Retirement

Shopping For Granite

granite-slabs.jpgWe’re having our house custom built and with all new fixtures and furnishings. I told Damsel that she would have the flexibility to select whatever she liked. One of her wishes is to have granite counter tops in the kitchen and both bathrooms.

Our contractor recommended a tile and granite place in Glendale, AZ, so we went there and started the process for the custom granite counter tops. Part of the process is to select the exact slabs of granite to use. To do that, we had to drive a few miles to a place that has a warehouse full of granite slabs.

Damsel and I walked up and down aisles and aisles of the huge slabs looking for the right colors and patterns of the natural granite to suit her taste. Finally, we both liked the slabs pictured above and decided to place the order. Click on the image to enlarge.

The next step is our contractor will furnish the specific dimensions and we will select the finish for the edges of the counter tops. We’re making a lot of progress on the new house this week.

Lake Pleasant

We can be at Lake Pleasant in less than an hour from our new house in Arizona. I took this photo in July of this year. It was a little too warm that day for a picnic, so we just did some sightseeing before we drove back to town. It is indeed a pleasant lake and state park. Click on the image to enlarge.

lake-pleasant.jpg

Home Sweet Home – Almost

frame.jpgThe contractor we commissioned to build our new home in Arizona has really come through. We were out to the construction site today and walked through some of the particulars with him today. We settled on locations for computers, TVs, special requests (like installing a gun safe) and a myriad of choices for cabinets, doors, finishing hardware and styles that the Damsel selected since she has the artistic talent in the family.

Image: The new home as of September 7, 2010 – click on the image to enlarge

The best thing about this project is that we have met most of the people supplying and working on the new build. Our contractor assembled a great crew from trusted sources and not the lowest bidder. We made a lot of progress toward realizing our new home today.

The framing should be done this week in spite of the Labor Day holiday. Next week, the electricians, plumbers (gas and water) plus other tradesmen will show up to do their collective magic. We can hardly wait!

Arizona Home Progress

dig-it.jpg

We have been waiting since May for this day. The permits and arrangements are in place and at last the builder is preparing the lot for the foundation. I posted about the groundbreaking on the other site, but I wanted to publish this photo that Damsel took of our contractor finishing the trench for the garage foundation. Click on the image to enlarge.

Vulture Peak

vulture-peak.jpgWe decided to take the scenic route down to Buckeye, Arizona from Wickenburg to shop at Wal-Mart and Lowes. We’re looking for furnishings for the new house – ranges, ovens, refrigerators, laundry appliances etc. plus we needed to pick up a few supplies for our stay here in Arizona this week.

On the way down Vulture Mine Road, we passed through a very scenic area with saguaro cactus, ocotillo, cholla, creosote and palo verde dominated by rugged and imposing Vulture Peak. I believe there is a hiking trail leading to this interesting volcanic mountain peak.

Image – Vulture Peak – click image to enlarge.

Desert Caballeros Corner

Our new town features a very Western motif in the downtown area. The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is at the corner of Wickenburg Way and Tegner which is the intersection of U.S. Hwys 60 and 93, right in the heart of the old downtown area. The bronze sculpture in the center is called “Thanks For The Rain” and features a cowboy reverently kneeling next to his horse. Click on the image to enlarge Damsel’s photo.

desert-caballeros.jpg

By the way, if you’re interested in nerdy 3D images, we put an anaglyph image of the sculpture on the family site. You will need red/cyan or red/blue 3D glasses to view it.