December/January/February Project Goes into March

Today has been a stressful day at the Americus Garden Inn. In order for the siding to be removed from the exterior of the Veranda Suite, the electricity to the house needed to be disconnected so the electric receptacles could be safely moved. This is how we started the day. But, it was very damp and cloudy (sunny off and on) and looked like it might rain any second. Remember to click the photos for a larger view. Do you see where the electric connects to the two boxes (shown above) through the tube and across the low roof to the pole?
They started removing the old siding while we waited for Georgia Power to disconnect the electric.

When the guys are in demolition mode, things usually go pretty fast.

Georgia Power arrived.

He clipped the electric cables to the house.

Work started immediately on removing the electric boxes as we did not want the electricity to be off for too long.

The men continued to remove the old siding.

At around noon, this is how far the work has progressed.

The new insulation was installed.

The area was wrapped in Tyvek.

That is as far as they got.

It is a good thing that we do not have anyone staying with us tonight or tomorrow as there is no electricity in the house. Of course, that would be a more authentic 1847 experience...

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn B&B blog and following along with our project. When it is all done, we will be so happy!

Cowbirds in Americus

Yesterday afternoon, the cowbirds descended upon the trees in our yard.I watched through the kitchen window as flock after flock joined the others in the pecan tree.
As the new birds joined the group, they all would slightly rearrange themselves.

If you can imagine these photos in one of those old fashioned books where you would flip the pages to see movement, that is how they are intended.

If you click on the photos you can see a larger image and you will realize how many birds are really in the tree.

Our guests were outside taking photos of the birds, too. Outside, the birds were deafeningly loud.

And, just when it seems like the tree couldn't possibly hold another bird

They all took off at the same time for another tree.

There were birds flying from all different directions, swirling through the sky, and they all landed on another pecan tree in my neighbor's yard. Dusk was just falling.

Once again, they all took flight at precisely the same time.

I stood outside with our guests just watching in amazement as the birds took to the sky. It was one big blur of birds and they were gone.

Although cowbirds are not exactly my favorite birds, they stay still long enough to take a photo with my camera!

Hope you enjoyed the Cowbirds in Americus from the garden of the Americus Garden Inn.

December/January/February Project Continues

Another beautiful morning here at the Americus Garden Inn. While I am waiting for guests to come in for breakfast, here is a recap of the latest progress on the renovation project. As of Monday afternoon, the siding above the kitchen window was at this point.

As we had guests through the week, the hours the men could work were limited. But, by Thursday, the beadboard was installed on the north side of the house. This had to be special ordered to match the exact dimensions of the original.
Kim had prepainted the siding and while the ladders were still in place, he was touching up the paint after it was installed.

While Kim was using the ladders, the work on the beadboard continued at the lower level.

Besides the touchup work, Kim also did some caulking.

It's a good thing he does not have a problem with heights!

That is about where we are today. You can see that the band of beadboard below the siding has been finished. Monday, weather permitting, the last major section will be done. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for your virtual visit to the Americus Garden Inn. Visit again soon.

Rees Park in Americus on a Beautiful Day

Today was gorgeous, so, I took a walk across the street to Rees Park. This is the view down our driveway looking towards the park. There is a beautiful Japanese magnolia in the park.
This is the view through the magnolia looking at the Confederate statue in Rees Park which stands guard as a memorial to Lucius Rees, son of Dr. Albert Rees, who died during the "War Between the States".

As I walked back towards the house, I was taken by how incredible our house truly is.

As I got closer, I could really appreciate all of the work we have done on the house.
The December/Winter project is almost completed. Next post I do will have the photos of the latest siding and beadboard that are finished.

Coming back up the driveway, I was greeted by the daffodils all in a row.

Thanks for joining me for a quick stroll across the street to Rees Park and back. Wishing you a day of sunshine and flowers.

February Flowers in Americus Garden

Another beautiful day at the Americus Garden Inn. Thought it would be the perfect time to give you a tour of the flowers in the garden. The Japanese magnolia located next to the koi pond has just started to bloom.The daylilies are beginning to break ground.
Along the driveway, the daffodils have appeared.

A beautiful specimen in the stone arch garden.

One of the camellias that is full of buds.

The snowball bush on the path towards the gazebo has some new flowers.

The ruby lorapetalum is full of blooms.

Buds can be found on the many tea olive bushes.

This is the first time we've seen this in the garden.

A closer look at oleander seeds.

Thanks for taking a stroll with me through the garden. Visit us again soon.

Americus Garden Inn December-Winter-almost Spring Project

Look what I found in the garden today - the first daffodil of the year. That means that the December/Winter project my become the spring project...Here are the latest photos of the renovation project taken in the last couple of days. Remember to click the photos for a better view. The window trim on the Magnolia Suite is being completed.
The gable on the south side of the house has all of the siding removed. Can you tell how tall our house really is?

Siding on the gable has been replaced and the trim is being installed.

Kitchen window has been removed and this is the view from the inside.

This is the view from the outside.

The kitchen window is being installed.

The two men were trying to synchronize their hammering...

Once the window was set, the work started on the siding.

This is where we are as of this afternoon.

They finished the trim work on the gable, and moved the ladders to the other side of the house.

As I was taking the last two photos, I found more evidence of spring. Can you believe it was 75 degrees today?

Thank you for allowing me to share the latest photos of the Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast. We hope to see you soon. Have a great day.