At Last....

...they seem to have finished the massive foundation work and are starting to build...even that seem a bit odd with heavy floor joists and flimsy looking framing walls. We think the the lower wall is the garage, but it is very tall. We thought they would possibly be building the house over the garage, but they don't seem to be connected. So the parlor game goes on....there are several houses in progress that seem to have come to a standstill, possibly lacking some important material before work can proceed. So the parlor game continues....

Jim and Rob, our neighbors across the street who moved to San Francisco with plans to rent their house here, were over there today. Jim can be a bit taciturn but Rob filled us in on the fact that they have rented to house to a young couple from Michigan with two young children. He is in the Coast Guard and will be working from Two Rock Coast Guard station outside Petaluma. She is a registered nurse. they will live in Rob and Jim's house while they build a house on the site of a house that burned  about a block away. It's another site we can see from our house so we'll have another construction project to watch. It will be nice to have a young family in the neighborhood.

Dana came over by herself this morning with the news that they believe Blake is blind. They have worried about him for some time since he seemed to be anxious and pacing around, yet sticking to them everywhere they go. Tests ruled out stomach and liver problems as well as structural ones. 

He has  fallen down the stairs a couple of times in the night and this morning had his head practically on the ground. They couldn't get him out of the house for his customary walk up here, so Jim was going to try to bring him up in the car. He finally got him into the car but then couldn't get him out. It seems quite sudden and has everyone  worried. We know that a blind dog can do very well, but Spike is younger and had a relatively long time to adjust as he gradually lost his sight.Poor Blake is quite anxious and distraught. Our vet is an old friend of Dana's, so he will be the first call on Monday morning....

I have re-established contact with our former landlords in Sebastopol...the lovely people who turned their house over to us along with Dana and Jim, Peter and three dogs when we were evacuated from the fire in 2017. We're working on a plan to get together, and it will be a joy to see them again. She sent a picture of  'our' house which has just been rented again after the tenant who lived there since we moved out left. I'm putting it in extras....We loved that house and even briefly considered moving back there when it became available again, but I don't think they would have wanted to sell it and it is only 850 sq.ft. I honestly think we could live with that but it really would have to have two bathrooms...I know, a first world problem for sure....