Phase One - Bathroom Remodel Update and an Airborne Accident

I am pleased to announce that the bathroom remodel is progressing and hopefully we will soon have a brand new, plumbed. indoor toilet and a freshly tiled shower with a new bathtub.  Yeah!  Corey did a marvelous job of getting the bathroom ready for the tiler.  The bathtub actually sits about 3-4 inches below the sub floor, so he had to do some creative thinking to get everything matched up for the tile to be laid on a firm, smooth floor.

subway tile in the shower

black and white octagons on the floor

We are about five days in on using a composting toilet.  Corey installed it in the utility room.  We thought about renting a port-a-potty unit, but they only rent by the month and we thought that having an extra, back-up, emergency toilet might come in handy anyway.  It is definitely an interesting experience.  I can't say that it is my preferred method of eliminating waste, but it is better than having to find a safe place in the woods in the deep dark of night.

The outdoor shower is a big hit!  Some of us actually prefer outdoor showering to indoor showering.  It took a few days to figure out how to get the water temperature just right.  At first the bather needed to have a helper standing by to adjust the water faucet knobs on the utility sink.  The helper had to stay close to an open window and listen carefully to orders shouted out by the vulnerable showerer, "Too hot, turn up the cold!" or "It's freezing, turn down the cold!"

Five satisfied showerers

Part of the initial problem was that once the helper started turning she would usually forget which way was "on" and which way was "off".  As you can imagine the poor bather was subject to some pretty extreme temperature changes!  We also had to wait for the temperature to change after each adjustment because the hose is about 75 feet long. But all that was last week, now that we are pros most of us no longer need a helper.  Corey is the brave one, he usually takes his shower at night.  At first he would make Willa (our dog) go outside with him, but now he is comfortable going solo with just his battery-operated lantern.  He loves showering under the bright stars every night.  We like this new experience so much that we would like to build a permanent outdoor shower that we can use during the summer months.

You may have noticed Issac's huge face scab in the above picture.  Last night when I was grilling pork chops he and Asa made a bike ramp at the bottom our hill.  Asa volunteered to be the first contestant in the "Let's see who can break his neck first" game, but fortunately Isaac showed enough wisdom to hold his little brother back and give his own body as the first sacrifice.

This picture was taken the day after the incident at the scene of the accident.

Lillia figured that something other than the boys' wildest dreams would come true and stayed on the scene to provide first aide.

This is how far  Isaac landed from the ramp - about 12 feet

Lillia, our eye-witness reported that Isaac flew over his handle bars and apparently skidded across the grass and dirt by the looks of his face.

Another day of adventure at Haefen.

Thankfully Isaac is not badly hurt.  He feels stiff and sore today.  His eye is swollen and he did chip a tooth, but nothing else is broken.  Isaac did say that he probably will not be riding his bike down the hill for a while.