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| Looking out dining room window to wood on porch. |
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| Finally looking like a real home! |
Then: October 2008
Our walks with Dinga are so much fun and a welcome respite from all the work. We still have her on a leash as neither of us have had a dog who has had the run of an unfenced area. Maybe in November we will try her off the leash. She is so curious and so alert. She lives to be outdoors and go on hikes. We have a crate for her but she also likes to sleep on our bed and the couch.
The couch! Yes, by the end of the month we have most of our furniture brought up and moved in. The construction zone is finally looking more like a home. We still have the tall ladder inside. Boxes and tools are stacked around, but the kitchen is installed, if not all fastened down. And it is so nice to have our dining table instead of just a little camp table. We used the sink even before the outbound pipes were in - just put a bucket underneath it. We definitely will not have inbound water for this winter, but RJ has the outbound pipes installed and working. We can flush the toilet, but have to fill the tank back up by hand with a bucket. The drilling company has installed the hydrant by the cistern which we use to fill water containers and buckets every two or three days. We put a water container with a spout at each sink which works just fine. Any hot water we need has to be heated on the stove.
The bathroom fixtures are installed, and for the time being we are hanging our solar shower in the bathtub/shower. We won't be able to use the clothes washer obviously until we have inbound water, so we'll be doing the laundry in a 5 gallon bucket during the winter when the road becomes impassable by car. Right now we are still going to the laundromat.
JB and RJ are building the battery room/generator shed. JB found a great deal on some used batteries and we have the inverter on order. The electrician has been up to do the initial outside wiring. We dug the ditch for the cable from the battery room to the house (NOT fun). He will be back when the shed is done and get the water pumps, generator, and inverter all connected. We will be able to turn on all three of those items from inside the house.
JB is learning to drive MAX which is quite different from other ATVs, as it drives like a tank. Literally. Instead of a steering wheel, there are two levers, one of which has the gas control on it. With those six wheels and three independent axles, it can go just about anywhere. We have the tracks for it and the smaller tires around which they fit. We will put them on when the snow calls for it. Hopefully not too soon.
As usual, I have been busy splitting and stacking wood in the grove and all around the edge of the porch. I must have done this in another life. It feels so natural to do, and I really enjoy it.
Our next big project is installing the insulation which has to be done before the really cold weather sets in.
Now: June 21, 2011
As I write this and look at the pictures of the inside of our house in 2008, it's hard to remember it that way. And now that I've had the washer for so long, I can't believe I did all the laundry by hand for nine months. Once the Spring of 2009 arrived, I ordered laundry tubs and a wringer which are much better than a bucket, but still a lot of work. I do not envy my great-grandmother that job.
Yesterday was another beautiful day and we actually got a lot done after we sat on the porch with our morning coffee, watching the birds in the bird bath. A flock of finches has discovered our grove and bird bath in the past week. They are so vocal! And so pretty. According to our handy National Audobon book, they are House Finches and Cassini Finches. They like to drink in the bird bath and will share it, with often a dozen or so there at a time. The chickadees, however, are not quite as social and often will chase other birds away while they are bathing and splashing all the water out.
We finally got to work. The outbound pipe from the washer was leaking a little, so that had to be fixed. JB mowed the path from the south ridge up to the peak. Not a small feat with than incline and just a standard gas lawn mower (even if it is self-propelled)! After hanging out the wash, I discovered several patches of Devil's Thorn and pulled it all out. I swear it grows as soon as you turn your back. Don't want to have to be pulling that out of the dogs' paws.
At 3:00 pm, the dogs & I went for an hour's hike while JB took a nap. Didn't see any wildlife, but the views and wild flowers were magnificent.
On our evening walk, as we were going down the driveway, JB noticed a doe walking up the driveway. We all saw each other at the same time, except the dogs who did not even notice her. There was no breeze so they didn't catch her scent. She turned into the woods and just as I was snapping a picture, Jesse finally saw her. He went running and the doe went bounding. Dinga brought up the rear, barking.
Today I am taking the dogs to the vet for their annual rattle snake booster and whatever other inoculations they need. Plus Dinga will have xrays, as we believe she is developing hip displasia. This morning is another beautiful and typical Eastern Washington day. The Wenatchee Valley boasts an average of 300 sunny days per year - now that's what I'm talking about!
Our walks with Dinga are so much fun and a welcome respite from all the work. We still have her on a leash as neither of us have had a dog who has had the run of an unfenced area. Maybe in November we will try her off the leash. She is so curious and so alert. She lives to be outdoors and go on hikes. We have a crate for her but she also likes to sleep on our bed and the couch.
The couch! Yes, by the end of the month we have most of our furniture brought up and moved in. The construction zone is finally looking more like a home. We still have the tall ladder inside. Boxes and tools are stacked around, but the kitchen is installed, if not all fastened down. And it is so nice to have our dining table instead of just a little camp table. We used the sink even before the outbound pipes were in - just put a bucket underneath it. We definitely will not have inbound water for this winter, but RJ has the outbound pipes installed and working. We can flush the toilet, but have to fill the tank back up by hand with a bucket. The drilling company has installed the hydrant by the cistern which we use to fill water containers and buckets every two or three days. We put a water container with a spout at each sink which works just fine. Any hot water we need has to be heated on the stove.
The bathroom fixtures are installed, and for the time being we are hanging our solar shower in the bathtub/shower. We won't be able to use the clothes washer obviously until we have inbound water, so we'll be doing the laundry in a 5 gallon bucket during the winter when the road becomes impassable by car. Right now we are still going to the laundromat.
JB and RJ are building the battery room/generator shed. JB found a great deal on some used batteries and we have the inverter on order. The electrician has been up to do the initial outside wiring. We dug the ditch for the cable from the battery room to the house (NOT fun). He will be back when the shed is done and get the water pumps, generator, and inverter all connected. We will be able to turn on all three of those items from inside the house.
JB is learning to drive MAX which is quite different from other ATVs, as it drives like a tank. Literally. Instead of a steering wheel, there are two levers, one of which has the gas control on it. With those six wheels and three independent axles, it can go just about anywhere. We have the tracks for it and the smaller tires around which they fit. We will put them on when the snow calls for it. Hopefully not too soon.
As usual, I have been busy splitting and stacking wood in the grove and all around the edge of the porch. I must have done this in another life. It feels so natural to do, and I really enjoy it.
Our next big project is installing the insulation which has to be done before the really cold weather sets in.
Now: June 21, 2011
As I write this and look at the pictures of the inside of our house in 2008, it's hard to remember it that way. And now that I've had the washer for so long, I can't believe I did all the laundry by hand for nine months. Once the Spring of 2009 arrived, I ordered laundry tubs and a wringer which are much better than a bucket, but still a lot of work. I do not envy my great-grandmother that job.
Yesterday was another beautiful day and we actually got a lot done after we sat on the porch with our morning coffee, watching the birds in the bird bath. A flock of finches has discovered our grove and bird bath in the past week. They are so vocal! And so pretty. According to our handy National Audobon book, they are House Finches and Cassini Finches. They like to drink in the bird bath and will share it, with often a dozen or so there at a time. The chickadees, however, are not quite as social and often will chase other birds away while they are bathing and splashing all the water out.
We finally got to work. The outbound pipe from the washer was leaking a little, so that had to be fixed. JB mowed the path from the south ridge up to the peak. Not a small feat with than incline and just a standard gas lawn mower (even if it is self-propelled)! After hanging out the wash, I discovered several patches of Devil's Thorn and pulled it all out. I swear it grows as soon as you turn your back. Don't want to have to be pulling that out of the dogs' paws.
At 3:00 pm, the dogs & I went for an hour's hike while JB took a nap. Didn't see any wildlife, but the views and wild flowers were magnificent.
On our evening walk, as we were going down the driveway, JB noticed a doe walking up the driveway. We all saw each other at the same time, except the dogs who did not even notice her. There was no breeze so they didn't catch her scent. She turned into the woods and just as I was snapping a picture, Jesse finally saw her. He went running and the doe went bounding. Dinga brought up the rear, barking.
Today I am taking the dogs to the vet for their annual rattle snake booster and whatever other inoculations they need. Plus Dinga will have xrays, as we believe she is developing hip displasia. This morning is another beautiful and typical Eastern Washington day. The Wenatchee Valley boasts an average of 300 sunny days per year - now that's what I'm talking about!
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