This is the spot to see how things change.
Some background.....
We originally gave Fine Landscapes a "we need it done by" due date of May 23rd, prior to Memorial Day. We started this process in Fall of 2007, and firmed things up after a few discussions, including our written "wish list" in late February 2008. Our son's Birthday is June 03, and we wanted to have his party in the play area on Saturday, June 7th. We thought we had given plenty of window for delays. Hmmmm...
We also knew we were hosting to a big 4th of July party, but did not even consider that the process would still be going on so late in the season. Last year was our first summer in this house. When about 150 people lined up outside our driveway on 4th of July evening, we realized that our house had an incredible view of the Congressional Country Club fireworks. So, this year we approached Autism Speaks about hosting an event coordinated with the Potomac 5K run for Autism that is held every 4th of July. The event date changed to June 29th because Congressional is hosting the ATT National on 4th of July and wanted to do the fireworks for their members before the tournament started. So, we are hosting and ice cream social and pre-race registration with the fireworks. It should be a lot of fun. Invitation here.
Our plans went in for architectural review with Avenel Modifications Committee on April 07, 2008 , and we had approval to start on April 16th. We were given a completion date of somewhere between 2-3 weeks from the start date from Fine Landscapes, and they had told us that it might be the first week of May before they would have a crew here, so at this point, I felt like we still had a chance of meeting our original deadline.
After a few weeks of rain and schedule changes, things finally got started. I placed the order for the slide on May 28th. I had been reluctant to place the order until the playhouse carpenter confirmed that he was fine integrating the commercial slide into the playhouse design, but I did not feel I could wait any longer and still have a chance to finish before our event. Crossed fingers.
Thursday, May 29, 2008 Three men were here from about 11 am until 4:30 pm. Nobody was here Friday. We got a ridiculous amount of rain over the weekend. Monday they were able to work.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Nobody here for site work Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008. Met with Bob for the first time today. I was a little dismayed to hear that this is the first he is seeing my plan, since I had given it to Charles months ago. However, Charles had assured me that Bob could just look at something and know what to do. After meeting him, I definitely got the sense that he is the right guy for this job, so I am reassured that things with the playhouse portion will go well from here on out.
Friday, June 06, 2008. I finalized the contract and ordered the rope net ladder with Barbara Butler. It will ship 2weeks from the date of order and will probably take about 5 days by freight.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Really taking the shape we wanted. Everything has been measured and fits well now.
Friday June 06, 2008
View from driveway. 1st berm looks nice. We want the second berm to drop off with the landscape. All the drainage is done and was tested with a severe storm. Seems to be good so far.
Friday, June06, 2008
Getting ready to drop the trampoline. I found the instructions at Super Tramp Pit Instructions
View from inside the play area. Interestingly, we did not remove or bring in any dirt. It was all grading work.
Sunday, June 08 2008
The guys worked all day in extreme heat yesterday. We were very appreciative that they finished the stone dust, compacting, and grading, as well as put the trampoline in position. We got another thunderstorm last night. That makes 7 since we started. Despite all of that, it looks great. It has created much more of a mess than we anticipated in the rest of the yard, but we are focusing on the result. Devon and I went to look at plants, fountains, and bridges yesterday. See photo below. I thought the bridge might make a neat transition from stone path to the turf right near the water feature.
June 09th-June 16th
No site work done this week at all. Aaron says they want to put in the footings for Bob at the same time the stonework is started, but Bob needs to develop a plan and a budget for us with different woods so that we can make some decisions. It was a tough week, because we had a lot of nice days in a row with rain forecasted again for the weekend. We have tried to remind everyone that we have an event at our home June 29th, and we can't have guests in the mud. Aaron assures us that the stonework, planting, and sod will only take about 4 days total. Charles has not been on site at all since his last visit Monday, May 26th. Total work completed includes drain installation, grading of berms, play area, and swale around it, sinking the trampoline with a catch basin and drain with gravel, and stone dust where turf will be. It took three men 2 full days and 2 partial days to do it. I have to admit, it was a lot more work than I thought. Also, after having had the opportunity to do several projects at our old house using a bobcat myself, I could recognize the extreme skill of Hyman, the operator. It would have easily taken me 5 times as long to figure out and execute what he did.
Thurdsay, June 12, 2008. I did get to meet again with Bob Jacobi to go over his drawings and game plan. It was such a nice surprise to see his enthusiasm and creativity. I love the bump out detail above the front door. I wanted to suggest bumping the top out before, because it I knew it would add so much to the authenticity of the architecture, but I thought it would have been asking too much of people who don't normally build playhouses. I also love the balcony for the commercial slide, and that he seems unconcerned that he will be able to make it work.
Monday, June 16, 2008 Small crew was here to dig footings for playhouse, rock walls and entrance columns after we confirmed everything. First boulder goes in near seating wall. Redwood lumber arrives, guys move it in and don't quite finish before they are bombarded by yet another thunderstorm. I was very thankful that nobody was hit by lightening carrying lumber across our yard.
Heavy rain. No work Tuesday, but I went to Fine Landscapes nursery to pick out plants and trees with Aaron. He really listened and showed me everything, but he does not write anything down. That always makes me a little bit nervous about how things will come together. I wrote a plant list and Bob will give it to Aaron for me.
Wednesday June 18, 2008 No stone crew, but Bob and Ken started the building.
It was scary huge looking. I was quite apprehensive that we had made a huge mistake in scale. It ended up a 10'x10' building because we were afraid to make it too small for all of the money going into it. We had rationalized that if we made the building a decent size, it could convert to a potting shed when the kids became tired of it in several years, and that if we made the upper deck big enough for a swing, adults could use that too later as an elevated gazebo. However, when I first saw it go up, I was really concerned that we would regret the size. It had to grow on me over the weekend, and then it slowly started to look in balance with our house and the pool house. It was not until the swing trellis was up and a few large crape myrtles arrived that I started to think it was going to be the attribute to the property that we had hoped for.
Friday, June 20, 2008 I have to say that the stonework and the playhouse are exceeding my vision. We can finally see just how special things are going to be when they are done. I am still nervous about mud and our guests for the Congressional fireworks on the 29th.
View from our balcony.
View from the library window.
View from the planned turf step location.
Friday, June 20, 2008.
Confirmation that the slide will be delivered Monday between 9-5. They will call me an hour before delivery. Aaron assures me that the crew will be here to help unload it. It is on two pallets totaling 613 lbs.
The X-Grass turf order never got done despite my best efforts. I don't think there is any way it will be done now before the event. What is so frustrating is that I tried to place that order with the local X -grass putting green installer several times in the last several weeks. Coming from a sales background myself, when a client offers you an order, you finish the details and take the order. My gut kept telling me that there were too many details falling by the wayside, and probably would be more to come. The last straw was a combination of things. Ultimately, I called X-Grass again on my own and got the answers to my questions in minutes. I had originally found X-grass online over a year ago doing research for this project and they had sent me several samples. I just liked their product better than other turfs I have seen. I called them again in April 2008 when we were ready to start our project. They had given me pricing both times, but upon my request, then referred me to a local putting green dealer/installer. I was happy to pay more and have somebody else take care of the details of something I had no experience with, but I feel strongly that professionals should be managers of a process in order to earn the premium they charge on top of what I would pay to buy products directly from a supplier and manage the process myself. I'll hopefully get my order done on Monday, and we'll find somebody else to do the install, whether it is Fine Landscapes, us, or a third party. Still, the whole chain of events was a waste of time we did not have to lose.
Saturday, June 21, 2008. We thought everybody was coming today, but nobody was here. I don't necessarily have an expectation that people would work on a weekend, but it is unsettling to be told told that something is going to happen and then have no communication that the plan has changed. One week to go before our event.