On Saturday Pooky and I had plans to go to the familial house of Tree Crest and stay the night as I had a wedding in Hoodsport and being that it's in the area, we thought we'd make a little get away out of it.

It was rainy and drizzling, but during the wedding ceremony itself the clouds parted for us to stand outside and conduct the handfasting. I told the bride the weather cooperates with me if I ask it to. I can't think of a time when it hasn't.

Tree Crest needed to be brought out of its winter status and that meant getting the water turned back on. The house's water supply is a fresh spring on the property. We knew that the water pump had a reputation of being tempermental, yet Pooky has had so much experience with all things pertaining to the functioning and operation of a house that I had confidence that he'd manage whatever this water pump of evil presented. Turns out that a small valve needs to be replaced and he didn't have the tool to do that. We got the replacement part for $1.69! But the actual replacing of this part may be a day-long adventure.

So, we got the tank pressurized to give us enough water into the house to fill some buckets and drinking jugs and then turned the pump off since it would run continuously due to the leaky valve. We expected to not have full amenities at the house since it isn't lived in. It is interesting to "rough it" for short periods of time. Makes you wonder how people lived without indoor plumbing, electricity, and such. We did have electricity and thankfully a local pizza restaurant that makes a good deep dish pie.

From the house we had a peek-a-boo view of Hood Canal. I found out that it really isn't a canal, it's a fjord.

When we drove around the fjord to Hoodsport (which is 9 miles away as the crow flies but by road is 25 miles) we got to see all of the elaborate fjord-side homes that are certainly not cheap. Supposedly Bill Gates and his family own homes along the water way. There were a few houses that were built very narrow and two stories up. Narrow being the width of a single hung window with just enough around the window to hold it in place. These were wedged in on the beach front and looked weird. I suppose it technically gives you a beach front home.

The bride that I joined owns a cat that is a cousin of Smee's! The kitty looks just like Smee, only Smee is smaller, younger, and slightly more darker in fur tone, but basically the same cat with a similar disposition. Smee is jumpy and prone to skittishness. So was this kitty! Seeing Smee's twin made me long for Smee. I missed my baby!

Pooky enjoyed being in the Tree Crest house as the inspected everything to survey the carpentry-worthiness and construction of the house. He reported to me his discoveries and findings. I was amused when I asked him if he thought the house is earthquake sound since it is built entirely on short concrete piers. He said it should be, and it only has about a foot to fall if it came off of those piers. As he put it, "If it broke it would break into large pieces." I suppose that is comforting. The house stands on a terraced hillside and if the land beneath gave way then the house may take a ride down to the road below.

We also tried to find our first Geocache. We found the location but weren't able to find the cache box. Next time we'll prepare ourselves for more exploration and see if we can't make our first discovery!