The Golden Sun Will Shine

Here is my new all-time favorite billboard.  Why does the sewer system have to advertise? 

There is continual construction at the approach to the Bridge, but I still never tire of looking at it from any angle.  The bridge, not the construction. 

 

 

We're enjoying our time here with family and friends and are looking forward to more fun in the next three weeks, before we head back up the side of the country.  It's been unusually pleasant weather and they are staring to mumble about water rationing if there isn't some rain but only the weather reporters seem to be whining about it.  Maybe there can be huge storms after we go home.

We are sending big fat Happy New Year hugs to you.  And you.  And you, too. 

'Twas the day before

Very Mery Christmas wishes from San Francsico.
  May your stockings be filled with goodies and may there be plentiful hugs everywhere you go! 

One more day to Winter

 

 

 

 

Thursday was a great driving day along the coast and the Redwood Highway.
We stopped in Garberville/Benbow for the night and now it promises to be another stunning day,
so  we'll hitch up and mosey down to San Francisco. 
Are you ready for tomorrow - the shortest day of the year? 

Searching for Santa's Route

Sunday morning we loaded up all the necessary supplies to live in Homer for a while and made it as far as Olympia for a mini class reunion of AHS Class of '66.  We all look exactly the same.

Shopping in Portland was productive but my favorite part was that they have to tell us that the advertised  and appealing hot dog is not actual size. 

He liked it.  I'm not sure if his favorite part was the hot dog or the fifty cents.

 

Heading toward the Oregon Coast where moss seems to reign over everything.  It's strangely pretty.

A quick stop for lunch and we're on our way.
  If all goes well and the creek don't rise, we'll be in San Francisco on Friday.   It was kind of frustrating to leave the house project, but maybe the house sitters will finish it..  Wouldn't it be fun to return to find everything complete,  all boxes unpacked and the floors shiny clean?
That's what I'll ask Santa for, but he grimaces when I try to sit on his lap these days.

New Skills

My resourceful hubby got a lesson in tile work from a master.  There were a few tiles left from the bathroom project so they decided that the entrance to the sewing room should have a classy spot. This was not his first experience, but this time he was being watched so that made it a bit more interesting.

 

Al loves that one hand has a garden glove, which helps hold the fabric when moving a large hunk (window shades) and the other has a band-aid.  (Don't ask.  Please don't ask.)

Why does my checklist keep getting longer instead of shorter?  Does that happen to everybody? 

Snow!

Sequim didn't get much snow but this is Port Angeles.  I'm very eager to see what else is going to fall because they sell snow shovels here, meaning that something just might materialize before long.

The sewing table has turned into a bigger project than I expected.  In Napa I had an old door propped on two rickety bookshelves.  This one even has a measuring tape set right down the middle of it.  Now I'll feel compelled to be more creative to justify all the work going on in there. 

Things didn't go as smoothly with the shower installation as the directions would have you believe.  At 4:00 they announced "it's finished" but at 6:00 they finally walked away.  There were a lot of groaning sounds coming from that little bathroom but I stayed far away. 

My job was in the kitchen.  Isn't it wonderful that Grandma's old Ladies Lunch trays are
still being useful?  Feels like she is right here beside me, making the job more fun. 

Bitter What

This is what happens to an attempted shot of downtown Sequim from a rapidly moving car.
  That blur on the right is an old tractor that is festively decked out with Christmas lights.
  I'll try again tonight when we go to the First Friday Art Walk.

The deer don't seem to be at all disturbed by the action around here. 

Al and a buddy put the top on the World's Sturdiest Sewing Table.
I think it would be possible to drive that tractor on it and not even have a little wiggle.

Look at Al cold-caulking the new window.
At least three different weather reporters have mentioned the "bitter cold" this week.  The lowest has been 21 degrees, which hardly qualifies as bitter in Wisconsin, but apparently it is here. 

Al Can Do

This is how it looks when a guy leaves one project for another.  He has crossed over the line of Official Old Fart because he went to Home Depot in this uniform.  Well, at least I don't have to worry about him getting hit on by cute young chicks.  Maybe.  There might be one who is looking for just this kind of working man.  You never know.

Taking out the last piece of wood so the carpet can go in on Monday.

Surprise!  He decided to replace the windows in what will be the sewing room and found a mess.

Two more trips to Home Depot, one to the building supply in Port Angeles, and the kind help of Don the Tile Guy later.  It's going to be dry and warm in the Patch now.  Do you remember why I call it the Patch?  Many years ago I took a knitting class from a delightful English woman with a charming accent and tons of yarn knowledge.  She said how important it is to have a little patch all your own to hide away and be creative.  Do you have one?  

Progress, Pilgrim

There's been a lot of action around here this week:
Jennifer and Marvin painted the new living room ceiling.

Peter finished the beautiful new fence in the back.

The brackish water in the birdbath froze solid.

The hot tub was delivered - do you marvel at this clever cart as much as Al did?

 

Chris made the blue dining room go away and replaced it with this yummy caramel.

Today will be tiling in the hall bath, electricians doing some fiddling with the wiring, and painters doing a second coat of goodness.  I'd better go shopping to get away from all of them.

Caution: Men at Work

I love this picture.  Doesn't it look like a scarecrow tipped over?

Does this explain more?

How about this?
The hole in the floor is where the tub used to be and soon will be a shower. 
Do you love the floor?  Al removed the wood that was there and it will be tiled soon.

The living room got a coat of primer so the mud will stick better when it gets plopped on later today.

The guy who invented the extension pole is probably on the hit list of the ladder companies.