Day: March 3, 2010

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Sad Update About My Visitors

I recently posted some photos of the deer that like to frequent the yard here as well as the gas station grounds.

Tonight, one of my customers came into the store with tears streaming down her face. “One of the deer got hit just off the property. It’s still alive but can’t get up. The other two are fussing over it and in the way of traffic. Can you call someone?”

Who to call was the question. I could see cars slowing down and swerving in front of the gas station, so I decided that this was a public safety issue and called the RCMP’s non-emergency line.

When I called the Dawson RCMP this summer to report the finding of a dead body on our property, they actually asked me if I thought they should send someone. So, I have no idea why I had the audacity to think that the Campbell River RCMP might be interested to know that there was a hazard on a major thoroughfare. The constable I spoke with was dismissive, but I stood by my idea that the public was in danger and that finally got through his head, especially when I told him of just how dark it is on that stretch of road and that the deer was still alive. What if it managed to get up and, disoriented, wandered into the path of yet another car? He took all my information (Croft and Norma, according to the RCMP I live here 😀 ) and hung up.

Sometime later, I saw a patrol car going up and down the highway. The constable driving called me to confirm the location of the deer and said that he wasn’t seeing anything. So, it looks like the deer walked off and might, might, just might, be okay…. This mustn’t have been the same constable since he seemed concerned and thanked me for taking the time to call and report the incident.

I hope the deer was just in shock and will be okay. I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

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New Wardrobe Doors

Today, I had to get up at oh-not-so-dark-thirty (8:00) to go to Home Depot for lumber and hardware in preparation for the carpenter’s arrival at 10(ish). She would then have three and a half hours to give Miranda her most needed makeover.

I have complained many times about the evil sliding wardrobe doors. Enough was enough! 😀

They are no more!!!

The Home Depot guys wanted to cut the sheet for me, lacking confidence in my ability to get home safely. I've done this before, and over longer distances! :-D

The Home Depot guys wanted to cut the sheet for me, lacking confidence in my ability to get home safely. I’ve done this before, and over longer distances! 😀

Close up of the doorjamb. She did a really nice job on the scrap of wood!

Close up of the doorjamb. She did a really nice job on the scrap of wood!

functional doors!!!!!!

functional doors!!!!!!

close up of the pulls--you can find similar ones at Home Depot, but to get this colour you have to go to Lee Valley

close up of the pulls–you can find similar ones at Home Depot, but to get this colour you have to go to Lee Valley

Soon as the carpenter got to work, I knew I’d made the right choice in hiring someone to do this job for me. It was as fussy a job as I’d expected it would be and she saw things I would have missed.

I got most of the materials at Home Depot this morning but wound up needing just one more piece for the doorjamb. I found something of suitable dimensions, but quite ugly, in Croft’s scrap bin. The carpenter set to work on it with a sander and the results were astonishing! Having the right tools is definitely the first step to a successful renovation project.

Total cost for the wardrobe doors was $186, not counting the handles, which I had on hand from a previous project that didn’t come to fruition. I’ve been hanging on to them for a long time and am glad to finally put them to use! I have lots more of the same style and will be using them for another project. They complement the pulls on the cabinet doors, too.

I decided to put three sets of hinges on each door panel to reduce the chance of them warping and to make it possible to hang things from the inside without worrying too much about weight. While I could have bought brass hinges that would have exactly matched the cabinet hinges, I went for a rubbed bronze finish. I really hate the brassy colour of the hinges and was going to be spray painting them when I paint the cabinets, so I decided to just go with the darker coloured hinges for the wardrobe to save myself that work later on.

I’m going to live without the mirrors for a bit before deciding whether or not to install some on the front of the new doors.

There are a few minor adjustments to make because we were down to the wire; the right-side door sticks a bit because the ceiling sags and does not latch tightly. I suspect that both problems are due to the rig not being exactly level, so I’ll wait before doing the necessary sanding. Otherwise, the doors are perfect and I am beyond ecstatic! Once I get all the cabinetry painted, they’ll blend right in.

Oh, and the new doors weigh approximately a tenth of the old doors. I’ve gained yet more carrying capacity! It’s all been on the same side, so I’m hoping that I might be able to add to my battery bank. I’ll know that once I’ve reweighed Miranda.