Getting Master Bedroom Ready for Flooring

The painting is done and everything is installed in the bathroom, so we're just about ready to start putting down the floor. We've been getting the floor ready -- cleaning, hammering down any nails that are sticking up, removing drywall mud, etc.

Looking towards the front door (those are lanai ceiling boards on the left side and stair steps on the right side)

The main area of the bedroom

Looking towards the side lanai with the front door on the left and the bathroom on the right

Lanai and Breezeway Ceilings Finished

We finished installing the tongue-and-groove board in the front lanai and breezeway ceilings, and I added another coat of polyurethane to seal for moisture. Then the light fixtures were installed.

Front lanai, looking towards the guesthouse

Breezeway, looking towards the guest house  

Breezeway Ceiling

We finished installing the board over the front lanai and got started on the first breezeway.

Looking into the laundry room from the breezeway

Lanai Ceiling Installation and Railings

We started installing the ceiling over the covered lanais. The ceilings over both front lanais (in front of the main house and the master suite) and both breezeways need to be sealed (since they would otherwise be open to the attic spaces).
These are the same 16-foot long, 5-inch wide tongue-and-groove boards we used for the office ceiling. I've spent the last several weeks staining and finishing them -- there are about 270 boards total.

Lanai in front of the main house 

View from the other side

Some work has also been done on installing the railings on the lanais.

Master bedroom side lanai looking towards the back of the house

Looking towards the front

In front of the master bedroom

Office Ceiling Finished

The office ceiling was finally finished, and the lighting fixture/fan was installed.

The completed ceiling with light/fan (and smoke detector)

View from the other side 

Plumbing Fixtures in Master Bath

Now that the water pump was moved and everything is hooked up, we can finally get the last of the plumbing fixtures installed. We had a delay when the plumbers changed their minds about how to install the tub filler and drain for the bathtub in the master bath. Initially they said to have the tile installer install the entire floor, and they would drill through the tile for the tub filler plumbing. But after the floor was done, they decided they couldn't drill through the tile, so we had to get the tile installer back to remove up the tiles where the tub filler and drain for the tub will be installed.

Tiles removed and holes drilled through the floor 

The tub filler and tub installed. The tile installer will have to come
back again to re-install tiles around the filler and the tub drain.

The wall-mounted toilet with in-wall water tank

Wall-mounted faucet

Running water!

Solar Hot Water System Operating

The solar hot water system is operating. On a sunny day, the water in the 100-gallon tank can increase by tens of degrees. Today, the water started at about 110 degrees and reached 130 a few hours later. The system will continue operating until the temperature reached about 150 degrees. It uses only a small amount of electricity to run a circulating pump.

Initial temperature

Temperature a few hours later

Water Pump Relocation

This is the pump and pressure tank that pressurizes the water from the catchment tank. The tank is pressurized so the pump doesn't have to run whenever the water is flowing.

The pump and tank were installed in a small shed behind the guest house, but we decided to move it into the shed behind the main house because the pump makes some noise when it runs and it makes sense to have it with the water heater (to the left).

The white pipes are the intake (from the catchment tank) and supply lines (to the guest house). These will be connected to the pump. The copper pipes are the cold (supply to the solar panels) and hot (from the solar panels) for the solar system and the hot and cold water supplies to the main house.

One this pump installation and connection work is done, we can turn the water on in the main house and run the solar system. We planned it so the work would be done in one day, so we still have water in the guest house.

Lunar Eclipse

A few shots of the lunar eclipse that occurred today.

Total eclipse 

Another Lava-Caused Brush Fire

There was another brush fire caused by the lava flow to the south today. The wind was headed in our direction, bringing the smoke and some ash.

Smoke plume drifting towards us

More smoke later in the day

Ash on the roof

Wild Pigs

There are many wild pigs on the island, but we rarely see them in our area. Hunting pigs is fairly common in wooded areas, but they can wander into almost any area.

There had been a few sightings of pigs in the area by some of the workers earlier in the week, and today a whole herd decided to pay us a visit.

The wild pigs are usually dark brown or black. These pigs may be escaped domestic pigs or a mix of wild and domestic (the sow looks to be at least part wild). These pigs weren't particularly afraid of us, so they might be used to being around people.

Looking for something to eat in the compost pile

Office ceiling day 2

After another day's work, three sides of the ceiling are almost done.

The white circle is where the ceiling fan goes

Office ceiling

For the office ceiling, rather than drywall, we decided to put in pine board.  This is what the ceiling looks like now--it's the inside of a four-sided pyramid.

After about a full day's work, one side is nearly done.  The prep work (getting set up, bringing the 16-foot boards up the stairs, etc.) took a significant part of the day. Staining and finishing all the boards took several weeks.

Glow From Lava Visible at Night

The glow of the lava is reflected off the smoke at night and we can see it from the second-story windows. These are long-exposure shots - it isn't this bright to the naked eye.

More Smoke from Brushfires

The brush fires caused by the lava flow are still burning, and the smoke is visible to the southeast.