Spring Primula

Last week Fiona planted primulas in the pot that sits at their front door, and the first thing we see coming out of their cabin.
It's January.
What's wrong with this picture?

Time Stands Still

Have you ever had those dreams (or nightmares) where you are trying to run and it's like your feet are stuck in some thick and sticky substance? No matter how you struggle, you just can't get out, can't make any progress....? That's where we are right now. It seems like we have been 2 weeks from moving in for months. Another week has passed and we're still installing the ceiling and finishing the bedroom floors.



I think we are just so anxious to get moved in that we have lost all sense of how long things take.
Ahead, we still have cabinets, plumbing, heating and finish electrical....
After almost a year of having our things in storage - we have forgotten what we packed and brought with us last February. We do know that when we move in, we will not have anything to sit on except some zero gravity patio chairs from CTC. We've recently purchased two mattresses and have one bed frame so we won't be sleeping on the floor. It's quite amusing to be starting from scratch and living like college kids in a dorm at this point in our lives, but hey it's Roy and I...what else could it be? The adventure continues.

Our yellow living/dining/kitchen

My yellow walls are done but it's too early to say if I jumped the gun on the colour...ceiling to be done, cabinets to go in and floors to be uncovered. I will withhold judgement for now.


Last week we took delivery of our interior doors, baseboards and door trim, pine t&g planks for the ceiling, and plywood for the walls of Roy's shop. I did a little cost cutting: spraying white pot light trims to match the exterior soffit and Roy and I white-washed 600 square feet of pine planks...ohh my aching back! Tomorrow our favorite carpenter comes back to put the ceiling planks up. It will be great to see the last of the insulation & poly and get down to the finishing touches.

Life's a Beach

I've been reading & hearing about the snow, the cold, traffic snarls, accidents and delays back east, so to cheer you all up - here is a shot of the beach last week. Roy and I walked it in spring jackets. Shorts, T-shirts and sandals have started to make appearances here, (yes it is premature) the snowdrops and crocuses are out.....could it be spring?
Most of you will know that I am not usually a mean-spirited person....

Holiday's Over, Back to Work

Drywall, taping, muding and sanding are finally at an end and the drywall is being spray painted with a couple of primer coats to seal it. Roy and I masked all the windows in preparation.


A coat of white paint makes such a difference. The space is beautiful, open and airy. I chose a colour for the main living space and Tom is going to spray it on for me...it's a soft yellow-green... Chartreuse? The kitchen cabinets are white, counter tops are black and the floors are dark gray so a bright and lively color is called for. We'll know instantly if this is a mistake...

We've had a guy in to "Schluter"(waterproof membrane) the showers. We've chosen some nice white tile and that should get installed over the next week or so.




On another front: the "front lawn" is being dug up for what I hope will be the last time as the Type 1 septic system goes in. Two large concrete tanks to the side of the house and the septic field goes in the front to be as far from the creek as possible. Once this is done we can start to install plumbing fixtures ( bye-bye Porta Potty) and have running water.
We received our wall package on October 13th, so it's been 3 full months of construction and Roy and I are tired and can hardly wait to get in and get settled. Maybe early February..

Jack Frost

I have been quite struck by the beauty of recent frosts on the leaves, grass and mosses and have taken quite a number of pictures. I'm not sure that I have ever seen frost quite like this - thick and granular like a sugar coating. I'm posting a few of the dozens taken. Enjoy!

New Year's Dip

Jan 1st 2011. The sun has shown itself, but it is a cold day (by BC standards) and we are bundled in warm jackets, hats and mitts. Roy and I and a small crowd gathered on the beach to watch a group of brave souls throw themselves into the frigid waters of the Georgia Straits. Why they do it every year remains a mystery to me, but I guess it is a New Year's tradition and a way to mark the new year. I will stick with my personal review of the highs and lows of 2010 and toasts to the coming year. Roy and I have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to in 2011. Amen.