The Last Two Storm Windows Are Done!

Yesterday, after Steve was done driving his old fart party bus, we decided to finish up the very last two storm windows in the guest bedroom.

This side of the house faces South. There's no convenient porch roof, or bay window roof, to stand on like when doing the other four windows. Steve could have borrowed the neighbors tall ladder to get up high to the second story. I had a better idea.

How about we change it from the inside? I know that our beautiful old wooden windows not only lift up on the bottom pane, but the top pane will lower down so you can access the window frame by just reaching through from the inside to the outside!!!

Steve agreed, instead of dangerously balancing up on the ladder with an awkward window in his arm. This is going up 2+ stories high. Remember, it takes five steps to get up to the main floor of our house, plus we have 9' high ceilings. I would imagine it's about 20+ feet to the top of those windows.

We removed the interior lower windows and at the same time we replaced the sash cords like we did on the other windows.  The cords were quite worn and beaten, but not quite broken through. Refer to the previous blog about how we did that in case you have old windows with broken sash cords.

Steve could easily lean out and unscrew the old storm frames. Some of the screws were so old and painted over, again he had to screw them out with the tip of a pliers, or snap them off completely.

Once we got the old aluminum storm window frames off, he cleaned up the edges of the window sashing.

Now it was time to put a nice thick bead of silicone on all around the sides and top. I stuck my phone out of the window and took a photo of him from the bottom window up!

Now that we've done those first four storm windows on the other bedrooms, these went pretty well.  I guess we are "experienced" now?

Soon they were all done, and the interior windows put back in the frame, adjusted the window weights, and everything back into place.

The curtains were back up 

and things are back to normal in our guest room. 

For now.

In the winter months I pull back the curtains and line up four tables along these windows that face the South. I put plastic lids from Rubbermaid bins on top of the tables and set in pots of all of my coleus plants. I winter them over every year, as I've been doing for over 20 years. They are dug up from outside and also new shoots started to make smaller plants as well. I keep 8 to 10 pots of coleus going all winter long and bring them back out in the spring.

They are originally from my friend Connie, who shared them with me. I, in turn, have shared them with others over the years. When we go away in the winter months on vacation, I have my house sitting friend Sarah to care for them.

Here is what they look like this time of year alongside of the house...

I just love the colorful foliage,

and the blend of the fuschia and dark greens.

They are wonderful plants that don't have to wait to bloom to add color

to a flowerbed.... you get instant color in the

 Spring, Summer and Fall.

In my case, in Winter too 

because I bring them into the guest room! 

I put some into two pots flanking each side of our garage door.

They grow well in shade or sun, 

and take a LOT of water. 

These 2 pots take about a gallon each per day. 

Steve is gone this morning hauling a glass display cabinet for the museum. They bought it from a place over in Manitowoc and now it needs to get to Chilton.  Another volunteer and Steve are hoisting it and hopefully not breaking it.

Tomorrow we are helping with the museum, as hosts at the door to greet people, answer questions and lock up when we are all done.  Here is my blog post about the museum....

Calumet County Historical Museum

and their website:

http://www.calumetcountyhistoricalsociety.org/

and their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CalumetHistoricalSociety

Here comes Steve in the door..... and he said they didn't crash anything and it is all in one piece!