Still, seven events in three hours are hard, more so when you get carried away!

A look into the rafters on the new main beam!

Upstairs, the rafters and a new main beam, running the full length of the building.

Another shot of the new main beam...

Upstairs, the windows are covered. The good old wood is moved to one side. Newer wood will cover the other side.

I really like the colors of the old and the new main beam against the dark old pine. It will be a beauty.

Well yes, it is still a wark in progress!

Nicely done, it really starts to look like a gem!

While upstairs, we're still at it!

The side is still fully covered. We are waiting for the new windows. The remaining window is the only original that will stay in place!

Mona Lisa came along for a visit and a critical look at the place.

Mona is checking out the place.

The J.S. Kilby Store from the other side of the street.

This is the very last remaining open sport (for now).

All windows are covered. Should be delivered next week, we hope.

This is a construction zone, worse than it ever was. This week, it took a creative mind to see what's going on.

The Bargain House is getting better than it ever was...

North side insulation is shown here.

And this is the south side with the windows covered and the door hanging in mid-air. Almost finished!

and here.

Whereas the chimney side needs more loving care and a lot of work.

Well, yes, the chimney will have to be taken down sooner or later. Taken down and rebuilt with the same stones, that is.

Here is a closer look at the insulation on the second floor. Getting there.

Don't get me wrong. It still looks like a construction zone but everything is coming together.

Outside of the funky light fixture meister's place. Sue is hard at work with the meister, I'm so bored I'm starting to make photos of the scenery.

My old car fits right in the old neighborhood.

High noon at the light meister. I'm even more bored and hungry, too.

The Bargain House is missing a few teeth but dental surgery will do wonders.

J.S. Kilby would have scratched his ass. What is that stuff anyway? Part of the insulation, old boy.

The 'good' wood on the inside wall is beautiful. Kevin is doing his very best to have the new wood match it. I'm afraid it will be difficult.

A black snake lives up there. Her living space has been temporary cut down by a few square meters. Sorry about that, snake.

This old place surely looks like a construction site today.

If the new supporting structure in the basement will hold up as long at the old did, the Bargain House will stand for another 100 years. Guaranteed.

Just imagine we could get all sections of the ceiling to look like this! Beautiful.

And imagine we could get the floor to match the ceiling. Man, that would be it.

Mr. & Mrs. Kilby, what do you think about the project?

It takes dedicated people like Jim Hite to run a good meet. Athletes should be a bit more appreciative of organizers and officials.

Joel Lilles will be 65 in a few months. He placed second in the pentathlon with about 2,780 points to my first place with 2,950 points. Clearly, Joel is the better athlete. In between the pentathlon events, he triple jumped, long hurdled, short hurdled, sprinted the 100 & 200... maybe he did more, I lost count.

I feel better now. Without the heat and the dangerously high pollen count, I would have broken 3,000 points in the pentathlon. I simply know it. Still, All American was my goal, and All American it is.

This was the Bargain House in 2005.

This was our first look at the Bargain House in December of 2009.

The mighty old chimney in December of 2009.