Thank You!

With much help, patience, and support from friends, I moved my house from Portland to San Juan Island on December 31st.  I am so grateful to have such awesome people in my life; thank you to all of them.

Ken lent me his Dodge 3/4 ton pickup for the move and helped me do a test drive the day before my departure.  We tested the electric brake controller, which seemed to be malfunctioning, but determined that the weight and brakes of the truck itself was totally sufficient to slow and stop the trailer.  Will have to work out the brake issue another time...

Laurel, Amy, Nate and Lindsey helped me load all my junk on the morning of the move, including a coop full of chickens!  Nate and Lindsey drove my car and reported on any unusual happenings with the house while in motion (thankfully there was nothing much to report).  Amy and Laurel rode with me in the truck and helped clear my blind spots, reassured me along the way and supplied me with sustenance and chocolate.  Christian and Meg, who joined the caravan in the Seattle area, played pilot car for the latter half of the trip.  Everyone took some great photos and footage.   Thank You!

Despite my internal stressing, the move was uneventful.  I couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions.  The roads were dry, ice free, sunny, calm wind, low-traffic.  Though the condition of I-5 through the Seattle area was like riding a jack hammer, the trailer appeared to handle it well.  Before leaving Portland, I placed bracing on the interior of the tiny house over the large windows.  I was concerned that the jarring or racking could crack the glass.  Everything made it through just dandy.  We stopped at a few weigh stations along the way.  Unfortunately none of the scales were turned on so I couldn't get an estimate of the overall weight of the trailer.  We stopped approximately every 50 miles for the first 200 miles of the voyage in obeyance of the trailer manufacturer's instructions to tighten the lug nuts.

As we approached the ferry terminal in Anacortes, it became clear that I hadn't allowed enough time for all the stops along the way and the delayed early morning departure.  We were barely going to arrive in time for the ferry that I was hoping to make.  When we finally rolled into the terminal we joined a tragic line of ferry traffic.  Turns out December 31st is an important day for pilgrimages to San Juan Island. We missed our sailing by a healthy margin.  For the several hour wait we hung out in our very own boarding lane inside my house with good company, beer, and Junior the rooster.  A lot of inquisitive folks came by to gawk at the tiny house and find out where they could by one.  I referred them to Nate who has mentioned an interest in building and selling tiny homes (pretty sure the business will be called "TurnAround Homes" or "Turner Round Homes" so keep an eye out!)

On New Year's day I had the privilege of standing lifeguard (someone had to) over friends as they took a nude polar bear plunge into the frigid Pacific.

Now that my home is located 250 miles closer to me, it will be much more convenient to continue working on.  Thank you to the Chan family for hosting my ongoing project at their farm on San Juan Island.  The next hurdle is plumbing for water and propane and installing both DC and AC electrical systems.