Ruger - the Dog - Update

Sammy's dog Ruger is now known most often as Lars's dog.  He still sleeps in a crate in Lars's bedroom and spends his indoor time on the tiled floor of the living room or kitchen.  He is getting so big so fast.  He knows his name, and listens to all the basic commands - and he listens well!  Lars takes him for runs most days through the vineyard and around the blackberries. All the grandchildren play with Ruger and he loves the attention.

Tasting Room Staircase Access and Floor

We finally "broke ground"  (in this case "broke ceiling") on the future tasting room access from the downstairs production area of the barn and put in a staircase.  That was step 1 of our November remodeling project.


The more important - and more tricky - part was a complete overhaul of the floor, of what will be the tasting room.




All the floor board were torn out, and engineered structural beams were inserted between the original hand-hewn beams. Then everything was leveled with strips of wood.  It took a lot longer than anticipated, but it was definitely worth it.

The beams were covered with a layer of plywood, then a layer of thick insulation (from recycled entry door segments), followed by a second layer of plywood.  The floor is super sturdy, no longer creaks, and it is perfectly level!!  This space is roughly 20 ft by 40 ft.