Thanks blfenton :) amberm145, yes I think it is definitely a personal thing. I make a wood burning fire literally every single day that it is practical to do so (either inside or out). I don't find it too much work at all. We have a gas fireplace in FL (which was a prerequisite to buying the house) and three gas fireplaces in our PA house (along with 1 indoor and 1 outdoor wood burning fireplace, and a fire pit- can you tell I'm a pyromaniac!) While we use the gas fireplace in FL all the time b/c it is the only one we have, we only use the gas fireplaces in PA when we aren't going to be home long enough to make a wood burning fire. However, if we aren't going to be home long enough to make a wood burning fire, we almost always have the gas ones on when it drops below 65!

Actually, most ceiling fans (not huggers) are made to be installed on 8 foot high ceilings. It's only when a ceiling is lower than 8 feet that you need a hugger fan. As long as the blades are 12" or less from the ceiling it will be up to code. Here are some other important considerations: 1) Outdoor areas require more airflow than indoor areas because they are not confined spaces and the open air takes away from the intensity of the breeze since there are no walls for the air to bounce off. 2) When the blades of a fan are less than 12" from the ceiling, the amount of airflow it produces is reduced dramatically. Hugger fans may move as much as 30% to 50% less air than a fan that is hanging from a short rod where the blades are 12" from the ceiling. 3) It is better to use 2 smaller fans than one bigger fan, particularly outdoors. Smaller fans spin at a higher RPM and typically will produce a stronger breeze, but they produce that breeze in a smaller area, hence the need for two of them. So, two 52" to 60" fans is better than one 72" to 84" fan. 4) Don't just pick a fan by it's looks. Be sure to check out how much air it moves (CFM) and how fast it moves the air (Windspeed in MPH). The most important consideration is the wind speed because ceiling fans cool you off by creating a wind chill effect that is directly related to how fast the air flows, not how much air is moved. Larger fans move a larger volume of air, but at a lower speed. Even the best typical size fans (52" to 60") can only produce wind speeds close to 4 MPH. Lower end models may only produce 1 to 2 MPH. So look for fans as close to 4 MPH as possible. 5) Ceiling fans with the newer DC motors use about 75% less electricity and are typically better quality than the common AC motor fans. Here's a link that filters: DC outdoor ceiling fans with Wind Speed Close to 4 MPH Greg Tillotson Ceiling Fan Expert Hansen Wholesale https://www.hansenwholesale.com

I used BM Silver Cloud on our porch ceiling and love it with the sage (Nantucket Gray) of our house body, but for yours I think I'd be tempted to try something like the Pool Blue. It's hard to tell from my monitor though. Your house color looks great and your porch looks so peaceful :)

The walls appear to be plaster, and from 1903 they are probably on top of wooden lathe. Fixing cracks in plaster is tedious and time consuming, but not really that hard. In most cases you use a knife to widen the outer part of the crack so it forms a V indent that will allow new plaster to fill in and adhere. Then fill it with plaster of paris (or maybe drywall compound) and use a drywall taping knife to make it all smooth. Sand lightly with a wide, firm sanding block to get the final even finish. If you use plaster of paris - it has a short working time (about 15 minutes) and sets up quite hard, so only mix up a little at a time. Its better to underfill the crack and go back to add more if needed. Get the wall perfectly smooth before you paint because its much harder to sand after you paint. There are different types of drywall compound, and I'm not sure which mix is the best match for the expansion/contraction of old plaster. Some has a very short working time (20 minutes) while other types are more forgiving (90 minutes or more). Bruce