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We've had a few days of fairly decent weather (compared to the last two weeks anyway) so, with help from grandson Nick and from Brian, we've gotten most of the clerestory windows framed and covered with house wrap.
Saturday, after working in the house with power saws, pneumatic brad nailers and lots of hammering, Brian happened to look up to see which panels next needed to be tacked up and said to me, "What's that?"
It was this little screech owl.
Who, me?
He or she spent the rest of the day in the house, occasionally flying between beams until finally settling in the farthest northeast corner. We kept working as if the owl weren't there. Our only concession was not working where he was in the bedroom until Sunday.
At the end of our day, when the owl's was just beginning, it flew to the east clerestory window opening and sat on the roof for a few minutes. Next time I looked that way the owl was gone. Is that cool or what?!
This morning we got down to the house soon after 9 and there it was again, sitting on the same beam it started on yesterday. In addition there was a pile of feathers from something the owl ate under a beam closer to the window.
I couldn't tell what kind of bird it had been. The feathers were too long, too dark and too many to have been one of the smaller over-wintering birds.
Soon Brian was finishing up with the brad nailer in the bedroom area, so the owl flew into the closet. Brian kept working, at one point just five feet from the owl. After that area was finished and Brian had moved away, it flew again to the far back corner where it spent most of the rest of the day.
It left silently about 5 pm. Can't wait to see if it's back tomorrow. The openings are much smaller now than they were this morning. As I was nailing the easternmost window's frame I noticed on some of the interior bracing between wall studs "proof" that the owl has been in the building more than we knew.
Here's a look up through the greenhouse area at the clerestory window opening in the 2nd bedroom. The panels still need to be caulked and have house wrap applied. After that, and the same for the other three windows, and we will start installing windows and doors.
Today the temperature got enough above freezing to allow pushing the snow off the front roof which made closing in the window openings possible.
The weather forcast includes snow and some single-digit temperatures, so we may still be days away from finishing the windows. I can't work on the roof if it's covered with snow and I can't caulk the seams from the inside or if it's below freezing.
There are plenty of other projects inside, so things will keep moving, but it will sure be nice to have the windows and doors in so we can add a little heat on these cold days.
