Where she’s at…

     Sally, you’ve won the book give away – I’m shipping off The Girl On The Train and a surprise book as well.   
      
     Todays progress at the cove…  Stellas streetside porch is not really one you can sit on comfortably, it’s more for show.  There was a little bench there and I might paint it and put it back in place, but if you sit on it, you’re pretty much inches from the railing, knees maybe hitting.  I *love* the door color next to the stained cedar shingle.  It’s easy on the eyes, no? 

 Walkway around the side of the house… there will be a small outdoor shower behind the wheelbarrow.. bricks have been laid as the flooring.

     Waterside, on the deck, new fortified doors that tell the mice to kiss off.  You know, truth.. I used to have pet mice, when I was a teenager. Satins!  I hid them from my mother pretty well for a while, until they got loose.  That was a terrible day.  We’ll end the story right there.

Stella is tucked into this scene, about half way up the coastline here….  The rock jetty borders the cove and marshland preserve behind it.   
There are two islands in our cove,  both inhabited.  One came available several years ago at a bargain basement price.  We thought about a purchase for two seconds, and realized every.single.trip to get anything at all would mean getting in a little boat to get to the car to get to the…..  I’m glad we waited for Stella.  
 Remember these?  Found hanging in Stella’s garage…. 
     
      Those little shells are found all over the shore and I haven’t yet learned what they’re called, but they look like pearls that exploded.  I should google it… 
       
    Our work on the outside of the cottage will be completed soon. The winds have picked up and the temps have dropped, especially down on the shoreline, hence the rush to get it done and spare the work crew the bitter chill. Because we went over budget on the outside, it’s looking like the interior will get a good scrubbing and a new coat of paint and that’s just about it for this year.  We’ll also need furnishings, as what remained went into the dumpster.   I’ll be looking for bargains and vintage finds in neutrals with blue hues. 
   Funny thing about this cove.  On one side, you have Stella and her friends -lovely, little, uncomplicated, charming, old, rustic, cottagey cottages, some of which are crumbling just a wee bit.  On the opposite side, behind me here…are the “HAVES”.  The homes are quite stately, most starting in the millions range. We get to look at their lovely facades, they pay the huge taxes and look over at Stella and Company.   It was rumored (and some still believe it) that Derek Jeter bought his parents a home there.   For years we stared at a house that even had yankee colored umbrellas on the patio OMG!!…  across the cove for hours on end hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Binoculars may have been used.   I may or may not have kayaked over there .. casual-like…just to get a closer look.  This year because we are OWNERS now, a local who would know said… My friends live there, it’s not Derek Jeters house.  Really.  My kids even babysat. It’s.not.Jeters.house. 
Oh… kay.  🙁    Just a little wind was let out of the sails of a certain Ever-Yankee-Loving husband.     
    
   I just started Woman in Cabin 10 – already, GOOD READ!  Thanks for the suggestion.

Until soon-