Wednesday, November 30, 2005

adventures in homeownership

It's been a while, and here's why: I'm in love! And I've and have made perhaps the biggest commitment this life will ever see from me. She's 21 acres and full of potential. Some would day potential's all she's full of, except weeds & repair projects. But there's that eye of the beholder getting all starry. It's an island farm on the Columbia River. A 1920s house, half-renovated barn, beautiful chicken coop, back-to-back 2-car garages, and 400' of slough frontage in a cottonwood wetland from which one can paddle into the Columbia River. Keep it in mind next time you're out here looking for summer camping!

You know I, as a kayaker, appreciate moving water in its myriad forms. The latest being its effect coming out the nozzle of a pressure washer, and the hopes that today’s drainage project will actually flow in the desired direction. Thankfully it is raining so I can check.

The pressure washing got me carried away, as dynamic water often does. Intended target was the house. What a whole new attitude! Its no longer a dumpy old farm project, but an actual white house, kinda cute, at that. Then, power in my hands, I looked around. The concrete patio slab got blasted. The walkway to nowhere from the front door (discovered that it says 1940 on it). My crumpled but drivable car. The garage. The ladder. A plastic kids picnic table. Luckily there were no friends around that day, to get blasted or to try to stop me!

There’s been other exciting progress. There is plumbing, complete & new from the main valve to the repaired septic tank (and it even flows downhill now!). I could watch Justine’s new DVD This is the Sea Two while wallowing in a tub of hot water. Oh, the decadence! All the main floor bathroom fixtures are installed & working. Paint fumes emanate from the living room. New wires run upstairs to power lights & outlets, and 4 electric wall heaters are humming away. The garage doors have been saws-mosted* shorter in anticipation of today’s gravel.

*Saws-most? It was demoted from saws-all after meeting its match on a 4” cast iron drainpipe.

The snow sits on the Oregon hills across the river, and last night the frosty fog swirled around the legs of deer in the pasture. Best of all are the friends who’ve been coming by to be a part of it. Many, many thanks for the warm waters of friendship!