I have been somewhat disinclined to do much work on the house since I got it set in place, and have been putting off doing the skirting. However, I finally got around to it recently and this picture shows most of the skirting in place. I had some 3 inch foam panels left over from insulating the ceiling and I used these, along with a treated 3/8 inch plywood backing, as the skirting material. It should help to keep things closed in and a bit warmer underneath. I also put a heat tape on the incoming water line and on the drain trap under the shower - - the only part of the sewer line that is susceptible to freezing.
New stairs.
Skirting in place and paddles at the ready! I had some wonderful help and was able to get most of the second coat of stain on the house in one day - one of the advantages of small buildings. I am going to stain the skirting as well, but have been waiting for some dry weather. This picture was taken on one of the very few sunny days we've had this month.
I would also like to note here that the dish antenna on the end of the house is NOT, repeat NOT a satellite TV dish. It's for receiving an internet signal from a station on the mountain. If I sound a bit defensive about this, it's because I am. :-)
Looking down the hill from my house. I'm very fortunate in my view and placement! I've found that sitting in the hammock, or the glider rocker, and looking out at the changing moods and aspects of the lake is a very relaxing meditation. Much better than television!
The bench cushions are still in the works. The hammock is hanging in the corner though, and the blanket and pillow add a bit of colour, and soften the seating marginally.
The kitchen is all set up and so far has been working really well. I have to say that I love the dish drainer. It's wonderful to just put away the wet dishes!
The desk area and bookshelf are all set up. This space has proven to be quite handy as well, to date at least, and doubles as extra kitchen counter space when necessary.
Looking down the length of the house from the front door. One small annoyance is that the washing machine shakes the house a bit like one of those old vibrating beds sometimes found in cheap hotels, and the pictures are always hanging a bit out of square. I guess I should be glad that my complaints are so minor however!
The drawers are working well. This one contains most of my dried things - flower and sugar, nuts, seeds, raisins etc. I've started using a Nutribullet blender lately and concocting all sorts of different mixtures of vegetables and nuts and things for breakfasts. Today was beet, apple, spinach, chia seeds, hemp hearts, sesame seeds, protein powder and water. It sounds somewhat awful, but actually they taste pretty good and I've been feeling better - more energy through the days. In any case, this drawer is well used!
Looking up to the loft.
The bed, to state the obvious...
Looking the other way. Lots of morning sun comes in, and the morning mist on the lake is a nice thing to wake up to.
No larger screen yet, but the upstairs desk has been quite useful.
All of the bathroom components are working well so far. The outside edge of the tub unfortunately leans slightly out and back - perfect for water to run down the corner onto the floor. I put a small dam across the runway and it's OK now. There are several of these kinds of small idiosyncracies about the house - little things that aren't a big problem, but do require some extra attention from time to time.
There are definitely some trade-offs with the small space. Laundry loads are small and it takes more time, and I'm not always sure where I'm going to be able to keep things. I still have things that need to be sorted and organized, and it is easy for things to start feeling cluttered. So far though, I haven't felt cramped or unhappy with the space. It has been very comfortable to come home and to spend time here.
Afternoon sunshine streaming in.
I had hoped to have an open house this fall but a combination of a very busy September and a lack of sunny days has dampened (pun intended) these plans considerably. It will hopefully still happen - but no fixed date so far.
I am still considering installing a heat exchange ventilation system in order to get more air circulation happening while losing less heat. I've been procrastinating though as it would be expensive and bit tricky to install. So, I'll see how I do for a while. I do find that air quality is an issue and I want to have windows open most of the time - which then makes it colder and a bit drafty when it is cold outside. I'm still experimenting with this to see how best to manage it.
Otherwise, so far so good! :-)
