HSH: Summer 2010 Update

Hello All. You may have thought I have dropped off the face of the earth for the past 3 months. I am alive, well and continuing to make progress with John on the restoration efforts at the Hardy Smith House. We are down to one computer at the moment which is why my entries have been few and far between lately.This summer has flown by so quickly and it was a hot one, not to mention one of the hottest on record for middle Georgia. During the day in June, July and August, it was just too darn hot to get outside to do much during the heat of the day. I was struggling to keep our newly planted azaleas from dying. Unfortuateley, the two smaller bushes succumbed to the elements. I am not an expert when it comes to plants. I learn as I go. The grass on the east side of the yard was planted late so next year, John plans to add more seed to make it nice and full for next summer. At least we won the war of the weeds!

All the river rocks are out of the basement and are now lining the driveway, walkway or in the backyard, waiting to be used for whatever future project we choose. We need just a few more bricks to complete the walkway. John had to redo the front stairs but they look beautiful now. 1 coat of stain and 3 coats of polyurenthene should keep them shining for many years to come.




            The walls are covered in a inviting yellow, similar to what was used previously by another family living in the house. All of the bottles that John unearthed in the basement this spring are on display on a ledge at the top of the stairs. A small railing needs to be built across the ledge to keep the bottles from falling off and breaking which one did unfortunately.

John repaired the west side windows in the 'Gone With The Wind' room yesterday. Being that the windows were very large and heavy, 5-7 lb weights, four total, two for the top window and two for the bottom window were used in raising and lowering them. The rope snapped on one side so John repaired it and we are back in business. Before the cold sets in, the floor needs to be sealed again. The wood putty cracked from the change in temperatures the start of this year. The master bedroom and John's office need to be sealed up to eliminate the drafts and reduce our electric bill.

Near the garden, a couple of weeks ago, we had a bunch of Red Spider Lillies bloom. I had no idea what they were until I researched them. They bloom shortly after fall begins and after the first cool rain, They are an herb, native of Asia, are toxic however they are an effective rodent deterrent. These lovely flowers were introduced in the 1800s in Georgia and are seen around old homes in the south. In Japan, the Red Spider Lily symbolizes death and mourning. It is better to leave them in the garden than to pick them. Well, I picked them before I did my research to make sure they were not toxic to animals and oops, bad luck has not come to me yet.

September and Oct so far have been quiet months here at the HSH. Since the first guest bedroom is complete, we had a few friends and family stay with us for a few days and left with nothing but memorable impressions of their stay. Thanks for your interest in the HSH restoration effort and keep checking back for updates.