Fireplace - Almost Finished!

                 Been a long couple of weeks with all the mess and trying to protect all my plants from the boards and bricks and workers. Seems I finally get the farmhouse looking really nice and then another project starts and we're back to square one. 
 

                       As you can see, a lot has been accomplished. Jake cut the hole through the roof yesterday and that portion of the chimney will be built and then all we need is the pretty part . . . the stone.

                            A lot going on inside, too.  Another mess. UGH

                               Almost there!  The stone and hearth are about all that is needed to finish inside. Just hope my andirons will fit inside this tiny fireplace.

                       Just for fun last night I placed the mantle and the portrait just to get a feel for how it will look.  Our mason is in his 70s and he is about the last of a dying trade, so I am glad we decided to bite the bullet and pay the money to get this done. It's going to make the place!

Fireplace

                     The fireplace work has begun, and I'm both excited and nervous watching holes being cut into the wall and next through the roof. I cannot watch! 

                   I have the hardest time keeping workers' "stuff" off my plants, asking them to steer clear of my huge Eden rose, and we can forget about the grass I've been trying to get growing.  That's the part of construction I really hate. All my daffodils are up with buds, I removed buckets and boards and shovels from being on top of them and taped off the area last night.
 

                     Now to remove all the dirt and gravel they dug up for the footings.  Seems we pay a lot of money and we still have a lot of work to do ourselves.  

                   They left the job last night and didn't even cover the hole! Bob and I put up some thick plastic so the nighttime wildlife wouldn't be hanging out in the living room. My luck I would come down and a bear would be on the sofa LOL.  

              I know I have to go through this part to get to the end, and I know I will LOVE having a fireplace with my old painted mantle and antique andirons, but I will be stressed until it's all finished. 

                At least we will have plenty of firewood from a recent tree that crashed and barely missed the cars. We need to get our guy with his splitter back out here to get it all cut and stacked.  Stay tuned!!