Jim Stafford lives...

So I headed through my back fence up the hill to the house for coffee, breakfast and a chat with my neighbours. 

I may use this as a stopping ground if one of my other two options fall through. It will not be ideal to be here during the whole build for a few reasons that I will not go into. 

I was also informed that apparently my water is connected to the back lawn on the other side of the fence. One guy owned both properties at one point.... Hmmmm....

Well the sun was not out, so my choice of clothing for the day needed adjustment. And this was time to upload yesterday's adventures. 

I made a phone call and apparently to be an owner /builder I will have to fill out a form on line and pay the Province about $450 and wait several weeks.  Bureaucracy. 

I tried to pick some cherries... Only got a few that I promtly ate... Other were too high or covered in ants... Too late to save.  Sad. 

Back down the hill I went to clean up in a real bathroom. And I enjoyed my friend's garden. 

Bees appear to be plentiful here. My neighbour who cut my lawn has a wonderful garden and oodles of bees and some humming birds too. 

I made some more calls, still trying to contact the owner of a nearby house or her parents ... To see if I may rent it. 

Off to City Hall to see if they have any ideas about my water and where on my property my pipes go and if the pipes connect to the other lot.  They don't have any idea, but I had a nice talk with someone from my new neighbourhood. 

I opened a local back account, acquired a postal box, and learned the Starbucks in Safeway is hiring ... maybe. 

I borrowed a shovel. 

The tap outside my green house. 

Yup T valve ... I apparently will water the neighbours back lawn if I have my water turned on. 

Then my sideways neighbours said they thought there was another tap... So I looked for it....

But I could not find it. 

Time for pretty pictures from my lot...

Figs are not ready yet. 

Then I poked around a bit at the water main shut off/ on valve. Did not find the pipe off it... But I gave up looking. 

The guy who cut the lawn told me the old wood on the side of the property has termites! Eek. 

And lo and behold the wood sitting next to the water main was rotted out pretty good. 

Then I saw a garter snake slither by and back into the ground. 

I don't like spiders and snakes and that ain't what it takes to love me. If you heard me singing that I would have ask forgiveness to Jim Stafford. 

I pushed the mess of sand and eaten wood back into the hole, put on a clean shirt and went out to see a movie. 

I am back, charging- albeit still using the phone. 

Hope I parked better to cut off the bear's path to my tent. 

The sun is down and it's time for the slippery slopes sleep. 

You would think...

You would think that after owning my property for a year now I would have created a flat space to pitch a tent.

 You would think. Sadly no.

It was a busy day yesterday and a full day of adventure. I had been up since 0500 hrs, so the first two hours of sleep were very restful,  then lots of tossing and turning. 

At about 0800, the neighbourhood was awake and abuzz .... I could hear people saying things like... 'Where is he now?' Dressed for another sunny day that has yet to appear, I poked myself out of my tent to the people on the street... 'Did you see the bear that just ran between your car and your tent?'  No I did not. And then the call from the lot above, 'coffee's on'.

Let's recap.... I finally sold my house!!!!!!

Let the next adventure begin! 

....and quickly.. this all happens very quickly. I must be out of the house in three weeks. And then I plan on arriving here another week later. 

But where? It was time to find a place to live while I build. 

And so off I headed by land and by water to my property.

I decided to make an overnight stop to visit friends in between ferries. An early start for the first morning ferry the next day....

And I was finally back to the land of plum trees.

The search was on for a place to rent... I looked at one place north out the neighbourhood that might work, although smaller than what my house will actually be. Hmmm.. No storage, but really nice folks. I am sure it could work out somehow. 

But closer to home would be nice. 

And so I drove around the neighbourhood asking people about places to rent. People told me about people, who then called people... Options closer to my property started coming into play.

Meanwhile I asked a neighbour if he would cut my grass. 

My property got a much needed hair cut. 

I pitched the tent. 

This was when I met the folks who live behind me ...as they wandered down through the gate to say hello.  The owners are now the parents of the woman who was there before, and the ones that wanded to buy my property before. Now they are trying to sell, they wanted to know if I wanted to buy the place.  It appears very complicated, but here is another option of a place to stay...

Back down the hill for a BBQ with friends to think this all through....