With this project, we are trying when we can to preserve aspects of the old house that have value or meaning. One of the things we learned as we’ve gotten to know the neighbors is that the previous owner – now an elderly woman living in the midwest – was so very proud of her rose and citrus garden out front. So when we started tearing up the landscaping, we saved as much of her garden as we could. We relocated the roses to our Crystal Springs Road cottage, and added them to an existing rose garden. For the citrus trees, we hoped to transplant them into large containers and then put them on the decks of the finished house. We moved the citrus about six weeks ago, and not surprisingly, they went into pretty severe shock and dropped all their leaves. But the fruit on the trees continued to ripen, and we’ve had a steady supply of limes and meyer lemons!

And then this weekend, there was an unexpected surprise – the trees have actually put out  new blossoms! So despite their naked, leaf-less look, I think they’re doing just fine and will survive the move.

The hydrangea seems to be doing well, too.

And of course, we have more framing! Ceiling joists went up in the master bedroom suite:

And the long – really tall – wall along the side of the living/dining/kitchen wing is up:Great progress, and beautiful signs of life for the old garden!

I told you when I got back from my travels there would be walls! It’s amazing how fast the framing goes up. Here are some shots of the main house —

Looking into the master bedroom suite from the pool:

The entry foyer:Still a lot of work to be done for it to really take shape. But what’s exciting is that the vaulted ceiling in the old cottage is done. What a difference it makes! It’s going to feel so much more spacious in there. Take a look —

Unfortunately we found a few termites when we opened up the old walls, so it’s time to get an exterminator out. Bugs be gone!