Hi & Happy Spring!
We arrived back on the Island about 2 weeks ago and the Island had one last storm in it’s pocket.
April 10 - On arrival @ Northport, a little deteriorating ice remains.
The View - April 11 - one last storm
The View - April 12 - As fast as it came, the 9.5” of snow starts to leave.
Figenschau Bay - April 15 - The ice starts to change.
April 16 - The water starts to show.
Friday, April 19 - A bit of snow on land but the ice to the edge of the Bay has left.
April 19 - All clear in Figenschau Bay.
April 19 - From the garage: Some potted perennials are starting.
The crocus are up! April 21
At Bay Point, there is much pitching, disseminating, selling, and packing happening. Need anything? We are sizing down, a challenging process. The house has been on the market and we had an accepted offer. We sort of still do but the buyer had a contingency to sell his house by May 1. That hasn’t happened at this point so all of us are working on an extension. A little anticlimactic? Yes, indeed.
This is an everyday occurrence in a selling/closing process. There are always hiccups and each case is (remarkably) different. The nice part is we get to enjoy the view a little longer and enjoy a little breathing room to clear out what won’t be packed and moved. The challenging part is still packing what we want to move as we have decided to keep the moving dates in May. That move is to a co-op we purchased two years ago in Evanston, a town just north of Chicago. The move has to happen eventually and might as well keep at it. We have all gone through the angst of moving and this part is never easy.
As we make all this happen we are lucky to be able to realize our dream of becoming seasonal renters again here on the Island. We started to put the word out last summer and in December finalized the rental of a lovely cottage inland. We can continue to enjoy May to October here as well as rest our weary bones in a sweet orderly oasis with a slightly different view.
Another element? The house will remain on the market during the extension. The sign will be up and it will be advertised - locally, online, and in Door County. Back in September, the house was filmed as part of an episode of HGTV’s Island Life. It turns out that episode is scheduled to air Sunday, April 28!* There is no telling what can happen with that publicity. As an example, the Washington Island Chamber of Commerce received 90 requests for info/brochures from folks interested in visiting the Island.
What will happen to island mettle? Lots of folks are asking. The mettle will continue! As summer approaches and this adventure continues, there are lots of topics to cover and so many lovely images to share. Follow the mettle here and on Facebook!
Looks to be a busy Summer in so many ways.
til next time .....
*For a dose of life on Washington Island, tune in to see the third of four episodes on HGTV, Sunday, April 28 . The 4th/last episode looks to be coming up May 5. Check the local listing and mark the calendar!