Days 3 and 4...just your typical Tuesday and Wednesday in my world....only COMPLETELY different! We dodged a bullet when Hurricane Felicia was downgraded to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression. Even the tropical depression missed us, much to the dismay of islanders who desperately needed the rain. We spent most of Tuesday in Lahaina which was sunny and gorgeous even though it was a bit rainy at our condo. We even got a little touch of sunburn! Today was rainy in the morning, but we missed most of it by traveling to the windward side of Maui. After a quick meeting with the awesome folks at the Maui Humane Society we had lunch and went shopping in the surfer/hippie town of Paia. We then drove into the upcountry where the temperature dropped by over 10 degrees in the span of 3 miles! We found lots of great local art galleries and chatted with lots of nice folks before driving back to the condo for gin and tonic on the lanai. The palm tree photo that accompanies this posting was taken from that vantage point...it was tough to put that drink down to take the picture, but I felt obliged.

More to follow. Hold down the fort in East Tennessee...and, know that even though there are lots of wonderful places in this world, there really is no place like home....

From a Rain Forest to a Volcanic Crater Above the Clouds

Lest our readers fear they have been forgotten, here is my installment for day 2 of the escape to Paradise. The day began with a 5-mile walk along the pristine beach of Ma'alaea Bay. By mid-day we had driven to Iao Valley State Park, home of the Hawaii Nature Center. The park is part of a huge rainforest on the eastern side of the West Maui mountains. It is a breathtaking experience each time I visit. Lunch at Kula Lodge followed and then a truly spiritual experience...a visit to Haleakala Crater. This National Park is akin to Stonehenge in terms of the "energy" instilled in every grain of sand, every volcanic stone, every plant, every bird, every cloud. I have declared that a portion of my cremains be scattered here at some point after my demise (whenever THAT may be!). Awesome. Just, awesome.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program...

Need I say more...there may or may not be any progress being made on the house and at this moment I can't seem to muster up the least little bit of "give a damn"! These are just a few images of the first day on Maui...beginning with sunrise from the lanai and culminating with sunset over the West Maui mountains. There was some great food, lots of stunning vistas and a rainbow or two in between. And now it's a glass of outstanding cabernet on the lanai before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we have to do it all over again...Aloha, y'all!

"It Don't Look Like Progress to Me"

In the immortal words of our friend, singer-songwriter, Jay Clark...it don't look like progress to me! That's a melodious way of saying we seem to be at a bit of a standstill. All of my friends who have been through this process warned me there'd be weeks like this...weeks in which the milestones were replaced by lots and lots of NOTHING!

We're expecting an electric line, a well and maybe even some framing this week...but as of last night, just before the storm of biblical proportions hit, this week looks a lot like last week...NADA, ZILCH, ZIPPO progress.

I'll attempt to ease the pain with a breif respite on the beautiful island of Maui. There I shall drown my "No Progress Blues" in mai tais and every other rum-filled, paper umbrella laden concoction I can get my hands on.

And when once again I am returned to the doldrums of the mainland, let us hope and pray that progress has resumed.

Meanwhile...aloha to you all!

I'm Floored

Literally....I'm floored! Both the basement and the garage floors are now covered in smooth, beautiful concrete! Here I go again...getting excited about the simplest of things. But every step gets us closer to living in paradise.

Otis and I spent an hour or so out at the site last night and never heard another person or vehicle. As a kid I was always taught to not wish time away, but can next Spring get here any sooner? There are times when life really could use a fast forward button. But I suppose there's something to be said for the beauty of anticipation. So we wait....and wait.....

With concrete in place can framing and a well be far behind? Stay tuned!

Footprints in the Hills

We have rather impressive foundation walls...and plumbing in our basement floor! It's pretty cool to be able to actually see the footprint of the house...to know where my office will be situated and where the bedroom closet will be. The photo to the right shows the front of the house from the "inside" the "T" shape is the front porch and to the left of that is my office.

To appreciate just how impressively high these walls are, take a look at the photo on the left. Ann is only 5'2", but the wall is high. Some of this will be underground (note the waterproofing). But, when you think in terms of our bedroom floor sitting on top of this wall it gives you an appreciation of our treetop view!

Otis enjoyed running around in the "garage", but not nearly as much as he enjoyed running around in the rain and mud (much of which he transferred to the back of my car where I could now plant crops).

We've picked out tub/shower units for the guest bathrooms so y'all can begin making your reservations now! Still much to do...we're looking at exterior paint colors now so we can pick windows, soffits and roofing. Then it's on to all the really tough (but fun) stuff...lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, etc, etc....

Hope to report back next week...looking for a basement/garage floor, a well, and maybe even the beginning of some framing!

The Wall

It's been a couple weeks since I've provided an update. I had an extended business trip that took me to Wisconsin, Green Bay to be more specific and to Lincoln, NE. After my week in the nation's heartland we took a few days over the holiday weekend (Happy Birthday, Independence!) to travel to the Elk River nestled in the Cumberland Mountains near Winchester, TN. We spent a couple nights camping and a couple days floating down the Elk in a canoe. It was a beautiful part of our state that we had never seen. Really mesmerizing. We saw all sorts of wildlife including a mink who we followed along the bank of the river for several hundred yards. He was a little guy...made me a little sad to think about how many of those it would take to make a damn coat...a coat that looks way better on its original owner. But, I digress...We also got to see some friends and meet some really nice new folks. There was a lot of musical talent in the group so the campfire at night was an experience we won't soon forget.

After more than a week and a half away, I dropped by the home site yesterday afternoon. Amazing! The forms are in place for the foundation walls (house and garage) which will be poured this week. At the far end of the house (the left end if you're facing it) the wall must be 18 feet high! some of that will be underground, of course, but it's impressive how tall the final structure will be. The master bedroom will literally overlook treetops.

It's time to start making some decisions. Tomorrow it's bathtubs for the guest rooms! We have to pick them now so the drains can be roughed in before the basement floor is poured sometime later this week. Shouldn't be too tough, but I have this fear we'll get there and find that there are 75 options. Imagine how tough it will be once we get to the real detail...cabinet hardware, wall colors, faucets, light fixtures...

It's not too early to start praying for water. No, not rain...I know we've had enough this Spring and Summer to last us a while. The well diggers will be coming next week. Wouldn't it be most unfortunate at this late stage of the game to find that we have no water?

Watch for more photos soon! I have to get a new camera to replace the one that went swimming with me in the Elk River on Friday afternoon! Note to self....self: put electronics into sealed plastic bags when floating down ANY body of water.