Three weeks in and we've accomplished an amazing amount of work at "Tangledweed". Missed four days of work because of a late winter snow storm but Rick continues to crack the whip, moving the process along quickly. Here's what we've accomplished: 1. Front porch dismantled and mostly rebuilt. Just waiting for the Stockbridge building inspector, Ned Baldwin, to inspect the work before putting down the new deck boards and trim it out. Staging is gone and the porch is rock-solid!

Wouldn't you expect to be sagging a bit at age 130? Maybe you're even younger than 130 and starting to sag? Well, for you there might not be an easy fix but for the summer kitchen at the Palmer/Loveless Farm there are jacks and staging to fix that slump. Rick Houldsworth, the carpenter who never stops moving, decided to attack the sagging ceiling over the summer kitchen. Here are a few pictures of the very cool space prior to repairs: All personal effects of the Loveless fami

Below is a link to the hand written history of the Palmer family and another link to pictures from the Palmer family days of ownership. Written by Mabel J. Palmer on the occasion of transferring ownership of the farm to the Loveless family in 1957. The house is now nearly 130 years old and I'm it's third owner. We are all just guardians of these old houses until the next generation comes along. When you read Mabel's words you'll be transported back in time to a simpler time.

You know the old joke that "A boat is a hole in the ocean that you pour money into"? Well here is a hole in the ground with the same M.O. The old bulkhead rotted away and the basement is quite damp. You'd be damp too if you had a river running through you. Jimmy & Digger on the job to block off the flow and close up the hole. The house was built before city supplied water so large cisterns were constructed in the basement to gather rain water that came off the roof. No one to

Big orange mixer arrives on March 9 to pour footings for porch support posts. "Digger" (looking stylish in the tan overalls) and Jimmy Leahey prepare to direct the concrete into the holes Jimmy dug earlier. Jimmy corrects the shoot. Digger and Jimmy direct the flow of the concrete into forms designed to ultimately support the posts. #Dayeight

Day one! Signed the papers at noon on March 1, 2017 and headed right to the house to begin swinging hammers. Expert carpenter, Rick Houldsworth, was waiting at the house, anxious to get to work. First order of business was securing this porch, which has a bit of a slant to it. Rick suggested we needed to secure the thing right away. Permit pulled, old rotted wood deck ripped away on day one, staging in place to hold up the roof. Took a bit of time to lift the roof back into i

This is an attempt to track the absurd story of a middle aged empty-nester as he tries to resurrect an 1888 Victorian Farmhouse. Come join me in my journey as I meet the good people of Stockbridge, Massachusetts and surrounding towns. Celebrate the small victories (and curse the inevitable setbacks) as I undertake a sympathetic restoration of the Palmer/Loveless farmhouse! #TANGLEDWEED