New Life in a New House

In planning my move from Northern California to Whidbey Island, Washington, I was a bit apprehensive about finding a house from so far away. Luckily, a good friend of mine lives in Port Townsend, a ferry ride away from WI, and she offered up her basement granny unit and extra bedrooms to house me, Miss C, our two dogs and our two cats. Lucky for me, Beth is not only a good friend but an animal lover. So that was our plan, to head from Sonoma County to Port Townsend, and then I’d find a house from there. 

In past trips, I’d done a lot of driving around and wandering down backroads to try to identify the areas and neighborhoods I liked. I watched the real estate listings over a number of years — watching the prices go up as they have done most everywhere else, to my dismay. And I’d done a lot of research and contacted a WI realtor who turned out to be a font of useful information, as well as a truly lovely woman with whom I’m developing a very nice friendship. 

Things kicked into high gear once my California house was under contract. I still thought I’d start looking in earnest once I got to Washington. 

And then this one house popped up. Right price. Right size. Good location although not in an area I’d been focusing on. I scrutinized photos, talked to the few people on WI I knew to inquire about that neighborhood, and then asked my realtor to go look at it. She had a lot to say (all good) about the house after she had toured it, and then through the wonders of technology did a very thorough walk-through with me via FaceTime. We looked in every cupboard and drawer and closet, fiddled with all of the switches, toured the garage and garden sheds. I poured over the sellers’ home inspection report, then arranged for my own home inspection as well as a few other professionals to come look at a few things…. And I pulled the trigger. The house was officially mine on June 3 and we spent our first night here on June 5. 

So, this is what was a big selling point. See that red arrow up there? That is my house. And that lovely little lake is Deer Lake. The home has a view of the lake from various rooms at the back of the house, and I enjoy them every single day. Also, notice how the house is in a neighborhood but set back from the two beside it. That means that even though I have neighbors and some of the amenities of neighborhood living  (like garbage pick up service which is not a sure thing on WI) it feels very private. The area is also very quiet. In my Sonoma County house, I was on the corner toward the back of a big neighborhood, and although it wasn’t extremely noisy, I did hear hear the noise of the constant comings and goings on the main side street next to my house. Here, this little neighborhood is full of dead end streets. No one just passes through. So mainly I hear birds and the distant happy sound of kids playing on the lake and the occasional motor boat. I’m guessing I’ll hear a bit more of that this summer.

Another selling point — those back decks, and that big expanse of yard for two dogs to romp and run and play.  (In case you are wondering, I have already found a lovely guy who brings his riding mower every other week to keep all of that lawn tidy.) Can you see that little deck above the big deck? That is off of my bedroom. I put a comfy all-weather wicker chair and table out there on Day 1 and I cannot even tell you how much I love sitting out there having my coffee each morning while I gaze at the lake. I’m told that the  residents of the houses around Deer Lake get quite competitive with their fireworks shows on July 4, so I expect to see a show from my little top deck tomorrow night!

Starlie and Rosie love running across that lawn. It is a new experience for them to find little wild bunnies hopping around, which they chase but have no hope of catching. The south end of WI is known for its assortment of wild bunnies, and I really do see them everywhere. There is a pure black one that I see every time I go down to the end of the road to get my mail, and I’ve seen a few pure white ones that make me think the Easter Bunny and his family must live here between Easters. You can read about the WI bunnies here, if you are curious.  Here are Starlie and Rosie spying a bunny as it hops into the underbrush of the trees next door. 

So, it’s going to take a while before I figure out this house and where things should go, let alone make it look pretty and pulled together and comfortable. I remind myself that I lived in the Sonoma County house for over 20 years, and I can’t accomplish that home style in a month.  Here is my current decor style: 

It’s actually improved somewhat. Miss C and I had a full day of assembling Ikea furniture (Kallax shelf units and drawers and boxes) yesterday so I now have some new storage for quilt and art supplies. Today will involve some unboxing and seeing what will go where.

Oh, one more house thing. 

I have an island in the kitchen! I’ve never had an island before and it makes me very happy. That hanging pot rack will come down, as I’m tall and I know that pots near my head or sight line will make me crazy. But still. An island! I can’t even tell you how many laps I make around it every day as I try to remember where I put the cheese grater or the 9x9 baking dish, but I figure the extra steps will do me good. 

It is raining as I write this. See that dining area in the picture above? That is where I’ve put my work desk for the time being, so I can keep my eye on the goings-on on the lake. 

I’m going to go get another cup of coffee and then tackle another box or two or seven. Meanwhile, thanks for popping in to visit, and I hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend where ever you are.