At Tucker and Carol’s

It doesn’t matter which end of town you happen to be in these days, you’ll be within earshot of workmen’s voices and various construction noises.  Oysterville’s ‘building boom’ continues at a steady pace.

On School Street, work on the Wachsmuth place has mostly moved inside.  Tucker and Carol have been installing the floors and, at the latest report, are ‘closing in on it.’  The Friday Nighters at our house all but clapped and cheered when Tucker said they’ll soon be moving the furniture in.  But, those of us who have been involved in similar projects aren’t holding our collective breaths yet.  Just as the end is in sight, progress seems to become excruciatingly slow when it comes to house-building.  Patience is the operable word on School Street.

At Cyndy’s

Ditto on Merchant Street at Cyndy Hayward’s house.  From the outside, the neat structure seems to lack only the landscaping, but the trucks and cars lined up along the lane each day tell a different story.  The last time I peeped inside, the ceilings were going up, but that’s been a few weeks.  Cyndy was talking “paint colors” and experimental swatches so that may be what’s happening now.  Maybe it’s time for another peek.

At Bradley’s

Meanwhile, the cement trucks have been at Bradley’s, and Mike Nichols and crew have the foundation in place for his first garage.  I think there will be three when all is said and done.  In a way, it’s a step back in time to when Tommy Nelson had his cannery behind the house.  Of course, in retrospect, Tommy’s ‘secondary buildings’ were more like sheds and shacks – hardly the substantial accommodations that Bradley’s car collection will enjoy.  Also, I understand that a patio and additional landscaping is to be incorporated along the way.  So Bradley!  (I wonder if the word ‘landscaping’ was even a part of Tommy and Irene Nelson’s vocabulary?)

At Martie and Steve’s

At the north end of town, the Mack Brothers and Sons are deep into the Captain Stream House project.  It’s sort of like watching the proverbial phoenix spring forth from the ashes, although I’m not sure how the metaphor works with new construction rising up from the dust of powder post beetles!  It must be reassuring to owners Martie and Steve to see those substantial-looking ‘house bones’ gradually taking shape.

Even next door to us at the Hampson House, co-owner Mark Bennett is here with his family from Costa Rica to take care of a number of ‘deferred maintenance’ issues – replacing siding and decking, painting, pruning and so on.  It all makes me itch to get going on some of our own list of projects.  Or, more to the point, to get Nyel going on them.  I long ago decided that I’m best at clapping and cheering and, right now, I’m pretty busy here in Oysterville!  There is definitely lots to applaud about in our little village.