More on stone, tubs, energy efficiency

The day started rainy.  Johnny showed up for a minute--but disappeared almost instantly, as the rain intensified.  It tapered off eventually, but it was clearly not a work day.

On Saturday, en route to the train in Dover, Sarah and I stopped at Sparta Trades. Sparta Trades Twenty-five years ago, when Sarah, Russell and I were living here at my mother's request, Sarah had taken ballet lessons in a room next door.  We had only stopped off to look at tiles, but as we chatted with the owner (as is our way), I randomly asked if they knew someone who had a house in the Hamptons--why I asked this, I'm not quite sure--but I must have had some vague memory as it turned out that 25 years ago Sarah, Russell and I had spent an afternoon with their family at their house in Springs in the Hamptons.  I remembered going out in their boat and eating lobsters, but none of us could exactly recall how we knew each other.  
Still--we felt so connected that we discussed have Devon Basher, the 31 year old son,  a LEED certified  Contractor who works with the New Jersey clean energy program come over to take a look at the house.  He came this morning (no-one else was here due to rain) and had all sorts of suggestions in the energy efficiency department, mostly dealing with finding all spots where air leaks in.

He then helped me put the vanity and the sink in the car to bring to Montague to move along the stone process.

In Montague, Chuck, the stone cutter and expert at Thompson's informed me that the stone I'd chosen was not Costa Esmeralda, but rather Tasmanian Green.  He then showed me a piece of Costa Esmeralda which I actually liked better and decided to use.  Here's a sample.  

Many decisions not quite made--one or two inch overhang, exact placement of holes, but we are on our way.

Since we were talking bathrooms, Chuck asked me if I was in need of a bathtub (you know, if you are reading carefully that I had just ordered a tub the day before).  He happened to have, in his front yard, four cast iron footless claw foot tubs that he had removed from the Hotel Fauchere in Milford, Pennsylvania, just over the bridge.  

On our first trip to Thompson's, on Friday, we had actually done a quick tour of Milford including the Hotel, which was built in 1852 and was a luxury destination for New Yorkers (it had its own Delmonico's Restaurant there in the Poconos).

Chuck was selling the tubs for $250 each, an excellent buy.  He drew me a map to his house, deep in Montague where I got to view this fine gathering of tubs.

I don't think it makes sense for me to get one (or maybe it does), but I do like the serendipitous nature of it all, so you never know.