Day 4: Finishing Touches

Friday, October 27 was the last day of installation. They'd have gotten it done in a marathon three days but for two panes of glass that were the wrong size. Those had to be shipped by air from South Carolina so they could be installed. The two panes arrived at 11:30 AM via UPS (Yay UPS!)  and work resumed. The team told me that this happens in roughly 3/4 of the jobs they do, so they have to remain flexile and ready to stay another day or two no matter how well things go. Bob said the moment he took those two odd panes out of the box he knew they were the wrong size. Ut-oh. 

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And it was Bob who got to climb up on the roof to install them, in a soaking drizzle that made the panes extremely slippery. He used suction cups as footholds so he wouldn't slip off the roof. It was a bit dizzying to watch, especially from below. Heart in throat! 

This was another  "So you thought you could find a local installer?" moment.

   

Thanks to Chip Ditchendorf, I have a fabulous electrician to wire up the louver motor and install another outlet, and help me string fancy mood lighting.

I'd also have to get the gas line run and a heater installed. My work was just beginning! And that would be a whole story in itself.

But for now it was time for the McCollister brothers to take a victory lap and for Tim, their social media chief, to take some photos for their YouTube channel. The whole time, Tim had a GoPro set up to record the installation on timelapse. I was THRILLED when I saw that camera, and Tim will share a link when it's all edited and up on their channel. Then I'll publish it on the blog. What FUN to see it go up at warp speed!

I needed a shot of this awesome crew with their hardworking and hard-begging Snoopervisor.

From left, Tim, Curtis, Brian and Bob McCollister.

Curtis and I were sad to see them leave, but also thrilled and relieved that the installation had gone so smoothly. 

At last, I could go inside and not be in the way. It was mine now.

Thursday night, before the last two panes were installed, I finally entered the structure from my bedroom for the first time. I love the absolute wonder in my voice as it sinks in on me that I've added another space onto the house--something I had never understood viscerally until this moment.

  

Friday afternoon, when it was finally roofed and I was alone, I made a table with one of the wrong-sized panels and did some writing.

I sent the photo to Bob and got this sweet text back.

Before they left, I asked Tim to take some photos of me with the finished structure, since Liam, my resident personal photographer and videographer, has moved to Columbus, and attempts to teach Curtis to take photos have failed.

                               How good of the Japanese maple to be in full blazing color for this shoot! 

The greenhouse itself was finished,  and all it needed now was wiring for the louver motor (not time sensitive) and, um, HEAT (highly time sensitive). That would be a race against a coming deluge and cold front, to get a heater installed in time to get some plants inside. I was thrilled and relieved the structure was up and so beautiful. But my work was not yet done, and there were curveballs yet to come. One big fat curveball, and I'm still dealing with it, pulling in knowledgeable friends right, left and center.