Subdivide the land

In Ballard, the neighbors were all upset about a home being added to a "backyard" when the land use signs went up for a subdivision, making one space into two. It turns out, each lot has it's own tax parcel number and that is good enough for the City of Seattle. Each may be sold separately, or changed without further zoning changes or lot line adjustments. 

Tiny Houses

This story in the New York Times about a Portland couple is sweet, except for the part where they will not use a general contractor or a Realtor in the future...of, course I have an opinion about Realtors.

Link here:

Urban Farms

My neighbor in Ballard has an urban farm. Goats, chickens and rabbits are her animals of choice. It's a meeting place for neighbors and the local kids (human children) have a good time stopping by, because the alley is open for them to wander in to see the creatures.  She says she is teaching her children the circle of life.

Sketches from Europe

Anastasia Faiella

This woman used to be a painter, now an interior designer. I see how that can work for a visual artist.

her website:  http://faiella-design.com

Some Home Remodeler's Blogs to look at

Lauren and Kyle Zerbey from Seattle

Morgan Satterfield in Hemet California

Vilde in Norway

Anna and Evan Dorfman in New York's Hudson Valley

Wood and Relations

My father was a cabinet maker for 36 years. We lived in a house with exotic woods. I joke with my siblings that we should "part out" the house when we sell it, because the wood is now so precious and who could love it as much as we did? ( my siblings are horrified by this suggestion, by the way).

Here is an article in Dwell magazine about a guy who kept all the wood (plywood, mostly, not very exotic) from his grandmother's house in Poland.

Beach Condos Auction

Condos that are coming up for auction in Westport . Photo of the site, and the one they apparently abandoned next door.

And, then across the street, where there is a feral cat population problem, this sign:

CREEPY logo:

Keep your own yacht out front...to go...where...? Over the Gray's Harbor Bar for a day cruise? Whale watching? Out for a dinner cocktail cruise?

Perhaps just staying in, and watching the guys next door unload fish and clean out the fish unloading equipment.