The Farm House Journal

April 5, 2011—Chapter 5, “Home in Pasadena,” is now available at the link below.

While I try to avoid “meta” matters here, it has come to my attention that the navigation of this site is somewhat unclear.

Truth be told, I've been aware of the awkwardness of the site navigation since I began Volume II, but I have been at a loss as to how to streamline it and still maintain the printed-page look that I have always felt was appropriate. This style choice was acceptable in 1999, when this site began, because back then most people were still accessing the Internet through a dial-up connection, so my main concern was to provide simply-structured pages that would load as quickly as possible.

Twelve years on, technology has obviated such concerns and plunged this site into an advanced state of obsolescence, a decidedly un-Victorian condition. I have thus instituted two changes, one large and one small.

The large change is that I have begun a blog to accompany this site: The Farm House Journal Blog. This blog will carry the present-time updates that I formerly posted here on the home page, as well as more in-depth posts regarding restoration techniques and the like with richer media content than you have become accustomed to herein. The small change is a reworking of all the Tables of Contents to clarify the proper course through the text. With these changes, I hope to provide an easier read here, and a more informative, entertaining experience overall.

Enough with the meta already. As I mentioned at the top, Chapter 5, “Home in Pasadena,” awaits you at the link below.

A review of the six months before the move

Chapter 2: Paying The Piper
The six months after the move

Chapter 3: Fields Had It Wrong
Fun with contractors

Chapter 4: The Long Road Back
Getting back to business

Chapter 5: Home in Pasadena
*NEW*

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Previously in the Farm House Journal:

Volume I: The Old Fashioned Way

Taking stock of things, getting the proper context, and establishing a preliminary plan

Volume II: You Can't Cheat An Honest Man
Finalizing and approval of the plan and the rough counstruction phase

Volume III: Man on The Flying Trapeze
Collected updates from the finish phase

* * *
The Farm House Journal Blog

My e-mail address is rob@rspencer.org.