Tour de Fin

[Sunday, July 26, 2009]

We're on staycation this week. Adam just put up the tent in the backyard for Summer, which has caused her major excitations. I am working on the final page of the Biltmore House tour! I can hear the wolf-whistles and cat calls out there among you. You've probably been in picture withdrawal as much as I have these last few pages.

I notice that a sheet of my vellum has a coffee stain on it. Fact: all important papers have coffee stains on them. After all, the stained and dog-eared papers are the ones that have been handled and poured over most often or are in the path of spilled or dribbled coffee. In that case, I should put this sheet of vellum in the safe straight away!

I don't spend much time deliberating on the subtleties of this page. The three postcards take up most of the space. I trim the vellum description and the as-built with the personal trimmer. The only major thing I have to do is journal re: the main switch board (much bigger than modern-day circuit breaker boards). I inquired with the docent re: how the electricity was being delivered. If I recall correctly, she responded that a 25 HP gasoline-powered generator provided power in the form of direct current. I remember this because I thought Adam would find it interesting. The switchboard itself was in operation through 1989. (image 1)

A knock on the door and Charlie's barking as though we were being attacked intrude my thoughts. Since Summer is napping, I shush Charlie and crack open the door. I do not recognize the woman. "Can I help you?" I ask. "I'm sorry, I was looking for Tyler's house," she responds. I point next door with my thumb, quietly close the door and return to my table. I'd be lying if I said these little interruptions don't jostle me sometimes. It's like being thrown without warning from an otherwise pleasant train ride.

For the finishing touches, I choose a light brown fine-tip pen (which coordinates well with hues in postcards). I also wish to find a patterned background paper for the vellum. I moved much of my stash upstairs in prep for Crop Till Ya Drop yesterday, so I tiptoe passed Summer's bedroom door to the office to gather some options. As soon as I open my scrap paper holder, I see it: remnants from a recent page with the exact colors I need. Back downstairs, I quickly trim it and adhere the vellum description with frosted splits. I cut a piece of gray cardstock to charge the as-built. Then, I paste everything down with tape runner.

Incidentally, now that my postcard spree is over, it occurs to me this might be a useful tip to share: I've been placing the tape runner around the printed portions on the reverse side of the postcards in the event one day I wish to remove any of them or if I have to move them (e.g., if I made a mistake). The identifying info won't be obscured or torn. A page protector completes this page. (image 2)

It's quite a relief to have this section behind me. I have a feeling I'll be moving more swiftly through the final pages. One day, I'll be glad I took the time to incorporate it, but, for now, I'm eager to move onto some pictures again. For the last several pages, I've kind of felt like a banker who is only allowed to handle toy money.