Quilcene Trek

Lots accomplished today!

Health insurance? At least fairly well understood now after an appointment with a local broker.

Fireplace? I followed Pete over to Loren's by Quilcene. Pete had always told me he had a gorgeous daily drive from his home in Quilcene over to PT. I'd see a chunk of that route while traveling to Sequim, but had not seen the segment from Fat Smitty's east (I THINK it's east!) Today I saw it & absolutely understand what Pete has been talking about. Oh, that everyone could have such a commute - there would be a lot less road rage! I had to stop & take a photo of Discovery Bay from the OTHER side of the bay as last Saturday's photo. This is from the stretch from PT to Fat Smitty's.

Loren has an incredible workshop next to his house by Lake Leland/Leland Lake (got to check on which is correct!) But to get to that workshop, you have to get by his pooches. Pete, of course, drove steadily past them. I, being the "Nervous Nellie" about hitting one of them, slowed to the point that the little one (a Cairn Terrier mix?) plopped herself right in front of my car. The German Shepard (who apparently gently uses the Cairn Terrier as a chew toy - with the Cairn's "permission") was close by. As Pete had gone ahead, I had to call him on his cell to come break the log jam on the road. The dogs know Pete & gladly scampered over to him or else I'd probably still be sitting there since I didn't know the German Shepard was gentle when I first drove up. My pants show the closeness we later shared..

Loren is making the firebox at his workshop rather than on the job and I wanted to see the herringbone pattern with the four firebrick colors I'd chosen. It is going to be FABULOUS. By this time next week, it sounds like it will be installed.

Doors & windows? From Loren's I stopped by Groves to OK the doors & windows. I was so proud of myself! I took a "back way" to get there - I'm starting to learn them! In Dallas, I would not know my way around had it not been for Barbara. She was born there & knew every back way to get anywhere, which she shared with me. We used to joke that we also knew all the filling stations with the fastest pumps in town!

Today's 523 photo shows even more beams, plywood sheathing & joists. By next week, the second floor will be taking shape! Can't wait!

P.S. Forgot to report yesterday that I now have my WA driver's license. Another huge checkmark on the to-do list!

Beams

Someday I HAVE to get up early & go watch the guys during the morning hours. When I get there - usually anywhere from 12 to 1 - they've always accomplished so much. Today they had already finished a lot of the plywood sheathing which is starting to REALLY give me a feel for the house. The guest bedroom in the back is almost all sheathed now & that leaves me with the opening for the patio doors and the view from that room. That sliver of Admiralty Inlet is still very visible today and has got me doing mental gymnastics about furniture layout as a result. But there are choices - which is good - it could be a no choice situation (as the upstairs office was before Tamara, Pete & I "tweaked" it).

Today's picture is an odd one. I was trying to get a photo of the incredibly blue sky we had today, as well as the guys starting to add the beams that will support the second floor. Of course that blue sky was being followed by some light rain. When I was talking to Suzette about the windows & doors, I heard what I thought was typing in the background. Nope. Baby hail. Must have been a lot of it for me to hear it over the phone. PT escaped it again (Suzette is in Port Hadlock - down the road).

I'm also attaching a photo I've been meaning to share. This is Nancy's front garden. So you can see that I have a lot to do to even try to stay in her wake if I'm going to be her next-door neighbor. The church across the street from her house is First Presbyterian, established over 125 years ago. The oldest part of the present structure is from 1890 (an older stone church was torn down but you can see its rock in the present day structure's foundation) & has the oldest organ in WA still in its original location. And yes, that's water on the far left edge of the photo!

Stay dry!

False Alarm

Well, everything about the early afternoon said a storm was coming. 90% chance of rain had been predicted in the form of a possible thunderstorm (apparently a bit unusual around here), maybe some hail even. The drops started falling when I'd just walked over to the site to meet Barry, who will be doing tilework at 523. I've toughened up - I don't put the umbrella up at the first drop anymore. Actually haven't had the umbrella out for almost a month now but I had shoved it into my pocket after scanning the ominous sky which turned out to be a good thing later. The guys started "battening down" as well - we had fierce winds again yesterday and had a forecast of 25 MPH (tame!) for today. So we all scattered & by the time I walked back here the umbrella was up & I was holding on to it. Then, within 5 minutes, the sun was out! Renton, which is close to Seattle, had so much hail that it looked like snow. So I guess Trixie (my car - long story) was lucky to have missed that since she has to sit outside all the time until "her" garage is completed.

And speaking of garages, this morning the guys got the remaining wall framed & were busy working on more plywood sheathing when the rain started. In today's shot, Patrick is hoisting the plywood up to the "living room" to as to protect it from the elements. And no, the dining room has not disappeared - it's still there!

We used to say that if you didn't like the weather in Texas to just wait a while. Sounds like that old saying applies here as well!

Papers & Homework

Can you think of a better way to start a Sunday than stopping by Pane d'Amore for a hot cross bun? Had never seen them there before - maybe I just missed them - but it's a true sign that spring is here. From there I went to Aldrich's for the Sunday papers. Aldrich's as a small gourmet grocery & it's Washington's oldest grocery store. It was first opened in 1895 at the corner of Lawrence & Tyler. Aldrich's burned in 2003 which was a huge loss for all of PT - but the Uptown area in particular since it's the hub of the Uptown community - until it was rebuilt in 2005. Nancy tells me that people used to walk over to Aldrich's in the morning in their robes with their empty coffee cups. They seem to have stopped that, but how would I know? I'm not an early bird! People of all ages love Aldrich's - and their soups, salad bar, TAMALES (yes, and they're almost as good as Mrs. Leal's!), cookies (yes, lots of them, I fear!), produce and beer & wine, most with a focus on being local or organic, have been my mainstay since arriving. I hear their sushi is faboulous as well. I have a small kitchenette where I'm staying but the oven set off the smoke alarm (no, I didn't burn anything that day!) so that's my excuse for not cooking other than breakfast (that, and having a TINY shallow "bar sink" to wash everything in). Upstairs at Aldrich's is a coffee/tea bar, a branch bank & an open area where you're lucky to ever find a seat. It's THE gathering space! When they rebuilt, they added condos above and a mini-storage in the basement. One stop shopping! I met a wonderful "southerner" - Rose - who works at Aldrich's and she's keeping up with the house's progress as well - on foot! Aldrich's is only 2 blocks from 523 and I anticipate that it will always be my place to run in for needed supplies. 7-11 it's not!

Have plowed through alot of "homework" again this weekend and am now about to finish the last of what I assigned myself. It will be great to have it all on paper & theoretically FINDABLE. We'll see about that...

Hope you've had a great weekend!

If It's Saturday, It MUST Be Sequim!

I had samples to return to Home Depot today, so I set off for Sequim. I HAD to stop to take today's three photos to show you just part of the view (and this is NOT the prettiest stretch of road either!) The first photo is what you see off to the side of the road - Discovery Bay - at this point. It's stunning but it's frustrating when you're the driver because you can't get the full effect and keep your eyes on the road at the same time. This is the first time I've actually pulled over but wanted you to see the beauty of my drive. Not quite like driving over to the Home Depot on 183 or the one on MacArthur... A bit farther maybe, but who cares when you're surrounded by this beauty. On the way back, I saw a Jefferson Transit bus with "Sequim" on it's destination sign. I'm going to have to check on that - I didn't realize the buses crossed county lines. Of course, I'm always weighted down like a pack mule when I go to Sequim so I doubt I could "bus it", but who knows?

Found some incredible finishes today. Checking them off the list fairly quickly now - which is a good thing, but more important is that I think they'll be smashing in 523!

I'm off for more "homework". Hope you've had the day you wanted!

Cover Those Studs!

I know I'm still new here, but there just hasn't been a "normal" PT day yet. I hope there never is one.

I have, until today, refrained from talking on my cell while walking. I want to be aware of all my surroundings but today I needed to talk to Nel, my Texas neighbor. While we were talking, another Lillie crossed my path. Lillie & her human, (while I'm not thrilled with "human", I REALLY don't like "owner" or "master" either) Kate, came out their gate. Of course, I'm entralled with most any dog but Lillie is particularly precious. I've included her photo today for you to see. When I bent down to pat her, she came over & leaned against my shins. Kate reported that Lillie was a rescue dog from the local agency and that they're fairly certain she's a poodle/terrier mix, although she looks a great deal like a Portuguese water dog. Kate & Lillie participate in "Reading with Rover" at the local elementary school and she's a therapy dog as well. So my day started off exceptionally well (getting good news from Nel, in particular). The kids were out after lunch due to school conferences so I got so see Jasmine & Brianna from next door as well. Remember how special it was to get out of school early, particularly on a Friday so you could get a head start on the weekend? Well, we teachers were always excited too!

The guys mainly are working on plywood sheathing at this point. They're ALWAYS checking and rechecking their dimensions - quite comforting for me!

This truly is a small town. Today while I was at Jeanne's picking up some revised plans and "visiting" with the wonderful Mr. B (AKA Mr. Buddha - photo featured today as well), Jeanne came down the stairs with another client. We all talked about how special Mr. B is and went our separate ways. At my next stop as I was leaving, Jeanne's client pulled up with her two pups so we had to ooh & aah over them for awhile. This happened yesterday at the post office and then Aldrich's - you see the same people at your next stop! No wonder everyone seems to know their fellow PTers here!

Well, it's raining an actual rain. Not the usual light drizzle (and we haven't even had much of that lately) but raindrops. I'll take rain ANY time - it's precious.

Hope your weekend is starting off well - ENJOY!

First Floor Interior Framing

You won't be able to see much progress in today's photo because the bulk of it was in the form of interior framing. Loren was there too but I missed him. I can tell he was there because scaffolding has been added and more rebar was sticking out of the freshly poured concrete. I was standing in the middle of an open area when the guys told me I was standing by the sink of the guest bathroom. Sure enough, after they told me, I "got it". After looking at the plans for so long, I can almost tell you exactly where things are on the plywood "floor". Mark decided that I needed to contribute a nail to the process today - with the nail gun. Greg donated his ear protection & Mark showed me exactly how to do it. Of course, I got 2 nails with one trigger motion. Somehow, I don't think that's the way it's supposed to happen! So I have officially worked on my own home now. I think the guys will now take over again & that's a better thing!

It rained last night and is a little chilly today. Still walked over without a coat, however. Could my Texas blood already be thickening?

First Floor Vertical

A wonderful, full day! Tamara & Joe stopped by this morning to see 523. Since Tamara designed it, I could hardly wait for her to see it again. We went on to fine-tune a pesky closet while at 1012. Isn't it amazing how the LITTLE things in a house can drive you to distraction if it's not right? Closet size is right up there. But that closet didn't stand a chance with both of us scrutinizing it for my office needs! We then walked around Uptown looking for a real-life example (I'm a visual!) of how Tamara wants to better protect the patio doors on the ground level from the elements. We walked by Charlie & Barbara's house where I first met the guys when they were previously working there. Charlie & Barbara are currently converting an additional part of their historic property into their B&B (the carriage house is now being remodeled and will have the most incredible view - and it's only a small part of Barbara's beautiful garden). Charlie gave Tamara the tour. It's always interesting to see the ideas that others bring to their remodels. Such a warm house it is, particularly the grandkids' room!

By the end of the day when I took this photo, all the outside wall framing on the lower level was completed except for the outer garage wall. And another shock! I can see the water from the guest bedroom's patio door opening! I NEVER expected that! I don't know how much longer it will be visible as there is a tree full of buds which will probably be in the way later. But for now, the water's right there! Walking home, I stopped at Bud's (my other next door neighbor who sold me the property). While I was standing on his elevated front porch, I noticed that there's a VERY good chance that while in the upstairs master bedroom, I'll see the water from a different vantage point than I'd expected. At the rate the guys are going, I'll be up on the second level checking it out before you know it!

It's flying, isn't it?

Oh - and "GLORIOUS"!!!!

You Won't BELIEVE Today's Progress!

Pete & I met at Groves today with Suzette (my Groves wonder woman)to try to get the windows & doors finalized. Thankfully, he told me about the "back way" to get there. PT received stimulus funds to create two roundabouts on Sims Way - the main route in & out of town. This week, they're really making progress on the actual roundabouts, but it means stopping traffic each way for extended periods since Sims is only a 2-lane thoroughfare.

I love the style of the doors & windows I'm getting. Many of the windows are casements which are necessary to be able to water the flower boxes which will be below them. The window boxes & shutters will not be installed until the fall - after the shakes are stained. So even though I'll move in earlier, it won't be "finished" for several months thereafter.

But I was SHOCKED when I pulled up to 523 after our window summit. Can you BELIEVE what the guys accommplished today? I actually stood at the "kitchen window" to look out at what will be the view. I looked out the large living room picture window (unfortunately the view now consists of construction necessities...), the dining room patio doors. And it was a good thing I went by when the guys were still there as they showed me where some of the living room windows would be on the interior wall & it allowed me to make them a bit bigger on the order with Suzette as a result.

Don't think tomorrow can possibly top today!

A Wall Riseth

Why am I always surprised when I come around the corner each workday? While I knew the "sticks were going to fly" this week, I was still surprised to see this first wall actually up. This is one of the dining room walls. It's actually happening, isn't it? Loren and his assistant were there working on the chimney as well. I'd heard it was going to rise with the rest of the house and so it is.

I spent the afternoon at the PT Library starting to "fine tune" each room. It's the perfect place to spread out papers and have peace & quiet to contemplate minute details. Of course many will avoid my "eagle eye", but I have efficient backup to catch them when I don't. And as an added bonus, I left with my PT library card which even has an additional keytag like Tom Thumb/Safeway.

Can't wait to see which walls spring up tomorrow!

1012

A quiet, overcast day in PT. So peaceful.

While it's not open today, I wanted to introduce you to 1012. I'm not a coffee connoisseur - my previous experience with coffee was limited to the belief that any Starbucks worldwide will produce a like-flavored latte - 1012 has the best latte I've ever encountered. And the ONLY PT Starbucks in "Starbucks Country" (WA) is the one at the Safeway. Tamara, my wonderful architect, introduced me to 1012 one day when we met there to pour over the plans. Mike & Suzy own & run it and there's nothing like the warm welcome you get whenever you pass over their threshold. Suzy knew after one visit what my "usual" was. I don't know what I look forward to more - the yummy latte or visiting with Mike & Suzy! Here are today's photos - one of 1012 & one I took before I ever set foot inside. You knew a pooch had to be involved, didn't you?

But truthfully, my true non-alcoholic beverage goal in life will probably always be to find THE organic, decaf green tea. Either way, I'm fortunate.

A FULL 24 Hours

Most of you know that I'm a night owl. Well, it kicked in last night - just wasn't sleepy at 3:00, so I decided that I would just stay up until daybreak and finally see a PT sunrise. I actually got alot done - picked out a refrigerator, think I know what kind of WA health insurance I'll get later in the year (you need a graduate degree in statistics to figure it out!), and caught up on articles I'd bookmarked in the past to read when it was quiet. At 7:05am I was out the door (and into the car since it was in the low 30s) and off to the bluff area to take the first one of today's photos. It WAS incredibly stunning to see! I think you'll agree.

I planned on going to Sequim today for their Garden Show and hitting all the usual big boxes while there. As I got into the car, a seagull sounded like it was just above me and it was QUITE "talkative"! He almost was right above me - he was just across the street. I've included a photo of the neighborhood alarm clock as well...

I stopped at Home Depot to pick up samples to match for colors, then drove down to Port Angeles (where the ferry leaves for Victoria on Vancouver Island, B.C.) on a fruitless mission to find accent brick, then back to Sequim for Costco. I don't think I have to explain a Costco mission to anyone, particularly the women. BUT, when I left I couldn't believe what I saw in the distance. In the Costco gasoline photo, look just below the word "gasoline" and you'll see Mt. Baker. It is not as striking in this photo as it was in reality, but it was such a shock to see it. I just get my bearings in PT and then I'm totally thrown off by Sequim. I had to ask a couple in the parking lot which mountain it was. From there I finally got to the Garden Show. HOW FRUSTRATING! Since the shingles on 523 won't be stained until after a "season" up (this summer), I won't be planting until that process is complete as I don't want the plants to have stain accidentally dripped on them. While Dallas & PT are in the same horticultural "zone", the plants are quite different up here. When I left the show, I had a handful of business cards with contact numbers for the fall, which is always the best time to plant anyway. One woman has a peony farm! I was thrilled to see her as I've always given peonies the old college try, but they never excelled as I remembered them just 200 miles north of Dallas. So I know where I'll be on a September weekend... Martine - you need to plan a trip here then!

Needless to say, I'm out of energy & will now crash! The only thing that got me back to PT was a gorgeous drive with Sting singing full blast! I guess some things never change...

A Welcoming Front Porch

I'm going to have to have a code so you won't "glaze over" when I describe another beautiful day here. I'm just going to say "Glorious". That's my code for a simply incredible day outside in PT.

GLORIOUS!

Walked over to meet Pete at the site this morning & found Jeff & Mike finishing the drainage system and preparing the front porch area for a "pour" next week. It REALLY helped me get a sense of the house's orientation. Don't ask me why a small area helped me more clearly visualize, but it did! Also met with Tracy, the insulation man, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. Long ago are the days when you just bought "The Pink Panther" variety! Thankfully, PT has a very temperate climate. The average January LOW is 34 and the average July high is 78. And PT gets half the rain of Seattle, which I'm not sure is a good thing. I believe water will be far more precious than oil in the future. I truly hope I'm wrong.

While I was out in the car (an event that is occuring less and less...) I stopped at Dos Okies BBQ. Being from Oklahoma originally, it had piqued my interest. I'd read they were from OKC originally (one Okie, who has since left, was really from CA - his OK connection was a generation or so back). Quickly spoke with the remaining Okie at the PO one rainy day and he said I had to come by to "put a pin in the map". Today I got that pin in the map - along with 300+ other Okies who had previously visited Dos Okies in PT. Cleo, there was one pin on Boise City - we've got to make that at least two!

Today I realized that Friday must be the official "Mow Your Lawn Day" in PT. I saw more mowers out than I had digits to count them today and the aroma of freshly mown grass was heady. Rick, the innkeeper, was out mowing when I walked up after meeting Pete. Needless to say, the windows are open to catch the scent.

Weekend again - may you have "a good one"!

Drainage IS Necessary, Even If Not Exciting!

I left this morning at 11:00 for OJ with Nancy and didn't get back until after 3:00. Wish I could report that I was moving my feet all those hours but we had a long visit at Undertown, a wonderful coffee shop underneath downtown PT. I just try to tell myself whenever I'm there that this isn't the day that "The Big Rumbler" (as I refer to it) is coming.

I continue to be fascinated with all that I notice while out on foot. I'm including a photo from the sidewalk just yards from 523 - the moss-filled name of our street. I've since noticed more of these indented letters in the Uptown area, but this one is the only one (so far) that is moss-filled, making it stand out & therefore, so much easier to read. These are all of the same font and it makes me wonder if there was a "stimulus package" years ago that covered this feature. WPA? I noticed that there are new metal numbers in some of the sidewalks elsewhere in downtown & have decided I'll be adding some when the sidewalk is repaired out front of 523. I love moss - even crawled out of a window at the house I rented in the Cotswolds to bring "mounds" of it back from the roof. Unfortunately, it didn't like Texas's scorching heat & later wilted & died. I plan to have moss growing between the flagstones that will make up the terrace in the back garden. Wonder where I got this thing about MOSS?

Today's progress will be difficult for you to see. Jeff & Mike, from Centerline, were back with their huge "toys" to install the drainage system around the foundation and to partially fill the garage floor area. After the slotted drainage pipes are laid, they are covered with a fiber membrane to keep debris out. Then they are topped with the PVX piping that will take the gutters' rain away from the house itself. At that point, they are covered to the spot on the side of the foundation that has been predetermined by code. Jeff & Mike should be finished tomorrow and then look out!

Dancing Platform

Can you believe it? The floor joists are now covered with plywood which was suggested, in jest, as a dancing platform (well, it IS St. Patrick's Day today!) I was shocked that it was basically finished by the early afternoon.

How can tomorrow top today for effect? We're out of the dirt!!!!!

Floor Joists In!

What a DAY! Since my iPhone "weather station" told me it was 58 degrees outside, I decided it was THE day to get my walking shoes on. So away I went the whopping 3 1/2 blocks to 523 on foot. What a glorious day it was & such a mix of weather. I stopped by 523 to visit with the guys and was amazed they were 3/4 through with the floor joists already. There's much more to it than just laying those huge pieces of lumber across the span of the rooms/areas. From there, I hoofed it over to the post office enjoying the view you just don't get from the car. I think the car's days of being the preferred mode of transportation in Uptown are over. Stopped back by 523 on the way back & felt a few drops of rain as the sky was getting a tad ominous so I headed back to base. By the time I walked in the door, the wind had picked up quite a bit. This afternoon, while doing my "homework", I kept hearing the wind outside. But I had NO IDEA, until I went downtown to pay the electric bill in person (when was the last time you did that?), what a "gale" we had going (remember - I'm a recently transplanted "Texan" and we didn't have deep waters off the "coast of Dallas" so this is all still new to me!) By the time I came out of PSE, the winds were so high downtown that if I hadn't quickly gotten my leg into the car, the wind-pushed door would have severely damaged it, if not broken it. The slam of the door was about the loudest I've ever heard. I then went up to 523 to take today's photo & was amazed at the difference in the wind levels. While not tame, Uptown's winds were materially lower.

Today's photo shows the end of the day's progress. ALL the joists are now in & Pete said they'll probably get the plywood decking done tomorrow.

NOAA, my "official" weather station, says the winds are only 36 MPH. If you had asked me, I'd say closer to 45-50. If this is 36, I'd "like" to see the 120 MPH winds that took down the Hood Canal Bridge in the 70's. I can't even imagine...

The Floor Riseth!

Well, today's main errand really got to me! It was time to register the car in WA and get new plates. While that's no biggie, giving up my Texas Animal Friendly plates was difficult - they have Bear's nickname "SQEKR" on them. You wouldn't believe all the comments I've gotten on those plates over the years - even had one here this morning while filling up. Most people assume it's because the car squeaks - I've always joked that first Lexus - and now BMW - wasn't happy with this "advertising". So now I have my WA "generic" plates...

I DO wonder when all these types of necessary errands will be completed. Still working on my driver's license up here - waiting on something from Qwest showing I actually LIVE here and they're the only ones that will have something official enough to pass. Since I don't live at 523 yet, they won't take any of the voluminous documentation I have for that address. But this too shall pass.

I'm always surprised when I drive up to 523 at the end of the day to see what's been accomplished. The floor is coming along quite quickly, isn't it? Someday I'm going to just sit over there all day and see how they do this. All I can tell you is that their work is elegant. I struggled to find an adjective, but that's the best I can come up with. Strange way to describe it, I know. You'd just have to see it!

Quiet Sunday

One less hour sleep. Need I say more?

Today saw the least amount of activity on my part since I got here. Devoured the Seattle Times & the Peninsula Daily News and have come to the conclusion that the PDN is quite a good newspaper - particularly in view of the fact that it serves such a small population in comparison to the Seattle Times. It's still odd to not start the day with a LONG read of the Dallas Morning News. I had no idea what a fine newspaper the DMN is. The Seattle Times is a good paper, but it doesn't have the depth of reporting & features. BUT I have to take into consideration the size of the populations they serve. Something I'm not sure about is the overall size of the Seattle-Tacoma area and everything around & between. It's much like the situation in Dallas-Fort Worth & the "Metroplex" (gad, I disliked that term!) OK - I had to stop & go research this. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) in 2008 (most recent figures) had a population of 6,300,000 while the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA had a population of 3,344,000. That's MUCH larger than I thought the SeaTac area was! Will have to think a bit longer about cutting the Seattle Times such slack.

Today's photo is an "archived" photo. It's of the wonderful Sweet Laurette's in Uptown on Lawrence (Uptown's "main drag"). It's approximately 2 blocks from 523 which may mean trouble in the future! It's a lovely combination bakery-cafe and a local favorite which means lines.

It was strange that there were no pooches outside waiting for their humans when I took this photo. Dogs are just such a presence in PT. This morning when I was on Haines, I looked up and a man on a bicycle had a "platform" attached behind with his gorgeous golden-colored dog which resembled a Huskie (can they be a golden color?) standing majestically on the platform, a la Cleopatra, being hauled around the water's edge. Do dogs have this figured out or what? No walking for this guy/gal. Unfortunately I only had my iPhone & he was too far away to get a clear photo but I laughed so hard that those seeing me must have thought I was ready for the looney bin. Dogs ARE loved & catered to here!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I can't wait to see the changes that will come to pass at 523 this week. I've heard we should be "out of the dirt" - a huge milestone, apparently. Stay tuned...

Sleepy Saturday

After staying up WAY too late last night (I started watching "The Proposal" at 1:00am...) I got off to a late start this morning. But when I DID get going, I criss-crossed this "huge metropolis" so many times that the car was totally confused. I still haven't gotten my routes down where they make sense & are in "order". But with each wrong turn, I learn a little more about PT.

Among many other stops, I went to The Food Co-op today. It's PT's best place for a great variety of healthy foods. Types of apples I've never heard of, cheeses I've never seen, magazines I've never read, the best egg salad this side of the Mississippi (not exotic, just good), and they even have my old-fashioned glass refrigerator storage containers! Today they hosted a local organic farm just outside one of the entrances. Their aim is to provide their members with the best possible choices and considering this time of year, they're doing a great job. I've heard that the building at one time was a bowling alley. Today's photo of The Co-op doesn't show it in its best light, but you should see it in the fall when the walls are covered with ivy in the most incredible shades of gold & red.

Tomorrow? A favorite breakfast spot in PT. Don't forget to set your clocks back!

A New Phase

It's really taking off now. WOOD! Treated wood was bolted down to the concrete foundation today with a strip of foam somewhat like an Oreo cookie, in between. When I went to take this afternoon's photo, wood had sprung up all over. It was pretty miserable this morning - cold, damp - but the guys were working steadily as if they hadn't even noticed.

Today, I tweaked the firebox's firebrick colors (deleted two of six colors), selected the exterior chimney's rock and chose the roofing color. So for that day when nothing was accomplished, I think today more than made up for it.

I drove over to Silverdale to Lowe's for research & to Costco, well, for Costco! It's amazing how a little jaunt like that can chew up the entire day. You can tell the season is changing quickly. When I first moved up here, it would be fairly dark by 5. Today, it was still light outside - thankfully for the photo! And next week should be even better with Daylight Savings Time rolling around again. I hope to finalize some more details this weekend to get them off my "it's bugging me" list. I try to stay ahead of the guys so my input doesn't slow them down.

It's Friday - enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I think today's title says it all - it's COLD! While that should be the norm at this time of the year in this part of the country, I think we all were ridiculously spoiled for a couple of weeks with glorious spring-like weather. Last night brought wild winds for HOURS. While I was enjoying it from my warm little rental, I did wonder about those who were on the seas and how they were viewing the gusts.

Today, the guys peeled off the wall forms to reveal a beautiful set of concrete wall supports. Never thought I'd think of concrete as beautiful, but when I pulled up late this afternoon to take this photo, I DID think that! What have I come to?

I met with Tamara, my fabulous architect, today at her home. We fine-tuned a few areas that I had not mentioned to her previously and the office/second guest bedroom was improved mightily by the time I left today. It will enable me to sit at my desk and look out at a possible view of the water/mountains. As with the front of the house, we'll see what this view from the back of the house develops into when the framing gets up to the second story. I'll probably be right behind them as soon as it is structurally sound to get up there. Such possibilities!

A First...

No photo today! Yesterday's freshly poured concrete needed a day to rest, so there wasn't any visible progress today to show.

Pete & I met at 523 this morning & I picked out the firebrick for the fireplace. It's going to be a wonderful mix of different colors in a herringbone pattern. I'm asking Loren to carry the pattern out to the firebox's floor as well as the hearth area that juts into the living room. I'm thrilled with the colors Loren obtained & can't wait to see them installed down the road!

Lots of computer research on building products and compiling questions for Tamara for the last (hopefully!) fine tuning of the plans. Nothing big at all, guys, in case you're reading this tonight! Took the plans to the library to have some room to spread them out while I was working on them. Such beautiful sunlight filters into the PT library and I saw the most respectful "children" since I was there after classes were out for the day. The Library will be featured on a weekend soon.

A new photo tomorrow!

Full Wall Forms

This was NOT my most personally productive day! I drove over to Port Angeles (about 45 miles away - it's where you take the ferry to Victoria Island) to get an "enhanced" driver's license. Enhanced licenses are only available at select driver's license offices and this was my closest one. With an enhanced license, you can go to/return from Canada, Mexico & the Caribbean without a passport if by any means of transportation other than air. Since Victoria & Vancouver B.C. are so close, I thought it would be nice to have just one form of ID to take with me. But today didn't get it done (temporary address was the problem) so I'll return later.

Stopped in Sequim to look at stone for the outside of the chimney and came up empty handed there too. Won't be a problem for long, but today just wasn't the day.

I got back around 5:00 and took today's photo. It was quite cold this morning when I stopped by 523 before hitting the road. The guys were doing the last preparation work for the noon wall form pour. When I got back this afternoon, the forms were filled to the brim and the chimney had a dose as well. The concrete will sit tomorrow and the forms will be removed on Thursday if all goes as planned.

You have to have a day like this every once in awhile, but they're not my favorite since I love the feeling of ticking something off the list each day. Maybe I'll tick TWO off tomorrow!

The Wall Forms Are Ready!

What a weather day! When I opened the door this morning, there was snow falling! Not the big flaky stuff but definitely snow. Within 30 minutes it was replaced by bright sunlight.

Today's good news is that the media mail boxes containing many of my books, mailed from Irving on February 2, FINALLY arrived! I had started to think they were lost in the US Postal Service's "black hole" so I was thrilled to see the beat-up boxes!

We had breakfast at Salal's, a restaurant on Water Street I'd heard of numerous times & had never checked out for myself. Wonderful breakfast there and then on the road to Seattle for Sam's flight to CA. As we got closer to Seattle, the snow reappeared. By the time we got to SeaTac, it was fairly heavy. I dropped him off then headed back toward town to check out an appliance store there. Within 10 minutes I was in bright sunlight again & then Sam sent me a photo from his iPhone of continued snow at the airport. Less than 10 miles apart. Simply amazing.

I got back to PT just as the sun was setting to snap today's photo. Pete told me over the phone that they had finished the wall forms and will be pouring again tomorrow.

Until then!

The Rose

Tonight's post will be short as the Oscars are still on.

Today, we started out by having breakfast at the packed Sweet Laurette's in Uptown. It feels a bit like a french cafe and it is clearly a town favorite. We also stopped by Aldrich's for Port Townsend Brewing Co's beer for Oscar watching and some pastries. Beer & pastries - but remember, they weren't for the same sitting! We then went out to North Beach to look for sea glass, but came up empty. It was a bit chilly and overcast today but that didn't stop lots of families & dogs and their humans from enjoying the rocky beach.

So we're watching the Oscars with popcorn from the Rose Theatre, the subject of today's photo. We've seen three movies at the Rose in the last three days - The Messenger, The Last Station & Alice in Wonderland. The Rose is quite simply, a JEWEL. As I told its owner, Rocky, it was a factor in deciding Port Townsend was the town for me and apparently I wasn't the first to tell him this. The Rose was Rocky's dream years ago & he didn't stop until it was fulfilled. It has two screens - the Rose & the smaller Rosebud. All movies are "announced" with background about the movie you're about to see. PT is a film-watching town & the Rose hosts many performances of the PT Film Festival held in the fall. You can also go to the Rose to see the Metropolitan Opera live in HD or a time-delayed (there's only so much they can do about the huge time zone difference!) performance from the National Theatre of London. For a film lover, it's Nirvana.

Hope your weekend was everything you desired. Back to 523 photos tomorrow...

Port Townsend Post Office

Today's photos are of the Port Townsend Post Office. I'm there "daily" - Monday through Saturday - to check my box for "hand addressed" mail, usually to be greeted instead by dreaded bills. I love walking into this building every day because it's filled with such history. It was built in 1893 (with terrific cost overruns even back then) as the U.S. Customs House. It is now the oldest federally constructed Post Office in Washington. According to HistoryLink.com, "in 1854, the Treasury Department moved Washington Territory’s Port of Entry into the United States, from Olympia to Port Townsend. Sailing ships usually stopped for at least a few hours, both entering and leaving Puget Sound, to clear customs and await favorable winds and tides for continuing their voyage." But eventually the newer steamships didn't have the sail-dependent ships' limitations and by 1913, the Customs Office was moved to Seattle. This provided a further blow to PT, coupled with the railroad - vital for expanded development - never reaching PT.

It's still a lovely building, now housing the PT Post Office, a small museum & a few private offices as well. My PO box is in the second photo, on the right. I hope you can see the rich woods, marble floors and I believe, the original glass-doored postal boxes, which greet me each day. Unfortunately, there's no way to show you all the friendly postal employees who are assigned to this station.

Today was full - after stopping at the Post Office, we were off to Point Hudson Cafe down by the marina for breakfast. We both admitted that we wouldn't need to eat for another 2-3 days after consuming their HUGE portions, but somehow we managed to eat again later in the evening. From Point Hudson, we were off to see Jeanne, who owns the local interior design shop, and Susie, the incredible barista at 1012 coffee. Next, we headed south to tour Marrowstone Island. It is home to two state parks which are picture perfect. Marrowstone sits across the bay from PT and while you're only a short drive away, it's like being half a world away. The local paper ran a story earlier that Stephanie Meyer, the wildly-successful author of the Twilight series, has quietly lived part-time with her family on Marrowstone Island for a couple of years. While I'm not a Twilight fanatic, I've heard the story of how she Googled the wettest town in the US on which to base her story. I don't believe she'd even been to Forks prior to making it famous. From Marrowstone, we drove over to Discovery Bay Golf Club which sits above yet another section of the water surrounding the peninsula. Quite a setting for a round of golf although I obviously can't vouch for the course's quality. There were pre-teens out playing too which I think is wonderful for them to have a place where they feel they are welcome to play and to learn the etiquette of golf.

But the highlight of the afternoon was an after thought. We stopped at the Jefferson County International Airport to check on the air taxi service from SeaTac. There is a recently-opened aero museum there as well which was spearheaded by a local retired couple who were previously airline employees - a pilot & a flight attendant. But getting out of the car, we were hit with the most delicious smell of burgers & fries from the Spruce Goose Cafe. I'd seen their sandwich board out by the highway each time I'd passed but had no idea what a great find it would be. The taxi service owner told us that it was fairly famous amongst pilots of small planes from California to Alaska. Many will stop at the JCIA to fill up - both their planes & their stomachs. It was a GORGEOUS day and the Spruce Goose's deck, parallel with the landing strip, was packed. We lucked out by getting the last two pieces of their chocolate banana cream pie to go.

Tonight we went to see "Alice in Wonderland" at the Rose and then went to Gallery Walk, which is held the first Saturday of each month. Sam found a photograph that he's having shipped back to Dallas for his new office. From there, we went to Fin's for dinner & watched the luminous ferry setting out in the darkness, taking Port Townsend's Saturday visitors back to Whidbey Island.

Hope your day was filled with what you wanted to do! More local info will be coming tomorrow which I hope will entice you to want to visit PT!

More Progress...

Every day 523 changes - and I don't know why I'm still so surprised at its change. While you probably won't be able to see much difference in the photo, there was. The wall forms are almost finished and Loren's chimney creation keeps getting taller. It already looks as if a tank couldn't knock it over.

Had breakfast at The Cup this morning. It just opened this week and was packed when we arrived. It was good to see the community supporting the new business in town. From there, we went on a few errands and then by 523 so Sam could meet everyone. Nancy was outside as well, but on as gorgeous a day as today, that shouldn't have been surprising. She had earlier told me about Port Gamble, just across the Hood Canal Bridge (more on that in a later post). PG was founded in 1853 by two Maine businessmen & at one point was the longest continually operating mill town in North America. It has been restored and it is the only remaining mill town on Puget Sound. From PG, we drove over to Kingston, another picturesque town which hosts the Edmunds-Kingston ferry route.

Today was a banner day for food as well. After The Cup, we were on the way over to Port Gamble when we passed Fiesta Jalisco in Port Hadlock. I've put off sampling any of the Mexican restaurants in the area since I assumed there was no way they could compare with Texas' Tex-Mex. Was I ever wrong! The food was fabulous. It will definitely be a favorite when the Tex-Mex bug bites. But the clear winner in the food category was the Silverwater Cafe. I don't believe there's a restaurant in Dallas (restaurant mecca that it is) that has a menu with the variety of the Silverwater. They feature local and organic foods & wines and they absolutely shine. While I usually don't eat desserts out, I couldn't pass up the blackberry & marionberry pie (with local homemade ice cream). Such a fabulous meal - TOO fabulous! We then went to see "The Last Station" next door at my all-time favorite theater - The Rose. Is Helen Mirren ever NOT luminous on the big screen?

The next two days will feature PT "landmarks" since there won't be any progress photos over the weekend. Hope you enjoy them - and that you enjoy YOUR weekend!

The Chimney Starts

I made a very quick stop at 523 this morning before heading to Seattle. What a bustle of activity! The guys were continuing their work on the wall forms & I saw some vents added since yesterday.

Also, Loren was there with his helper (who dodged today's photo) starting the chimney's construction. The fireplace will be a Rumford, which I'd never heard of prior to moving here. They apparently were common in the late 1700's and continue to be energy-efficient to this day. They don't look like a "normal" fireplace - they're quite shallow. Since there can be major seismic activity in the Pacific Northwest, there will be steel rebar added at each successive layer as the chimney rises from its foundation. I don't know if that is the norm in Texas, but it makes me feel more assured of the chimney's strength. I'll post photos as it "blossoms"...

Sam came up for the weekend prior to going to CA to play golf in a member-guest with his brother. I imagine we'll see several movies (already started tonight with "The Messenger"), play tourist & squeeze in a few 523-related errands.

We'll see tomorrow what happened after I left this morning. Can't wait!

Now it starts to rise

523 is taking its first vertical steps. The guys are now working on the forms to create the wall sections with a pour predicted for early next week. They are looking forward to being "out of the dirt" (did I get that right, guys?) which will happen in a week or so. I think it's more psychological than anything - plus it's probably more fun at that stage too. Just look what they accomplished today!

Lots of errands today, still related to "getting settled". I keep thinking I'm through with them but they keep coming. Another musing about this small town is that the gas station still takes personal checks! And it's the Safeway gas station - not an "independent". When was the last time someone would take your personal check for gas? OK, Cleo, I know where you live this isn't unusual, but for most of us, it is! As most of you know, there's no way I'm going to pass up an opportunity for AAdvantage points, so I'll not be writing one; BUT how wonderful that it's still possible for others. I think it tells you alot without elaboration.

While on those errands early this afternoon, I was shocked that the car said it was only 54 degrees. Felt like 70 to me. BUT when Pete & I met at 4:30 with Loren, who will be constructing the fireplace, while it was still about 50 I was freezing. What a difference the sun makes. But it still doesn't make sense to me. Another thing I'll eventually "get", I suppose.

Can't wait to see tomorrow's continuing progress (and the gorgeous weather that's forecast for the area!)

Bye Bye Boards!

Today's photo is of the foundation now that it has peeled its boards (with a little help from the guys) like a snake sheds its skin. It is so clean and angular! It looks so substantial - particularly when you take into consideration what a small house 523 will be.

And today's musings on living in a small town are about telephone dialing. I accidentally dialed a local number without the area code and it went through! SEVEN digits rather than TEN! I remember when 10-digit dialing came to Dallas - we were up in arms and mad that we were going to be required to enter those 3 extra digits with each call we made. Of course, we fairly quickly acclimated to it but what a furor it was initially. So now I'm back (for some calls) to 7 digits. I imagine it will take me awhile to figure out which local calls require 10, and why.

To my friends in Texas, I'll be awaiting the primary results of "Governor Good Hair" vs Kay Bailey Hutchison. I don't think she ever envisioned such a race when she announced her intentions to leave the U.S. Senate to come home to Texas permanently. Since GGH is probably the most handsome of the governors and since telegeneics plays such a large role in political success (we won't get into that one...), I've been surprised that he hasn't tested the national waters for the next act in his political life. This should be interesting...

Have a wonderful evening!

1st Foundation Pour

Today was a red letter day for 523. The first phase of the foundation was poured! I ran over to Sequim this morning to return samples, visit the "boxes" & check on fireplace materials. Lovely partly sunny morning and we apparently hit 59 today as well. Somehow, we got to discussing the sunlight in PT and the guys told me that in the summer, it stays light until about 9:30pm after a 4:30am'ish sunrise! It was the time of the sunrise that totally amazed me. That's a lot of daylight to get things accomplished - gardening, walking, visiting, etc. However, it makes the drive-in movie start quite late. Yes, there's a drive-in movie in PT! Apparently not much has changed since the 50s and it's still a place families (and teenagers!) go. I'm sure I'll eagerly try it if any kids (and their brave parents/grandparents) come up this summer.

Around 1:00 the first of two cement trucks pulled up. The pumpers, Paul & his son Ryan, were waiting and already prepared for them. I have to brag here on Ryan, Paul's son. I've rarely seen a young man so responsible in the past few years. He, his father and the guys worked with military precision - Paul & Ryan filling the forms & the guys smoothing out the freshly deposited cement. Mark's son, Erik, (sorry for the earlier misspelling!) joined us briefly after school and made an imprint of his hands in the wet goo. Pete had earlier told me that an old custom was to put some coins in the foundation so you'd never be without money. So I put one of each in the fireplace area as that is where so much money will be burned up!

I'm attaching a photo of the finished product. It's just amazing for me to watch - I hope you're enjoying it as well!