Finishing Touches

And here is what's happening:

• First picture looking through the wall bed frame into the hallway library;
• Second picture, Brad is showing off the new  hardware on the bath door into the guesthouse;
• Third picture, Brad is installing the guesthouse door going out onto the bridge.  The door will have glass in it soon, but for now it will have weather stripping, hardware and be completely wonderful, especially when the glass arrives; and
• Fourth picture, Erin is cleaning up the end of the snow on the bridge, with the new door in the background. 

Merry Christmas!

Fran & Ed cook in new kitchen (first picture) and new table set for Christmas Eve dinner (second picture). We love our new home and are anxious to be full time residents in the beautiful spaces Brad's created.

Some Amazing Snow...

Including roof snow, in the first two shots, that defies gravity and in the next two that amaze with the curl...

On the eve of Christmas Eve...

Despite the snow, we're still busy doing mudding, painting, wiring, building shelves, hooking up hot water tanks and a million other small and large tasks. All rushed so we can get our new home in a state for celebrating Christmas with our good friends Greg and Deb. Did you think the push at Thanksgiving was amazing? Well.... Then, once the friends, food and family part of the holidays is over the moving trucks roll. Wow! The new home day is arriving.

Lots of winter this year!

Our December goals are finishing up our new home and moving into it. The weather and our long to-do list have both been challenging. Despite that we've taken time out to play in our winter wonderland. Happy Holidays to all of you!

Snow on Whidbey

We're having about a 10 day cold spell, complete with snow. It is beautiful. The timing isn't perfect for our project but it's difficult to complain surrounded with this much beauty.

Here it is...

The picture of the guesthouse floor after three coats of varathane.

Nice Details

Winter Hits the NW

SE corner of main living

Erin swings in the snow

The barn on a snowy day

The upper pond and greenhouse

The lower pond from main living and the bridge

Ed and I spent a good many hours this weekend putting varathane on the guesthouse floor -- three coats in all -- but no pictures. The snow dominated Brad's eye in the camera's view finder and I simply forgot. Tomorrow I'll remember to photograph the beautiful floor. The cold has brought only a small amount of snow, with perhaps more tonight, but lots of cold and more anticipated. The forecast is for cold in the teens, 20's and low 30's for several days. The roads are slick and walking about town is a bit dangerous if one doesn't watch their step carefully. I actually hope for more snow tonight, rather than just cold.

The guesthouse floor

is finished and beautiful.   Also, the book shelves (for the back of the wall bed) are started and the wall bed is mounted to the floor.

The step from the bath to the bed area

Looking at the floor through the wall bed frame.

Ed and Brad check it out.

The start of the bookshelves behind the wall bed.

Water Tank Steel

About eight years ago Langley sold their old cedar water tank to Goosefoot.  Goosefoot, in developing the Cash Store, used the cedar and steel from the tank in many ways, including the cedar as wainscotings up the stairway and the steel as handrails.  When Tim of Heavy Metal Works made the brackets for our steel countertops, he recycled the last of the water tank bands.  Now, as part of the history of our new home, is the old Langley water tank.

The nature of recycling

For months and months we've had piles of wood all over the property.  Wood in the tent; outside the tent and in various forms of condition (needing nails removed, nails already removed, honeys, junk); beams;  cedar for the guesthouse ceiling;  and so forth.  Such is the nature of recycling.  But, just today, the wood has been organized with the best being neatly stacked in the tent for a future project.  That means our parking space is free and our trailer is on our own property.  Our neighbors have been more than patient for better than a year putting up with us parking on the side of the road.  Now, we're reaching a stage where we can become self-contained on our property.   Wow!  This cleanup stage is a good one.  

Look, wildlife

or....Elliott?