THE REST OF THE STORY

My last post was a sad one about the loss of my sweet cat, Roxie. This one will explain why the last two weeks with Roxie were so very hectic.

 

 

 

 

 

When we moved into this grand old 1919 house, the inspector told us it was in very good shape but he also said that within a couple years, we'd probably need to replace the furnace, the AC unit, and the water heater so Glenn began researching the most efficient ways to heat an old house like this one. We have a buck stove in the family room, but that makes one room toasty warm while leaving the rest of the house cool. We'd been using fuel oil which was efficient but expensive, and not the cleanest way to heat. Glenn had heard how efficient geo-thermal systems were, and thought we should look into that. Here's a link if anyone is interested:
  http://www.waterfurnace.com/benefits.aspx
I had heard of geo-thermal heating but hadn't fully understood how it worked. We had a number of companies come out to explain the system and give estimates. We were told it would be very efficient while reducing our monthly heating bills about 75%. I thought that sounded too good to be true so I wasn't completely sold on the idea, especially after learning how expensive it was, how long it would take to install, and how much of our backyard would be dug up to accommodate the four, 5-foot deep trenches that had to be dug. Glenn was completely convinced that was the way to go, so as I was dealing with a cat in failing health, the work began. There were trucks in the yard and driveway and men working in the backyard, in the cellar, and inside the house for the better part of two weeks. As I told one of my neighbors, I'm not used to finding men standing in my bedroom and going all over the house. They needed complete access since duct work was to be replaced and a few new ducts were to be added. All the workers were very polite and cleaned up after themselves so I have absolutely no complaints there. It was a bit stressful because I wasn't used to having someone here for so long, going in and out, and there was the fact I was worried about Roxie. In order to keep out of the way, I baked cookies for the crew and provided snacks and beverages. I enjoyed doing that and the workers seemed to appreciate my efforts.  

 

The installation is complete and Roxie is at peace. I've begun to accept the backyard as it is - a series of dirt mounds that look like a small mountain range. I've been guaranteed the dirt will eventually settle and we'll be able to plant grass seed possibly as early as next Spring. I can only hope. One good thing is that all the activity provided hours of entertainment for my cats and for the neighbors.