Happy New Year! We are ringing in 2015 by taking our first big load of furniture across the state to install at Riverwood B&B in Kettle Falls, WA. Picture, if you will, two Chevy Tahoes packed to the gills and one of them pulling a utility trailer filled with furniture under a blue tarp. We took the northerly route...U.S. Highway 2, over Stevens Pass, then Highway 25 north along the east side of Lake Roosevelt. This route saves us 76 miles, and it's much more scenic! Still, in the winter, it can be a gamble, as it is less traveled and less maintained. Add to that the fact that Phil's Tahoe is having fuel delivery issues, especially going uphill, and it made for slow-going. We made it, though!
Once we arrived, Phil backed the trailer across the lawn and right up to the front door. After 6 hours of driving, the 4 of us (we brought our good friend Tyler, to take advantage of his young strong back) sprang into action and started unloading as fast as we could. The 4-poster bed, box spring, and mattress, the futon frame and mattress, the lawn chairs, the large hutch, and my fancy Japanese carved drop-top desk.
We were also under the wire to get Joy moved out of her apartment and her storage unit, so while some of us worked on things at the house, others went to the apartment. Divide and conquer!
This trip included two interesting new acquaintances! Susan, the mail carrier, who delivered our first 3 items of mail! We told her that we planned to open a B&B. She was happy to hear that, not only because the area "needed" more businesses like that, but also because she always thought this house would make a great B&B.
The other interesting person was Evan (and his roommate John), both in their 20's, who live across the street. Phil saw them outside their house and asked if they wouldn't mind helping us to muscle the refrigerator into the house. Evan was very friendly and told us that our new house used to belong to his family (his grandma had lived there)! He said we were welcome to ask him anything about the house or Kettle Falls, as he had lived here for 15 years. When we told him our plans, he said that after his grandma had died, the family had all wanted to turn the place into a B&B, but one of his aunts opposed the idea, so it never got done. I have a feeling we will become good friends with him. He seems like a good kid...wants to become a doctor (and his girlfriend wants to be a nurse). He's currently attending the community college but wants to attend UW, so he can take advantage of their overseas study programs. We learned all this about him, because the fridge move was complicated (had to remove the doors) and took a long time.
There was one more HUGE thing that happened...for me! Phil took me to see the second property we are buying. There are 2 ways to get to it...up the steep and winding (but shorter) Highland Loop Road, or up the long sloping Pingston Creek Road. Since our Tahoe was having issues, we took the "back" way, while our real estate agents, Kandis and Allen, took the shorter route. Coming from behind the ridge to our driveway had way more impact, I think. As we pulled in, I caught glimpses of the expansive view through the trees lining the drive, and I felt like I was about to weep with gratitude for this treasure that had been handed to us by the Universe! What an unbelievable blessing! Granted, the house and the yard/garden need a little work, since they have been neglected for almost 2 years, but we are able to see "the diamond in the rough" and will apply the tender loving care it needs.
There is a lot of hard work in our future, but I believe the rewards along the way will make it SO worthwhile!!
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