One Busy Summer

Here we are.  Mid-August.  What happened to April, May, June, and July?!  It’s been a busy one for the team, everyone working at greenhouses, wineries, and electrical supply shops.  Bill and Michael continued to meet up at the Masser House (now being called the White House), getting her ready for her new foundation.  As you might expect, no small project!  Sit back, and enjoy a super-long post that will catch you up on the whole summer!

APRIL

The sun porch had to be removed.  We were saddened by this, as we cherish the memories the families shared about many happy hours spent out there.  The sun porch was an add-on to the original structure, so it wouldn’t lift with the House when she’s raised for the new foundation.  The boys carefully took it apart, window by window, board by board, until all that was left was the cement pad.

MAY

All living things have an expected lifespan.  The large trees next to the property are unfortunately at the end of theirs; they are diseased and are a threat to the White House and the neighbor’s house with limbs that could come down in a storm.  Special equipment was rented, the chainsaw was gassed up, and up went Bill and the saw in the bucket!  No injuries to any of the “chainsaw party” participants, equipment, vehicles or houses–a successful tree trimming!

JUNE

Chim-chim-cheree!  The boys looked like Mary Poppins’ chimney sweep friends, covered in soot as the crumbling chimneys came down and bricks were cleaned of mortar.  The cleaned bricks are no longer structurally sound, but are being saved for a future life in or around the House.

JULY

The sidewalk is back in the hands of the Little family.  Roger and Leslie showed up with a truck to gather up the sidewalk sections inscribed with family names.  Leslie plans to incorporate them into the landscaping of her house in Idaho.  Roger’s dad poured the sidewalks himself, and poured them THICK!  These are some HEAVY mementos!

Now it’s August and you’re all caught up!  Stay tuned for upcoming events, like a yard sale during Fruita Fall Fest, and the lifting of the House for its new foundation!  Next up on the agenda though, is a reworking of the garage to make room for the lifting company, and to be a more usable storage place than it is currently.  Most of the team will be at the House this Saturday, August 16–stop by and say hello!

 

A Fabulous Fest Weekend

What a weekend–so much to share with you!  Friday evening, the House was ever so pleased to be an Art Gallery.  Bill showed a selection of his photos and we had a featured artist, Sarah Mah Withers and her wonderful art!  Sarah lives in her own historic house; once owned by a banker who left a vault in the basement, and then by an architect who operated a speak-easy there in the 20s–complete with warning buzzers to alert patrons of law enforcement visits!

Lots of friends, old and new, stopped by to enjoy the art, the House, and Bill’s popcorn.  Not the least of which was Rachel Sorter Cochran!  Rachel and her family walked through the house, commenting on which sibling had which room, where the Christmas tree always was (in the bay window of the dining room) and pointing out the locations of previous stories she, her sisters and cousins shared.  She also gave us a new giggle–she and her sisters would push her brother’s buttons by piling things up outside his room, standing on the pile, and peeking into the transom window over his bedroom door.  What a special visit!  We felt like we’d just met a rock star!  She even volunteered to help us find information on the Massers using her Ancestry account.

Saturday we had big plans to remove a willow tree, but got to the house and discovered a couple of new neighbors we thought wouldn’t appreciate the sound of a chainsaw:

The decision was made to tarp the garage roof instead; a temporary remedy for the leaking roof. Thankfully, the roof is still sturdy enough to hold two men!

Later we walked around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the fest and ended up (no surprise) at the Copper Club for beers–Aspen Street Porter, Slap and Tickle ESP and Hoocheweisen.  We ordered a pizza from the Hot Tomato–Granny’s Pesto–perfect!

The lights of the ferris wheel were a beautiful end to a lovely weekend!  We can hardly wait to sit on the renovated porch and listen to the bands at a Fall Fest in the future.

(Camel and ferris wheel photos by Bill, Sarah’s art photographed by Sarah.)

Fall Fest at the House

This weekend is Fruita’s 99th Annual Fall Festival, ” a 3-day event with over 150 vendors selling their arts, crafts and foods to a crowd of 50,000-plus. The weekend is filled with events including a youth pet and talent show, a parade, the famous bed race, and a baking and canning contest. And for the second year, a 5K race benefiting the Fruita Middle School and the Chamber. Planned by the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce as its major fundraiser, the fest is a free community event.”   Friday is also a “Fourth Friday,” typically a day reserved for art walks in Fruita.  The House has been so excited that she’s being loved again, she wanted to be a part of it all.

SOOO, this Friday, September 27 from 5:30 to 7:30, The Masser House at 404 Aspen will be open as an art gallery!  Right now we have one artist, none other than the owner, Bill Holstein(!), but would love to have more–the House has lots of beautiful rooms.  Please comment below if you have art you’d like to exhibit, or contact us via our Facebook page–we’d love to have you!

In the meanwhile, let me introduce you to Bill, the artist.  Bill is an accomplished photographer whose images have been featured in some of Grand Junction’s First Friday Art Hops, in the Fruita Community Center and at the Reeder Mesa Winery.  He sells photos in a variety of formats: cards, calendars, printed on canvas, and framed.  One of his photos was used as a wine label for Reeder Mesa Winery!  Bill’s subjects are varied; a whole series were taken with a child’s red rocking chair in them–favorites of his fans.  I’ve selected some of my favorites to share with you here:

Which of these photos is YOUR favorite?  We’ll be at the House Saturday as well.  If you’re out enjoying the Fruita Fall Fest, stop by for a visit and a tour!  We’d love to see you!

NOTE:  These images are the property of Bill Holstein, and are used here by permission.  See more of Bill’s photography at his Facebook page.