River House

In escrow, an early look at our floating home northwest of Portland. The home wasn't listed so these are various photos we've taken over the past two visits. 

This is a video tour of the property and down the docks to the floating home. About 7 minutes and a bit of a thumb occasionally. And I say turn right and I turned left. No surprise there! Random photos follow.

Our floating home (soon)

Owner created this cement countertop

Main bath with jacuzzi top and small walk in closet

Side of house with floating dock, slip for boat

Outside of house from opposite angle, with shed on floating dock

Floating dock with shed. A water version of a yard.

Second bath, with walk in shower. Downstairs

Entryway with stairs up to main living floor

Upstairs dining room looking out to second floor deck

Kitchen. Laundry room and pantry are to the right.

Looking out through living room side to second floor deck, across river to Sauvie Island

Front entry way. Two doors. Left door to main part of the house. Left to private office.

Currently owner's office. Will be main bedroom, looking out first floor deck

Living room on second floor

Second bedroom on first floor. Windows behind drapes

Top of spiral stairs, looking down.

Living room, second floor. Bathroom off to right, linen closet too

Counter in bathroom

Upstairs bathroom (main living floor)

Second story deck, soon to house a barbecue

Entryway

Sitting area, top of the ramp to the moorage

The moorage, looking down from the ramp entrance

Our river view

Neighbor to our left

Third floor top deck

Our own sauna, entrance from the bottom deck, river side

Lower deck, door to main bedroom, showing outside stairs to second deck

Neighbor to our left

Dock to our home

Dockside view of the storage shed and house

Ramp entrance down to the moorage

About a quarter mile driveway from the highway to the moorage

Sideview of the house, looking out to the lower deck

Top (third floor) deck

Neighbor to our right. 

Sauna entrance from river front deck

Looking down from top deck to second floor deck 

Several rooms have porthole windows -- this is looking to the land side

Might be my favorite room this winter!

Michael and our favorite realtor, Floating Home specialist Amy Sedgewick

Water foliage attracts the red wing blackbirds and others

A local resident

A lot of local art around the moorage

King of the decks

Some of the floating homes and boats

A rocky courtship. But it's LOVE!

Mr. Biscuit

I've been meaning to update the Biscuit Chronicles, composing blogs in my half sleep and in the shower, but stuck on how to really represent the past six months specifically, and the past 10 months since Biscuit came to live with us.

We turned a corner a few months ago, in a way. I remembering picking up the wee little dude and telling him specifically, 'It's been a really rocky courtship, Mr. B. but I think I'm in love.'

Whew. It was a long road. What started as a chore is now a delight.

Nothing has been simple about life with Biscuit.  Injury after injury. An incorrigible, untrained terrier pup. Finally, we're in a nice steady pace, day-to-day, where we literally, verbally remind ourselves that 'Everything is about the Biscuit.' And laugh.

It must sound weird, like two dowdy old folks who need to get a life. But that's not it. Michael and I have full lives –– maybe overfull lives. Writing. Teaching. Studying. But Biscuit requires more.

The short summary: Biscuit fractured his femur the day before Thanksgiving. He re-fractured it on

Really bummed about his foot

Dec. 13. Two surgeries, big metal plate and a pin. A long, hard recovery with lots of drugs to keep him quiet, eyes on him 24/7. Just as he was coming out of that injury and starting to take real walks again, a German Shepherd mix jumped him while we were just out for a leisurely 'sniff tour' and instantly fractured three metatarsals of the same foot as his broken leg.

Four weeks later, we got the good news/bad news call after his last set of X-rays –– the femur has healed perfectly. But for some reason, the foot fractures aren't healing and the splint can't come off. Aren't displaced. Just not healing yet. Ugh. Lots of tears on our part. Three more weeks, hope for the best on the recheck.

Much to our surprise, having a splint on a dog isn't simple. We have to check the foot pads to make sure they are warm (blood circulation), no extra limping or symptoms that would say the splint is too tight. Lose the circulation – Lose the leg.

And then there's the weekly sedation to get the splint changed. It's not like he's going to lay still on the table while the vet takes off the splint wrap, checks the leg, rewraps the leg. We won't even talk about the cost. So he loses a day to a drugged sleep on splint change days, then when it wears off, he's Wide Awake Willy.

His favorite ball and one of his favorite aunties.

Let's PLAY! It might be at 2 a.m or 5 a.m. Just whenever the sedative wears off and he drops his favorite ball on one of our chests. Let the games begin!  Adorable. But early.

Did you know a splint can't get wet? It would require another splint change. And more sedation. So a plastic bag around the foot or no walk because we're having probably the wettest May on record.

So really, we're not doddering old folks who only live for their pet. He's that demanding.

On the other hand....

We're in love!

Hard to believe this test of a terrier has come full circle to be this great companion, this amazing puppy who puts up with so much adversity and still wants to play, cuddle, jump, run, amuse.

He's wicked smart. He understands what we say and communicates what he wants. He's inquisitive. We walk out the door and he has to full stop, scan, listen, look before we can carry on.

He lives to play with other dogs and lights up when he finds the right play companion. He digs in the ground critter tunnels, butt up, snuffling into the dirt as he digs.  I could bore you with all the details that amuse me, as only a pet's human could be.

Biscuit

We have no idea how the Great Cosmos put the three of us together but we're trying to pay attention  to our Great Cosmic lessons. Patience. Compassion. Joy. Love. And simply enjoy the heck out of our time together, try to protect him from more injuries while still having a life worth barking about. And patiently wait for the next set of x-rays to see 'what's next'.

 

Michael reads 'What is Love, Biscuit?'

Biscuit's Aunties at Biscuit's Bluff where he took his first fall.

Biscuit on watch at a friend's country home.