Where does the time go? For us this year it has been sifting through dust and sawdust, adding sticky notes to house plans, thinking and re thinking, what will things look like at summers end? I am quite sure our hopes to host a thanks giving with all things finished were on the side of unrealistically ambitious, aka, not happening! That said, the scaled down daughters plus, will make for a good relaxed version of the original plan. If we aren’t cooking in the new updated kitchen then we can see what cooks on the bbq and in the toaster oven! It is more about who is at the table than what is on it anyway.

 

Back to the start of this story….. About 16 months ago we decided to stay on our property and make changes, starting with the desperately needed replacement of the one existing bathroom. This was about as much fun as it sounds like -in the midst of last years hot summer, the portable outhouse, and showering off site, the couple of moments of do we have water? Eventually it was finished and we have one nice up to date room in the house!

From there a winters reprieve of sorts while we worked with an architect to come up with drawings for a contractor to add an upper floor and reconfigure the bottom floor. The extra tricky part -we decided moving out wouldn’t work so we would be instead working around a compliant family of three adults and 8 slightly less compliant senior cats many with health issues, one blind.

 

So the first incredible part was a new septic system and water lines. On our rural property we have a stream that flows from two sources, winter run off making a fast flow and an underground spring that bubbles up and keeps a slow flow going year round. It is tiny but valued by us and the wildlife. Registering the stream was required by the province and the city in order to have permits. As we protect it vigilantly this wasn’t a massive problem but it did have to involve a notary, and the clock was ticking.   The stream dictates where lines would run and tanks would be placed and ultimately dug out half the grassy part of the property for the spring but that is all back in place and green again albeit rocky!

 

 

 

Then construction started, trenches everywhere revealed more foundation work which meant a structural engineer before permits could be approved, which meant a six week delay as we lost our priority space on the schedule.

Then there was / is the matter of getting rid of the shocking amount of dirt dug up for a ten foot main floor addition, space for drain tiles, and sloping landscape. Dump trucks, excavators and blimey it looks like flag men will be required.  So while it looks like little has happened, shocking amounts of things in fact have.

Oh I forgot to mention the evacuation of bats from the attic, the building and erecting of three styles of replacement bat houses which almost ended with my being crushed by the twelve foot post to install said boxes to the proper height for optimum residency. The raccoons that had found comfort zones are starting to forgive me for this outrageous breach of peace, we have a mama bear with three wee cubs, and all in all life continues as we restyle ‘normal’ on a weekly basis.  If all goes well the first section of the roof comes off  tomorrow. I have let go of time lines. The stressing over things one cannot control is a primary cause of dissatisfaction in life. Instead we are taking a work in progress pov.  The landscaping will maybe start in the fall to be continued in the spring, the studio will be a sleepy start up perhaps the summer following.

There is a flow to life with change, it is either swimming with, fighting against or being sucked under. The best way not to drown is keep your cool, breathe, float when you can and picture yourself safely stepping onto firm ground.

So, here we go again…. still….. and forward