Groundhog Day....

Punxsutawney Phil (The star of Ground Hog day) did not see his shadow this morning on Gobbler's Knob and so the little groundhog has predicted an early Spring.

Outside the lower deck window I spotted five little black mice hoovering up the birdseed that had fallen from the upper deck and then dashing off into the raised flower bed beside the pond. I suspect that is their den... at least I hope so, because we are relying on our ultrasound machine to keep them out of the cottage!

Over at the house, the paint has almost dried and it looks fantastic. Birchwood White giving a warm feel to every room.

Nicholas

Looking out of our cottage windows this morning, the near 60F degree weather seems a distant memory, as there is a new 3 inch covering of snow and a temperature of 25F...welcome to the whacky world of lake effect snow, frigid Canadian air and warm air from the southern USA...big continent weather! I don't mind it at all, the roads are totally clear, and with the bright sunshine, winter seems a rather cheery season.

Both inside and out...here is a photograph taken of the living room, from just inside the dining room, yesterday...

And this is a photograph of the framed opening leading from the kitchen/dining room into the hallway...

And this photograph was taken without flash, from where the kitchen island will be, the colour is much truer and we are particularly excited about the negative/positive aspects on either side of the opening....recessed area on the left, balancing the more built out area on the right. I was quite saddened when we first began to cover the trusses in the ceiling, but am finding new joy in seeing angles and play of light in the finished surfaces.

Our other big house news was the decision to build the gallery downstairs now...so, with permanent staircases to the basement and the upstairs being installed on Monday, we will begin in earnest to design that space with Ralph and bring it, too, into form.

Things are moving at a pace now, and much of what will happen next is the finishing detail, the colour, kitchen cabinets, doors, etc...I am amazed and utterly grateful.

Judy