You should know that a general contractor (I'll call him T.B. for "The Builder") is the one who is actually building the house, but one of the reasons I chose him as a builder is that he encourages me to be as involved as I can in decisions and even in some of the labor.

It's been a long and difficult project for me, and there have been many times I've wondered what on earth led me to tackle it. But it's also been incredibly rewarding and educational, and I know that the end result will be much more than just a house -- it will be my dream home, and I'll love it all the more because of what I've put into it.

Why do I call it "the Ledge"? Well, I learned to kayak on the South Fork back in 1987, and tried to learn to surf in this little hole called "Lotus Ledge." (Still have a scar to prove it!) When I looked at riverfront property in 1993, I fell in love with this parcel partly because Lotus Ledge was on the downstream boundary of it, and I have called the parcel "the Ledge" ever since. As it happens, the flood of January, 1997, washed out Lotus Ledge, but the name still sticks. Pictured right are some of the wonderful old oak trees on the property, with the river in the background. This is my view from the south side of the house. Yes, I know I am a lucky person.

I'll try to update things regularly but I'm a working stiff so please don't complain if I get sidetracked for a few weeks or months. And wish us luck!

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on anything I say in this web site. I'm not a licensed or even unlicensed contractor, and barely know how to use a hammer. So don't believe anything I say unless you check it out for yourself.

You can click on almost any picture in the pages below to see a larger version of the image.