Oregonians!

We can't move in until our furniture is delivered next Wednesday but we visited the house today anyway.  This is the door from the bedroom and there's a hot tub right outside the door, warm and ready for us to slip into.  All the windows downstairs are low like this.

We're planning to heat with wood just like we did in our old house.  This tall wall on the end of the great room is the one that had us scratching our heads.  They had a piano there.  We have nothing but a small TV to go there.

The rest of the great room looks like this.  Since we were there last time, someone has closed the skylight shades and we don't know how to get them open again.  Bend has a 100 less sunny days than Reno and the skylights were part of our decision to buy this house.  Something else to figure out.

We went through it a few days ago with our agent.  Unfortunately the seller left in a hurry and the house is not clean.  The garage is full of piles of stuff, plus they left miscellaneous bits of furniture in the house.  Our broker called their broker and told him it was unacceptable, so they're going to pay for someone to clear it out tomorrow.  

We've hired Missy's housekeeper to clean house for us on Monday - both ovens haven't been cleaned in years - and we've also hired someone our broker recommended to clean the carpets that morning.  We're having the great room carpet replaced Wednesday morning because we think the bulk of the unfortunate pet odor is there.  There's going to be a time overlap from when they start, furniture delivery arrives and the carpet installers leave.  It's supposed to work since the movers won't have to walk in or through the great room.  The problem is the long narrow driveway.

My last two houses have been new so buying a "used" house is an adventure in compromise.  To their credit, the sellers are paying for a new water-feature pump, will have the sprinkling system blown out and are having the inside of the garage painted.

Meanwhile, we went furniture shopping for some book shelves which we have needed for a very long time.  Matt and Julia told us about a used place called Redux which sells quality stuff.  It's in a warehouse area with meandering show rooms.  We found these at the last one of course and bought them for that tall naked wall.  Plus they at the end of their consignment period and reduced in price.

Today we went back for these bar stools.  They caught our eye last time and our 30-year-old barstools have seen better days. These ours now and everything will be delivered Thursday - after all the other stuff is done.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this living room set.  I sure would love to know the story behind it.

The irrigation canals have been turned off for the year.  Josh was thrilled to be able to put away the sprinklers and hoses until spring.  We've never been here this time of year and so have only seen the ponds and canals filled with water.  We had eyed a couple of houses that backed up to a canal because the canals are so pretty when they're alive but now I'm wondering about mosquitoes.

I think we got the right place for us and a week from now we will be living there - lots going to happen between now and then.  Tomorrow I am taking our new Deed of Trust to the library and getting a card, something I've been looking forward to.  It's a symbolic step for me since I'm already in possession of two library books checked out *for* me.