December 2008

Chris and Spencer work on the diagonals. It takes a lot of work to get them just right.

Wow the finished wall looks terrific!

Now for the front wall.

Can you see the cross in the wall between the windows?

Lito working on the walls in the vestibule.

Spencer and Lito getting the bathroom walls ready.

Beautiful isn't it?

Now we are ready for the window trim.

The Rev. Jane Smith. Karen Kassinger and Sandy and Dorcas Jones made the trip up the mountain during the VCCC Board meeting in December 2008 to check on the progress.

Dorcas Jones checks out her camera.

Jane Smith looks at the bathroom.

Karen Kassinger is amazed by how beautiful it is!

Bathroom wainscotting. There will be dry wall above.

Ready for the trim work

Trim work on bathroom doorway

Trim work around the door frames.

More trim work around the doors

November 2008

Bishop Taylor was the first "official" guest at the hermitages when he came up for a retreat after the Diocesean Convention in November. Unfortunately the weather was very cold and the heater in the hermitage was not working properly so Bishop Taylor had to abandon his retreat and come down to the Inn for the remainder of the week where he had a great time sitting by the fire. We thank him for his good humor and constant smile during his stay.

Tom Eshelman in front of the plaque installed on the Thomas Merton hermitage.

Blizzard conditions

It was cold and snowy but very beautiful.

You could hardly see across the site the snow was blowing so hard.

Snow covered everything on this very cold and windy day

Joe Rickman and Erwin McKenzie come up in the middle of a real blizzard to install the bronze plaques on the St. Paul's and Good Shepherd Hermitages. Erwin's dad was the Rev. Frank McKenzie and in whose memory along with his mother Martha St. Paul's raised the funds to build the Thomas Merton Hermitage.

Dale Townsend looks at the cherry boards as they go up the wall in the chapel. They are going to be beautiful when finished.

Lito looks at the progress.

Up and up they go!

The blue circles are the electric boxes for the wall sconces.

A cold wintry day.

October 2008

Chapel siding is complete on this side of chapel.




Working on the chapel siding



Interior of chapel before insulation is added.



Working on peak of chapel

Full kitchen in hermitage - gas range, microwave, sink, refrigerator with icemaker, washer/dryer (in three of the units) and all the utensils, pots and pans, dishes, glassware etc. you will need on your retreat.

Hermitage living room area with plush pull out loveseat, mission style rocker, dining room table with chair and desk with chair.

Local potter Steve Williams made the pottery plates. Many different potters from around the country were chosen to provide handmade bowls, mugs, tumblers and plates for each hermitage.

Cross made on site by our wonderful maintenace crew

3 of the hermtages have washer/dryers

Working on skirting underneath the porch

Propane gas lines are dug to the hermitages

These trees will grow up in a few years providing cover for each hermitage.

More plantings are scheduled for spring 2009.

The cap is installed on the skirting around the hermitages

Installing the heat tape on the pipes to keep them from freezing in the winter.

The first snow fall of the year!

The snow is beautiful.

The Rev. Jeanne Finan with our good friends and donors Sam Tallman and Mike Zuravell.

Tommy Carver Gutter Company installs the gutters and snow guards on the roofs of each hermitage

Sandblasted wood signs with 911 emergency number are installed on each hermitage . They were made by our good friends at High Country Signs in Boone NC.