Ian's Handiwork

Ian did some of the bending and riveting of the chimney cap! All on the ground, mind you. And I had forgotten there was going to be more than just the stovepipe sticking up! Roof'll be done soon . . .

one-fingered on my phone

New Pictures (FINALLY)

The roofing has begun, and by the end of the month, we might be starting on the sheetrock inside! Trundling along . . .

Check out the new pictures here!

First Boating of the Season

We successfully launched our little boat last Monday--all plugs were tightly screwed in *before* entering the water this time--and today we went for a short outing to Jones Island for lunch, swinging by the ferry terminal for sandwiches on our way. SO LOVELY.

That's our little blue boat on the right.

Someone on a buoy.

Picnic on Jones!

Such a sweet old man. Spackle, too. 

Spackle did a short bit of salty-dog fetching, and needed Ian to scratch his wet butt. 

And then he could scratch his wet butt himself. 

It was all too much for Ian. 

HOME!!! (that's pretty outrageous, really)

Paired Perspectives (and a couple of prospective pears)

Ten months into the build and mostly finished with the exterior work, I've realized that the main gallery of photos has grown unwieldy. Nevertheless, even encompassing about 600 images, it doesn't seem to include the basic layout of house and land.  This post displays, in Never-Eat-Shredded-Wheat order, pairs* of pics of the view from the house, and the view of the house. And then a bonus pair of pics of some incipient pears.

LOOKING NORTH

THE NORTH ELEVATION

 LOOKING EAST

THE EAST ELEVATION

LOOKING SOUTH

THE SOUTH ELEVATION

LOOKING WEST/DAYTIME and, because this is really nothing special, 

LOOKING WEST*, EVENING AFTER A STORMY AFTERNOON

WEST ELEVATION

That's going to be tasty come Autumn!

Rainbow Welcome

We were greeted by a divine sight when we arrived back on Orcas Island last night. The sea was olive greed and turbid when we left Anacortes, but all the sins of the world had been forgiven by the time we arrived in West Sound. The rainbows stuck around for at least 30 minutes--enough time for us to marvel and take several pictures from our guest house, and then drive over and take several pictures from our new house. Pretty pretty, as we say.

Look at the reflection of the rainbow on the sound.

Our landlord's house. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is clearly just up the valley in our land. 

Double Rainbow!

10-Month Anniversary

Yesterday was 10 months since we broke ground! 

We're still pretty happy about our house and where we are. Yup. 

New pictures here. 

Grammy and Grumpy Come to Visit

We had a great walk, all five of us, from the new house up the 1/2 mile to the Copse, and all the way back again. We got the 4-Runner stuck in the mud trying to drive this route in June a few years back, and we are well aware that the ground is still a soggy mess now in early April. It does, mostly, support human weight and dog weight. 

My parents came to visit for a couple nights this weekend (they stayed at the Blue Heron 3 doors down, which is for sale, by the way, if you'd like to run an Orcas B&B), and my mother, true to form, loaded the Corolla to the rafters with soups and pastries for the freezer, and three big porch pots of flowers, tomatoes, herbs and greens. I love my mother very much indeed, but too much interaction between the two of us in small Hogan--for instance, if she were to stay for several nights to help with the dishes and the ancient dog--would end with tears and frustration on both sides. Several delicious meals that she's prepared--loving me all the time she's been slaving over her chopping block--that we can heat up at a moment's notice, saving ourselves hours of labor, is the perfect thoughtful and nurturing gift. Particularly when they're delivered by Mom and Marsh together, who are a delight.

Small sign of life in the prairie.

What a handsome guy. 

Sappy!

Two handsome guys.

We didn't all have quite the same stamina for the long circuit through wet fields.

Mom and Dog.