Feast

 It was a feast in mid-winter, the food was real good,

We had turkey and fixin's in a house build of wood,

Our builder has kindly done way more the he should,

With great thanks we feasted him, so down in his belly he understood.

Sue Cook back cooking on The Pilchuck. Isn't that gravy?

We were dedicated to the task of giving a home-cooked feast of thanks to our general contractor, Phil. In the six years since the house burned to the ground, Phil has tirelessly watched the property, replaced the gate and its locks numerous times, chased off malicious trespassers and fought with the county permitting bureaucracies to get this rebuild off the ground.

I happen to know his favorite meal is a roasted turkey. Sue and I planned to honor Phil's efforts above and beyond what any other contractor would have done for us with a feast. It would be like Thanksgiving, only in January.

We shopped all over Arlington looking for a post-holiday turkey. We eventually
found 3 at Safeway. Entre secured, we had an easier time with the sweet potatoes, breaded stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberries and of course, Sue's exceptional home-baked pumpkin pie (with a dollop of whipped cream).

One of Phil's recent tales of woe; he cooked a recent Thanksgiving dinner and had his bitchy ex-wife crash the event with her boyfriend and when she left his table, she took all of the leftovers which Phil was looking forward to savoring in the coming days. For some justice and compensation, we sent Phil home with more than plenty of the leftovers this time. 

Phil deserves some good. And without a doubt, Sue served up some good home cooking in our new kitchen (installed by Phil).

DIY By the Cedar Your Planks

 Susan comes to town for Christmas. Oh by golly, it's a holly jolly holiday. It's the best time of the year. I take her to our new home, it is a phoenix home. 

On this spot was her home where she was born and raised. 

On this spot rises a new home from the ashes of her former home that was torched by arsonist in 2016.

On this spot, we still have a construction site, but we do have a decent and habitable dwelling. It is a good place to spend Christmas 2022 together and it is a good place to ring in the New Year for 2023 together.

The cold and snowy weather and the restful holidays keep the contractors at bay as we try out living together in a new space with limited interruptions from workmen on the premises. Yet, there are touches and additions still to be done in 2023 before our house is a home and we are granted the coveted Certificate of Occupancy by the county inspector.

In the spirit of building our home together, there are sixty-six raw, cedar planks  sitting in the basement in need of a finishing stain before they are mounted on the vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom. 

Susan dons, if not not gay apparel (fa-la-la, la la-la-la-la-la!); some of my most undistinguished clothes, and with brush in hand, administers a coat of stain to the cedar planks as she hums a yule tide carol... Fa-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la!

An elf in Santa's Basement Workshop, staining cedar lath to be mounted on the Master BR ceiling

Santa checks his list, then he's back checking it twice. Santa wants to know if these are nice cedar planks?

The elf in the workshop replies, "Why no Santa, these are knotty cedar planks."

Dazzle Me!

December's snow has turned to water, 

Christmas Days have come and gone; 

memories and dazzling colors are all that's left to linger on. 

[John Prine - sort of]

Sue and I paid a visit to dad, a two hour drive south to Tumwater, caught up with him in person and picked up a bedroom dresser that was mom's and mirror to haul back and put in the new house. We had supper with Sheri and Tony before driving back north on I-5.

The Tulalip Tribe has a large casino on I-5 in Marysville, just 12 miles from The Pilchuck. The Indians do have a flare for celebrating, 4th of July with the Swinomish Tribe in La Conner is spectacular and the Tulalip casino at Christmas is arrestingly dazzling in its own right.

Almost home, driving north at 9 PM on a frigid early January evening, to our left the winter's darkness is magically dispelled around the casino by light-wrapped trees. One can not help but be favorably impressed by the sight. One of the wonderful little things about having my wife with me is the opportunity to dash into a spontaneous adventure. I likely would not have deviated from my route home if I were traveling alone. It's different when you are traveling as a couple. It is fun to be married and to still look for chances to dazzle my sweetheart.

We sped past the display of a myriad holiday lights and some comments were made, something like, "I wonder how many lights are out there? How long does it take to put them up? They sure are pretty..."

I exited the interstate and made a U-turn across the overpass. My passenger shot a gleeful look at me, "Are we going to the casino?" 

I executed my U-turn, "I'm going to attempt to dazzle you, my love. Are you prepared to be dazzled?" 

She just beamed as we pulled into the parking lot. This was going to be a fun detour. We didn't have the warmest of coats for this 25 F night, but we could link arms and huddle close together as we strolled among the Tulalip Christmas Lights.

Beaming wife Dazzled by casino Christmas lights

Wandering the grounds was a bit of fun, post-holiday magic. I always liked taking a girl out at night to go look at the lights. It is still magic to do it with this girl.

I think I was told there are over 3,000,000 LED lights wrapped out to the tips of all of these thin tree branches. Impressive. We ducked into the casino, but didn't drop any coin there, just took a gander at the lighted slot machine rows and all of the players. Then it was back up the road to a warm, post-holiday bed. Impressive.

We were indeed dazzled.

New Year's Day on Camano Island

 

A beautiful New Year's Day on Camano Island, looking north across peaceful waters

The snow of mid-December had melted. 

The rain had stopped. 

The winds had been spent.

The top of 2023 was looking pretty fine. It was a calm, sunny New Year's Day and it was a great time to visit one of our favorite shores for strolling and holding hands. It was a great day for the two of us to walk along the edge of salt water, stepping over surf-rounded stones as some sea birds flew above and some others dove below the placid waters. 

We spent the short hours of light allotted to this latitude hopping from one topic to another, often we swung back to ponder geologic coastal depositional strata or the mineral assemblage of a curious, wave-swept boulder. We are a good pair when we are among our solid friends, the rocks and stones of Camano Island.

She lives and works in Texas. She lives a normal life. 

I have left a normal life life in Texas behind. I have left her in Texas as I chase a dream. 

I seek a quiet house among the trees along the bank of Pilchuck Creek, and there I long to live with my wife as we  host friends and family at our table and welcome the wash of the coming years in tranquility. I may yet have my myth emerge from the shadows, and stride into the light of reality. Chasing a dream has a high toll to take from me in time away from Susan and the neglect of the Texas home. 

She tells me this is my Odyssey; I am Odysseus and like him, the fates have kept me away from making a home with her. She is Penelope, Odysseus' wife, weaving everyday at her loom to await the fulfillment of our dream together. If so, finding myself in the middle of myth is difficult to endure.

I savor the minutes together. I have always found her most alluring when she has the wind in her hair and she is settled against a weathered log, or perched like a siren atop a large rock. I ask her to pause, lean against that log and to look at me. I want to remember this, I want to take a photograph.

Susan cooperates and the shutter clicks. We wander off down the beach. I love our moments together.

Kelp of the sea is stranded upon the salt-and-pepper texture of a Canadian granite.

I seldom see myself in a mirror, but I feel I have gone feral.

Every rock tells a story

Roots of a once towering tree rise on the beach and turn to the setting sun. It is a fine day. May all of 2023 be so.

We Put Out the Welcome Mat - Inga & Sean

Welcome mat gift from Grant & Kaileen sits on the gneiss foyer entry ready for Inga and Sean's arrival

We literally rolled out the welcome mat, awaiting the arrival of our daughter and her steadfast boyfriend, Sean at The Pilchuck. Inga had plans to come up and greet her mother on Christmas Day, but I waived her off, saying I'd like a few days with her mother all to myself before the kids came along. 

But once the kids got here on December 30th, it was grand!

Mom bakes for the kids

We used the kitchen as a kitchen should be used; cooking for a family, cooking for visitors, visiting while cooking for family. It is all good. We ate, we slept, we talked, we lounged by the wood fire. We enjoyed the holiday and one another before they returned to Portland on New Year's Day. 

Texas Pecan Pie - One of Sue's Greatest Recipes

In early December, Inga's Subaru had been stolen for the second time this year in the lawless city of Portland. It had been recovered and reported by a citizen's group who helps victims of auto theft find their stolen vehicles. Under trying circumstances, Inga and Sean cleaned out the dirty drug needles and dope paraphernalia strewn around the slashed upholstery. They dumped the stolen clothing and electronics that were of no interest to the Police. Then Inga had Suby Suneson towed to the repair shop and let them and her insurance settle on the course of action.  While being repaired, they drove the four hours north in Sean's car for a relaxing few days on the Pilchuck.  *Post Script: Once repaired and street legal, Inga, tired of hyper vigilance while leaving her car parked on a public street sold it for a modest price and uses public transportation. 

Sean and Inga rolled through the gate in mid-afternoon and proceeded to make themselves at home in the sparse, but functional house. They had the guest bedroom upstairs, her parents took the downstairs bedroom and bath. No doors until March 1, 2023, but we four made it work quite well.

Inga & Sean arrive at the Pilchuck, a 4 hour drive north of Portland.

They demand a tour, and their wish is my enjoyable command. Off we go to check on the building progress of the house. 

We tour the loft/sunrise tearoom/studio - sewing room, above the office. This will be the last portion of the house to get finished. It has a granite exterior façade that faces east and catches the morning sun. Great for a quite loft above the rest of the house to start the day with a warm cup between your palms. I have painted it in warm, ombre colors at the top to invoke the sunrise. The lower part is in lightening shade of ombre blues to invoke the lifting of the Pacific Northwest morning fog. 

Downstairs large, forest glade bedroom

Next stop, we descend into the basement bedroom, the largest of the three bedrooms in the house. I am working to make this room a thematic one that brings to mind the peaceful ambiance of a green, forest glade. 

The downstairs bedroom also has a luxurious bathroom with a large soaking tub, tiled walls, double vanity and a pebbled floor that swirls around the tub and into the shower and also branches off and flows into the private water closet.

Tour complete, let's eat. 

Mom does mangoes

Inga loves her red meat. As do I. Her visit is a wonderful occasion to buy a rib roast and cook it medium rare. Open a bottle of wine and enjoy life and family. And so it was done. Phil, my general contractor is kind of sweet on my wife. He wanted to make sure that I didn't mess up my chance when Sue came up for the holidays. He brought a couple of bottles of wine for us to celebrate. I thanked him and told him that the Moscato was a favorite of Sue's. He noticed that I had some mangoes in the fridge, and then returned with a bottle of mango Moscato. She does like the bubbly sweetness and can handle maybe two glasses before she gets into giggly drinking bubbles. She can be fun. 

A bottle of Mango Moscato, a gift from Phil Jubie, our General Contractor

Fine dining on the Pilchuck

Sean works on scripting a YouTube gamer's presentation for his channel. Mother and daughter talk.

Boxing Day Tour of The Pilchuck

Women, they're always late. 

Women, they're worth the wait.

My wife arrived on a late flight Christmas Day, up from the West Pole, just outside of Dallas, Texas. I am so pleased to have her here at The Pilchuck; still a construction site, but far enough along for me to call it home.

The Christmas gift opening upon here arrival at the house had come to a halt as Sue expressed more interest in falling asleep after a long day of travel, it being 3 AM for her, so we retired to bed last night (or was it this morning?) with the promise of extending Christmas into the 26th. And beyond.

Big changes have transformed the house. I was delighted to show her around once we and the northern sun were up. I had secret hopes that if I could build a fancy, whimsical and beautiful house for her, maybe she would never leave and never go back to Texas. Maybe she would be enchanted and stay a spell with me on The Pilchuck.

Looking up through the octagonal kitchen skylight

The wife explores her options in the kitchen pantry cabinets

Sue finds the place where I hid the tea mugs. Must have that tea!

A tour of the luxury bathroom downstairs. Note the streambed pebbled tile on the floor.

Stone counter tops throughout the house, this is downstairs bedroom before mirrors installed.

Boxing Day - time to renew the gift opening that was called due to darkness last night.

Sue had packed in her luggage a Christmas gift from Grant and Kaileen. A custom welcome mat to announce the official unofficial name for this place. Well done Grant and Kaileen!

We put it at the back door to welcome Inga and Sean as they plan to be here for a few days over the New Year. Hoping Grant and Kaileen get to use their welcome mat before it wears out.

Come one, come all, all are welcome for the Pilchuck Tour!

Hope to see y'all in 2023!

Country Christmas on the Pilchuck

Sue and I take a perverse pleasure in characterizing ourselves as 'we are not planners.' At times, some degree of planning is forced upon us. Apparently one cannot just show up at the airport and take a seat and ask the pilot to take me Seattle. The airlines insist that we have planned a specific day, a specific time and a specific flight to a specific destination. 

Wanting to celebrate Christmas 2022 together requires some degree of planning. We talked over the phone as she scrolled through travel booking options on her computer. One option was Jet Blue; inexpensive, but to get the cheapest deal she would have to commit to become a member to benefit from their discounts. Jet Blue travel would also require a layover. I suggested that Jet Blue was not the best plan.

Another option was Southwest Airlines. Convenient departure point in Dallas, but again a layover was required and I thought any planned layover during holiday travel was akin to planning on trouble.

We agreed to plan on flying direct from Dallas to Seattle on Alaska Air. For a few dollars more one could pretty much plan on the fact that once in the air, you were going to make it to Seattle. No layover, no fuss, no muss. No brainer.

It was a good plan. Winter weather across the continent had snarled air traffic and brought consternation to the holiday traveling nation. Southwest had a horrific meltdown in their system, stranding tens of thousands and sending their luggage to parts unknown while people stewed in hostile lines waiting for a way out of purgatory.

The Spirit of Christmas -
a lit tree fits my bay window perfectly

Alaska Airlines delivered my wife with a 40 minute delay. We plucked her bag from carousel #14 in Seattle as we passed hell's half acre of lost/unclaimed baggage heaped in front of the SW Airlines' office. Good plan, great call - especially for 'non-planers.'

It was a late Christmas Day flight anyway, and it was already a quarter 'til midnight when I unlocked the gate in the rain to take my Texas girl up the curved driveway to the new house. I paused as we rounded the curve so she could take in the scene of the house lit from down below.

After a moment or two of wondering why I'd paused, "You got a Christmas Tree for me!" she squealed in surprise. Yes. Yes I did. I knew she had not gotten a tree to decorate the house in Texas. It seem only proper to start Christmas in the 'Evergreen State' together next to a live Christmas tree. The first of a few more surprises.

I carried her heliotrope bag into the house, complete with two functional beds. I directed her to the tree, and she was again surprised to see several wrapped gifts beneath the boughs. 'Ooh, you know I didn't bring you anything for Christmas," she offered apologetically. 

Welcome to the Pilchuck Christmas

I corrected her with a kiss, "Not so. I got got what I most wanted for Christmas. I can wait to unwrap it."

I suggested she go first. She picked a festive box from the floor and opened it. We talked as she yawned. It was approaching 1 AM - 3 AM Texas Time. "What say we leave the rest of these for tomorrow. I'm kind of exhausted."

Sue's stocking, stuffed with Christmas goodies - and she can wear it too.

Sue selects a surprise gift

Photo of Cook Family barn that once stood on the property

I agreed and we slid across the sparse room to find a nice bed in the next room with clean, fresh sheets for a long winter's nap.

I promised her a daylight tour of the place for Boxing Day. "But first, let's tuck you into bed and let you dream of sugar plums," I insisted.

White on the Outside, Warm on the Inside

 Inside looking out.

In a week comes Santa Clause. Now comes the Santa weather from the North Pole.

I have moved from the travel trailer parked under the grove of fir and cedar trees and into the house. Many details to yet to be installed to make this house a home, but the necessities of hot running water, a bed and most of a real kitchen are in place. And there was much rejoicing in my change of fortune.

Just in the Saint Nick of time, I settled in inside as the snow began to settle on the evergreen branches outside my window. It is better to be inside looking out than outside looking into the house, as was my fortune last year.

I have heat and air conditioning with an energy efficient heat pump, but also plenty of alder and proto-firewood all about my 50 acres that will feed my wood burning stove in the cozy chimney corner of my living room. 

The trailer under snow, a view of my erstwhile abode. Happy to be warm inside the new house.

Last winter brought several snowfalls from Christmas through February. Accumulations got to 14-inches and the house was yet to be dried-in, so my subflooring became an ice rink, unfit for habitation, fit only for dreaming of the day when I could be inside looking out. That day arrived December 14, 2022.

I sing, "Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow." I invite my wife in Texas to come on up, telling her, Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...

She promises I can pick her up on Christmas Day. I can't to wait to sit with her  by the fire as we conspire. It will be fun to unwrap her, my Christmas gift, as we play the Eskimo way. 

Day...

...and Night