At the first of the month I made another trip to Grand Canyon. This time, accompanied by my children and one of my granddaughters, I hiked to the river and back. We spent four absolutely indescribable days in the canyon. To see a few additional photos of our adventure, go here.

Upon returning home I found that my wife had started a project in the front yard. She wanted to reduce the size of the planting bed so that the width matched that of the adjacent rock wall. She had hit a snag (a tree root actually) and had to stop. On the 14th I brought out the chainsaw and we finished the job.

We had a hail storm in June. Everyone in the neighborhood (in the area, actually) got a new roof. We filed a claim, too. On the 19th the adjuster came out and assessed the damage. So, fooling with the roof and roofers is on the agenda, not that we don’t need a new roof (see July 2009).

Due to other commitments and activities, it was slow going in the office. I finally got back to it. I enlarged and framed the hole for the attic fan. I modified the existing light box and added adequate support for a ceiling fan.

The east wall, common with the living room, is directly above the electrical panel. Most of the wires that feed things upstairs come through this wall. I spent a considerable amount of time tracing out this “bowl of spaghetti” and determining what should go, what should stay, and what needed to be added. I used the wires that were no longer needed to pull new wires for the master bed and bath up into the attic. I capped off, labeled, and coiled these future wires above the ceiling on the east side of the house.

Once the wiring was complete I no longer needed the attic fan opening for access into the attic. I installed the fan and turned it on. Cool!

Attic fans were a common element in houses of the past and I really don’t know why they have become archaic. Even on a moderately warm day, for the cost of running a small electric motor, the entire residence can be cooled. By selectively opening windows and doors, a breeze can be channeled through any room in the house.