Island Life

The countdown 'til moving day!

2010-05-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Despite a slight delay last week, we are now essentially counting the hours until Thursday when the moving truck arrives and we can actually begin the process of moving into our new home!! Here's a quick look at what's been happening this past week or so. . . The 'ram board' that had been covering all the floors was pulled up so we can once again see our pretty hardwood floors!

The cook top and pot filler are in - . . . as are the ovens and refrigerator.

Master bedroom built in nightstands and shelves - new bed to be delivered on Friday!

The washer & dryer are now in. LOVE MY LAUNDRY ROOM!

The stairs ended up causing the recent delay - somehow they were stained the wrong color - YIKES! So after sanding and re-staining over the weekend, they are perfect!

Here's Peter on Sunday - he was happily driving his tractor around the yard working on getting the dead lawn pulled up so we can begin the next big project - landscaping!!

Kitchen Tile

2010-05-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

I forgot to include this picture in the other post. This shows the back splash tile. (you can click on the picture and it will enlarge it.) We are currently waiting on an order of about 12 more tile to complete the space over the cooktop.

Less than two weeks to go!

2010-05-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of our latest "trim" - yes they are little plastic branches to keep the birds from roosting on the ledges! It's so much better than last spring though, when Peter was getting rid of nests on a daily basis!

This shows the "library" area at the top of the stairs. The window seat will double as a twin bed and should be a very cozy nap-spot!

Peter is ready to barbecue!

These three pictures show the newly installed shower doors in our bathroom, one of the guest rooms and the casita.

We in the final weeks of the amazing (and very long) project!! We are planning to be able to spend our first night in our new home on Saturday, May 15! Yea!!!! Lots of little last minute painting, and details yet, but it's all truly coming together! Moving truck is scheduled to arrive on Monday, May 17 - it will be like Christmas. Peter hasn't seen most of his stuff in nearly five years. No idea ho many boxes we will have to unpack!

For anyone who checks out the web-camera, please note that the camera is "out of order" until the end of the month. It's being re-positioned.

April Progress

2010-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

It has been while since the last update - lots of inside fnishing work going on so I will try to recap with a few recent pictures. Biggest news is perhaps that we have working toilets and running water (good by port-a-potty!!) This is the kitchen (island in the foreground) -most of the cabinets are now in and the countertops are on. This island is a quartz stone - with flecks of black and green. The other counters are a recycled paper product called Rich-lite in "Chocolate Glacier"- love the name of the color. Sounds perfect for a kitchen, don't you think?! The next picture shows the island countertop being delivered.

The mantel and wood trim are done. We are really pleased with the finished product and love that there's a big knot right in the center of the recyled beam we used for the mantel!

This shows the stairway - in process and finished!

The front entrance is the same stone used throughout the entry and hallways. Can't wait for the flower beds to come to life! Still have a temporary door, but the "real" one should be in soon. Big surprise - it will be a RED DOOR!

This is taken from the kitchen and shows the antique pendant lights we found (well actually Alan and Robin found them, Heidi approved, we checked them out and loved them - so here they are!)

We have one more cabinet section to come this week (upstairs library); still some more finishing work; painting; carpets; final plumbing and electrical -- it's looking like mid-May-ish! My big decisions this coming week are to get all the towel bars and toilet paper holders selected!

Stay tuned!

Fast Finishing Details

2010-03-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is Jake approaching the new walkway from the driveway to the casita.

A view of the closet.

Master bath-tub with a view! And the bedroom now has a fan installed.

Powder room - now with a light fixture!

The beginning of kitchen cabinets being installed - it's getting pretty exciting to see what's new each day! And actually I pretty much know what will be going into each of these drawers!

Entry way light fixture. Master shower - a little hard to see the tile design, but we're happy with how it's all coming together!

Master bath vanity.

Guest room showers and tub - lots of room for guests!!

Helpful hint --

2010-02-22T20:33:00.001-08:00

Hint: You can click on the picture to see the full picture. Some of them in today's blog only show part of the picture.

Here's the latest - elevator, big door, red counters and more!

2010-02-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

Here's Jake in the elevator - muddy feet and all! His eyes were "glowing" so I did a quick "red eye" correction and now he looks a little spacey! He's quite happy to ride in the elevator versus taking the stairs - but can't quite reach the buttons yet.

This is our front door waiting to be installed - all 8 feet of it - I obviously won't be able to look out the windows! May need a peek hole about halfway up. . .

Casita bathroom is nearly finished!

Casita "kitchen" counter and sink - there will be a little undercounter refrigerator on the far left.

This is a little hard to see, but it's the pantry. Lots of shelving to be installed yet.

Laundry room! Space for the 'tall' washer & dryer. This is sunniest room in the house - which I love! Another view of the laundry room - yup, the counters are red! Fun little gift wrap center and TONS of storage. I can't imagine how I'll fill all those drawers!!This is the far end of the 'great room'. Lots of display shelves to fill! Hopefully a piano will fill this space one day. We are starting to look for just the right one!

We should start seeing more sinks and faucets soon! And the master closet - which of course I'm pretty excited about! Hope you enjoyed the update!

Catching up on progress!

2010-02-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Okay okay -- our blogging efforts were not great during January (actually non-existent!). We had some issues with getting pictures to load for some reason - at least that's one excuse. So here's a quick look at current progress --

This shows the fireplace with a propped up mantle. The cool thing about the mantle is that it's a wonderful piece of an old fir beam from a warehouse someplace. Peter selected it and made sure it contained a few nail holes, etc. I'm starting to visualize Christmas stockings hanging. . . . .

This is at the far end of the living room area showing what will be display shelves and cupboards below.
Jake is in the foreground practicing his "stay" command (he's in training class currently!)

This was my weekend project - wallpapering the powder room. The paper is textured with a bit of metallic in the leaves - blends really well with both the sink and stone floor (which is covered in cardboard at this point. The sink is now in as well as the wood trim pieces. It turned out pretty good - now we just need a faucet and toilet!

This is in the mudroom - and shows the new light fixtures which were installed today as well as the cabinets and counter.

This is in the master bedroom - built in night stand/drawers and shelving. You can also see a little of the ceiling trim - which will have lighting in it. The cabinets are painted what will be the eventual color of this room.

Casita "kitchen" area (awaiting a sink and undercounter refrigerator - and the bathroom showing the corner shower in process of finishing up the tiling, and the vanity.

Below is the bedroom in the casita which will have a small built-in desk area.

Elevator installation began today! On the left is the door on the main floor and on the right is the door on the upper level. Lots of scaffolding in a pretty small space! Below shows a view looking down from the upper floor - my foot in the lower corner to give perspective. . .

What's next?? More cabinets to be installed this week (office, laundry room): slab for counter in the master bath; finish installation of elevator; marmoleum flooring in the laundry room and casita . . . .

Current EMID ("estimated move-in date") - mid-April.

Updates

2009-12-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

The hardwood floors are stained and finished - and currently they are all covered with cardboard for the remainder of the building process. This picture is of the 'mudroom'.

This shows the kitchen - we love how the floors turned out. The grain is gorgeous and we're pretty pleased with our choice of "Vermont Coffee Bean" stain! The wall is where the island will be.

Most of our window trim is wood, but in the laundry room we opted to paint it.

Downstairs in the TV / theatre room. This little platform will house a few chairs (perfect for "loge seating" to watch a movie!)

Master bathroom - floor tile is laid. Jake is checking it out - mostly he liked when he could get ahold of the spacers to chew on!

This is taken in the downstair "hallway" - it's a lot of doors! A couple are storage areas and the mechanical room is to the far left. The door with the window is to the "wine room" - it's staying nice and cool in there - just as we'd hoped and just waiting for some wine to be moved in and stored.

This shot is out on the covered patio. The white rectangle is actually a radiant heating element which will allow for outdoor dining year round - or at least year round barbecuing out there! We have similar heating in the "casita" and it's pretty amazing how warm it is. . .

Siding is now about 99% done! Just a few little trim touch ups here and there and the front porch to finish. We're really happy with the cedar shake and cedar siding combination.

Also visible in between the two posts to the right is the copper rain chain (in lieu of a gutter right at the front door!) Another one of Peter's good choices. . . .

Check out the flooring --

2009-11-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

Somewhere over the rainbow. . . . Samish Island view extraordinaire (This was taken with Peter's i-phone after one of our recent storms).

Courtney, Nick and Katey don "booties" to be able to walk around on the new hardwood floors.

View of the office flooring - before (above) and after the stain has been applied (below).

View of the living/dining room - above, before the stain - and below, during the staining process. We used wide plank hickory - which has a lot of variation in color and grain. The stain really blends it all and it's turning out just as we planned. Yea!!

How can it possibly be November?!!

2009-11-02T20:44:00.001-08:00

Oh my gosh - I can't believe we totally missed updating this blog for the whole month of October! So here's a quick "tour" of the latest happenings -- Above shows what will be one of the window seats on either side of the fireplace. I'm thinking it will be a great spot with a good book and a glass of wine!

This is downstairs in what will be our TV/theatre room and it shows one of the hot-water radiators that will be the heat source in the downstairs. You can also see where the TV screen will go. Can't wait for the first movie night!

Shingles are on the front now --

--and we have garage doors!

Here's the 'east' guest room upstairs. The window trim is on and this shot shows the cute little window in the closet - which will not have a door on it (just a bench for your suitcase when you come visit!)

The entry from the front door into the living room. Loving all the wood trim detail!

Another shot from the living room (with Jake in the foreground) showing the wood trim. Kitchen is in the background. Not visible in the picture are two big stacks of the wood flooring. We are using wide plank hickory. It's getting "acclimated" to the house and will probably be installed in 2 - 3 weeks.

The casita is getting shingles (taken today). The little door on the back is for the attached "garden shed" which was a great idea from Peter. Isn't it cute??

Inside the casita - the white squares on the ceiling are the infra-red radiant heat. It should keep this little space really cozy! We were going to paint the window trim in here, but have now decided to leave the wood. We'll be taking reservations in a few months! :-)

We needed to make sure that the middle window trim doesn't impede the "view from the bathtub" so we put it up on the plywood frame and moved it back and forth until it was just perfect! Such a lovely peaceful view in the background . . .

That pretty much catches us up. Leave a comment - we'd love to hear from you!

MK & Peter

September Update!

2009-09-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

I looked at the date of our last blog entry and realize it's been a exactly a month since we've updated! How can that be??! Of course we've had a few other things keeping us busy along with the house - Katey & Greg's gorgeous wedding on 9/12 and our 4th anniversary on 9/4 just to name a couple. And then we do have Jake keeping us busy! Above he's enjoying the patio and the fact that he's 4 months old.

So what's been happening on the house project?? Lots of siding for one thing. Here's the (nearly) finished east wall of the master bath - all stained and ready for the shingles to be added.

All the sheetrock now has been taped, mudded, primed and textured. And the ceilings actually have their final paint color applied. It's hard to see in the picture, but there is a color on the ceiling - Palace White. This is taken from the east end of the living/dining space looking toward the door that goes out onto the covered patio. We've just about nailed down all the other color choices - NOT an easy task!

Here's the 'exercise/pool' building - all sided and stained.

And this picture shows the back of the house (with Jake nearly getting into the picture in the lower left corner). Currently they are working on the garage and front of the house siding. Shingles will be next along with the last few doors and finishing up the window trims.

Inside, things are really shaping up. We've made the final selections on the wood trim for windows and the doors and are madly trying to finalize tile and counter selections and patterns. The cabinet and cupboard construction is underway and I think our next assignment (aka weekend homework!) are the inside door handles and all the various drawer and cupboard door pulls/handles. Yesterday Peter talked with the landscape architect about prepping for lawn. I guess if we can get it in by Halloween we'll have green grass in the spring! It's all getting very exciting watching the myriad of decisions we've made over the past 2 and a half years coming together to create our home!

What a difference sheetrock makes!

2009-08-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sheetrock arrives! I guess it's better to get it upstairs through a window than having to carry it up the stairs. . .

This is kind of an odd angle - but basically looking from the window that the sheetrock came through into one of the guest bedroom. In the middle are the back to back guest closets. Obviously that's now a sheetrocked wall. Everything's been sheetrocked and the upstairs has been taped. You can really feel the space of the rooms - and we love it!

Sheetrocked garage.

Yup - we have a puppy door. It's a BIG step down right now! Need another step I think.

Current view of the back side of the house - all windows are in and shingles and siding should start next week!

We are insulated!

2009-08-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past week or so they have been putting in the insulation. The first step is shown in this picture where they blow what ends up looking like light yellow plastic on all the outside walls . It's all non-toxic though and will keep us airtight! Then all the walls are encased in a sort of webbing like fabric and the insulation is blown in (see bottom picture). This is, of course, not the technical description of the process!

It really made a huge difference in how QUIET the house is now.

Installing the flagpole

2009-08-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

My brother Kurt and his buddy Bruce came through on Friday evening, returning from a (successful!) week of fishing in Canada. Great to have the extra man-power to get the flagpole up. It was definitely a 3-man job!

Puppy 'Jake' was on hand to ensure it was set straight! It looks great and will handle at least a couple of flags . . . we're thinking it will be an excellent way to keep the family Husky/Cougar rivalry going. I wonder if there's a flag that's purple/gold on one side and crimson/grey on the other??

Flooring Process

2009-08-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of the manifolds for the tubing in the floor heating system. We're thinking this spot in the hallway might the warmest place in the house!

This shows what the entire main floor and upstairs looked like with the tubing winding its way through each room.

Here's Peter in the downstairs 'mechanical room'. Note that this has our very first finished wall! Lots of levers, faucets, tubing, etc. The boiler will be located here - which will heat the floors.

And this is what all the floors looked like today! All the tubing is now encased in concrete - ready for the plywood and final flooring!

Finally! An update . . .

2009-07-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay -- I know I have been VERY remiss in keeping the blog updated. So since I completely missed a June update - here's a quick recap of the current happenings. The above picture is my "Banker Girls Book Club" enjoying a quick sip of champagne on our way to our book club event (aka wine club) at Mt Baker.

This was taken a few weeks ago - but shows that we are fully roofed! The last little piece was the connector breezeway between the house and the pool/exercise room. We are really pleased with how it's all come together!

There has to be miles and miles of wire throughout the house - every size, every color! This is in the garage. Electrical work is pretty much done - once the windows are all in the inspection can take place. The light cans are in and places EXACTLY in the right spot - Peter can see a quarter inch variance!

Yahoo! We are currently in the process of window installation! This was taken today (7/16). The big window on the upper level over the front door will be the last to go in as that's where all the sheetrock will be coming in through.

Casita is fully "windowed" - really make it feel cozy! All the windows and exterior doors should be in in the next week or so. Whew - that pretty much catches you up on our progress!

2009-05-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here's the "Casita" - fully roofed! Everyone who's seen this cozy little space seems ready to make a reservation for a relaxing island getaway!

This is actually a couple weeks ago showing the "connector" being framed in between the house the the "pool/exercise room". It is now also fully roofed and we love how it turned out! The underside will be stained cedar and it looks very outdoorsy and Northwest-like.

The HVAC process has begun! This shows one of four manifolds installed for what will be our radiant heat system. All those little things will have have plastic pipe attached to them. Obviously, not the technical explanation - mostly I just wanted to be sure that this on in our closet didn't get in the way of having enough room for shoes! (No worries - It's good).

And this last shot is actually down in the basement showing a whole bunch of pipes in what will be the "theater room." Notice the spiffy lighting system we have rigged up!

The week the electricians will be in so Peter and I spent much of today walking room to room verifying light and light switch placement. Lots of little 3 x 5 cards staped to the walls! Windows and doors have been ordered and all the rough-in plumbing is complete. We have a big stack of fans to be installed and both of the bath tubs have arrived! Looks like JUNE will be a big month!

Thanks for checking our blog!

May 10 - Almost roofed!

2009-05-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

The house is now under cover! In this photo you can see the roof finished partway up. You can also see the patio steps (another set like it on the other side of the patio) and what will be the covered patio (far right). We already know we are going to love this space - which will let us enjoy the outside ambiance even if it's breezy!

In this shot of the "casita", the front entrance roof is being built. It will have a small front porch, big enough for a chair to enjoy that first cup of coffee outside. The roof is on the rest of the building, just waiting to be connected with the entrance piece.

This picture shows what will be the connecting covered walkway between the house and the exercise room. The large doorway on the far left is french doors that will open out to let the fresh air in!

We are still trying to get to the exact color stain we want for the outside - it's challenging because the same stain looks very different on the shingles versus the siding. . . Who would have thought?!

We enjoyed a nice bottle of red wine on the patio last evening with Bliss, Mark & Heidi. Our second patio party already!

Front Porch. . . Back Patio. . .and Champagne!

2009-04-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

This shows the four new cedar beams marking the front entry porch; directly over it is the shed roof upstairs where there will be fun 'library' area and window seat. Perfect for curling up with a good book -- but I'm getting ahead of myself. . . .

Another view of the front porch and you see just a bit of the garage roof to the far left.

The patio is done so we are wasting no time in getting chairs situated to enjoy a warm spring afternoon. We used the same stained concrete for the patio (sort of the color of dirt) and added an aggregate finish. I'm thinking this area will get a LOT of use!

Ahh. . . this looks like it might call for a little champagne!

And here it is! We invited our neighbors over for a toast and to join us for the first patio party - what a great way to end the weekend!

Check out the new web-cam site. We've been getting complaints about not being able to see past the casita - so the camera has been moved and you can see more of the live action on the house.

April showers. . . .

2009-04-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

The crazy northwest weather continues - brrrr and wet and muddy! But the house project continues. Above shows the "connecter" between the house and the garage (actually it will be a mudroom - perfect!) Some tricky roof angles needed to make transition seamless. All the roof rafters are now installed and they will be doing the sheathing (plywood) and tar paper over the next weeks (weather dependent!)

Here's the master bathroom starting to get a roof! The big dilemma of the week has been whether the barge board should be smooth side in or smooth side out. Trust me - it's generated MUCH discussion. I believe smooth side out is the winner . . .

And now the "pool/exercise" room is prepped and ready for the roofing (just need a few dry days to make it happen!)

This shows the underside of the eaves which will be cedar. This might be the first thing on the project that will actually still be visible when it's finished! The other activity happening this week has the prep for all the concrete patios to be poured - which should happen next week (weather dependent!) Stay tuned!

March Madness Update

2009-03-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Current focus is on roof rafters! Lots of them. . . The roof should be going on in the next couple of weeks-yeah!!

This shot shows the front side of the house with the garage off to the left. We are really happy with how all the various 'spaces' are turning out! We are busy looking at door styles, fireplace design and figuring out how to stain 3 different types of wood so that they look the same color. Peter is keeping very busy!

This shot shows the back of the house. They are starting to lay the forms for the patio and other walkways - I think it will soon be ready for some patio furniture! Where the two boards on the far right are will be a covered patio area. You can also see the upstairs guest room windows in this shot.

Max, trusses and stairs. . .

2009-03-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Last week we were "puppy sitters" for Courtney and Nick's little Max. He became quite the "island puppy" during his weeklong vacation. Here he is posing by the big rock - he had so much fun running everywhere and exploring the new house! We miss him. . .

Guess what?! The stairs are in!! No more ladders to get up or down. These stairs lead upstairs to the two guest rooms and they truly will be "a room with a view". The walls on the upper level are up and the roof structure is starting to take shape. Lots more trusses to be installed over the next couple of weeks. We are finalizing the window order, selected the roof color and picked the stone for the entry. Feels good to check off a few of the 8 ba-zillion things we have yet to decide on! The shot below was taken today and sort of shows the back of the garage (with trusses).

We have a truss!

2009-02-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay - I know I've been a little lax on blog updates lately -- So here's a quick recap and a few photos. Last Saturday was a sunny day with rain predicted for the next several days (actually today we even had snow!) - anyway above shot is Peter on his lawn mower sowing 75 pounds of grass seed! Hopefully we'll start seeing green soon - and cover some of the mud!

Truss action at the 'pool room.'

A view showing that the upstairs floor / main floor ceiling is in!

This shot shows the first truss installed! Notice one of the workers standing on the second floor - which will obviously have the BEST views in the house. They are currently also working on the stairs, which will be good - I'm not a big fan of using the ladders! This shot also shows the driveway to the house ("turn right at the big rock").

Promise to get another post as soon as the upstairs walls are up. I guess they'll have to use a crane to raise them . . . hope I can be there to see it 'live'.

Starting to look like a house!

2009-01-30T20:42:00.000-08:00

This shows the delivery of the submarine. After all the flooding this winter, we decided having an escape plan would be good. Just zoom down the hill in a submarine. . . Oh no wait, it's really the propane tank.

And here it is - being nicely buried. The only thing now showing is the top of the little green lid. Cool!

Here are a couple shots taken Friday, January 30. The wall they are pushing up is part of the master bath. The other shot is taken from the water side looking back up at the house. The lighter gray in the foreground is the patio - where one day you will hopefully be joining us for a glass of wine!

Main Floor

2009-01-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

This was taken last Friday as a little fog rolled in - you can see the full main floor now. The guard rails near the center are the stairwell and elevator spaces. I generally don't get to see the progress during the week since it's dark by the time I get home. So it was great fun on Saturday to go over and "walk" through the rooms and hear all the details! We even took time to 'dance in the kitchen'! It's so weird how it changes from looking small to looking big . . . I think it will end up "just right"!

There will be walls going up tis week so this panoramic view will begin to be blocked by house. Which is, of course, the object of building it here - to enjoy the view FROM the house! Lots of activity so hope you have the opportunity to check out the web-cam during the daylight!

We've moved the rock!

2009-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

The plywood is becoming a floor! A couple of days ago we climbed down a (kinda scary) ladder to take a tour of our basement. It's quite something to actually be "in" the space - it's definitely starting to feel real! In this photo, if you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Baker - this view still takes my breath away!
This photo is of our 'big rock' after it made it's way down the driveway to its permanent placement just at the driveway entrance. Peter was on hand to make sure it was exactly in the right space with the right side facing out! Obviously we won't be moving it!
Louie, our master excavator guy, taking a little time out from his "real" job to slowly roll the rock down the driveway.

Walls and floors. . . .

2009-01-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

The casita has walls . . . the main house floor is in progress. . . . the drainage systems are all working . . . . life is good!

2009-01-12T22:37:00.001-08:00

Sorry for no recent updates. . . . it's been quite a month with all the snow, the holidays and now the flooding! Construction was pretty much halted during the 2+ weeks of record snowfall, but things are happening again! The casita has a floor and walls! The main house basement is taking shape and Peter can now visualize his wine cellar - perfectly located with three cement walls. Here are a few pics to catch you up on progress to date. This weekend marked the first time in 80+ years that Samish Island actually became an island again. Water and flooding closed the roadway onto the island. Maybe we should be building a houseboat!!

December Update. . .

2008-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

These pictures show the concrete slabs in the garage (above); the pool/exercise room and the basement.

Okay, okay . . . it's been a busy few weeks so my blogging has fallen behind! We spent 10 days in Phoenix over Thanksgiving to watch brother Kyle compete/complete his first IRONMAN. It was amazing - so proud of him!! Meanwhile, back on the island - lots going on since last I wrote. Here's a quick recap:

- Footing drains and underground utilities around all the buildings have been installed.

- A lot more dirt was moved! Back-filled over the septic drain field and up to what will be the patio. It's now actually possible to stand on the patio-to-be and envision where the yard will be.

-The slab for the garage, the basement and the pool/exercise room has been poured. We opted to use 'color' other than concrete -- so it's called cappucino (sort of the color of the dirt. . . ) But, truly, it looks good!

- A cistern was installed which will catch all the downspout water and (eventually) be stored and used for yard/garden irrigation. An environmentally friendly element.

We have been really fortunate with weather that continues to cooperate!

SO . . .what's next?? More backfill around the basement and finishing the crawlspace. Then they will start installing floor joists and sub-floor in the casita and then the FRAMING will begin! Probably a 90 day project (I promise to update the blog in the interim though!)

Final Foundation Pour . . . . and more!

2008-11-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Today marked the final pour of the foundation - 7 cement trucks worth! Yikes! The much-predicated HUGE storm didn't really matierialize, so they were able to work sans rain & wind. The only little glitch today was that somehow (?) a big chunk of cement or rock or something created a blockage as they were pouring and it halted the progress for about 30 minutes -- just enough time to mess up the timing of the trucks I guess. Suddenly three trucks appeared, lined up down the driveway. In the one photo with the guy in the foreground, he's actually controlling the pump using a device that seriously looks like an X-Box controller. Probably where he learned the skill! Next on the agenda will be footing drains and backfill (aka moving the same dirt for at least the third, possibly fourth time). For now I guess we will be hanging around waiting for the cement to dry . . . .

But even bigger news than our foundation pour (much, much bigger news!) is that Katey and Greg became engaged this past weekend -- and we are all very excited and happy for them. Greg pulled off a big surprise and I think Katey has been smiling that beautiful smile ever since!

It's November - progress continues. . .

2008-11-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

It was fun having Alan and Katey & Greg come up on Saturday for a "tour" of the work-site in progress! The weather cooperated (ie. no rain!) and Alan even managed to climb down into the basement hole for a photo opp! The footings are all complete and this week will be more forms and pouring foundations as well as the basement walls - which will be either late this week or more likely early next week. The septic tanks and drain field are all in - even a quick test to make sure the pipes were all connected (see photo that looks like a four-tiered water feature). No major glitches to date - Peter is the chief-checker-of the-plans each day watching all his hard work on details over the past two years come to life!

Forms and fittings and pours, oh my!

2008-10-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Lots of changes this past week. They finished digging the basement; put in the forms for the footings; poured the concrete footings in the casita, the basement and the pool house; and have begun the installation of the septic system. I actually don't really understand what all that really means, but Peter's coaching me on the terms!
He has been on-site each day - keeping tabs and taking pictures and ready to share the events of the day with me. Tonight we just stood on what will be our patio and savored the view. . . . ahhhhh.
It's quite amazing and more than a little exciting to see the plans we've been looking at on paper for so many months coming to life!
The next "pour" will be on Thursday morning - check it out on the web-camera if you want to see it in action. I'm going to try to be there to see it live!

News Flash!! We have broken ground!

2008-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our last entry to this blog site was 8/7/07 (yes that is 07 - not a typo) -- we've been asked many times "are you ever going to make another blog entry?" So this is it - the blog is back and we are SO excited to announce that construction has begun! We were actually in Santa Barbara with our friends Darlene & Art on the day of the actual ground breaking - 10/9/08 - so watched it via the web-camera (see link).

For anyone who hasn't kept up on the events of our life the past year here's a quick recap:

We still have the house in Seattle, where we live sometimes; we've rented a cute house on the beach on the south side of Samish Island, where we live the rest of the time. And we manage to both be in the same place about 95% of the time! We changed contractors a couple times; redesigned (aka downsized) the house; finished the shop with insulation and tons of shelving; and managed for the most part to stay sane and happy! So here we are - building our home!

My promise to Peter is to keep the blog updated on this journey called building a home - so he's giving me a crash course in blogging 101. Enjoy!

Time to Enjoy

2007-08-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

We've had a little time to enjoy our future home. The summer sunsets have been spectacular.We have had a couple of opportunities to share them with each other and friends. We look forward to many years of these. Hope you ENJOY!!

The Water is Flowing

2007-08-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

The drainage system is done, water is coming out of the ground and flowing down the hill. After a number of weeks, we laid the final piece of pipe down to the bottom of our bluff. This will allow for runoff and downspout water to flow through the property and allow the ground to dry out faster.

The first big step in the building process.

Speaking of toys

2007-07-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

"With over an acre of lawn I have to have a JOHN DEERE riding lawn mower" Peter pleaded because of his BAD knees. "Think of the money we'll save if I move dirt instead of hiring someone, but I'll need a KUBOTA tractor" And I can't trim the trees without a "gas powered saw on a pole.
Boys and their toys!!
How do I get people to do the work for me? Just give them toys to use.

The first building

2007-07-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

We added a workshop to put all of Peter's toys in. Bringing in "pit run" to level the site to build on. Drill holes for the poles which support the building. This pole building went up quickly. We have something to show now.

Let's start digging

2007-07-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

First we had to remove 60 stumps so we could dig some trenches. We planned on a number of trenches for utilities and a MAJOR drainage system to help dry out the property. Bringing in the utilities in one trench from the road, about 700 feet, was the start of this 2 month project. Then we brought in water in the main drainage trench. The next trench cut across the property at the edge of the building site. And we reworked the original drainage trench along the driveway. This all ended in the large pipe trench going over the hill.

Snowy Wonderland

2007-07-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Snow on this island paridise, you've got to be kidding!! The local folklore tells me that this is the worst weather here on the island in 30 years. Rain and rain and rain and snow. How would we know?? What a beautiful day and just in time for the annual Christmas picture.

Clearing the property like it looked in 1987

2007-06-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

There was a picture that we found in the old house that was an aerial photograph of the property taken in 1987. It showed the property had been cleared about 1/3 of the way. We have taken this picture as our guide and cleared the property back to that same place. It really let the winter sun through.

Bring in the wrecking Crew

2007-06-19T21:25:00.001-07:00

We brought in the experts. Boy were they workers. In no time, they had walls and doors ripped out and passage ways thru the house. It was so much fun, we ended the adventure with blisters on our hands and sweat dripping down our faces. Naturally, we had a hold harmless from the parents just in case the walls at home look inviting.

Blackberries or a view?

2007-06-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to remove blackberries? It took us weeks and lots of help to cut back the berries growing along the high bank side of the property. We started with the berries being about 20 feet above the bank with various small trees deep in the thicket. We cut, chopped, hacked, sprayed and bled to bring them down. It has made quite a difference in our view by cutting the berries down to the level of the property. Now we just have to continue the battle to maintain the views. This will be a large annual project.

We Live in a Motorhome ??!!

2007-06-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Mary Kay living in a motorhome??? Well she does two to three days a week. As a matter of fact, the simplicity has shown us that we easily can do with less(everything but our Seattle closet or is that condo). Visitors have marveled at the spaciousness of our home away from home. It really has given us time to get to know our property and neighbors.

I can hardly wait for a long shower.

Maintaining the Yard

2007-06-19T19:19:00.001-07:00

It looks like we have about an acre of grass to mow and a number of apple and pear trees to pick this season. What were we thinking????

Time for a riding lawn mower (YEA!) with a cup holder. "See, it really takes 3 hours to mow the lawn with a "BIG" mower, I would be all day without it".

"I'm from Dayton, I know how to pick crops and find help to get the job done". Do we save these trees for next year?

WOW! First Views

2007-06-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

On a clear day we can see north east from Mt Baker, north across Samish Bay to Chuckanut Drive, north west to Bellingham and Lummi Island. We are on a bluff overlooking the beach houses on the north east of the island and the oyster and clam beds of Samish Bay. It looks like we are going to "have to" live with it.

Finding the Property

2007-06-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

In April, 2006, we started out looking for a house in the Skagit Valley and ended up finding this property on the "last stop of the day". There wasn't much to see on that rainy day so we came back the next weekend and really saw the view. We were awestruck.

2007-06-11T18:46:00.000-07:00