Eucryphia

This is one of a few blooms on our first-year Eucryphia, a small broadleaf evergreen tree.  

Painting the guesthouse

Saturday the walls in the guesthouse get their first coat of paint.  Today a second coat will complete the task and then the cedar ceiling can be installed.

Main Living Moves Forward

Tar paper prepares the roof and walls for roofing and siding.  Also, hard to see, but the flashing in almost completed around the bottom of the walls.

Southeast corner of main living is waiting for the large corner window

Covered porch of main living looking out on the greenhouse and garden

Main living and guesthouse

Larry & Brad

discuss our project, plus another idea for cottages Brad is thinking about.  Larry is Langley's City Planning Director so he's got a brain ripe for picking -- especially regarding Langley's moratorium and when it might be lifted.

Wow! the BIG pond...

This is the liner in place as viewed from the bridge.  The pond looks huge.  In fact, the pond looks big enough that my dream of a place to float on hot summer days appears like it will be a reality.  Oh boy!  Bring your air mattress.

The Pond

Our three buildings will dump their roof water into a creek that will come down under a bridge between the guesthouse and main living buildings. The water will spill into a pond. Any storm overflow will enter a "wetland" area approximately 12x12 that will be planted with native wetland plants. All site water will stay on our property and will serve as wildlife habitat. Additionally, the water will become an aesthetic focus and view from two of our three buildings. In water shortage periods the pond water will be available for irrigating the vegetable garden. The creek will be a dry creek except when it rains. If we decide to use a circulating pump in the future it will be solar.

Brad and Fran on the felt under liner.

Josh, Brad and Dan moving the liner into place

Josh, Dan and Brad spreading out the liner

Tar Paper

A little supervision from Elliott

Brad, Dan & Josh

Josh & Dan putting up the tar paper

Ready for the metal roofing, except for one small spot of  plywood I need to paint

Steel Work

Tim has been working to build  steel window and door frames.

After Work Play

Dan, Josh & Brad work at fixing the helicopter.

A roof before Thursday's rain...?

                                          

Carey & Dan

Linda visits site

to learn about our green building practices, including solar, recycling and building small.

Soon -- a roof!

Main Living rafters are in place and plywood underside has been painted white.

Gail & Joe

This past week, as part of a pizza/movie evening, Joe and Gail toured our building project.

Scott

with the sun in his eyes, checks out our building project.

Rhonda, Kerry & Finn

Kerry & Finn

visit from Portland. Finn, just turned 3, hasn't been to Whidbey since he was a few months old. We were delighted to enjoy their company for several days, and it was a treat to finally show them our building project. They have been faithful blog followers but the real live thing is always more interesting. Rhonda, when they were still living in Santa Barbara, suggested the blog initially as a way to keep far-away friends informed and as a way to share the building adventure. Smart woman, that Rhonda!

Finn, Rhonda & Kerry

Rhonda, Kerry, Finn, Brad, Fran & Ed