Welcome to The Hippie Shack

Why "The Hippie Shack"? Well ... for those of you who had the pleasure of visiting our Port Townsend home in the middle of the woods prior to our renovations, you will remember the rather large wooden boat in the back yard, cut into three sections to create a most unique recycled several-ton sculpture. Or perhaps the thirty some bowling balls scattered throughout the brush, the purple counter tops in the kitchen, the assortment of ship crank shafts, the musical instrument and computer component sculptures, or the coy "pond" hot tub in the middle of the deck? In essence, it is in the memory of John Craig's energetic imagination that we have dubbed our home, "The Hippie Shack".

Our little 900 sq foot home is nestled amongst beautiful redwood cedars, western hemlocks and Douglas firs within the city limits of Port Townsend. In the winter, as the foliage thins, we can catch a glimpse of a few neighboring houses, but for the most part we enjoy country seclusion and privacy ... and blessed silence. One of the many public trails borders our property line but I've only seen one hiker since October actually pass through.

We're probably around 90% complete with our remodeling plans. We still have the kitchen, bathroom, and some minor finishing touches, but all-in-all our home is very comfortable, cozy and quite livable as it is right now. Steve has quit twitching every time he looks at the purple counter tops but I believe he's just "numb". When I painted the kitchen walls autumn gold, we looked like die-hard UW Husky fans. Gold, white, and purple! Not only does this make for a great conversation piece, but I find the unique lighting very inspiring for some of my macro photography.

Steve commutes to the "big city" for his continued work with the Bothell Fire Department but since the boys adopted the 48 hour shift schedule, it's really not so bad. They work 48 hours straight then get four days off. In addition, his seniority with the department and vacation days has given him so much time off that he's starting to get bored "hanging" with the wife. I am still selling stock photos through dreamstime, and building commercial websites.

Rochelle is living in Kirkland with her boyfriend and working full time. She is doing fantastically well! She still talks about traveling to Europe, becoming a certified sign language interpreter and just going out and seeing the world.

Renee and Ayana are living in Bellevue and getting ready for the newest arrival due March 3rd, my second granddaughter! Ayana is saying a few words and phrases such as "Oh no!", "Da", "Mom" and she's crawling around pulling herself up on furniture and pretty much giving her mom a run for her money.

Amanda is living in Oregon and finishing up her last quarter (plus one class) to get her college degree. We understand she has taken up kayaking as well as hiking and rock climbing. I believe she is still working closely with the tribal community in the women's services.

The plane was finished and received her official seal of approval from the FAA back in October. Her first flight was absolutely spectacular and without any problems or difficulties. It's incredibly amazing to watch this "experimental" contraption that Steve built with his buddy in a garage ... soaring through the air! She has about 25 hours on her so far and they've only made a few minor and expected adjustments. Steve is busily studying for his pilot's license and will hopefully be soloing by summer 2009.

In the meantime, Steve's buddy, Peter, a retired Air Force pilot, that helped him build his plane, will continue to keep her active and accruing flight hours. She's a two-seater RV7 that gets up to somewhere around 200mph (she's like a Lexus or RollsRoyce of experimental planes). Steve even installed custom heated seats ... pretty much a prerequisite for his cold-blooded wife.

We plan to visit Montana, Colorado, California and wherever else there's a little airport with long lost family to visit that is within our flight range!

That's it for now from our little corner of the world. We're expecting a "major winter storm" according to the very dramatic weather reporters on the news. It should be here in about an hour and 15 minutes! If we really do get the big 12 inches they keep threatening us with ... I should be posting some spectacular photographs. We just don't do winter here well. This morning was a whoppin 13 degrees. Just not normal for here.