I wanted to update everyone on the things going on around the dome. It is August in Texas so it is hot and dry. I am crazy as a loon! Well it is actually the Plant Sheds fault. Who can pass up 5 gallon Crepe Mrytles for $7.88? Along with 3 gallon Yaupon Holly bushes for the same and Periwinkles for .29 cents. My love of flowers has failed me again! I decided it was time to start the flag garden that I had been wanting. I had gotten the flag and pole on clearance from Home Depot last summer. I began the process by clearing out the area of as many weeds and such as I thought needed. I had Peter dig a hole for the flag pole but we wound up moving it and used the 1st hole for a plant. I recruited Jim after work to set the pole into concrete for me. The next day I started to dig holes for the plants, yes in August, I told you that I am crazy when I could have been inside the nice comfy dome. I need to recruit Jim again to set the metal edging into place. That will have to wait; he is out of town for work. Then I will finish up the mulching. You can see some more pictures in the landscaping section. The good news is that I have not gotten poison ivy from this.....hopefully not "yet."

Jim started a tree house for the boys in the back yard. He is using the first copula that he designed for the roof as the house. He decided that he no longer likes the design and will build a different style. I guess it is good that it never made it to the top of the dome. The boys are happy but it did not get finished before Jim had to leave for work for a week. They all will work on it at a later date. I suggust fall when it is not so stinking hot. We have plenty of work to do inside in the AC. It just gets old sometimes and we want a change of pace.

We started our school year this past Monday. Last year because of the move we started after Labor Day. Wow !it is hard to believe that we have lived here a week shy of a year. We started the school year last year in the dining room because the upstairs did not have a floor or stairway. It is good to be in the school room with drywall, a rug on the floor and curtains. The changes throughout this year have been tremendous. I look back at the pictures and say "OH MY" we have done alot. With the good Lords help we will get done soon.

We have sold the rest of the left over bar joist's and were able to hang a disk swing for the boys off the tree in that part of the yard. The joists were in the way before and too heavy to move without very good reason. If you look in the fence pictures I think you can see the burn pile has grown alot this weekend. It has been windy so NO burning yet this spring. This gives us more time to add trimmings from other trees needing to be trimmed.

I have been looking for a media center for our living room. It turns out that I found the style I was looking for on Craigs List. The bad news, the measurements that I was given or conveyed over the phone where not accurate and I didn't check them when I picked it up. When we got it into the house to our entertainment wall the new piece was one foot too long.  Jim made the original doorway smaller to accommodate the media center and created a new doorway in the entry way that will be wide enough to bring in our oak computer desk.This turned out to be a nice mistake! We like the open effect much better! We can see the pretty window now. The kids and the dogs (especially) like being able to run through that part of the dome. There is still room in the entry way for the antique armoire serving as the coat closet. Jim had to rewire the ceiling fan/ light and put three way switches at each entry way in to computer room. He still needs to make the arch for the doorway.

 Jim has been working on the surround sound wiring. After running 250 feet of the wire he decided it was a good idea to make sure it was working properly before drywalling. All systems checked out and it sounds GREAT!

We have lived in our dome for 4 weeks now. Things have come a long way since move in day. We are still not a home but do have the things needed. The window air conditioner is keeping the downstairs around 76-78 degrees so it is comfortable. The upstairs is a bit warmer because there are no fans yet to circulate the air up there. We aren't up there for anything except working and taking showers. We hope to start getting the stair railings up soon but know it will take alot of work. Anyone want to help paint 130 ballasters??? Or have any good ideas on how to paint them quickly with out drips. 

The boys have made a bike path around the dome. They have ramps up unto the porches and then back down after they are across. It is dangerous to walk out the door but they are having a blast. It is good exercise and I know they will miss this freedom when we get flower beds put in.

 We feel blessed to be able to live here...well most days...while we are building. This is one of the main reasons that we bought a lot in "country." 

Keep checking our webpage to see progress and call or email if you want to come by and work, oh I mean see the dome.