Old things are new again
Old things are new again: I used to live not far from here, and my favorite sushi place is still open.
Author: stega
Mowing Season, Part 1
Before and after mowing, the first of the season.
Sunday Drives
Our weekend drives up in the hills, with some lovely views of Purgatory, and a bubble wand.
Another Expansive View
The view from Purgatory, now that summer has turned everything brown.
Valley Fires
With views like ours, sometimes we see the smoke of fires down in the valley.
I saw the sign
New signs from Amazon replace the little fire extinguisher plaque on the hydrant door that bugged me every day.
One day in the barn
A ride past the stables turns into an amusing encounter with a cat and a deer in the barn.
The fun things to drive at Purgatory
Our less sensible but oh-so-fun daily drivers, from my scooter to the Aprilia Futura.
The Other “Vehicles” @ Purgatory
Barbie the F150, the mini-truck and the other utility vehicles that get taken care of here.
The Auto Works
The race cars that get worked on in the garage, and why the garage mattered more than the house.
Fun With Math and Water
A summer project: how much rainwater could we catch from our roofs? About 60,000 gallons.
Spiders and earwigs and termites, oh my!
A termite funnel above the washer and dryer leads to an inspection, and treatment, under the entire house.
Water, Water Everywhere, Part 4: Pooling Resources
Everything we’ve learned about our big pool, from its oversized hole to solar, lights and the pump controller.
In the bedroom
New bedroom furniture to match our bed from Gingko Furniture, and some art to cover the holes.
Our lack of a Chesterfield Sofa
The great room is still mostly empty, and we’re in no hurry to fill it.
“Whatever happened to the kittens?”
What happened to the feral kittens from May? All four have been adopted.
A tale of four kitties
Momma cat settles in, and catching more of the ferals for TNR makes for some amusing moments.
The merits of Craigslist
How we’ve used Craigslist to get rid of what the previous owners left, and pick up a few things we needed.
The Hiatus Explained
Why things went quiet: house guests, a couple of projects and a trip to LA to help my father.
Dear House/Ranch/Awesome Abode…
One year ago today, we closed and got the keys. Happy anniversary!
The Cave of Stega
Panoramas of my office, where I spend about 75% of my time.
Expanding Borrowed Time
New access points and one well-placed wire make our wireless network much better.
Of Mice and Hoarding
Stashes of bird food in my desk drawer, my sewing machine and my filing cabinet: we have a hoarding mouse.
More pretty flowers
More of the flowers blooming at Purgatory.
Always something in bloom
Thanks to the previous owners and the Doc, there’s always something in bloom.
Pool Tile It!
Tiles across the pool balcony were coming loose, so new tile goes in.
Historic House Images
Old listing photos on Zillow reveal what our house looked like before the previous owners’ renovations.
New Project: Utility Closet
The rotting utility closet door outside gets replaced with one that’s actually meant for outdoors.
Water, Water Everywhere, Part 3: And Some to Drink
Our softened water tastes a bit salty, so the reverse-osmosis system handles our drinking water.
Feral cats > rattlesnakes.
Momma cat is spayed and back home, the kittens go to the shelter, and feral cats beat rattlesnakes for rodent control.
Momma and Kitten Update
Day three of caring for the feral mother and kittens, and the kittens’ personalities start to show.
Revisiting First Impressions, Addendum
The original bathroom layout off the linen hallway, designed so none of the Doc’s kids could monopolize a bathroom.