Operation SOS - Part 4

Lots to update here, but it's finally stopped trying to rain and I should head back outside, so I'm going to rely on pictures more than words to show what we've been up to around here the past two days.

First - the springhouse after the work earlier this spring:

 

Our masons did an amazing job making and installing the new door:

Tuesday we kept busy clearing overzealous trees and branches away from the building.  I spent much of my time sanding and priming while my mom removed several areas of rotted wood.  Here's the sill of the back window just before she removed it:

This back window had one original sash still in it.  When mom removed it she noticed that around the edge a thin strip of the original paint color remained.  We were both thrilled to see that it is very similar to the color I am putting back on the springhouse's woodwork.  The old paint is on right edge of the sill in the below picture (the door frame in the background has the new color on it).

Springhouse with door and window frame primed and painted:



Yesterday's work was backbreaking.  The first few hours I spent beginning to remove the plaster ceiling in the springhouse:

I had walnuts (and heaven knows what else) falling on my head until my dad arrived with his backhoe and we switched to a different job.  Here's a picture looking along the front of the springhouse before my dad began digging:

Over time, erosion has carried so much dirt down this hill that the ground was about 2 feet higher than the threshold of the springhouse door.  The plan is to dig out a walkway level with the springhouse floor, and build a stone retaining wall to hold back the higher ground.  So the digging began:

Once the backhoe had done it's worst, mom and I set in with shovels.  Here's my mom working on the trench for the drainage tile:

We tackled tree roots:

And we tackled rocks:

Lots of rocks:

The barn kittens kept us company on a nearby stump:

And, finally, here's a picture with the drainage tile in place, just before we quit for the night: