Bad Place

2008-10-08T10:48:00.005-05:00

Something is awry. It doesn't look like the new septic pump (or at least the activation part) is performing as it should be. It is not pumping at all and the tank is almost full. We'll assess things this evening and see what challenges or victories lie ahead. After this disappointment was discovered, Ken alerted of another unexpected obstacle: "MY CELL PHONE FELL IN THE HOLE!". Does anyone happen have an old Verizon cell they are not using that we can activate onto our plan?

Operation Septic Pump

2008-10-06T14:55:00.010-05:00

Thanks to the amazing generosity of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we now have a new WORKING septic pump!!

The new pump was ordered and delivered this week. Ken removed the old pump, parts and did all of the prep wiring on saturday. After a successful "phase one", while carrying the air compressor down the cellar steps, Ken slipped and bungled his wrist pretty bad. So, on account of Ken's injury (and to save Suzan from having to climb down into the fun-zone), on Sunday afternoon Scott came and was dubbed Master of Ceremonies. The project was completed successfully and we celebrated by having a Mr. Lee's Feast and Miss Morgen took the first INDOOR shower since the pump died over one month ago. Here are snapshots of the subterranean stink-hole heroes.

X-rays were taken of Ken's wrist today. We haven't heard from the radiologist yet, so maybe no news is good news.

The Outside Shower Moves

2008-09-07T15:47:00.004-05:00

Kenny got into the spirit of things and moved our temporary outdoor shower and added a special feature just for Princess Morgen. It is now nestled into the bamboo grove with a wooden platform. The special feature?... HOT water! It is still 2008, right?

Our Tulip Tree Shower

2008-09-06T18:12:00.003-05:00

Another home owner's hurdle presented itself this week. The septic pump, after 21 years of faithful service, slowed down to a little less than a crawl. We are going to try our hand at the budget route and replace it ourselves, so the weekend is being spent in conservation mode. Hand washing dishes and dumping the water outside, selective "camping" powder room visits, and of all things... a make-shift outdoor shower from the Tulip tree. We had some assistance with the super heavy rains and Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap. Afterwards, since we were already soaking wet, some stayed out for a heated game of "Hurricane Horseshoes".

Celebrating Evidences of Creation

2008-09-03T20:58:00.004-05:00

We delight in the little things that can so easily be taken for granted. A child's discovery of a snake skin that has been shed at just the right time, and a humble little harvest from our tiny orchard. It is a joy to take pause in a busy day to celebrate such things!

Adding and Fixing

2008-09-03T20:34:00.005-05:00

This summer, the trailer was slowly resurrected to be street-worthy (yes, it has occasionally been on the road without proper registration). So it underwent a face-lift and is almost complete. Here is a before and after of making the most of the old wheels.

Work was also done on the beams that divide the driveway and the lawn/pond areas. I especially like how Ken cut the end of one to merge with the boulder at the corner. It works well with the grasses and doesn't feel as "boxy".

An Apology Post

2008-09-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

OK, so I am wondering.... is there a limit to how many times one is allowed to use the word "SLACKER" on a blog? Several have nicely reminded that the last post was on Father's Day. And now summer is behind us. To make up for lost time, I'll put up a few image posts of some of just a few things that have happened around the meadow recently.

Celebrating Dads

2008-06-14T15:49:00.003-05:00

Another home improvement diversion. This time it is to honor all of our earthly Fathers and Grandfathers! All of the "kids" in our house were asked to write down 3 words/phrases that describe their Dad. Here are the survey results:

Ken says his Dad is: "Quiet, Kind and Interesting".

Suzan says her Dad is: "Patient, Inventive and Wonderfully Witty".

Morgen says her Dad is: "Fair, Caring and Brave".

Hayden says his Dad is: "Snuggly, Fun and Loving".

*photo credit: This interesting shot of a leaf (above), and the turtle in the last post were taken by Morgen. She is a natural behind a lens, just like her Dad.

Meadow Happenings

2008-06-14T14:26:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks have been super busy with end-of-year school events and life in general. We did manage to get in Shore Acres grasses (thanks mom and dad!) and started to paint the pond chairs. We also had a few visitors; a 3.5 foot garter snake and a young (3") wood turtle, who spent the night at CLUB KNOTT in the foyer eating chicken and willow leaves before continuing on with his journey the next day.

This week we also had a big storm and lost our electricity for 24 hours, which always means family game night with candles. We bathed in the pond with the Dr. Bronners Peppermint Soap. The thought of it wrinkled the nose of 12yr. old Morgen, saying, "Wait just a minute!... Don't we usually take a shower AFTER we swim in the pond?". The parental, generational mantra followed: "we need to be thankful for what we have and make the most of it...blah blah blah". Before long, everyone was having fun and we actually smelled "SPA-LICIOUS" when we got out!

Celebrating and being Celebrated

2008-05-11T06:30:00.002-05:00

Once in a while, our posts veer off of the home improvement path. Today is such a day. All of the "kids" in our house were asked to write down 3 words/phrases that describe their mom. Here are the survey results:

Ken says his mom is: "Loving, Caring, Generous".

Suzan says her mom is: "Optimistic, A Kid at Heart, Inspiring".

Morgen says her mom is: "Caring, Funky, Always There for Me".

Hayden says his mom is: "Fun, Loving, Awesome".

Another Great Outside Day

2008-05-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

Today's predicted rain came only as clouds in the a.m. and then pushed aside to sunny skies, making way for more outside improvements. After a few more fish and plants were added to the pond, the remaining zebra grasses were planted on either side of the pond spillway, and the new little mystery ornamental grasses from Martin were planted by the boulders between the drive and pond.

Ken rough-placed the support beams for the bridge that will be built over the spillway. It only took minutes before the boys got all ninja-like (see photo).

This is a bit late, but THANKS mom and dad for all the Chester clay pots!

Zebra Grass finds a new home

2008-05-10T11:52:00.003-05:00

Thank you Dean and Pam for sharing your Zebra grass!
Ken separated and planted it along the edge of the drive by the turn-around (temporary boat and trailer home). Hopefully, within a year or two it will make a nice border.

Out Of Blog Hibernation

2008-05-03T17:37:00.008-05:00

Yes indeed, the slackers are back. Blog post slacking that is. With an AMAZING, relaxing vacation behind us (Thank you Wilkersons!!!), a NEW foot on the mend, longer daylight hours and the fact that everything seems to be coming alive out there... we have been delving back into outside improvements.

Today we continued with the mass shrub clipping, staking up the willow trees to improve posture, and power washed the pond chairs. While the power washer was out, Ken decided to push the application envelope and had a bit of fun trying to blast the tent caterpillar nests out of the trees by the deck. It seemed to do the trick on the lower branches. Success report to come.

With a little extra time and the blessing of found scraps, Ken and Hayden built a quick set of stilts. Definitely an acquired walking skill. Success report to come on that as well.
>

Happy Spring Everyone!!

The Studio Moves South

2007-11-13T00:10:00.000-05:00

To prepare for Suzan's long recovery, this past weekend began the big change of moving the studio down to the first floor. HUGE thanks to John and Brandon for taking the time to come over and muscle against the awkward pieces and treatcherous open staircase. Victoria and Aaron came over to give the crazy-heavy white wall units that were in the den a new home. And thanks to Scott for picking up the sleeper sofa and delivering it to Wade and Anna. Yesterday, Kenny put together the 2 new wall units from Ikea and Suzan painted the walls artichoke heart and espresso – fun! Tonight, was the "stuff" move-in. Summary: The den became the new studio. The old studio will become the guest bedroom/craft room. The old den went away (sorry Kenny!!) but we hope it will return again some day when we can grow the studio to its own building or addition.
Here's a photo of Ken anchoring the units. 3 more days until surgery... YIKES!

We Have Shingles

2007-11-09T23:36:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Atlee put in some long hours to shingle our roof. This of course was started after he replaced ALL of the Ice and Water sheets on the upper roof after the crazy wind on Tuesday ripped it all off. He did a wonderful job! We really appreciate his excellent craftsmanship, great attitude and for fitting us into his busy schedule.

The Roof Angels Came!

2007-11-05T05:12:00.000-05:00

On friday, after 2 previous attempts were dashed by rain, the roof underwent the anticipated SHINGLE-RIP-OFF under sunny (but chilly) skies. Pastor Larry and the team he rallied came out to the house and donated their time and gusto to help Ken with the roof project. They tore off the old shingles and paper and sent them down on a home made shoot (which Hayden has now claimed for a bike ramp). Then they covered the whole roof with Ice and Water Sheild to prep it for Atlee, who will be shingling later this week. THANK YOU so much to Larry, Brian, Rob and Scott. Your thoughtfulness in helping a brother and sacrificing your precious time is a HUGE blessing to our family! And thanks Scott for coming out the next day and putting in more time to finish out the prep work with Ken. The only bummer was that something happened to the camera's media card and the nice shot of the happy team got corrupt and was unretrievable. And they even struck a pose!

Wow. Weather.

2007-10-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since we have had a good rain. After the happy cheering subsided, we hydroplaned home this evening to see if the living room had been converted to a swimming pool. Hayden (who was getting ready for bed) scaled the scaffolding in his briefs, and dubbed himself in an almost eight-year old booming voice, "UNDIE MAN!!!!". He reached the top, did a brief scan for water and declared it dry. Suzan followed up with a flashlight and did a double-check to find that although it sounded bad (wind and rain on the plastic), it was, in fact, dry. So..... let it rain!!!!!

Roof : Closing out a productive week

2007-10-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

Today Ken and Fred completed the sheathing, drip-edge, sofit vent installation, ice+weather shield and the cedar fascia board. The windows have been ordered and should come in late next week. A call was put in to the fashion police headquarters to report Ken's scary, high socks but the moment they found out about his other wardrobe malfunction (major undie-revealing rip in the back of his pants) they took pity and did not file a report. Seriously, they have done an amazing job and have accomplished so much this week.
PS: It has also been documented that we have the coolest indoor jungle gym in the county. Do not send safety emails. They're only kids once.

Roof Project : Excellent Progress

2007-10-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Charles joined the team with his framing experience today and worked with Ken and Fred in the [hot] October sun to make significant progress on the roof dormer. It's getting easier to visualize things now. Thanks for your friendship, sharing your valuable time and bringing your willing spirit Charles!!

Framing Begins

2007-10-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

So much was accomplished today, including the beginning stages of the dormer and new window framing. Awesome job guys!!

Roof Peak Rip-Out

2007-10-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

Well friends, what we have here is a COMMITMENT!
Ken and Fred were busy beavers this morning. And they revealed good new. Turns out, the structural limitations we thought we had were in fact, not limitations at all. The horizontal beam and cross braces were just for the skylight framing, so only ONE mid support will be needed. The main beams are mammoth (thanks to the Canadian specs). All of this will help simplify things, making it easier to work with and giving us the simplistic architecture we really wanted. What a blessing! It will be swell to not have a leaky roof any more.

Team Roof-Raff

2007-10-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Scott graciously donated his time, sense of balance and a bit of elbow grease to team up with Ken to rip off the roofing materials in preparation for tomorrow's framing. They were promptly dubbed "Rooff-Raff". Now we have a custom moon roof. OH.... my poor living room!!!!

Planning : Next Steps

2007-10-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

Fred came out this evening and walked through the plan of attack for the roof peak rebuild. All systems are GO and some prep work will commence tomorrow evening before Fred comes out to start on the framing on Wednesday.

This + That Afternoon

2007-09-30T22:08:00.000-05:00

This afternoon we worked on a myriad of projects:
Boulder moving, trailier delivery (thanks fred!), lumber pile moving, refinishing the living room ceiling beam and dry wall and electric work on the mystery wall hole.

Living Room : Final Coat

2007-09-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight we finished up the last coat of paint on the new ceiling planks. It looks super... can't wait to get the trim up and get the living room back for a momentary laps of time before the upper ceiling/roof construction begins.

Living Room : More Painting

2007-09-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

2/3 done with the final coat. After a late start, we petered out and called it a night at nine.

Living Room Ceiling first coat

2007-09-23T18:41:00.000-05:00

We painted the ceiling planks today but soon realized that the promised "oh this stuff is premium- you'll only need one coat" did not stand at all. It will most definitely need a second coat tomorrow. As you can see, Morgen + Hayden were enjoying the scaffolding. After playing pirate for a while, they switched gears and had "scaffold-school". In this photo, Morgen is teaching Hayden about the different layers of the earth and earthquakes. Hope it helps her on her test tuesday!

Living Room Ceiling Update

2007-09-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

More work was done on the ceiling this past week. On Friday morning, Shawn and Chase finished the plank installation and did an awesome job. AND they left things nice and tidy! Today Ken and Suzan filled the nail holes and seams and sanded them to prep for painting. The trim strips were painted as well, so now we are ready for tomorrow afternoon's' roll-a-thon. A big thanks to Jim Butler for letting the Knotts borrow his scaffolding!! Here is a photo of Chase's handiwork and another of Hayden capitalizing on the work Shawn and Chase had done.

Ceiling planks + a big, mystery hole in the wall

2007-09-17T18:54:00.000-05:00

Ken took a vaca day and worked with Shawn to finish the prep work and began cutting and installing the ceiling planks today. In addition, the long-standing plan for the foyer/living room divider wall started to emerge today. Ken cut a large "window" hole in it. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" you might be asking.... You'll just have to stay tuned and find out!

Living Room Board Painting

2007-09-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

Today, while Ken and Morgen were away on a camping trip, Hayden and Suzan painted the tongue and groove edges of the new 16' long ceiling planks. Hayden counted 59 of them- ugh. Hauling them in and outside with just the two of us was quite a feat, but hayden never complained once. Unbelievable for a 7 year old! Then after a long day of painting and hauling wood, our little chef decided to make a special dessert for us all by himself. He chopped up all the apples and made a yummy saute that we put over ice cream. YUMMO!

Living Room Ceiling Demolition

2007-09-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

The demolition of the living room ceiling is well underway. The water damage was mainly in the drywall, with minimal damage to the insulation. The great news is that the structure is still sound and the radiant ceiling panels all tested out well. Shawn and Ken will start on the replacement ceiling next week.

A Neat Find

2007-07-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

On Sunday on our way back from dropping Morgen off at camp, we saw a crazy collection of mexican oil can sculptures and other soldered art. so of course we stopped and checked it out. we found a neat tree sculpture and had some anniversary gift money that we had set aside to purchase "art" but hadn't found the right thing. it wouldn't fit in the subaru, so we were glad when the fellow gave us some mexican bed quilts and blankets (even though they were pretty foul, and wet! - uck) to wrap it up with and tied it up on the car. for now, it has found a home on the back deck. fun!

Blooms – Just in Time

2007-06-29T09:48:00.000-05:00

This week we put in a few water plants in the pond- among them, these lilies. We were excited to see that they bloomed just in time for this evenings baptisms! How cool is that?!

New CRITERS move in

2007-06-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

This morning Suzan found a box turtle in the upper field by the fire ring and put it by the pond, hoping it would stay long enough for the kids to see it when they got home from breakfast out with Dad. When they came home, they brought a turtle of their own with them that they found by the road! Morgen announced that they named him Moses, so the other turtle (who was now swimming around in the pond) was appropriately named Aaron. Then Ken pulled some fish he bought at the pet store out of a bag and added them to the mix. Such fun! We'll see who sticks around, gets eaten or travels onward. Stay tuned.

Give it up for WELL MADE tools!

2007-06-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight Suzan went into bush-wack mode and wrangled the overgrown briars and limbs that are trying to take over the path in the upper field. The old trusty Fiskar loppers accompanied her on the quest. Ken always says that having the right tool can make or break a task. Amen to that – these things cut a 1.5" limb like butter and made Suzan feel mightier than she really is.

fun with ROCKS

2007-05-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Over the past week, between the efforts of Ken, Scott and Suzan, some boulders were trailered from Fred's homestead to ours. about half of them have been laborously placed around the pond area in different groupings. We hope to add grasses and irises to visually anchor them. Looking forward to a few days of rain. The pond is very low! But it did not hold back an impromptu family swim.... even with a huge frog population [and all the chlorine whimps out there say, "EWWWWWE!!!"].

Welcome Back Amphibians

2007-04-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

This evening, while Suzan did some trimming and raking of old dried fall stuff and Ken planted a bunch of Aus Tree clippings up on the front edge of the property, the kids reintroduced themselves to our old bullfrog friends that have come out of hibernation. Mojo, Banjo and Beulla have returned and a boatload of imigrants (and/or offspring) have joined them. Hayden caught them and then turned them over to Morgen, who addressed their spring wardrobe needs.

Polar Bear Cub Club

2007-04-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

Today is Uncle Sam's big day. To help us take our minds off of the joy of hacking away at our earnings and sticking them in an envelope with a few vouchers, we were faced with another interesting project. A mid april spring storm brought in inches of rain, a bit of snow and wicked winds. Our little hero, Morgen, woke us up at 5:30 a.m. to advise that the electricity was off. A quick check in the basement led to the discovery that the sump pump battery backup was a gonner. Ken forged the weather and pulled the battery out of the Trooper and saved the basement in the nick of time! Suzan didn't have wheels today, but the basement was dry.

This crazy spring weather reminded us that only two weeks ago, it was warm enough to inspire the kids to don bathing suits and be the first ones in 2007 to jump into the pond. it was FREEZING. Momma didn't raise no wimps.

Hip-Hip Horray for VacuFlo!

2007-04-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the 2 certificates we purchased at the school auction, the heat was on to FINALLY put out a shout to the central vacuum guy. As suspected, he found a giant clog between the den and the basement. The culprit was a large piece of grout, a little stick and a flower hair clip. These naughty items set up a “trap” in the line, causing a dust/hairball jam over a foot long behind it. Lovely. All fixed! He also replaced all of the caps/seals for maximum suction. Let the quiet, dust-free vacuuming begin!

No worries – still here

2007-04-10T19:37:00.000-05:00

Good news for the patient among you! A large void in postings does not mean that the projects on Meadow Lane have come to a halt. We just landed in a non-posting valley of sorts. We have chipped away at, and improved upon several things over the last few months. The project that received plenty of attention was the planning and building of the basement workshop. Ken is doing an awesome job- good use of space and thoughtful details.

While working away down there, Ken noticed that our water pressure tank was on its way to retirement (scary bubble-blisters). It was fastidiously replaced, including all new soldered pipes and a “shelf” for better future emergency draining, which also doubles at maximizing space for the large shop dust collection system beneath it. The kids took “The Great Water Turn-Off” seriously and came up with some creative ideas to remind us not to flush or use any faucets.

What Weather Vane?

2006-10-09T19:07:00.000-05:00

Several folks are emailing, asking about the size of the weather vane before fully disclosing their opinions on the cupola. You can view a photo of it just by clicking here. It is a very free form shape, but the general dimensions are approximately 3 ft. wide (wing span) and about 5 ft. long.

Cast Your Cupola Vote!

2006-10-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

We have been pondering the idea of adding a little detail to the house that has been a long-time resident of the "some day" list... Adding a cupola, which would be the base for the neat copper geese weathervane we received as a gift from Ken's parents. Since we are going to have to replace our roof, logically, this really is the best time to do it. However, we were uncertain of the size and proportions. Today, our resident inventor decided to construct a cardboard prototype and haul it up on the roof (we go to great lengths to provide our own entertainment around here). We both have opinions brewing about this little addition, but wanted to see what our blogger viewers thought of it. SO... What do you think? Bigger? Smaller? Wider? Consider that it will be darker (to match the house), have windows in it and will have the same new roof.

Little Harvest

2006-10-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

Today was the annual hydrangea bush trimming, which always means a refresher for the dried flower arrangements in the house. The early autumn hues outside are awesome as things are starting to turn.

Basement Mega Tidy

2006-10-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Ken put in some serious time in the basement, organizing, moving, trashing, etc and prepping for the next area of floor paint. An added benefit of having a moving helper [dad knott] and a motivation manager [mom knott] was quite welcome!

What's a Home Improvement Without an Injury?

2006-09-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we were chipping away at the basement workshop progress and were moving an old large wall unit book case... The cheap Ikea particle board style furniture. The thing broke apart in mid air and the weight of the entire unit crashed onto Suzan's foot. It instantly turned purple and looked worthy of an Xray.... But who wants to go to the ER on Saturday? So she scored a piggy-back ride and some xtra TLC. Ken is picking up all the logistical slack and time is proving that the injury might just be a bone bruise and a broken blood vessel. You all have been spared a foot photo.

First Day of School!

2006-09-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

Interrupting our home improvement posts with this photo of Morgen (5th grade) and Hayden (1st grade) getting onto the school bus this morning. If it looks dark out, it is because it is. We have a 6:45 a.m. pick up !!!

Basement Ceiling Progress

2006-09-05T08:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, more lights and panels were installed. Under the direction of Mr. Knott, Suzan helped to prepare the wiring (fun!), and those of you that know her well, can rightly assume that she didn't get anywhere near it when Ken started attaching things. He then tidied up and started to paint the walls. The final edge panels and wall and floor paint will follow as our schedule allows. Sorry, no photos this time.

Basement Ceiling Continues

2006-09-04T01:25:00.000-05:00

We worked long and hard on the ceiling today/tonight... oh wait, now it's morning. Safety record still doing ok. Too tired for details.

Everything Has A Place [or at least it should]

2006-09-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

Today was a major organization day. Lots of tossing and rethinking of "what belongs where" in several locations. It seemed a bit scattered, but everything really was connected. There were several laughable diversional "finds", such as a prom picture (gulp), a brochure suzan designed in 1991 (EEK! What was she thinking?) and a goofy sympathy/love letter combo.

Basement Ceiling

2006-09-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

Scott came today, and after everyone left a bit of doughnut carnage in the kitchen, the boys got busy in the basement putting up the drop-ceiling grid. Later, Ken and Suzan teamed up to install the light boxes that he had pulled from the Byrne Building this spring (thanks for the tip, Charles!). We'll chip away at this some more this weekend.

Kids Bathroom Functioning

2006-08-30T00:28:00.000-05:00

Well, it was a big moment... Ken trouble-shot himself through some masterful custom plumbing maneuvers and we now have both sinks up and running well. Suzan can't get past the fact that the new fixtures look like a pepper mill stuck in a urinal, but she'll get over it, because it's exciting to have something new and unique (and finished). ;-)
Next we have to tackle the walls and hardware.

Paint + Construction : Part 2

2006-08-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

Last night, Hayden's floor had a final coat of porch paint – the dry air and mega-fan is curing it nicely. Construction on the studio shelving was also complete, including a storage spot for our Pinguino friend. It just needs paint, but that will have to happen later... our efforts need to stay focused on getting the studio stuff out of hayden's (now) closet and getting his room set up. We couldn't resist putting one of his things in its place on the cap shelf before the move happens. We LOVE it!!

Paint + Construction

2006-08-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

Progress continued tonight after the first priority of getting new tires on the Subaru. Suzan finished the 2 coats of white paint on Hayden's wall planks while Ken worked next door in the studio, getting a jump on the closet storage shelving. Construction is at around 75% to completion. Lower humidity makes for happy campers.

Wall Paint - Hayden's Room

2006-08-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

It was a slow re-start to the projects this evening. Not only was Ken not feeling well, but he wacked his foot and ended up watching Leno with an ice pack on. Suzan started to apply the satin white wash paint to the wall planks... decided against the smooth finish of a roller and went with an old bristle-brush to encourage a bit of horizontal texture. Put the laptop on the garbage can and played software training videos...I know, scary. It was way too hot to finish and Suzan discovered that sweat and sunburn are not very complementary to each other.

DISCLAIMER

2006-08-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

For those of you who may think we are slacking, here is the official Knotthaus disclaimer: Last week was vaca (ahhhh) and this week... well, 100º+ temps, high humidity and NO AC in any room except the studio... 'nuf said.

plank walls IN : Hayden's room

2006-07-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the 12" wall plank installation was complete, in addition to the cap shelves. Finish moldings for the corners and some spackle on the nail head holes will have us ready for the white-wash paint and base molding installation as soon as we can get to it. Getting closer!!

Working on the walls

2006-07-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Worked on the lower half of the wall today, which included lots of measuring to retrofit the outlets and phone jack (no, Hayden is NOT going to have a phone in his room!). Working in non-AC is wearing thin. but Ken is getting a little reprieve from it with his daily pond dips.

Hayden's Room Progresses

2006-07-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

This afternoon we made big strides with Hayden's room renovation. The upper wall final coat of paint was put on (Suzan is in LOVE with the color) and we began cutting and installing the big primed planks on the lower wall. Everyone had fun painting and drawing all over the walls, but some of it had to be covered up once we realized that it would be wise to paint white stripes where the plank seams would go... To prepare for a potential future shrink or shift in the boards. It is fun to see the vision finally coming to fruition.

More Liarope Movin' in

2006-07-14T20:23:00.000-05:00

This evening, Ken and Hayden put in the second batch of Liarope. A trailer full is so deceiving when you get it into the ground... Looks like we might have to take a 3rd trip to visit our freecycle friends in Landsdale for more if they'll have us.

Hayden's Floor

2006-07-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a busy studio day, but time was made for two coats of porch paint on hayden's floor. The sea grass area rug was also delivered! Sorry, no pix... Updating from Ken's parent's house. A relaxing weekend is surely needed! The rooms did not stay on the intended timeline, but we are happy with the results so far and will continue to chip away at it next week. The kids will have to camp out elsewhere for a bit... Good thing they are flexible in nature and love a good adventure!!

Room Switch EXTRAVAGANZA

2006-07-07T05:39:00.000-05:00

Last night, we were ambushed by Ken's accountability group buddies. Instead of their weekly gathering, they came over to lend a hand and stayed past midnight! They accomplished SO much in one evening, it is almost UNBELIEVABLE. First, they removed the old carpeting from Hayden's new bedroom and then took off all of the hardware from the previous shelving and patched up the walls. Then a hole was cut through from the studio closet wall to the outside of the house and a masterful custom engineered coupling (go Ken!) and installation soon had the Pinguino air conditioner up and running (not sure who is more excited, the computer equipment or Suzan). Then the crew completely painted the first coat of the upper wall in Hayden's room, a fabulous thunder cloud blue. This is no small task, considering the ceiling is vaulted and we did not have a scaffold. And if that wasn't enough, they jumped into installing the pretty marble double-sink vanity top in the kid's bath. That box has been a semi-permanent fixture in another part of the house... So, this install was a two-fold treat! The faucets were just set in place, saving plumbing for another day. They all gathered up the GIANT pile of refuse and even helped get it to the curb. A BIG THANK YOU to Scott, Ray and John for your willingness, enthusiasm and hard work (and a thank you to your wives for letting us borrow you!).

PS: Thanks for picking the pretty wild flowers for the studio Mr. Knott.

studio MOVE IN

2006-07-05T23:51:00.000-05:00

Tonight, with the help of Scott S., all of the studio furniture was shifted from "studio A" to "studio B". Ken and Scott looked like professional movers with their matching shirts, don't you think? The computer set-up got Suzan all in a tangle, but her non-techi right brain figured it out eventually. We have started to find homes for everything, all while doing a big PURGE of "Do I REALLY need that?" items.

Studio wall and floor complete

2006-07-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was MOST productive. The walls and trim were completed and the sub-floor and new flooring was laid. Thanks to Home Depot for being open on the 4th of July, we were able to acquire more glue and complete it exactly at midnight. A shoe molding will need to rim the wall yet, but that might have to come later. Thanks Jim, for taking your day off to help the Knotts. Your friendship is a blessing! Next time, we will take your suggestion to purchase knee pads... we are hobbling around like senior citizens today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S.A.

2006-07-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

New STUDIO status

2006-07-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

The prep work for this room was MUCH more than we anticipated. Removing the wallpaper glue took over 6 hours. The top wall was taped and painted was completed last night. We determined that the floor would be unable to handle the tiles, as it was way too rough and uneven. So a plan to purchase sub-floor put a jolt into the plans. Fortunately, this morning, Ken found just enough primed underlayment material in the basement left over from the Columbus Studio "walls"... HORRAY! So while he is cutting that, Suzan will start painting the bottom half of the studio wall. HAPPY JULY 4TH!!!

NEW ROOM projects have begun

2006-07-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

After a long drive back from dropping off Morgen at camp, we jumped right into emptying 1/2 of the studio shelving and completely gutting hayden's old room. The carpet and pad was removed (it is in good shape, so we listed it on freecycle) and the arduous task of removing the 12" wallpaper border began. NOT fun. Suzan was peetering out, so Ken took over the scraping...then...a light bulb finally went off in Suzan's head... and we started to steam it off with the iron. MUCH better! Gave up for the night at 12:45 am. Tomorrow we will start painting, after removing some of the remaining glue residue and giving it a good sanding. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Big day at the Knott POND

2006-07-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

After a week of rain, we celebrated July 1st by having a family inaugural swim in the pond. It was nice and warm! Ken also finished out the day by planting the new Cat Tail Punks he dug up (thanks to Terry Moyer!). Of course one swim was not enough... After dinner, as the sun was going down Ken, Morgen and Hayden jumped in and enjoyed the fireworks from next door while they floated and spied on MoJo, one of the three resident bull frogs.

NEW CONSTRUCTION under the plum tree

2006-06-29T22:43:00.000-05:00

Our resident short building contractors decided to collect things from nature today and construct fairy houses out under our favorite plum tree. When they finished, they had fully equipped them with stone tables and berry treats. Ahhhh to be a kid in the summer.

Room Change Prep

2006-06-29T09:17:00.000-05:00

Last night, we chatted through the details of the BIG (surprise) ROOM SWITCH that will start on Sunday night. Morgen will be heading off to camp for the week and Hayden will be going on his own adventure with MomMom and Grandpop. So we thought it would be the perfect time to attack the long overdue project of switching the studio space with hayden's bedroom. Not only is Hayden due his "big boy room" but we have also outgrown the small room where the studio currently resides. Our plan is to finish this before the kids return next Sunday, including a little decorating surprise in Morgen's room so she has something to celebrate too. We ran out to Home Depot and picked out our new "budget" studio flooring.... Armstrong adhesive 12x12 tiles. It's not nice hardwood flooring (cha-ching), but it is a more acceptable surface for a work space than the carpet would be. AND it actually looks cool.

FREE is GOOD

2006-06-23T00:37:00.000-05:00

Ken has found a little internet gem. freecycle.com has landed us some cool free stuff in the area as well as finding a home for some stuff that the knotts no longer need. AND we have met some really nice people! Recently, we found a gal in Lansdale with a plethora of liarope grass. Perfect! Just what we needed for a few spots on the yard under trees that we are tired of mowing around. As you can see from the photo, Ken didn't hesitate to take her up on the offer to "take all of it" and packed as much as he could into the back of Teton Daisy. She was generous to invite him back to fetch more. Terrific!

Still in the game

2006-04-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, over four months have passed since our last post. Although the work efforts around the house ebbed and flowed with our life's routines and obstacles, it really did not stop (like this blog). The main reason for the mammoth communication canyon is that of a technical esthetics nature. You see, sometime in January, the little digital camera must have hurled itself off of the kitchen counter to the floor, as to date, no one has claimed responsibility for its trauma. A critical little plastic piece snapped off and it is nearly impossible to take a photo. Getting it fixed hasn't been super high on the priority list, so we were left powerless to share our improvement milestones. So, here is the text version of recent developments: More work was been done in the kitchen; finishing the ceiling molding installation and almost finishing the painting. The kid's double-vanity top arrived and the wall has been ripped open to disconnect the wiring for the heating panels which will be behind the larger vanity. Out by the pond, three willow trees were planted (major labor with our hard, clay soil) and grass seeding has commenced. A few dead and non-desirable trees and shrubs were taken down (along with one of ken's lovely lilac bushes by ACCIDENT (enter big shameful suzan gulp here). Ken had one of his big burn permit fires to get rid of scrap wood, dead trees etc. and he built a drainage system behind the new section of the shed. Inga the tractor was repaired and the season's mowing ritual has begun. The fruit trees are in full bloom and buzzing with our pollen friends and the deer and groundhogs are feasting on the new lilies Suzan planted. Although it is sad to put the skis away, it is always fun to welcome in the warm air, popsicles, frogs peeping by the pond at dusk, and the proud presentation of dandelions in a dirty little hand.

Dining Room

2005-12-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

HOORAY! The dining room is finally finished. Not only was the molding completed, but the ceiling medallion was finalized and installed. We will be moving all of the furniture back into place today so holiday festivities can begin.

THANKSGIVING

2005-11-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

The first little snow of the season... another thing to be thankful for. Wishing our friends and family a very happy Thanksgiving- especially those who we can't be with today. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

Shed 1

2005-11-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

We were thinking that this weekend might just be the last of the balmy weather for 2005 and decided to take advantage of it. Ken and Chris built an extension off of the garden shed for additional storage of things like lumber, ladders, etc., while Suzan sanded and painted the trim for the dining room/living room. Chris was scaring us with his radio station choice, until Suzan took control of the situation. The evening closed with a fast and furious bon-fire of scraps and a truck load of stuff that Chris brought over. No time for marshmallows, but it was toasty just the same.

Kid's bath 1

2005-11-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the kid's bath vanity was cut for plumbing and rough-set into place. Painting is getting high on the priority list... but we are not sure if we have any of the current cream color left for the patches.

Multi-tasking

2005-10-22T00:14:00.000-05:00

Another super productive evening. Aside from the toilet and wall cabinet in the kid's bathroom, many of the trim projects downstairs were finalized. In order as shown: the half walls received their finish molding, the kitchen wainscoting and moldings were finalized and the powder room molding air gun holes were puttied and touched up. Thrilled to be finalizing so many incomplete projects!!

Potty Kids

2005-10-21T23:49:00.000-05:00

Earlier tonight, the big boys ripped out the old toilet and installed the new kohler into the kid's bathroom. Little helpers were on hand to strip off the mega-adhesive manufacturer stickers. Thanks Ada, Merrit and Hayden!

A busy night

2005-10-21T06:34:00.000-05:00

Last night, the super-heavy hearth stones were brought in and rough-placed. It took 4 of us to carry the two larger ones (can't see it all in this snapshot). Chris and Anthony- you don't have to go to the gym this weekend, complements of the Knotts. Chris and Ken made other notable progress, such as almost completing the base molding in the kitchen, the shoe-molding installation in the powder room and various spackle efforts. The kitchen ceiling patch is slowly being disguised by a regimen of spackle-sanding-spackle-sanding. There are rumors that Chris is addicted to the process.

Trim and things

2005-10-19T07:01:00.000-05:00

Chris and Ken put in some more time last night on the kitchen ceiling, the kid's bathroom "prep" and molding cutting while Suzan primed and painted trim. Now all we need is for the world to stop for about a week for everyone else but us (and a few willing helpers).

Finishing touches, demolitions and repairs

2005-10-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

More was accomplished tonight. Layer #1 of the base molding was installed in the powder room, another coat of spackle was applied to the kitchen ceiling patch and the kid's vanity was pulled out! We'll have to share our sink for a little while, but that's ok, they are cute invaders. No photos until we pick up new batteries for the camera. Sorry!

Weekend work

2005-10-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

Work was done this weekend with the various spackle posts around the house, as well as sanding, puttying and painting the kitchen chair-rail and moldings between birthday festivities. Happy birthday little bear!

Houston, we have a PROBLEM

2005-10-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

The change of the weather this past week has ushered in newfound duties for all family members: BUCKET PATROL. A pretty major leak in the roof has the knotts a little stressed out this week. THANK YOU Chris for running all the way out to our house during 1/2 time to check the status of things while we were away!

Kitchen

2005-10-13T07:15:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Chris came and chipped away at a few things, including prep work to finish off the kitchen chair-rail trim.

Stone Wall 2

2005-10-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

More progression on the wall this evening. The kids must have had big fun today, as they are sleeping through the loud hammering of Ken nailing lath onto the hearth.

Stone Wall

2005-10-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

Progress was made this week on one of the most notorious knott projects... the fireplace wall. Ken mortared in more stones and was able to head up to Rolling Rock to pick up the hearth stone with the help of Chris.

Taking Flight

2005-09-23T05:19:00.000-05:00

Although the garden shed cupola is not yet complete, last night Ken found an awesome temporary home in the lofted ceiling of our bedroom for one of our favorite things... the copper geese wind vane.