New Perspective

Today's photo is from a new perspective. I was walking around trying to get the best shot of the work that happened yesterday & today when Maddie from next door led me to their side yard for this photo. She was right - it really shows the work that has been going on to the side of the house which normally you don't get to see. That's the guest bedroom at the far left in the photo - where Mr. Raccoon has already made himself at home, apparently. This is the side that will have a "swoop" - a slight "upswing" at the end of the roofing. The porch "ceiling" started to take shape today also. While it is hard to see from the sticks shown, the house really has most of its overall look now.

Hope your weekend shapes up to be a great one!

Biggest One Day Change

Today has to be the biggest one day change in 523. I hauled myself over there when I was alerted that the crane had arrived, as well as the trusses. They were already underway at that point - the guys were "in position" ready to guide the sets of trusses into place. I took some short videos but they're still too large for posting on the blog.

Before I left this morning, I took a photo of the evidence that I've already had my first overnight "guest". The guys tell me it was a raccoon. All I can say is he/she better not get too comfortable! I hear the deer have returned as well. If all the commotion doesn't keep them away, I don't know what will!

And finally (again, if I've loaded them correctly!) a shot of what the guys accomplished during the day. I couldn't believe how they got the trusses for the area over the guest bedroom set already as well as much of the area above the master bedroom. It HAS to be the day where there has been the most visible change in 523.

It really looks like a house now. But truly, it isn't as large as these photos make it appear. It's just a very comfortable size...

Pictures Don't Always Tell the Tale

There are some days when I wonder what to photograph to show you what progressed at 523 that day. Today is one of them. There are just some days where, despite 3 guys working hard, little shows - YET. Today, Patrick and Mark were working on the forms for the steps leading to the porches that were poured last week. Greg was working upstairs getting ready for the trusses which will be delivered tomorrow. They were to be delivered this afternoon, but the weather forecast was not the best so they were postponed. Now, NOAA has an ominous forecast for tomorrow, but coming the trusses are anyway. Apparently a crane will be accompanying them. I will break my usual pattern and be there early (well, that's the plan...) to take a photo or two if it's not a driving rain.

Today's photo shows one of the window openings in the unfinished space above the garage. It MAY even have a little view of a mountain. It was overcast today, so I can't tell for sure until we have another glorious, clear day.

Should be dramatic tomorrow - stay tuned as they used to say...

Solid

That's what this wall is. And it's a good thing I was running a morning's worth of errands & didn't watch them doing its outside sheathing. I couldn't have watched. STILL don't know how they did it, but they did. Most of the second floor where the living area is has been sheathed now - a bit remains but that's on purpose.

Great morning - "T-shirt" morning for the guys - but the winds and rain arrived this afternoon. Some pretty dramatic white caps as the little PT-Whidbey Island ferry fought its way across the bay. Again, glad I wasn't on it!

It's still a bit windy & still raining hours later...

Tall Ships at Port Ludlow

The tall ships were on the Peninsula this week and today they were at Port Ludlow, which is "two towns down" from PT. So I got in the car & drove down to see them. Two were at the PL marina - the Lady Washington & the Hawaiian Chieftain. They drew quite a crowd and many were aboard when I got there - ready for a sail. The "ship hands" were dressed in period costume and seemed to really be into their roles.

A beautiful, warm day in the "dreary Pacific Northwest". Hope your day was a delight!

A Saturday That Couldn't Make Up Its Mind

I've noticed that if PT has dreary weather, you can't be sure it's an all-day thing. Since I've been here, there have been few days that were overcast all day. Usually it fluctuates back & forth - sun/clouds/sun/clouds. Today was much like that. When I looked outside when I was ready to leave, it was raining. A nice rain which is always needed. By the time I got myself out the door, the sun was out & there were no more raindrops.

Today's photos are of some of the blooms around town. Depending on how they load, they are:

My car surrounded by petal snow. After a windy night, the car is usually covered & surrounded by "pink snow". It is so pretty and thankfully, the trees still have enough petal balls to be gorgeous.

A closeup of one of Nancy's lilac blossoms. I had lilacs growing up in Oklahoma City and was so surprised (and frustrated!) that only 200 miles south, when I planted some they were determined not going to flourish. Actually, "flourish" is ridiculous - they just died, in spite of my coddling. So I'm thrilled to see them everywhere up here.

"Fireplace pokers"! I had only seen these in nursery catalogs prior to moving here. These are across the street from the Post Office on the bluff area overlooking the bay. They're pretty dramatic, aren't they?

And back to Nancy's garden. Nancy has a white picket fence around her property and on every post, she has a different style birdhouse. This one has a delightful, delicate vine that IS flourishing right now. Sort of looks like a mini-clematis, but I wouldn't swear to anything. As I've said before, I have alot to do to uphold the block's horticultural standards with Nancy & Gussie's yards on either side of me. Somehow, I think I'll enjoy the challenge!

Hope your Saturday has been a good one!

The Beginning of the Roof...

but don't hold your breath waiting for more for awhile. At the end of the day, I stopped by 523 and was surprised to see the first sticks of the roof. I knew Greg had been working on cuts but I guess it went over my head. Since this area above the garage will be temporarily used for the trusses going over the guest bedroom, I don't anticipate more progress in this area until later but it was wonderful to get a feeling for what the roof will actually look like.

The house on the right is Bud's mom's house. On my first trip to PT, my realtor asked me what I was searching for in a look. We turned the corner & Gussie's house just sat there. I told her - THAT! Almost a year later, Holley & I got to see it via a tour by Bud himself. Unfortunately, it just didn't "work" for me when I got inside - no dining room, tiny kitchen (as IF I'm a cook!), and it needed major updating (although it had the best dog wallpaper I've ever seen!). And it had quite a high asking price. That was when I started trying to get Bud to sell me the extra lot (523) that was included in the house's purchase price. Took awhile, but I'm still thrilled with its location each and every day. I just wish Bud lived next door (he's only a couple of blocks away at his own house) as he's been so gracious about my house. It must be hard to see his mother's property changed in this way but he's been so supportive. I've been told that Gussie was out working in her garden up until 2 weeks before she died in her mid-90s, and the garden shows her loving care. I believe Bud is putting her home on the market soon so I may have new permanent neighbors.

Hope your weekend is already well underway. Have a good one!

Concrete Nearing Completion

When I got to 523 today, I thought the guys would be doing a little "light framing". HA! Patrick was still working very hard on the concrete areas that were poured yesterday. You don't just pour/cure/go on. The forms came off beautifully (apparently, you keep your fingers crossed...) First Patrick, then Pete & Patrick, worked hard with muriatic acid & stiff brushes. Scrubbing VERY hard on the concrete's broom surface. Over and over. Not a day at the beach by any means. The photo was taken before they were finished, but I had to move on to my next item to check off the list. Eventually, there will be 1-2 steps leading up to the front porch & 1 step from the two french door landings on the terrace side. Suffice it to say, the concrete work looks fabulous.

Concrete Progress

WHAT a day! Easy for me to say - I didn't do all the hard work that a large group of men did today at 523. The front porch & french doors' landings were poured this morning. In the cold. Pete had to go buy a sweater in town since the weather in PT was so different from his home about 20 miles away. When I arrived, the concrete truck was already there - rotating. Paul & his son, Ryan, were at work directing the concrete into the forms that the guys had built in preparation for this day. I will say it again - Ryan is such a responsible worker & a YOUNG worker at that. He's a joy to have on the job site (as is his father, obviously!) I've attached photos of Patrick & Paul filling one of the french door forms (2nd photo) as well as Patrick, Paul & Ryan filling the huge form that defined the front porch (1st photo). Patrick is quite tall so after looking at the first photo, you can tell how much concrete there now is in the front porch! I was told that the concrete for these three areas was almost the same as the house's footings.

I've also attached a first - a short clip of Patrick & Mark working on finishing the front porch. We goaded Patrick into narrating the process.

Suffice it to say, all the guys went home spent this afternoon. But there is a wonderful broom pattern in all three areas surrounded by a "vintage look" edge. I have newfound respect for concrete as a result.

Pete & Greg - after the ribbing I took on Mark's original post, you two will be heavily featured soon! Look out!


NOTE! THERE'S AN ERROR WITH UPLOADING THE SHORT CLIP. I'LL KEEP TRYING...

523 Wouldn't Exist Without...

Tamara Halligan - my fabulous architect! She's the final integral part of the team for you to meet. I was so fortunate that a friend here "in the business" recommended Tamara when I was looking for someone to design my home. She is simply wonderful - she listens, she's calm & she's created the perfect home for me! As I told her today when we met to go over some extra drawings that Pete needed - she understands "Lili-speak" which is NOT easy when I'm trying to explain something about the house with my deficient architecture vocabulary. My first major in college was interior design but I abandoned it when it became apparent that there was so much architecture involved in the OSU program (that's Oklahoma State, Oregon & Ohio people!) Thank goodness Tamara didn't quit her architecture studies.

Yesterday I was thinking I was in Dallas. It was HOT - yet only in the mid-60's. I am continually befuddled by the weather here. 50 can feel like 70 if the sun is out and yesterday showed me that the 60s can easily feel like the 80s. I thought I'd faint from having my usual layers on when we were standing on the second floor. Downstairs, protected, it felt 15 degrees cooler. But today made up for it. 50s that felt like 30s. A bit dreary, light rain. No concrete pour. But it should happen tomorrow. And at the rate the guys are working, the entire second floor will be framed before you know it!

A Different Perspective

The guys got the framing up in the upstairs front bedroom today and it provided an accurate view from what will be its windows. I thought you'd enjoy seeing a different perspective from the usual ground floor shot. Pete & I joked about my asking earlier in the process, "Do you think there will there be a view?". At the time, Pete hesitated only slightly then said that he would bet that there would be - that PT was notorious for providing little slivers of the water and the mountains from all over Uptown. Today's photo shows the views that are now real - that's Pete "holding the wall up".

If the rain stays away, the front porch and the two landings off the french doors will be poured tomorrow. Since NOAA is predicting rain, and it's fairly accurate, we'll see...

Ann Starrett's Mansion

I thought I'd show you what is next door to my temporary lodging. Ann Starrett's Mansion is a "boutique hotel" - not a bed & breakfast. It's an amazing structure - built in 1889 as a gift from a contractor to his young bride. Not bad for an initial cost of $6,000! I stay in a more "modern" building next door which is managed by the Starrett staff. I'm including a photo of the hotel next door as well as some close ups of the stunning blooming trees outside. There are so many types of blooming trees in PT; Richard, the innkeeper, says he THINKS these are a type of plum tree. The "balls of buds" remind me of a rhododendron, although these are obviously not one.

Quiet day - but a beautiful one. Hope yours was as well!

Saturday in PT

The sun couldn't make up its mind today. Sunny - cloudy - sunny - cloudy. And a little windy as well. I'm attaching a photo of two sea gulls taken down by the ferry. I called the one on the right "Mr. No Neck" as he had compacted his body as much as he could in a standing position (he was sitting until I pulled the car a bit too close for his comfort level...) to ward off the winds that were causing the small white caps on Admiralty Inlet. I'm sure people on the ferry were "enjoying" it as well. There's a YouTube video of making a choppy crossing which the posters refer to as a car wash from all the waves hitting their car en route. A bit of history - before I moved up here there were bigger, older ferries serving the PT - Whidbey Island route. Upon one of their routine inspections, it was determined that they were not sea-worthy and were pulled immediately from service. That left the ferry system scrambling for a replacement which was found in a small ferry that Pierce County apparently had "extra". It has served the route while two new replacement ferries are being built - one to be delivered this summer. While larger than the current boat (or is that "ship"?), they are still smaller than the old ferries. But I believe everyone is looking forward to the first shiny new replacement - "Chetzemoka", named by a PT elementary student after a local Native American chief. I grew up in Oklahoma where there was quite a Native American presence but the names in Oklahoma - towns, counties, etc. - can't compete with the great names up here. I'm still trying to get my pronounciations even close!

While downtown today, I got to see the Artisans on Taylor window which had been featured in the newspaper earlier. AOT is a great little gallery - Sam found a piece there which is now in his office - and their windows are never to be missed. The dress's skirt is made of old copies of The Leader, piles of which surround the train. I loved it - but wish I'd also captured the windows which earlier featured wire tiaras. They were so unusual and colorful. Every girl should have one! Barbara - you know who they'd have looked good on?

Hope your weekend is going well...

The Second Floor Starts!

Well, today's photo finally shows some of the progress that has actually been occurring for days - even though you couldn't see it. The new area that was partially framed today is the master bedroom on the front of the house with wonderful sliver views of the water & mountains.

I went to Silverdale this afternoon & got back at dusk. I actually think it's a better picture for detail than any of the previous photos - maybe I should wait until this time every day!

Silverdale is across the Hood Canal Bridge & where you go when you need Macy's, Barnes & Noble, Target, World Market, etc. and don't want to drive into Seattle. It also has a Costco, Home Depot & a Lowe's. You pass Poulsbo on the way and I always have to stop - they have a FABULOUS grocery there called Central Market. No Texas friends - it's not the HEB Central Market. It's actually better. Poulsbo's Central Market is a cross between Whole Foods, HEB's Central Market and Tom Thumb/Safeway. There's not been one thing I've looked for in there that I haven't found. My "acid test" is Applegate Farms ORGANIC Sunday Bacon. Only one Whole Foods in Dallas has it and it's spotty at best even at that one store. I've found it every time I've gone into this CM. I always thought I'd have to take a ferry ride to Seattle for the complete "Whole Foods" experience but thankfully, CM makes that unncessary & it's even open 24 hours!

The drive to/from Poulsbo/Silverdale is gorgeous as well - particularly returning across the 1 1/4 mile long floating bridge late in the afternoon - the water just glistens.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned!

More of the Same

A first - I'm not even posting a photo today because I don't think you'd see any change. But three guys were working very hard today nevertheless. You wouldn't believe the work that goes into the form for the front porch alone, much less the smaller pads on the terrace side. It's apparently a great deal of concrete and it obviously has to be contained until it sets up. Won't be poured until next week. Greg was upstairs preparing for Patrick & Mark's company when they frame the upstairs rooms. I was over there several times today and I ALWAYS stand where the windows will be and look out at the treetops, rooftops, mountains & water.

Jeanne (owner of Potpourri NW Interiors in Uptown and one of the first people I met in PT through Lynne & John) and I started going through fabric swatches, paint chips & scanned photos today. We walked over to 523 so she could see the firebrick color and get "the tour". I can't wait to see what we come up with!

The "exciting" part of the day is that I have a new set of tires. Whoop-dee-doo! But I'm now set for another 40,000 miles! Now if I can just steer clear of nails, road debris & curbs...

Yes, Work DID Occur Today!

This photo shows only a portion of what happened today - but note the stairs! Patrick & Mark busily prepared the front porch and the two pads beneath the french doors on the terrace side of the house for their pour on Friday. While they were doing that, Greg was at work on the deck upstairs marking where the next round of framing will soon be evident. We all were discussing a possible change to the upstairs layout. More on that in the next couple of days...

Rockin' Continued

Rocking continued today. It was decided to stop at this point rather than lower until the walls were in (and maybe the roof). So there was a bit of additional work completed and then the scaffolding was taken away. The guys should return tomorrow to framing, I think. They've been working on the forms for the front porch & the two areas by the patio doors on the terrace in the back.

Today was "Running Day". Met with Tamara this morning to go over some possible changes to 523 then Pete & I set off for Sequim. Met with the first of the possible cabinetry sources, ordered some Solatubes (they are AMAZING - it was VERY overcast in Sequim & the Solatube was lighting an entire dark area of the showroom), and picked up some tile samples.

I'm looking forward to meeting Pete & Candy's new granddaughter in a little bit. She was born last weekend and is a healthy little girl. So congratulations Pete & Candy!

Rockin' the Chimney

Well, I've been away for a bit. But what a dramatic change to 523! When I got back to town, there was a hulking chimney in place! I was estimating 2 1/2 stories and it was, as it is today, surrounded by scaffolding. Mouth fell open yet again. This chimney REALLY tells me how tall the house will be when completed - it's about 2 feet taller than the top of the roofline. Believe me - it has gotten LOTS of comments! Today, Loren & crew started rocking the outside - starting from the top down. By tomorrow, they believe they'll be back down to the top of the first floor and will take the scaffolding down and "go away" for awhile so the guys can recommence with the framing on the second floor.

I've now been up there (there's a deck you can't see in the photos) and the view from the front upstairs bedroom is amazing. I can't believe when I bought the lot that I just assumed there would be no view whatsoever. Instead, I'll see a shot of the mountains and the water. The sliver of the view from the downstairs guest bedroom remains as well.

Blooms are everywhere & yesterday was probably the prettiest day since I've been up here, and that says alot.

More tomorrow!

April Fools Day

Yesterday saw such accomplishment. Today has been total frustration - I won't go into all of them - just the same things that happen to all of us at times - just not SO MANY on the same day. But NOT the house! It's going great, as usual. The photo doesn't show it but almost all the joists for the second floor are in. When I went over late this afternoon for today's photo, Mark & Greg were still working hard on the area above the garage.

So I'm getting ready for the huge windstorm that's been forecast for tomorrow. It's already "breezy", but it's apparently not connected with tomorrow's front. I'm off to batten down the hatches!