Getting right to work

Closing was Sept. 15, unloading the truck took place that afternoon, wallpaper stripping began the next day.

This is the master bedroom, adjacent bath was done in a pink pinstripe. Now it has been transformed to aqua, matching the coverlet lower right.

Fuel stop

The truck struggled over the North Carolina mountains but made decent time once we hit I-81. Confined to truck speeds, our white Civic Hybrid, seen behind the truck, made up to 53 mpg.

Loading the rental truck

We rented a 16-ft Penske truck in Atlanta, loaded some new furniture from Haverty's, then reorganized everything in Hiawassee.

Moving right along

Two more weeks and we can walk in the door! The money is falling into place. Insurance is in the works. An appraiser wants to get in. Furniture is being purchased. Comcast has been scheduled. Paint colors are being selected. Bedding is ordered. Fabrics for window treatments are under consideration. The second floor needs to be measured. The laminate flooring is called Teakwood. A rental truck should be reserved soon.

The back yard

The house has a great back yard. Fenced with split rail plus wire mesh it's shady and nearly level. Lilac bushes were found!

Another plus is that the lot to the left is conservation land. The story goes that the former neighbors had a tennis court, playing noisily late into the night. When the house came up for sale the owners here bought the property and turned the land over to conservation. The house is gone, driveway gone, tennis court gone; peace reigns.

Orleans Bounty

Saturday mornings we enjoy shopping at the Orleans Farmers Market. I was particularly excited about discovering ground cherries in August, 2007. I found them again in 2008, but in 2009 our Cape vacation occurred in July. I assume they were not yet in season as their cousins, tomatoes, were not ready yet either. By August, the market has everything from lobsters to corn, herbs to baked goods. Shop early!

Interested in finding some of the best in Orleans this year in July, I took the advice of our Wellfleet "landlord" and shopped for fish at the Nauset Fish and Lobster Pool and discovered the Cottage Street Bakery off Rt. 28 across from the Christmas store.

Richard Russo has a new book out, That Old Cape Magic, which is set, yes, on Cape Cod. A good read,  I'll add it to the collection on the bookshelves.

A seagull's eye view

During the last 8 months, I spent hours on GoogleEarth locating houses listed for sale, and especially admiring the way the ocean and bays look from up high. You can see the light areas lining the land masses: the sandy walking trails. The nearest harbor beach is that white strip directly north of "The House." You can also see the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. And what wonderful kayaking possibilities!