Pane d' Amore

I woke up this morning to sunlight & seagulls calling. Well, at least I THINK it was seagulls! Maybe I should call them "sea birds" until I get that vocabulary down too. Not a bad way to wake up... A bit later, I went outside to speak with Richard, the innkeeper, and finally saw the deer that he's been telling me about. There are deer all over PT. Initially I thought there were only three of them but now I realize that there are groups of three roaming all over town. Richard had told me that they liked to snack on the garden behind my place and that's where I finally saw them. Earlier in the year, the online version of the Leader (or was it the Peninsula Daily News?) had a photo of an albino baby deer. Haven't seen him/her yet - must see if anyone knows its usual haunts.

I realize I'm rather slow on the uptake at times - particularly when there's a few pressing details almost daily - but it finally hit me today - it's QUIET here! When I went out to get the papers this morning I realized that there aren't any DFW jets about to land overhead. They never bothered me in Texas, but I'm realizing their absence is probably what makes the sea birds' calling stand out. It reminds me of the days just after 9.11 when there were no jets overhead - other than the military variety patrolling the skies. Peaceful. There ARE aircraft at times - I was told the noise overhead one day was a Coast Guard exercise and there are small planes, probably from Jefferson County International Airport. I was told that JCIA was at one point the only international airport with a gravel (or was it dirt?) runway. Haven't checked out that lore yet, but sounds plausible to me.

Today's photo is of Pane d'Amore. What can I say about it? That this precious neighborhood jewel will be 1 1/2 blocks from the house? That it is organic? That the most delicious bread and pastries come from its ovens? I didn't realize it was open 7 days a week until today. These people work so hard and just before I got up here they had a spectacular fundraiser for the people of Haiti. They now have three locations - PT, Sequim & Bainbridge Island (where the ferry lets you off on this side of Puget Sound). I will NOT divulge what I bought/ate as research for this blog entry, but suffice it to say THEY were simply divine!

Hope your weekend was all that you wished! More progress photos tomorrow...

The Adapter For The Card Reader Arrived!

Only took TWO WEEKS! But you sometimes have to watch out what you wish for - this photo isn't the best that I've taken lately!

Today I went to the PT Chamber Music Society's performance held at the Quimper Unitarian Fellowship on San Juan. What made this quite special is that it was in Quimper's new sanctuary which will be dedicated tomorrow. So the CMS filled it with lovely music today in preparation for its formal opening in the morning. They said that 9,000 volunteer hours had gone into its construction and the musicians were very complimentary about its accoustics (which DID sound better to me than the Mort in Dallas!) One of the musicians, the oboeist, had graduated from the University of North Texas' famed music school. I welcomed him after the performance and we very briefly compared notes about attending UNT at different times (and with different majors!) The performers came from across the country to share with us today and it was an enjoyable way to spend a dreary, chilly afternoon.

Next? Photography lessons obviously are in order!

Doing more homework for the house - surely after this weekend, I'll be caught up! Famous last words...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Initial Foundation Prep Finished!

Well, the guys outdid themselves today and the initial foundation pour is now scheduled for Monday. In today's photo you can see little terracotta-colored "mushrooms" that mark the top of all the rebar which will eventually be found within 523's walls. We'll have an inspection Monday morning & then pour at 1:00. While I've done major remodels over the year, building "from scratch" is fascinating to me. I'm enjoying being a spectator to the process.

My next-door neighbor to-be, Nancy (in the future, she'll simply be "Nancy"), gave me the tour of her home today. It's a Craftsman-style house that at one point was comprised of 11 "apartments" during the 30's. She told me how the owner, his wife & his mother-in-law lived in the basement to keep the upper levels fully occupied. Nancy & her husband, Carl, have five children still at home. Their house is so warm & inviting - the kids have such a great place to grow up!

Nancy then introduced me to the Fountain Cafe on Washington Street which is parallel to Water Street. Most towns would call Water Street "Main Street", but it's perfectly named as it is. Fountain Cafe is a precious little spot for wonderful food & conversation! When we left, we went next door to the fairly new Perfect Endings Cupcakes. It's attached to an extensive tea shop next door and I can tell I will have to stay away from this temptation alley (great intentions...)! I left with a gorgeous cupcake for this evening. As we later walked toward the car, we saw a young girl atop a miniature horse in the middle of a rehearsal for Cirque de Poet which is to be a benefit performance for the orthopedic children's hospital. I was amazed at her angelic voice as four younger children (who I believe represented the four seasons?) danced around Haller Fountain. As Nancy & I, along with various other passing adults who had stopped to form the actors' audience, enjoyed their performance she whispered "Just another afternoon in PT". I've attached a photo of the kids - note that one of the "seasons" was BAREFOOT! I was chilled myself & can't imagine following her lead - particularly in ethereal costume!

Local photos to follow the next two days. Who knows what I'll find to show you?

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you want to do!

Stacking

Today's first photo shows more progress going on in the foundation's preparation. The guys added a temporary layer to the forms which will suppport & house additional rebar "bends" when the first portion of the foundation is poured, probably early next week. And the amount of rebar in the fireplace area - well, as Pete said, it won't be going anywhere!

I continue to be amazed at the sweaters/light coats the little kids wear outside. But they're burning up so much energy that it probably feels perfect to them. I'm also including a photo of the gaggle of little kids who were walking by with their teacher as I was leaving to go over to 523 today. They were so cute - calling out their hellos - but they were clearly on a mission to see the deer that was having its breakfast from the neighbor's garden.

A pretty day that I would term "cold" - unlike the weather yesterday afternoon where I found the guys working in their t-shirts at the end of the day. Then, when I came out of the PO this afternoon, a man was walking in with his shorts on. THAT was a bit of a stretch to me, but again, I'm new at this!

I've spent most of the day inside dealing with computer issues so there's not much excitement to add otherwise. The church bells are ringing. Have a wonderful evening!

Triple Photos!

It's just the kind of day that requires THREE photos! First of all, meet Mark, the last member of the regular crew! So glad that he's on board now. Well....no matter how I enter the photos, Mark keeps winding up last although he should be first. You get the idea!

The second photo is from my local branch bank. I don't know about your bank, but I never saw regular pet dogs in the lobby at my Dallas bank. Last trip up here, I was in the safe deposit area when I heard lots of "woofing". A "regular" had arrived (with its human who was making a deposit) and everyone was thrilled by his/her presence. Today I went into the bank and found these two darling girls - Portuguese Water Dogs - with their master. SUCH obedient pooches & I think you can see the look of adoration of their faces.

The third photo is of the progress at the end of the day. I was over at 523 early this morning to meet with Pete & Loren, who will be building the fireplace. What I like about PT builders is that they're so calm. Pete & Loren took the problem (trying to maximize space in the TINY living room, while leaving me space to drive around the exterior chimney to get into the garage), called the City for clarification (the inspector called back within 5 minutes - amazing!) and promptly figured it out. I'm still with the iPhone photos (sorry!) so you may not be able to see the main difference since yesterday - rebar! And lots of it for the foundation & the firebox area.

We had about 10 drops of rain today but mostly sunny with a few clouds. When I went into Safeway the sun was brightly shining, but one latte later, the clouds were everywhere. But I'll take a day like today anyday!

It was time...

for the weather to change. When I woke up this morning, sunlight was there although not with the same intensity it has shown the past few days. The ole iPhone weather app was accurate again! Since the sun was out, I again set out without a coat (thinking I had this PT dressing down pat now) and promptly realized I do NOT have it down yet! The wind is blowing pretty hard today (again, I haven't been here long enough to know if these are strong or moderate winds) and it certainly makes a huge difference in the temperature. While it is about 49 now, it feels like 32 to me; much the same as the last several days have been 50'ish, but felt like the mid-60s. As I drove back into town after some errands, I saw white caps on Admiralty Inlet. The ferry was on the PT end of its lap and I wondered how rough the crossing would be today. But then again, I'm a Texas wimp!

Stopped by 523 and Pete, Greg & Patrick were joking about the weather & how "balmy" it was compared to this time last year. Greg & Patrick regaled me with tales of rain blowing in near horizontal sheets while they were standing in above-ankle icy water. These guys are tough!

Today's photo is of their progress mid-afternoon. It's more recognizable as the outline of the house now. Lots of decisions being made one after another at this phase - think that the exact fireplace location (and hence, the mantle) will be decided tomorrow morning. Then on to the next decision!

I'm in for the afternoon doing my "homework" and listening to the winds swirling around me. No problems with that for me!

A Day in Sequim

When I first saw Sequim written, I thought it was pronounced "Seh Kweem". Thankfully no one laughed in my face (imagine what it sounded like to the WA ear to hear the mispronunciation PLUS it being said with a Texas accent!). I believe it was Lynne who kindly told me that it was pronounced "Skwim".

One of the big differences in living in PT is the shopping. While downtown PT has wonderful individual shops, when you need comparison shopping for items going into new construction, you either go to Sequim or Silverdale if you're trying to avoid going all the way into Seattle. Both take approximately 45 minutes to get to, even though Sequim is only about 25 miles away. But what a gorgeous 25 miles they are! The drive is largely a Washingston, if not a national, treasure. It's a tree-lined 2-lane roadway, usually with a view of the water below, laced with ferns sloping down to the pavement. While the arch of trees runs out just before Fat Smitty's (yup, the real name!) at Highway 101, it picks back up again around the bend. Also along the way are a lavender farm, a casino, a few antique shops & too many espresso huts to count!

Today I headed to Sequim to get tile and wood flooring samples to start "living with" prior to selecting "the winner". While I was there, I stopped at "the boxes" - Home Depot, WalMart, Costco & Walgreens. Some would say 45 mintes is too long to get to these stores - and I might have agreed in the past - but there were many days I'd be in the car all day driving throughout Dallas (and even Fort Worth at times) to finish the shopping list. What a calm, peaceful drive with majestic mountains and blue waters serving as the backdrop along the way.

When I got back at 5:00, I took today's photo at 523. The guys have started the foundation forms. I don't have any idea how long this stage will take - most of the week? We'll see!

I believe today was the last full sunny day for awhile according to the iPhone, my official weather station. I'm jealous, my Dallas friends, of your forecast of snow for tomorrow!