Dear Friends and Family!

We hope you are all happy and healthy this holiday season, and have joy in your hearts and treats in your bellies!

Merry Christmas!
Zoey and Osker

We're keeping an eye on two fish logs just up the creek from our beach.  At some point Fish & Wildlife placed these giant logs further up the stream to create fish habitat.  These two logs came loose during the last high water.  They're really no threat for us because we're a ways from the creek, but if they move down to our neighbors house close to the creek, branches can get caught behind them making a dam where water backs up and floods the banks.

The floor sanding is finished!!!  Mom and the carpenter have been on hands and knees looking for sander scratches, even doing the final 150 grit with a palm sander!!!

Next is a major vacuum and wipe down!

Our flooring mentor started sanding!!  He uses 60 grit on the drum sander going diagonal, then with the grain. Then he uses 100 grit on an orbital sander.  He seems very conscientious and patient!!  Lots of dust.

We have just finished laying the final boards at thresholds and around some edges.  Glad to be done with this backbreaking job!

Geez.  We were just peeking in when they saw us and came over and shut the windows.  Like we were going to jump in and track mud on the freshly sanded floor??!!!

 The bathroom cabinets have been built and installed.  They were built by a Shady Cove cabinet maker.  Mom had him use "Old Fashioned Milk Paint" for the finish.  It's a paint that allows the character of the wood to show through.

This is the master bedroom walk-in closet flooring.  The boards came in lengths ranging from 1' to 7'.  We used a lot of the smaller pieces in this closet.

Finished!!! Sort of... still needs sanding, finish and closet organizer!

With all the rain we've had recently the creek is raging!  Mom has a little fit when me and Osker go near the water.

Not much house progress last week during Thanksgiving, but we're back on flooring this week!

Osker fell in love with Jada, a Tibetan Spaniel, during her holiday visit.

Apparently Osker and I aren't allowed in our new house anymore.  Just because flooring is going down?  Just because it's muddy outside?  We don't mind.  We love tearing around the empty house.

The master bedroom, den, hallway, and living room are done except for the last board against the edge.  

Dad pressed 120 lbs of apples this weekend and got
about 4 gallons of cider.  I'm a good helper because I love fruit and I can keep the floor clean.  I've been grazing apples, plums, and pears for months now.  They can be unripe or rotten--I eat them all!!  Unfortunately I have to go poo in the middle of the night, so the folks are hoping the fruit stops dropping soon!  Osker doesn't eat as many fruits and veggies as I do.  He's more of a carnivore.

We had a flooring guy help us get the wood floor started.  He built a frame around the slate on the hearth, then we snapped some lines and started laying the boards!!  It's sort of a back breaker.  Mom likens it to knitting; one row at a time.