Crabbing season begins in 3 days!

Seriously, the progress on the house is evident! Framing has begun and the first floor is just about finished. It was wonderful to wander around and get a feel for the new space.

We brought Barbara up to see the frame, and were happy to run into our neighbor and friend, Julie and her Mom, Dodie- just before they headed home for a few days. Julie reminded me that crabbing season begins on Thursday. I am now scheming about how to snag a couple crab to bring to the Donaldson's for the 4th! It will be very odd not being here for our 4th of July tradition. Next year!

Back on the homefront, work has been moving along splendidly and it looks good and solid.   This will be the view from the front door.

       

Julie had never seen the drawings and appreciated getting acquainted with them.

Meanwhile Jim just got a call from our neighbor across the street, wanting to add on a sunroom! Construction is perking up on Camano!        

                                              Jeff was our photographer today, but I managed to get him in front of the camera  to pose with some driftwood . Is it a "J" or is it an "L"?

Up we go!

The day was sunny and breezy; the tide was very low; an eagle soared overhead. Eating my take-out chicken rice soup from Scandia Coffeehouse, (for info, click on the title of this post) I anxiously awaited the installation of the steel beams that will support the new house against the elements.

The steel arrived at noon. Our foundation work is finished and ready. Tym found an 'artifact' and  added it to the scene!

Just kidding! It's a beef bone- honest!

At last Tim and the crane arrived and the work began. The engineering required a beam across the two posts that will hold up the second story deck, and a wall of beams to support all the windows on the water side.

                    Watch your fingers!!                   


The beam slipped onto the bolts like a charm!The memory beams across the front of the house were trickier, as they wiggled back and forth in the breeze. With the support of a few  two by fours, they were a bit more stable.That's Jim snapping Bonney snapping Jim!

The last memory beam,and the smallest proved to be the trickiest, requiring the iron guys to widen the holes an extra 1/4 inch.

The plant life around here, or what's left of it, is intriguing. A lesson in survival. Little nasturtiums are popping up in the darndest places and in the hardest-packed soil. The remaining garden bed is struggling along as well. This is no place for sissies!PS. Hope you're enjoying this blog. Don't forget, to enlarge any picture, just click on it.

There's a lot of structural work happening!

We swung by the house on our way home from Cama Beach. Had to deposit some nuggets  on the beach and collect the hardy little rhubarb that was surviving despite being smothered by excavation debris and many feet.

To our amazement much had been done since we were last here on Tuesday. The architectural concrete forms for the columns that will support our porch and deck were being built, and will be poured tomorrow.

                                      They are impressive!

 Tim, the concrete guy, was very friendly and was happy to explain everything that was going on.

His crew were fun to watch and photograph.

So what's happening at the house?

We're  beginning to see some activity on the construction front! The foundation is poured and is getting fastened down; the radiant heating system wires are installed in the garage (where the utilities will be ) and in the house.

The septic tanks seem as big as the area of the house. We should never have a problem with this aspect of life!

As for the construction site, It's pretty amazing! The plants persist in spite of the upheaval!

This lonely rhubarb plant

refuses to give up the ghost, so we dug it up!

Some of the relocated plants continue to show signs of life.

Jim and Jeff discuss the high level issues, while Bonney is getting a crash course on flood control valves.

A very encouraging site indeed!

A visit to Cama Beach State Park

(to go directly to the Cama Beach website, just click on the title of this post.)
We're here at Camano for a few days to check in on the progress of the house. Cama Beach  just reopened in 2008 as a State Park and  has been incredibly popular since then. Built in the mid 30s as a fishing resort, it remained in the original family until  closing in 1989. With the support of the owner's family, local groups and  the state, the cabins were renovated  and opened to the public.

It's rustic, yet comfortable; there's lots to see and do. The Center for Wooden Boats has a boathouse here and offers boats to rent as well as classes and other events. There is a huge volunteer presence, and we met some very nice future neighbors  volunteering in the little store/museum. Today they're pouring a new cement boat ramp, so there is a lot of activity.

While poking around in the Center, I came upon a wooden version of my ideal boat. (She's named Flo, which Laurie will get a chuckle out of!) Why "ideal"?  You can sail, or row, or motor ! What could be finer?

There are some really beautiful trails up into the woods. Last night Jeff and I hiked down to the State Park and were delighted to see these two:

This is a magical place, even on  a cool, showery June day!

Let the building begin!

We needed to bulk up the waterfront foundation and add a small bump out for our  guest room. Yes, you'll be glad we did!

The foundation is pretty much poured; and thanks to Jim Hall, we have pictures and narrative.

The South side.

East (entry) side.
No changes on the North. Doesn't it look small?

Jeff was so happy to see signs of hope- the wires are going in!

From Jim:
Things are going well; stem walls are complete and the columns and radius wall at front porch are being formed. The steel for the moment frame and back porch support are ordered and with luck we can start framing toward the end of next week.