3/9/7

We had a big week last week. We signed a contract to have a house built on the lot next door, on Thursday, then we went to the bank and the building supplies store to order materials. They arrived on Friday and Saturday. The engineer has the plans now, and in about 2 weeks we should have the building permit. The crew will begin laying out the house on the lot, and dig holes for the septic tank and pool, and trenches for the hydro and water. Carlos and Victor are heading the crew of four brothers. They are friends of Jose’s, and I have seen some of their work, they are very good. They seem willing to listen to my ideas, and eager to please. Linda will pick out the paint and ceramics before she goes home in April, and it should be done by the time she comes back in August. This week we have been sleeping in shifts to prevent any material from leaving. I don’t know if it is necessary, or not, but Jose suggested it, and I figure better safe than sorry.

Jim, our guest from Windsor, is a bird watcher. He wanted me to mention that he saw over fifty species from my front patio. He saw many more by the ocean, and in the mountains. I even learned the names of a few, and got him to write down the names of the ones he saw from here.

Raz is still hanging in. He’s weak, but he’s eating again, and he doesn’t seem to be in pain. We have been giving him Glucosamine, but a friend suggested their dog responded better to shark cartilage, so we are giving him that, now. We get him to the river or the beach almost every day, and he really likes that, and he still goes for two walks a day, although they are getting shorter.

That’s all for now. I suppose the focus here for the next few months will be the new house, and I will post progress reports.