Nederland Home

Trying to get in the Swing of Posting

2011-11-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

Just a post to let everyone know that I am going to try to start posting on a more regular basis and to concentrate on the Nederland Downtown Development District. Hopefully I will be able to attract more readers to the site. And that some or all will comment.

A Long time

2011-11-09T22:31:00.002-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted here on my Nederland Home. Much has happened since then. Robbin and I have settled into our new home and her salon Mt. Rose Hair Care is perking along.

All her customers enjoy her new surroundings which are a wonderful shade of pink.

I have finally painted my side upstairs. Green like the pine trees out my window.

Pictures will follow, as we go down the next path together. My Life in Ned.

Summer to Winter in one day

2009-09-21T20:55:00.001-06:00

My garden yesterday. Sunflowers were just starting to bloom

My garden today. It started snowing this morning. I took these pictures around 10:00 am. There was a lot more snow during the day.

Couldn't resist this picture. A great opportunity to see the sunflowers before they are gone.

My garden by 12:00 noon today. I think my carrots and potatoes will be fine, but I only had a few days to enjoy my sunflowers.

August 19th The roof is sheathed

2008-09-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

Mike and his crew finished sheathing the roof. It now is taking shape as a building. The space within is being formed and the feeling of the character of the rooms is shaping.
The character of the building is taking shape. This is one of the most exciting times, when it starts to look like the architects rendering. I am very disappointed that I could not be there and can not come back to see the development. The building progressed at a much slower pace than was originally anticipated by the builder. So the time that I had set aside to be in Colorado was not the right time. So I am extremely disappointed in how the time frame is coming out.
This view really starts to show the shape and character of the building
A view of the same trusses as before but now the sheathing is on and the building is starting to get enclosed.

Raising the roof trusses Aug. 13th 2008

2008-09-10T18:31:00.001-06:00

More truss pictures. Note the beautiful blue sky.
View of the rear of the building over the garage> The trusses make interesting shapes against the beautiful sky.
Partial truss placement
Placement of the second truss

Raising the roof trusses August 13th 2008

2008-09-10T18:21:00.001-06:00

I was lucky enough to be there when they put the roof trusses in place. These are some of the pictures that I took.
it was very exciting to see the roof trusses put in place and the building start to take shape as a structure.
The crane operator was very careful as he lifted the trusses into place
This was the first one and it was very thrilling

More framing of the second floor walls

2008-09-10T18:17:00.000-06:00

Some of the last pictures that I took when I was there around the 13th of August. They were laying out the interior walls of the second floor. Lots of lumber but it will make sense when they get it all erected.
Some of the closet walls in place looking through to the bath room
East wall looking out to the east.
More of the view of the windows on the east wall.

Catching up with the construction

2008-09-10T18:06:00.000-06:00

I have not published any pictures of the project for about a month, but construction has been going along on schedule. So I am trying to get afew updated photos for those who have been following our progress. This is a continuation of the construction of the second floor. It was very exciting to be there to watch the crane raise the walls. This is the east wall with the west wall already raised.
The north side of the building this is the window for Robbin's bedroom
Looking from inside the second floor to the east from the rear unit of the second floor
View of the south side of the building with the second floor framing in place.

Garage rough opening

2008-08-09T10:47:00.000-06:00

This is posted so the garage door supplier can have a look at the opening. We had ordered the door, but the color was not available, so the architect suggested that we order a taller door, since there was an error when the building was raised up, they forgot to lift the garage floor also. Soooo, this makes for a very tall garage, which is not really bad and will definately look different once we get the header for the door in place.

2008-08-07T13:47:00.000-06:00

This is Ed Ranegar our trusted crane owner and operator. He owns Mountainside Crane Service and handles the walls like a baby. He is carefully around the carpenters and his truck is very cool, everything done by computer and hydraulics. Just push the buttons. But it is so delicate while it is working. A real wonder.

And Then There Were Walls

2008-08-07T13:41:00.001-06:00

Getting ready to raise the west wall of the second floor.
Crane sets up to lift the wall
The west wall is going up. The holes in the wall are the windows in the bathrooms.
This is the east wall fully in place.

2008-08-07T13:38:00.000-06:00

Start of raising the second floor walls. This is the first section of the east wall going into place.
Second section of the east wall being placed.
Mike doing something in what looks like a very dangerous situation. This is the window in Robbin's upstairs apartment, What a view.
Another section of the wall being braced by Dave on the left and David on the right.

More second floor framing and steel pictures

2008-08-07T13:35:00.000-06:00

Steel stablizer beam for south facing balcony. The winds in the Boulder Mountains can get as high as 150 mph. Sounds like hurricane strength to me, but they are not sustained. 150 mph is the new wind code in Nederland.
One of the steel joints.
Overall picture of the salon with the second floor floor joists in place for the apartment in the south end. Note the ADA bathroom and the height of the windows. These are celerstory windows which come directly off the ceiling. The view from inside is incredible as you are looking directly at the sky. Also the light source is high so they light is very diffused.
Closeup of the floor joists for the second floor from the salon area.

The welder and steel

2008-08-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

The welder was here to install the steel columns in the building. This one is in the middle of the salon and is just another obstacle that we have to design around, but I think it will work. We are meeting with the designer this morning.
The welder in his full equipment and it was very hot this day.
The front of the salon with the steel in place.
Another picture of the mended beam. Mike and the architect have agreed that it is stronger than before. As my son says, the old steel stretcher worked again.

More Framing pictures

2008-08-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

This is the framing for part of the second floor. Mike has lined up all the wall framing studs with the floor joists.
Another view of the problem with the stairs to the garage, which was worked out with the architect today.
More second floor framing pictures, showing who many directions the floor joist go in on the second floor.
Mike showing us the repair to the steel beam that was mistakenly cut too short by one of his carpenters. It was repaired by the welder and checked by the architect and appears to be stronger than before. This was the subject of a lot of gossip during last week, as Mike was very upset and it is a very small town, so any show of anger or frustration is the subject of conversation for days.

The stairs are in

2008-08-06T13:56:00.001-06:00

Mike finished the stairs on Sunday, and they really came out nicely. The rise is not too steep and the tread is very comfortable. Easy to climb.
They also took out the supports for the second floor and put in the final piece of steel column in the salon area. So now we have a much better idea of the space and how it will be arranged. Thursday morning Robbin and I are meeting with the kitchen designer and cabinet maker to work out the details. They will also do all the laminate work for the cabinets in the salon.
Exterior view of the garage with the deck in place and the wing wall. We are still working with redesigning the garage floor and the stairs that lead from the garage to the hallway on the first floor. There was a mistake with the garage floor when the building was raised up, they did not raise the floor, but it can be worked out.

More Truss pictures

2008-08-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Sterling Component Systems are the manufacturer of the trusses.
Another shot of the truck delivering
Preparing for the place to off load
Trusses off loaded and set down like a baby

Friday August 1,2008 The Trusses arrived

2008-08-02T12:27:00.000-06:00

I was over at Nederland Feed talking to Rich when we looked up and coming down the street were our roof trusses. Not in the front of the picture is a carving of a dog head. Another artist who moved to town recently is a wood carver and he is further west on Second street. You can see his carvings all over town, as everyone is buying something.
Better picture of the trusses arriving, as he prepares to off load
Since we are very cramped for space on this property it was a very difficult off loading, but the driver was very skilled and managed to get the trusses mostly on our property.
Hopefully the trusses will not remain and the ground for more than a week, as Mike still has to build the walls of the second floor before then can be installed.

Week of July 27th, 2008

2008-08-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

This week they started the decking for the second floor underlayment.
Some of the connection of the floor joists to the steel for the rear deck.
Front of the shop with carpenters putting up the outside of the front deck.
Adam from Arch 11, the architect, going over the prints and verifying that the steel was in correctly. We passed with flying colors.

Continued Framing today, Saturday

2008-07-26T21:22:00.000-06:00

Even though there was a parade, Mike and Dave worked most of the day. I took these pictures at about 11:30, when I came over to watch the parade. They went to lunch during the parade, but came back and worked the rest of the day. When we went back they had the rear of the house complete with the floor joists. More pictures later when Robbin gets back with her camera

Final Part of the Miners Day Parade

2008-07-26T21:11:00.001-06:00

Scenes from the end of the parade. The usual was the Nederland Fire Department with equipment. The man in the miner's outfit is the local Gold mine owner Tom Henderson. He was showing us fool's gold, which is in the pyrite family (I think). At the end, instead of following the fire truck down Snyder to Third St, he took a short cut down Second.

The town is really filled with people today for the Miner's day. There were tents set up on First Street with people selling various things. The Senior Center did a Pancake Breakfast as a fund raiser, and the Library had a book sale. So there was plenty to do.

Done at the Ball Park there were plenty of activities with Miner games. I did not go as it was very hot in the sun. They were selling food and had a loud speaker system for the various events. I could hear a lot of it at the house, as the sound carries in the mountains.

All in all a very interesting day.

Second Part of Miner's Day Parade

2008-07-26T21:02:00.001-06:00

This is the second part of the post for the parade. Mostly the parade consisted of old cars and various equipment, even the crane that was at our job . The truck with the Run Forrest Run sign was really cute.

First Part of Miner's Day Parade

2008-07-26T21:01:00.001-06:00

This was my first Nederland Parade. It was for Miner's Day which is Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Unfortunately, it was not very long, they gathered on First Street then came down Smyder Street, supposedly they were going to go down Second street to the ball park where other activities were planned, but the parade route was changed at the last minute to Third Street, so I did not watch from in front of the new building as planned, but went to the corner of Snyder and Second.

Rainbow over the Reservoir

2008-07-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

After a very trying day with the progress of the job, Robbin and I took a ride down second street to see the progress. There was no further progress today, but we did have a beautiful rainbow at the end of the street. It rained the afternoon and hopefully will continue tonight, as it is very dry up here and we really need the rain. The rainbow was very beautiful and I am sure that Robbin will have many more from the views from her second floor house.

Second day of steel

2008-07-23T21:17:00.000-06:00

The front part of the building has five pieces of steel which were put into place on Tuesday morning. These pieces were then bolted together on Wednesday . Unfortunately, the pace of building has slowed down considerably. The builder was on vacation the last days of last week, and this week he had not ordered the second floor floor joists. So work this afternoon had to be suspended.

We met the morning with the architect, Adam, to go over the plans and for him to inspect what has already been done. There were many questions and Mike did not seem to have all the answers. The architect will research some of the questions.

Needless to say, the slow pace of the construction during the last week or so is very frustrating for me, as I am on a time line and will be returning to CT. on August 13th. Mike assures me that he will have the second floor framed by the end of next week. We can only hope and pray that the weather cooperates.

The next large problem is the ordering of the trusses, which Mike was suppose to do last week, but he went on vacation instead. So to date, I do not believe that the trusses have been ordered. Which means that I probably will not see the roof framed while I am here. This is indeed a big disappointment, and I do not know when I will be able to return, just some of the trials and tribulations. I must say that the mountain people have their own time frame and vacations seem to take precedent over work.

We also lost one of the carpenters that came from Michigan. He had worked with Mike at some other job in years past. But last weekend when Mike went on vacation he left and returned to Michigan. But there are some very good carpenters on our job to cover for him.

2008-07-23T21:05:00.000-06:00

View of the crane truck lifting the second piece of steel
Another shoot of the first piece of steel being put into place
Long view of crane
Wheels of the crane are off the ground while it is working

Monday, The first steel for the second floor

2008-07-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

Monday afternoon the crane came back to lift the steel onto the second floor. This piece is over the garage. The worker directing the beam is Chris Smith, Mike Smith's son.
The crane operator gently lowers the beam into the pockets that the carpenters have made in the walls to hold the beam securely.,
Alonger view of the steel coming down for the garage.
The steel is directed into the pocket.

Eldora Garden Tour Saturday, July 19

2008-07-17T19:40:00.001-06:00

I have been asked to paint during the Eldora Garden Tour this coming Saturday. I went out to one of the gardens this morning and it was spectacular. I am really looking forward to this experience. Here I am at the rushing creek that runs through Eldora.
I went on this short hike with Nikki, the manicurist and pedicurists from Mountain Rose Hair Care. I was so very pretty out in Eldora, which is where Nikki lives.
This is one of the gardens on the property that we visited today. The garden tour will benefit a Peace Group, will let you know exactly the name tomorrow.
Closer view of the garden. There are at least twelve of this raised gardens with exquisite flowers, lupins, bleeding heart, columbines to die for. All over this area the columbines are going crazy. I have never had much success raising columbines, but they are wild here and seem to flourish. Will post more flower pictures in the next post.

More framing pictures

2008-07-16T20:31:00.001-06:00

Front of the salon from the parking area, shows the closet and front picture window openings.

Front of the salon first floor as it will look from the street. The small concrete wall will be left exposed

Looking toward the east wall of the salon, with the framing laid out for construction tomorrow.

Steel for the second floor was delivere today. The crane is suppose to arrive sometime on Monday to install the second floor steel for the decks and supporting beams.

More framing pictures of the exterior walls

2008-07-16T20:25:00.001-06:00

This is the front entrance to the private quarters. On the right is the opening for the front windows of the salon. The lumber has been laid out for the interior walls, which should be built tomorrow.

Here I am in the salon handicap bathroom walking towards what will be the john.

Looking down the interior of the west wall toward the rear entrance to the private apartment. This window faces west and will give light and ventilation to the hall way.

Front of the salon from the interior looking east. The holes on the top of the east wall are for the windows of the salon to let in light and for ventilation. The large opening in the front is for the windows over the concrete wall. The door to the salon is directly behind the sawhorses. Hopefully, by tomorrow the interiior walls on the first floor will be done so that we can start getting a feel for the size and configuration of the salon area. It is getting easier and easier to picture what the space will look like.

More Crane and wall lifting

2008-07-16T20:08:00.000-06:00

After the walls are built on the deck, the crane raises the walls. The walls on the garage were raised first. They are on the right of the picture and are being held in place by supports until they can be properly aligned.

Getting ready to raise the west wall

The raising of the west wall.

Another view of the garage and wing wall.

A Little Out of Order, The Framing of the walls

2008-07-16T20:01:00.000-06:00

The walls are laid out on the subflooring and the are built laying down. They will be raised by the crane, which I have shown earlier.

The lumber for the walls

The shoe and the header are laid out before the exterior 6X10's are cut

Close up of the processed used to construct the exterior walls.

Raising the Walls

2008-07-16T19:39:00.002-06:00

The crane arrived yesterday to raise the first floor walls. Mountainside Crane Service is the one that Mike Smith, Lost Elk Builders uses for his jobs.

This is Ed the crane operator and owner he is supervising the lifting of the walls.

Starting the raise the West wall

Building the walls

2008-07-13T19:41:00.002-06:00

Mike Smith working very hard to get the framing of the walls ready for the crane the next day. It was very hot with no wind, so very hard work for all the crew.

Bo, Mike's dog is very hot also and could use some shade.

The walls are being laid out for the workers to build.

The Framing is starting

2008-07-13T19:10:00.000-06:00

I have finally made to Nederland to see the construction first hand. First thing is putting in the floor joists. This is the layout for the salon. The steel beam is in the middle of the floor and provides support for the first floor as well as transfers weight from the second floor when it is built.
This picture shows how a floor joist is hung from what is called the shoe.
Behind the pile of rocks we see David and Chris ( Mike Smith's son working hard at cutting some of the lumber for the framing.
This is Brendon, who came Michigan to help Mike with this project. He is an experienced carpenter and we are very happy to have him on board. He and his wife Gemma are living with Mike. Gemma actually found this blog on Google search.

They pulled the forms for the foundation

2008-07-03T17:51:00.000-06:00

Tuesday the forms were removed from the foundation and we can not get an idea of what the building is going to look like.
This photo shows the knee wall in the front of the shop. The smooth cement will be exposed and windows will go above it. The rough looking cement below will be covered with dirt. The door to the shop is facing the fence.
This is the east side of the building. Eventually there will be a porch here for the private entrance. But it takes a bit of imagination to envision what will be happening. The angle of this phone reflects the 3D image on the introduction, just as a point of reference.
This is the rear of the building from the alley. The entrance to the garage is on the right side and you are looking at the wall of the entrance to the private residence and a hallway. But it will be more visible in weeks to come when the framing starts.

The framing should starts next week, most likely on Monday, when the steel beams and the floor joists will be installed. So have a great 4th. I will be traveling to Nederland from LaGuardia in New York City on the 4th and hope to be there in time for the fireworks. See everyone next week.

MyFox Colorado | Nederland Conserving Water After Major Leak

2008-06-27T12:29:00.001-06:00

MyFox Colorado Nederland Conserving Water After Major Leak

Click on the link above and then look for the video on the right hand side of the page down in the middle, it says VIDEOS, then click on the video, first there is a commercial (so what's new) then they go into the story. The story includes video of Robbin in the shop, and it is her voice at the end, which is so.... funny. Check it out.

UPDATE ON WATER LEAK

2008-06-26T20:30:00.003-06:00

Please keep updated by going to the following link

http://www.town.nederland.co.us/index.php/

The last update posted at 7:15 indicated that the leak has been fixed but that water conservation is still being requested, as it will take 3 to 4 days for the water levels to come up to fire safety standards.

This is a great website for residents of the town and probably should be kept in your favorites for future reference.

BIG NEWS-NOT GOOD FOR NEDERLAND

2008-06-26T20:15:00.003-06:00

Unfortunately, the water system in Nederland sprung a BIG LEAK. They were losing 80,000 gallons of water a day. The town has asked everyone to please CONSERVE WATER, till they can fix the leak.

There is a possibility that the town could run out of water, but the Public Works department is working diligently to stop the leak.

Channel 31 from Denver came into Robbin's Shop, Mountain Rose Hair Care, to see how she was conserving water. They hooked her up with a mike for the interview and she demonstrated what she could do to try to help out the situation with her clients.

Hopefully it will air tonight on the 9:00 news. Will let you know more tomorrow.

For more information, check the left side of this blog for local news from various papers. One of the papers is here in Hartford, Ct., so this is BIG NEWS for a little town

More forms for pouring the foundation

2008-06-26T11:12:00.003-06:00

Wednesday evening around 8:15, Robbin had a chance to go over to the side and take some pictures from the last several days.

It looks like Thursday or Friday will be the pouring of the foundation. All the boards are up and ready to go.

This is really getting to the exciting part, and soon it will start to look like a building. Next week I would predict that the framing of the first deck will start.

It's A Quiet Time Right Now

2008-06-22T15:58:00.002-06:00

Mike has taken a mini vacation till Tuesday, so we are enjoying this down time. More next week.

WEDNESDAY WAS CEMENT DAY

2008-06-19T19:52:00.002-06:00

The lilacs are blooming and the cement trucks have arrived to pour our footers.
Don't know their names but they work for our concrete company Tomas Construction. They are waiting to get to work pouring.
The cement truck is pouring concrete into the pumper to pump to the farthest part of the building.
Now the guys are getting started spreading the cement from the pumper.

More pictures tomorrow on the pour, but it looks good.

More Footer Pictures

2008-06-17T18:22:00.002-06:00

This shows the footers on the west side of the building
Footers along the east side by the garage
Stepping of the footers from the garage to the main building
An overview of the layout. Looks like a maze, but will make more sense when they get to the walls of the foundation.

THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE HOLE-THE FOOTINGS

2008-06-16T18:21:00.003-06:00

Robbin appeared at the site today to find the footings formed and ready to go. EJ and Adam from Arch 11 came up from Boulder to inspect and advise. This is the hardest part of construction getting the building out of the ground. Mike Smith from Lost Elk Builders is in charge and he is doing a good job. He will follow the instructions of the architect and bring something new on the earth that never existed before. It is the birth of something new for Mountain Rose Hair Care and Nederland.

NEW HOME OF MOUNTAIN ROSE HAIR CARE

2008-06-13T21:07:00.003-06:00

Robbin designed and put up the sign for THE FUTURE HOME OF MOUNTAIN ROSE HAIR CARE. This is a great idea, as now everyone will know what is happening on 2nd St. Not just the readers of this blog.

AND NOW A DEEPER HOLE

2008-06-13T20:59:00.002-06:00

Footing for the rear of the garage.
Len Cole finished digging the footings yesterday. This is the hole for the footing for the garage.

GOOD NEWS-THE NEW NED GAZETTE features Mountain Rose Hair Care in their on-line edition

2008-06-12T21:29:00.005-06:00

Nikki and Robbin in front of the sign for Mountain Rose Hair Care. Note the great scissors that won Robbin the best Christmas decorations in a contest at Christmas time this year.
Robbin and Nikki inside the store posing for their picture in a wonderful article written by Marti Lajoie for The Ned Gazette. The Ned Gazette is now published solely on the internet. Please visit www.thenedgazette.com for the entire article.
One of the paintings in Robbin's shop done by her Mother, Pat Everson.

This is the present home of Mountain Rose Hair Care. You can find Robbin and Nikki working diligently here Tuesday through Saturday.

Nothing today, but it did SNOW--What did you say the date was?????

2008-06-11T21:27:00.004-06:00

No progress today, but Robbin said that it SNOWED. Nothing stuck as the ground is warm, but it is hard to image in June.

Yes there is a hole

2008-06-10T20:20:00.003-06:00

View of the start of the building from 2nd street
West side of the building
Looking from the alley to 2nd Street.See the following posts which show how we got here.c

A pile of dirt and boulders

2008-06-10T20:08:00.003-06:00

As Lynn clears the lot he piles the dirt up to use later. This is a pretty big pile
Well, it is obvious where Boulder County gets it name. The soil tests we had done indicated river rock and that is what we have, but big ones. I guess we will have to find a place for these lovely boulders.
The end of the day. Hopefully tomorrow he will come back and dig the footings. It was a hard days work today.

The Project is started

2008-06-10T20:03:00.005-06:00

Robbin arrived this morning to see machinery. Len Cole is our excavator. He comes from the south, Rollinsville.
Mike checks with Len to work out the particlars to start the digging and clearing of the property
Here is Len working on his machine. He is very much at home . The hole is started.

What is this Rock????

2008-06-09T19:17:00.005-06:00

This is a strange rock that is on the property. The builder Mike thinks it might be from a mine or something. It definately have man made marks on it. Perhaps tomorrow we will find out how big it is and what is under it. Lets hope there are not too many rocks, but it is the rocky mountains.

Here we are again, waiting to start. This is the hardest part of the job, getting everything together and bringing it out of the ground. The surveyor set the corner stakes and the set back stakes. The carpenter will now set his boards so he can measure back to put the stakes back after the excavator has dug up everything. Mike is out there as a post weed wacking the grass and setting up his marker.

EJ and Mike will be meeting at 8:30 with the excavator so go over things.

YEAH!!! THE SURVEYORS CAME

2008-06-06T22:39:00.003-06:00

The surveyor set his transit up in the street to start placing the building on the lot. They will set the corners and the sides of the building as we are very close to our set back lines and want to be sure that we do not go over.
These stakes show the side of the building to the east, Dr Fixit's property is to the left. Note how wonderfully green the grasses are.
This is a wider view showing the stakes on the right for the west side of the building and the back.
Our trusted surveyors, Chris and Bart. Note that the date today is June 6, 2008, but they still are bundled up in their hats and vests. They were there early this morning and I think that it warmed up later in the day. The day was very bright and windy. In the other pictures, you can almost see the grasses waving in the wind. Always the west wind in the mountains

Possible start tomorrow

2008-06-05T21:34:00.003-06:00

No picture today, but keep your fingers crossed we have finally had a
commitment from the surveyor that he will be there first thing in the
morning. The excavator is also scheduled for the afternoon. So we may have a go....

It has been a rough start to date, with many paper hold ups. I still have to get a finalized contract to the builder.

Time to also order the windows, but would love to see something coming out of the ground before I make that commitment. Hope it does not rain.

Reviewing the plans

2008-06-05T04:49:00.002-06:00

Mike goes over the plans on the site at the ground breaking on Monday. Last night we had a conference call and reviewed the plans in detail for three hours. My ear just about fell off. But we successfully worked out many details.
Mike reviews the plans with some of his employees
Everyone gets a peek at the plans that are hot off the press. This is the first time that many have seen them, as Adam, E.J and I have been working for all these years (yes it has been years) to perfect them, so that hopefully there will not be many changes as we go along. The Town Manager, Jim Stevens, is looking at the 3D images that we have on this blog. Mike told me last night that he really liked the looks of the building and feels that it will be good for Nederland.

The building will blend with it surrounding environment. One of the principals that I have used in the new building and remodeling that I have done in the past, is to try to fit the project into the neighborhood. In this case, a lot of what I really like in a home or business, I was not able to use.

Nederland has it own unique personality. Having arisen out of the needs of a mining community, a lot of the things that decorated homes in Boulder or Denver and even Gilpin County are not present in Nederland.

The buildings are more utilitarian and functional, I guess the new word is organic. In actuality, the people did not have the money or the ability to transport superficial decorations up into the mountains, they had to concentrate their energy and money for more useful things. Therefore,
Nederland grew from roots of functionality.

After a fire many years ago, the town had to be rebuilt. At that time they had a change to upgrade somewhat. One can now see influences around town of a more decorative style of architecture.

Arch 11, and I have striven to incorporate many of these influences into this building. We sincerely hope that we have succeeded and from all the comments that I have heard we certainly are headed in the right direction.

Kathy and the Sage Ceremony

2008-06-03T19:22:00.004-06:00

Kathy, our neighbor and fellow artist, holds the sage that she will be burning for good luck and blessing. Robbin finished her hair and she looks great.
Kathy holding the burning sage and going through the ceremony of North, South, East and West.
More ceremony with the mayor and Jim Stevens looking on.

Ground Breaking Activities On June 2nd

2008-06-03T18:14:00.002-06:00

The group gathers for the ground breaking and other activities on Monday, June 2nd at 11:00. Robbin is the second from the left. The dog, Bo, belongs to the builder,Mike Smith who is holding the plans in the second row. Beside Mike is his son, Chris, he is the really tall guy in the back row. On the left of Mike, is Pat, who works for Mike. There are three representatives from Arch11, Inc in the front row.
Looking at what is happening is our neighbor Chris otherwise known as DR FIXIT. He and his son are on the left . In front of the truck is Pat, Chris and David who work with the builder, Mike Smith.
Going over what is to happen next is Marci, From the Laundromat, our new neighbor from across the street on the corner, Kathy from down the street and Robbin.

Corner of Snyder and E 2nd Street

2008-06-01T21:30:00.003-06:00

We have arrived at the corner of E 2nd and Snyder Street. This corner has Guy Newton's beautiful building. He is the local vet. PEAK TO PEAK VETERINARIAN. I am sure in this small mountain town there are plenty of animals that need his care. Especially dogs. Must be as many dogs here as there are people.
On the side of the building facing Snyder Street is the Jacquie's Gift and Pottery Shop. I have not had the opportunity of browsing here, but am putting that on my to do list when I get back to town.

For the moment we will stop our trip. Tomorrow is the big day. THE GROUND BREAKING. No one is sure what to do, but hopefully the people who come will have an idea. Mike will be bringing the shovels and perhaps the excavator will bring some equipment. Adam from Arch 11, is bringing some champagne, and Robbin will bring a bottle to break on a rock or something. So everyone is excited. There are still odds and ends of paper work to get done, so digging probably will not occurred till later this week or next week.

Next step is the surveyor to place the building on the lot and the REAL DIGGING will begin.

Next stop on our trip down E 2nd Street

2008-05-30T18:31:00.002-06:00

For those of out of town, can you guess what this is ? I am sure that people from Nederland know it very well. I must admit that all the times I was in Nederland, I did not look at the sign on the top. SO>>>>>>>for all of you out of towners here goes>>>>>>>>>
THIS IS THE TUFF SHED CRYOGENIC MAUSOLEUM!!!!!!!!!! Now you might ask what is this, but for those in the know, Nederland is noted for having a dead guy frozen in a tuff shed. Every year in March or April they celebrate FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS. It is a big event and draws people from far and near to celebrate. They have a parade with hearses from everywhere, a coffin race that is a stitch and a Polar Plunge for the really fool hearty. Check out Nederland on a search of Youtube to see some of the follies, they are so funny.

On of the signs on the property is BOATS ON BARKER. Which was another business started by Ron Mitchell one of the major property owners in town to promote boating on the Reservoir. The little that I know it did not work out very well for anyone.

Please note in the distance across the parking lot, which by the way, can be used by the public for parking , is the back of the building where MOUNTAIN ROSE HAIR CARE is presently located. Really just a stone's throw away from Robbin's new location.

ANNOUNCEMENT GROUND BREAKING

2008-05-29T20:18:00.004-06:00

ANNOUNCEMENT Monday, JUNE 2nd
11:00AM

We have set the date, it is offical, we are having a short ground breaking ceremony on Monday. Mike Smith from Lost Elk Builders will be supplying the shovels and hopefully we can find a small piece of land to break. Maybe a bigger piece of machinery will show up.

Anyway, the die is cast and we are off on this building journey. The permit should be ready by Tuesday. So thanks to Eric the building inspector for Nederland for his due diligence.

Hopefully we will see you all there for the kickoff.

Continuing our trip down E2nd street. To see the beginning scroll down.

2008-05-28T20:01:00.004-06:00

Here is where we turn the corner for E. 2nd Street. The art gallery is on the right and up ahead on the left is the local chiropractor's office.
What a cute little blue building. I just love the color. It is a bright spot in the winter I am sure but definately in the spring.
This is the door for help for those aches and pains that I am sure we will have during this project. Dr. Catherine Valen, DC. We may be visiting sooner than later. We are sure glad she is not far away.

Art on 2nd Street

2008-05-27T18:12:00.004-06:00

As we make the turn around the rotary, we spot an art gallery on the right. This is a group gallery called The Artists' Niche. Several artists got together and fixed up the building as a working place and a gallery.

Looks like some interesting things.

Next is the corner for the turn into East 2nd Street, so hang a right here and we will journey down the street to the next attraction.

A Trip Down 2nd Street, Nederland, Colorado

2008-05-26T16:17:00.002-06:00

While we are waiting for a building permit and permission to start excavation, I thought I would take you on a small trip down 2nd Street in Nederland. Most of the emphasis in town is on First Street, the heart of the business district, but 2nd street has a lot to offer.

The first thing that we noticed was that 2nd street is on a great big sign at the rotary just as you come into town. What a great advertisement for those who will be headed for Mountain Rose Hair Care.

The next thing is that 2nd Street also has its own big sign by the highway. So I do not think anyone will get lost trying to find us.

Our journey begins on a big note, SIGNS. No GPS needed here, (probably won't work anyway, NO TOWER. )

Stay tuned for our next stop tomorrow.

Frustration The Beginning

2008-05-22T16:58:00.002-06:00

There is no picture today for our expression of frustration. The building inspector was reviewing the plans with a few questions for the architect, E. J. Meade. These were the final questions for the permit. So I have my fingers crossed that the permit will be issued today or tomorrow.

Mike is busy lining up the surveyor and the excavator so we can start by the 1st of June. I am busy trying to tie up the loose ends in the contract for Mike and I.

Did speak to our new plumbing contractor ACE Plumbing concerning our specifications. Have decided to go with PEX piping rather than the traditional copper. Most people are moving away from copper as leaks have sprung up in various parts of the country and then new plumbing has to be installed which is the PEX, might as well start with it.

So something gets done everyday, but of course we are all eager to go. Everything in it's own good time I suppose.

Maybe it's time for The Pioneer Inn

2008-05-20T20:57:00.002-06:00

Things do not seem to be going very well for the last several days. There were many questions from the building inspector, who is just doing his job, but still frustrating for us, as we would like to break ground.

Difficulty with getting a surveyor, some do not return phone calls, etc. Just another part of building.

Some of the quotes are not in line with the budget we had set, so rebidding is in order for some pieces of the puzzle. Probably par for the course.

So the PIONEER INN a local watering hole looks more inviting all the time. Even though I don't drink.

More to follow.

Why the Mountain Poppy?

2008-05-19T20:40:00.004-06:00

The answer, this painting was accepted into the juried show at the Gilpin County Arts Association. The competition was open to artists from the western states. The show will open June 1st at the Gilpin County Arts Association gallery on Eureka St. Central City.

I saw this wonderful small poppy in a great little garden in Old Town and could not resist painting it. Perhaps you can see into the heart of a flower.

My son has put this image on various articles including a stamp that can be purchased on this website listed on the left. I probably will be ordering the most as I just love it. Also the drawing of Snyder's Garage is available on various articles including a hat. That hat might be great for the summer.

Drawing up contracts with our attorney, Mark Cohen

2008-05-18T22:17:00.004-06:00

This weekend was spent putting together a contract with Mike Smith DBA Lost Elk Builders, our contractor and myself. Due to an increase in his work schedule Mark Cohen, our attorney, asked if it was possible for me to put the contract together for his review. I agreed and here I am.

Although I have never met Mark in person, he has been very gracious and professional in getting the deeds prepared for our lot and transferred to our new company P. E. Investors, LLC. He also helped set up the LLC and got our TIN number. It was really easy, so if you need help in the many types of law that he specializes in he is right here in Nederland at Snyder Street.

Please visit Mark's website, it is exceptional. I love it for the art work which is incredible. What a wonderful collection. His website is http://www.cohenslaw.com/. please give a click and see just how experienced he is. Let us know with a comment.

New 3D Images

2008-05-15T18:28:00.002-06:00

This is the coolest 3D image yet. Adam has placed the building on the land next to Dr. Fixit and included some people on the balcony and the porch. If you click on the picture you can blow it up and really get a sense of scale and proportion. The eaves have also been changed and have been increased to 8 inches, rather than flush. I believe I like this one the best. Please leave me a comment.

Yes, there will be a spring

2008-05-15T14:08:00.004-06:00

This is an acrylic painting that I finished from some pictures of our neighbor Kathy's coneflowers. Last year she had the best roadside garden. Check April 29th post for pictures of her garden last year.

I posted this picture today, to remind one and all that spring will come and then summer. How long they will stay may be in question.

Progress on the project is moving forward. The permitting process is proceeding and we hope to have a positive result by Monday according to the information from E.J. Meade, Arch11, Inc our architect. Here's hoping.

Mike Smith, Lost Elk Builders, is working deligently to get the best pricing available from our subcontractors. He is hoping to have the ground breaking near the end of this month. Very exciting. Will keep you posted.

What's the date today?

2008-05-13T20:28:00.004-06:00

This is what the folks up there in Nederland woke up to this morning. Glad I am still in Florida. These views are on Jackson Street in Old Town, Nederland, Colorado. Hope the snow stops so we can start excavating the foundation. Perhaps there will be a windown in June!!!!

Digital 3D images of the new building

2008-05-09T20:08:00.004-06:00

This is really an exciting time, when you can actually see what the building will look like in 3D and not just the plans.

The architect is Arch11, Inc from Boulder, and our designer was E.J. Meade one of the owners of the firm. In the last several months he has assigned Adam Oklesh as overseer of the project. Adam is new to Boulder and as luck would have it moved from Sarasota, Florida where I live. We are very happy to have him on board. He has been a life saver when E. J. has been tied up with other projects.

I am so happy with the building. I think that it fits the town very well and will be a great addition to the town.

Please leave me your comments on our project, we are eager to hear the reception in the community.

Click on picture for larger view.

Music while you visit

2008-05-08T14:18:00.003-06:00

Just found this fabulous web site Playlist.com and they let you add music to your blog. What a great thing. Hope you enjoy the music. If you have any artists that you just love let me know by leaving a comment. Just click on the comment button below. Hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy the music.

Great news to come later this week.

By the way, the reason for the tunes from Chicago, is that they recorded these songs at Caribou Ranch in Nederland along with many other famous artists in the 1970's. The John Denver song is obvious.

Enjoy.

A Little Bit of History

2008-05-06T19:13:00.004-06:00

One might ask, how did you come to buy this lot in the first place? The answer is with our trusted real estate agent, who worked with Robbin and I tiredlessly to find a place to move her shop. That was several years ago. Nicholas Brodsky was a local agent at the time and living in the area. He was on duty when my son walked in to ask about real estate and it was a go after that. We must have looked at every house in the area where it would be legal for Robbin to live and have her shop in the same house.

Most of the listings at the time, were on 1st, 2nd and 3rd street east. But they were not in good condition and they were expensive in light of the repairs and remodeling that we would have had to do.

Later that year, the Snyder property became available and Nicholas suggested that we buy it for the future. There were three lots, two in the DBD, and the other in Neighorhood Commercial. It seems reasonable that a hair salon in a home would be a good transition occupany and one that the founders would have envisioned. So with Nicholas's expert help we negotiated a fair price and we bought it.

Thank you Nicholas Brodsky for your patience and professionalism. We are listing Nicholas' website on the right if you want to check him out for real estate information in the Nederland Area. He is a property owner on our street and has a deep interest in the future of Nederland. Hopefully your experience will be as good as ours.

Another Drawing, Pedestrian Bridge, Nederland, Co

2008-05-04T18:28:00.004-06:00

While we are waiting for further happenings at 2nd Street, Nederland, Co., I thought I would post some of my paintings and drawings. These can be purchased as note cards at Mountain Rose Hair Care on 1st street. I have other cards there for sale of interesting subjects in Nederland. Check back often and leave comments, so we know that you are watching.

Contractor is chosen

2008-05-02T18:23:00.002-06:00

We have finally picked the contractor that we feel would be the best for this project. It is Mike Smith from Lost Elk Builders. He is a local builder and has been in Nederland for a long time. We had hoped to find someone from the community that would be able to handle this project and feel very confident in this person and his company.

We would like to thank the people who spent so much time and effort bidding on this project. They were all very caring and thorough in their bids. They are: Juniper Associates, LLC, Navaraes Construction, and Paul Taylor .

Those that have web sites you can find their address on the left of this post. Please consider any one of them for your upcoming projects. They were all good and competitive.

May 1st Snow, Nederland, Colorado

2008-05-01T13:20:00.007-06:00

Robbin went out this morning and took this picture, as I wanted a picture of the lot in Nederland before anything took place. But I did not realize that it would have snow 5 - 6 inches. For those of us who live in Florida this is quite amazing so late in the year. Last frost must be in June sometime. I have not looked up the gardening zone yet, but I think that it is 3 or 4. Anyway want to leave a comment and let me know?

Please explore the various opportunities presented while you are visiting this site. Also we have added a video unit that shows Youtube content relevant to Colorado, any comments?

Drawing of Snyder's Garage, Nederland, Co

2008-04-30T21:21:00.004-06:00

Another of our neighbors on 2nd Street in Nederland, Colorado. This is a drawing that I completed this year of Snyder's Garage. Our lot originally belonged to the Snyder family and is directly behind this building. We hope to incorporate some of the feeling of the building in our building to compliment the neighborhood.

Still working on bids and permits

2008-04-29T18:49:00.002-06:00

While we are working on bids and permits, I am posting some pictures of the neighbors on E 2nd Street. The first is diagonally across the street. The next is at the reservoir end of the street and is a lovely street garden that I photographed in September when I was there. Finally a lovely art Gallery further to the west. Just a taste of E 2nd Street, in the smalling mining town of Nederland, Co

The Bids are in

2008-04-24T13:14:00.005-06:00

This is a view down E 2nd Street looking toward Barker Reservoir. Our lot is past the corner after the stop sign.

I will be posting pictures of the surrounding area of our project during this phase of the process.

We are finished with the plans and have let the project out for bids with local contractors. All of them have done a lot of work to get us the best possible pricing and I will be making a decision by next week. I know that there are many rumors around town concerning my decision, but check back next week to find out who it will be.

The Beginning of a new building in Nederland, Colorado

2008-04-18T18:32:00.001-06:00

This is the lot as it looked in September 2007 when I was there with the architect, E J Meade from Arch11, Inc in Boulder. The shots are taken looking from E 2nd Street to the South in Nederland, Colorado. The building will face E 2nd Street, with the hair salon, Mountain Rose Hair Care on the first floor and Robbin's apartment and my studio on the second floor.