IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE END?

TWO PROJECTS TO REPORT ON...
Today I put the final licks of paint on the outside of the house.  I suppose one could entitle this moment so:"Blue, blue, my house is blue..."
I started with the southern wall, along the rear deck, late in June, of which you saw some pictures.  Quite an easy segment, as it turned out.  Each of the large walls presented peculiar problems.  The western wall came next.  Here the main problem was getting used to being up at the end of a fully extended 24 foot ladder.  Of course, I managed to choose the two worst weeks of our Summer, either rain or thunderstorms, or hot and humid days that I accounted as four to six T-shirt days.  I drank quite a bit of beer until I discovered Indian Tonic Water, careful not to drink more than one beer an hour and not before 11AM.  Also, I had to learn not to use various ladders and planks to paint sections of the wall.  By the end of this wall (two coats of paint), I had mastered ladders and was climbing somewhat like a monkey.

The eastern wall presented rather different problems as the cable, telephone, and power lines had to be accommodated.  On one evening, I had quite an interesting time convincing myself that I could negotiate the various lines and reach the pinnacle of the roof line.  I was painting the fascia and the soffits as well as, a somewhat darker blue. Here is that wall. 

A quick course in self-management of fear of heights was in order toward the end of the day.  Figuring out the segments and order of painting them was also a bit of a challenge.  Here you can see I am well on into the first coat of paint.  With the Insuladd additive, it did not matter too much about keeping a wet edge; besides, these two end walls were quite large and the paint polymerizes really fast in the warm weather.

Just for completion, here is the northern wall which, as I remarked, I finished just today.

This has made for quite a pretty house and it seems my neighbors love the colors almost as much as I.  Bye the bye, my flowers are doing very well, as you might see.  Unfortunately, the transplanted dwarf firs eventually expired (all my other trees are doing well, cluck, cluck).

While I have been laboring outside, Daniel has been busy within.  The bath was removed and a window placed high in the outer wall to let in light and provide for additional ventilation.  The bath was really heavy (375 lbs/ 170 kg) and proved quite a challenge to get out and take away to Habitat for Humanity.  It took some shopping to settle on the shower alcove but I love the outcome of all this work.

I have some painting to do (ceiling and walls ) but this must await my return from the Great Northern Rockies Ride that I am to do with my long-time friend, Brian.  We plan to ride some 520 miles from Midway BC across the Rockies and then down to Glacier National Park in the first two weeks of September, and then up and over to catch the train from Western Glacier National Park back to Seattle.  The last day will be quite memorable, riding the Road to the Sun and managing a 5,500 foot climb, then descent, along the way.

My garden is taking shape and doing well enough.  In order to attract humming birds I planted a patch of bee balm in my one raised bed.  I was rewarded eventually by visits from at least two of these amazing birds as they took nectar from the flowers., for two or three days. They are so small and agile.  At first glance, I thought I was seeing a bumble bee (the first was head on to me) but was delighted to discover it was actually a humming bird.  The bed is occupied by an enormous rhubarb plant, six geraniums, some carrots, and the bee balm.

So, a final pic of the humming bird attraction:

The trees at the right have since been 'sacrificed' and the bee balm patch has expanded considerably.

My large, aged azaliah at the front had to be reduced in size so I could us a smaller ladder on the lower norther wall.  Now I have lots of cuttings to be potted tomorrow.  If they take, I will plant them alongside the foot path at the front in the Spring.  Lots to do before the ride, mainly cleaning up and finishing of jobs abandoned temporarily to get the painting done.

With the replacement of the front gutter, all the major work on the house will be done.  I cannot believe that I have almost come to the end of two years of work on my little house, my home sweet home.

Maybe one more posting (it is hard to give up)!