Rox,
Good to hear from you again. When I view the attachments after I post them, on my monitor there is alot of artifact that makes the siding appear as though is is not installed well - like there are huge gaps between each coarse. I'm pleased to know that it looks ok to you.
The large window on the second floor is actually serving a small study in my son's bedroom. Unfortunately, he will not appreciate as much as others might and it is almost a waste there. But, that's the way the floorplan worked. It was placed for exterior esthetic reasons, not for specific interior purposes.
As always, thanks for following along and for the many suggestions you've made. I've got a couple of more pictures topost. Here is another view of the cleaned-up backyard.