Progress report...

Progress report...  We finally got the last of the stuff in the trucks unloaded into the house.  Debbie has got the kitchen almost entirely unpacked, and is probably 90% done with the bedroom.  I started off the day with the intent to get some unpacking done, but fate decided otherwise.

First, the (expected) inspector showed up around 9:30 am, made happy noises about the now leak-free gas line, and then proceeded to tell me a couple things that sounded like they'd derail the entire use-the-barn-in-the-winter notion.  He said he couldn't sign off on our line until we had (a) submitted a diagram, and (b) installed a tracer wire along the gas pipe.  Nobody had ever mentioned to us that we'd need a tracer wire.  The pipe has been covered with 2' of dirt for nearly its entire length (275'), so putting that tracer wire in would take a lot of work – and there's no way we'd have it installed before the ground froze.  Yikes!  I managed to talk him into letting me submit an informal diagram, and (most importantly) to let me wait until spring to put that wire in.  That was a close call!

So then we called the gas company to come hook up the barn, and the plumber was already here connecting things inside the barn.  The gas company showed up at 1 pm and went to work.  They had to change out the meter on our house, and raise the pressure into the meter from 0.5 psi to 2 psi.  They did all that work, then got ready to leave – when I noticed that the output of the meter was just dangling in the air, not connected to the house.  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”, said I.  “Oh, no,” said they, “connecting the output is your problem.  Better call a plumber!” This is late in the afternoon on the Friday before Christmas – good luck with that!  I can't believe nobody ever mentioned this little requirement before!

Luckily for me, the plumber working on my barn agreed to install the required stuff on my meter.  He had to run into town to buy parts, then come back out to do the work.  He also had to call in another truck to help him out.  After an hour or so of work, they got our house hooked back up to the gas line, so we had heat, hot water, stove, etc.  Minor little things like that.  Yikes!

On Monday the final plumbing inside the barn should be done, and at that point I can turn on the barn's heat.  Woo hoo!  However, there's still a bit of sheathing and insulating that needs to get done before that would be ... economically attractive.

Yesterday we also took delivery of a couple of stainless steel kennels that we'd ordered a few months ago.  These are the sorts of kennels you'd see in a vet's office.  We're going to use them for cats or dogs that need to be isolated.  The kennels weigh 225 pounds apiece.  I was expecting them to come as a kit, with all the sides broken down.  Instead, they appear to be mostly assembled.  On the concrete apron outside our garage there's a pallet with boxes piled 7' high.  Unpacking that, and moving it all down to the cattery, is this morning's job...