The Yard is Magical Close Up

photos were taken through the viewfinder of a Holga, using a Sony Cybershot T200 on macro.

Food, again

Delicious stuffed peppers for dinner followed by chocolate/white chocolate cookies for dessert!

Oregon Trail

The kind and loving state of Oregon just issued David an "Oregon Trail Card" that gives us money for groceries while we are both still working on getting working. YAY!

(I'm going to buy 100lbs of buffalo and only carry 20lbs back to the wagon)

COOKING!

Kristin has nothing else to do besides cook. And so she made squash soup... from scratch. Literally. Bought them whole, scooped and roasted the squash and everything. It turns out you can't can squash soup because you'll die of botulism if you even try. So, some went to Swift and co. and the rest is in the freezer. Yay!

fun kitchen!

Cottage Grove Dance Party

The scene was Ax and Fiddle with Richard Swift playing DJ and the townsfolk as dancers!

Hot Springs!

The Shealynn and the ladies invited Kristin to come along to the hot springs. Totally in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the woods with nothing but rocks and huge trees all around and a one-mile hike in. People out here love to get natural.

These photos were taken in the parking lot... so you can imagine that the hot springs were even more beautiful!

JOBZ

David got work landscaping (see: chain gang) and basically works rain/shine digging trenches. I think they've moved on to planting trees now... and eventually there will be a waterfall. It all amounts to someone paying someone else $80k to dig up their yard something fierce.

Kristin is in talks with the Oregon Lions Eye Bank about some per diem eyeball work. She's also still working on her creative portfolio to get some of that action happening too.

Cottage Grove is beautiful and everyone is still really nice... except the tweaker who came over asking if we could babysit his cats.

The Sea Lions were off the clock

Went to the coast to visit "Sea Lion Caves". Unfortunately, the walkway was closed. Apparently a.) it's the largest sea cave in the world and b.) sea lions end their workdays at 6pm daily.

HOME, almost

Got a place, completely out of coincidence, right next door to Swift and Shea. Finally were able to return the moving truck and put things in there. Still can't stay there until tomorrow (cleaning the vents) but it's nice to know it's there. Sub-par Camera-Phone Pictures Below:

The House from the Street

The House from the Backyard

Blackberry patches in the back.. too many, actually

Future chicken roost/coop?

Grapes

Chicken shelter in the back w/ garden space in front of it, blackberries to the right

Grape Arbor

David in the Garden and a TINY HOUSE of our very own!

Tiny Lights

There are new, small rays of hope. They spell 335 Quincy Ave. Saw it was empty, asked the neighbors, tracked down the owner at his job in Bi-Mart, meeting with them tomorrow.

MAYBE!

(a very hopeful word, at this point)

"Tiny House" is looking inevitable...

unless an event which would be heretofore referred to as the "October Miracle" happens.

But I have faith. Especially since so many previously unknown strings are being pulled our way. Mr. Matt Obrien, O.G. Cottage Grove/CA transplant / Awesome Dude, introduced us to his sister, who is still here. She is, in the character of niceness belonging to all people of this town, helping us research potential off-market properties and friends' houses. And since the many other people we have met in the last few days have also offered up places to stay and offers to help find more permanent residences.

That being said, "Tiny House" is still our only for-sure. If nothing else works out, it will be a good story. Have to find something today because the moving truck is due back and the Comfort Inn people got wise to the cats. whillikers!

Oregon Mountain Hunting Party

So, our "magical cottage of mystical beauty" fell through this morning, leaving us truly homeless. The house hunt is now on, again. About to go turn in an application for the tiniest house in the world... like a studio apartment that's actually a large shed. But, it's something to throw a mattress in for now and cheaper than the hotel.

At least it's sunny out...

We are here!

Arrived in Cottage Grove, OR early Monday morning. Chilling in Swift's backyard and about to head to Eugene to look for jobs.