Minor Prep (+ terrible accident overted)

What a beautiful Saturday. The thermometer may have only gotten in to the high 40's (F), but the sky was blue and the sun, warming.  We picked up some primed trim boards for the front door at HomeDepot on our way up.

While I trimmed out the front door in preparation for wood siding, Katie painted and caulked the somewhat mangled metal flashing covering the lower beam by the front steps.

I made a makeshift table saw to rip the trim pieces by duct taping the circular saw upside down the saw horse. No fence, so I freehanded the pieces.

Nailing the trim pieces to the door frame.

Katie's selfie of the work area on the front porch.

The work area. 

See that ladder to the left leaned up against the side of the house? 

This was the site of our almost-very-serious accident: I was finishing up the caulking on the ladder. (Katie's still a novice caulker). When I began to step down, the top of the ladder pulled away from house and I began to tip over backward. Katie was right there, dropped everything in her hands and pushed the ladder back against the wall.  If she had not been there, I would have tipped over backward, tumbling over the railing and on to the concrete pad and rocks below. Crisis mercifully overted. (We said a prayer of gratitude afterward.)

Katie painted the nicks and gouges in the metal flashing on the beam, then caulked around the square washers.

Next weekend is our BIG weekend. The Hardie Panel arrives this week. We'll borrow a large truck from a friend (and a handful of friends) and cart the panels up to the site and install them on the upper story in front. Our can lights also arrive this week. They'll also come up along with some rigid foam insulation, all to go in the cantilevered ceiling overhang. Once installed, we'll install the Ipe wood on the underside of the cantilever and in the door alcove.

If you are interested in helping on October 20th, please consider yourself invited.