Smoky skies

This is the worst the forest fire smoke has been this year and it's really settling in the valley. Apparently it's similar all over the region and even in western Montana. So the pups and I have been laying low this week, really not all that different from the rest of the summer, but not taking walks to the river. Watching movies, reading, listening to records, counting down the days until Keith comes home (less than 2 weeks!).

Our stone pine appears to be dying and I don't know why. It was doing great earlier this summer and I don't know if it got too hot in August or I over-watered it or what, but I'm not sure how to save it. Google isn't much help for stone pine research, so if you know how to care for trees let me know. I'm sure it needs replanted, but the sudden decline is confusing. It seems like it was doing better when I was neglecting it.

It's definitely feeling more like fall. I took the air conditioner out of the window this weekend and have been mostly sleeping with the windows closed. All summer I was wishing for time to pass and now that it's almost another season I am glad. I pretty much wrote off the summer of 2012 - I didn't get anything worthwhile accomplished, on the tiny house or otherwise, and most of my energy went into making it through the day.

I've decided not to make an extensive list of tiny house project I want to finish (too overwhelming) and instead give us the mental and economic freedom to concentrate on our 2 main before-winter projects: finishing the bathroom and getting a wood stove. 

Of course the bathroom project is muy importante - at least the toilet part is - and I'm hoping it won't take long to finish. I have pinned some ideas on my tiny house design inspiration board for exposed copper plumbing and stock tank tubs (not as rare as I first thought) and accessories. 

We've been wanting to convert back to wood (from the propane heater we currently have) due to excessive humidity issues and this weekend my uncle and his girlfriend came up to visit and mentioned he had one he was refurbishing (he installs them for a living) so we're going to get a good deal on one - we just have to reconnect the stovepipe through the ceiling.

I've been reconsidering the interior of the house, too - just like me, it's not finished and I'm still making plans to change things - to make it look more cabin-like. We're already doing the rustic/salvaged look, so we might as well go for it. I really like the look of this interior (minus the Jesus art) and this and this. So I am going to lobby to cover up the walls on the bedroom end of the house (since the plywood has leached through the paint and we have some other cosmetic issues there) with some sort of wood.

In other words, once Keith gets home: it's ON.