At Last...

The house of Railway Sleepers, one year later...

It's been a while since i don't write a post, let's say I was busy, and let's just say I have now found time and reasons (we always have time don't we?) to write in this space again.

I've been posting some pictures and captions in facebook, but I really miss the space to explain a bit more why we are doing this or that. So i'll be expanding on the house and other stuff over here.

Been busy? Busy how? Well without going into details you don't care about and most likely will bore you to death, I have the following excellent excuses (some of them are very original):

1- Too much work and travel (yes, not this one, read on)

2- Two restructuring processes at work (and I'm still there)

3- A large Fire in the Lake that burned miles of coast but thanks God and Don Hernan didn't touch the house, but went by really close (15 ft.).

4. The weekends that I'm not in Rapel i'm riding dirtbikes with the kids

5- A very large earthquake (Yes, you read about it... Earthquake in Chile, 8.4, the world's fifth largest recorded mind you) 500 miles south of the house, not a scratch thanks God again, only a couple of broken wine bottles, even though many buildings fell on cities south and north of my house.

And the subsequent rescueing of our youngest son Domingo and my inlaws from their farm 40 miles from the epicenter during the next week (think 2012 the movie, on the way there).

6- Two weeks later a large earthquake (6.9 or 7.2, quite harsh) right under the house. Located just 22 kms sw and 35 kms deep. Right under the west end of Rapel lake. Again not a scratch. Horray for our railways sleepers and for wooden houses in general.

Told you, some of them are very good excuses. And I have the pictures and ashes to prove them.

I'll count the 2009 swine flu as the pest, and I don't think we can have a flood near a lake with a dam (we'll see). So I think we have more or less passed the calamities test.

Meanwhile the house has evolved slowly, from the last time

you checked, we have added quite a few bit's that finish it up (from a door knocker to hot water).

A second floor for the kids in the back half (on top of the bathroom) , so we have our large bedroom back. And lately a wooden deck that goes all around the front and adds a lot of usable space, pictured at right.

Most important, we have all enjoyed it a lot during the last year, winter or summer it's a cozy house and it's always hard to leave it.

So I will be writing about all that and then show you the lake terrace that's under construction now over the next few articles.

See you later.