AFTER FINALLY SELLING the old summer house in the Adirondacks, I am ready to tackle the job of improving the Jersey house on Lake Hopatcong Heights. (I still live the rest of the year in Maspeth, Queens.) First on the list: change the house and water heater energy source from oil to electric. I would have preferred gas, but this part of town does not have natural gas lines due to the hilly and rocky nature of the terrain. I may rehire my Peruvian handyman from Flushing, NY to help me do the job (he did a decent job redoing the kitchen and the bathroom.) A bigger job that I don't want to think about yet is the roof and the entire second floor, which may need to be demolished altogether. (I want to convert the house into a ranch style home.) Other jobs include landscaping, rewiring the electrical lines and that fireplace for the winter. Big projects indeed, considering all the time lost that could have been spent fishing, lounging on the lake beach, or even writing. But I have a tall TV and FM antenna that catches broadcasts from the big city, including the Beach Boys!
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The Deck |
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The Bay Window |
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The Front |
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The Kitchen |