In which the adventure continues and we see big changes…

The “before” shots after Erik had spent a week on the place:

before altar before door end

I can’t raise my arms over head. No really, I can’t! I suspect it has something to do with demolition day(s). As our efforts on the cnail pullinghurch get seriously underway, my lack of training in the carpentry arts means I am put to the low skilled tasks – like nail pulling. Nail pulling is a lot like knitting. I can see your skeptical brow raise from here. But it is just row upon row of grim persistence and we have already established I have a strength there. I can now say I can pull nails.

We started a big push for demolition because the local trash folks have a major pick-up (“we will take almost anything”) on August 15th. Spoiler alert – we hit our target. Erik busily started deconstructing at one end while I started decluttering at the other. In the process we changed all our plans. Isn’t that what plans are for? Originally, we thought the altar area would work for the kitchen but, after a few days working spinning wheelaround after altarthe space, we decided the kitchen should go on a wall and the altar space would work well for… of course! A knitting/weaving/spinning spot! My Ashford Traditional wheel made the trip from Vashon to here (see it exiting the cargo carrier). I plan on setting it up for use soon.

after loftToday the last posts came down. Our trash pile is as complete as we could make it and we spent the day planning the bathroom area and the kitchen. We figured out the former but the latter is still under discussion. In the meantime, Erik has a lumber list and we’ve talked to an electrician, a plumber, and a roofer. Boy, we need a roofer. There aren’t enough buckets, believe trash pileme.

So why are we on this journey? Yesterday we took a break and took Toby for a run on the tide flats. He loved it and so did we – a few miles of walking in the sun with the water and sand underfoot and Toby dashing around trying to see if sea gulls are possible prey (they aren’t in any danger). This place is a little piece of heaven even without the warm, friendly neighbors, beautiful scenery, and sunshine! Lucky for us it has all those things. But more on that later…shifting sand