{Not So} Minor Setback

With progress there often comes a setback or two and we were unlucky enough to encounter one this month here at Holtwood House. When we were in escrow, the inspection had revealed an inoperable pool heater, which was a bummer, but by no means a deal breaker. We went a year and a half without one and realized that if we wanted to use the pool year round, we were gonna have to make the investment in some type of heating system for the pool. After a lot of research and weighing out all the costs, we decided to put one before we headed into our second summer here. 

Within a week of installation, we realized we probably had ourselves a gas leak, which was promptly confirmed by our local Gas Company. So here we were, already knee deep in investment and looking at the added cost of installing a new line... but not just installing the line, trenching and all the mess and added expense that went with it. Another bummer was that the line would have to be installed right under one of my favorite garden beds in the yard. 

I shared a bit about the side yard progress in this previous post.  The kangaroo paw and feather grass border had taken off even further since March (rule of thumb: you won't reap the benefits of most planting until the next season), so much so that I had to thin it out in a few spots.  It was absolutely overflowing with tall golden rods and the thought of digging up the plants was a little heartbreaking. 

We arrived at a compromise- we would end up losing the unwieldy stems, but the guys at Sherwood Construction saved the day and all the plants in the bed. Nonetheless, it was a little scary when we saw this:

Choosing not to hunt for and bandaid any holes, we abandoned the old line, which frankly wasn't deep enough in the first place. The guys trenched 75 feet from meter to heater for a solid day and laid in a brand new line at the right depth. That is the sidewalk they are walking on to the right, butting up against our freshly painted house. 

Here's what it looked like just a mere 24 hours later. All's well that ends well when you find a good crew of guys that know how to leave a clean work site. 

And trust me, the 85 degree pool water is worth every penny.