Advocacy Update

Well, not much to report on from the Happinest front. I'll try to post some garden photos next post. My garden has very poor soil and is in shade about 95% of the day so it is not optimal growing conditions. In spite of that - and my lack of a green thumb - most of my plants are doing quite well - although they do not grow very quickly. The only one who is not happy is my heuchara - Mum is going to visit this weekend and give it a talking to :)

On the advocacy front, things continue to move slowly. However, we did have a meeting with MLA Selina Robinson (Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing) and MLA Adam Olsen and two experts on the provincial building code. I can't say it was overwhelmingly positive but it has at least begun an advocacy conversation at a provincial level.

And locally, we may be working with MLA Adam Olsen to start a small tiny house community on First Nations land. This would bypass all the municipal regulations and zoning changes that would be required. And we will be meeting with Victoria mayor Lisa Helps next month to talk about tiny homes as granny suites prior to a presentation to Victoria Council. And finally, we are in early stages of planning our second Tiny House Showcase, which will happen later this summer

Visitors

As my camera and computer don't seem to be speaking to each other at the moment, I don't have any pictures to share.

However, as a good friend was compelled to remind me that I haven't added to my blog lately, I will at least write about visitors to Happinest Hollow!

My daughter came for a surprise visit from Whitehorse. I was out running errands and she phoned to tell me she was standing in my kitchen waiting for me! A lovely surprise and my first house guest. She only slept there two nights as she had use of Mum's apartment for part of the visit. The house was still roomy enough for both of us.

In addition to the buck Zeus (and an occasional girlfriend or two), I have had a couple of raccoons, a calico cat (who wants to catch my birds) and some new varieties of birds. In addition to all the regulars, a pair of goldfinches, a rufous hummingbird, a mourning dove, a yellow-rumped warbler and one that I have yet to identify have been coming around. And the other day, I was out in the field with Nova when a bald eagle swooped down and just missed catching a rabbit that was sitting in the grass about 30 feet away from me. I'm glad the eagle missed!

I will add bird and garden photos when I can.

Spring!

Yay - spring seems to finally be here! I moved my fairy garden to make the ugly area above my greywater ditch more attractive - and because it wasn't in a great spot by the wishing well now that the house is there. Mum helped me redesign my garden area the other day so that it creates a nice view when I am curled up on the couch. It still needs more plants (to be added as money allows) but is off to a nice start for 2018. Who knew I would enjoy gardening?

A few degrees from cozy ...

We had a stretch of spring-like weather after a wet but mild January. A few days ago, the temperatures dropped back below zero (which is cold for these parts). My fireplace will heat the house to about 15 degrees - which is not freezing but is also not quite warm enough to be considered cozy. An extra layer of clothing and a pair of slippers make it quite acceptable but I think I will look for a more efficient heater before next winter begins.

I have a new squirrel visiting. He only has half a tale so has been named Stubbs! A varied thrush has been added to the list of birds coming to the property. I'm at 28-30 species now.

A few minutes of fame!

One of the things I never expected when I decided to go tiny was getting kicked way out of my comfort zone. However, in the interest of advocating to make tiny houses legal, that has been happening over the last few months. A newspaper interview and radio show interview last year ... and now part of a mini-documentary on Shaw TV. Quite a feat for an extreme introvert who is very camera shy! Although I don't like being on film anymore than in photos, here is the video for those who have been following my tiny house saga.

January update

Life is good at the tiny house - muddy but good! January has been a very wet month and although the house itself is on slightly higher ground, the driveway and fields are extremely muddy. It does make it a bit hard to keep the house clean.

I tracked down at least part of my moisture issue. My hot water tank was leaking. Chances are it has been since day 1 but because it was under the kitchen counter, it was not an area that I ever noticed. Jamie has come and put in a new one now so that should help. The other day I opened a few windows to air out the place and after a couple of hours, my hygrometer showed that I had actually let in more humidity than I let out. I guess I won't bother doing that anymore until the weather improves a bit! I am using my fan more now and have bought a new dehumidifier (which I will move around to different corners) to keep the humidity under control.

Today, a film crew is coming to the house. They are coming primarily to interview Kenton (a tiny house building instructor) about an upcoming workshop and wanted it to be done in a tiny house. They will be asking Denise (a friend and member of our advocacy group) and I a few questions so I am, of course, a little nervous. Definitely out of my comfort zone!

Tiny House Christmas

My Christmas tree consisted of three sprigs of pine and some red and white berries in my mini flower holder. I got a couple of little glass doves for Christmas that are just the right size for decorating it. Small and simple ... but enough!

I didn't actually spend Christmas in Happinest. There was a forecast for snow on Christmas Eve so I decided to spend the night at Mum's as we were heading up to Jon's for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I didn't want to take a chance on getting snowed in to my little place and missing out on the Christmas festivities.

However, as I had the week between Christmas and New Year's off (except for a few hours at my accounting job), I have been spending a lot of time there. Lots of relaxation time - curled up on the couch with a book in the afternoons and up in the loft watching movies in the evening!

Most of the week was gray and rainy and the driveway and fields are getting very muddy. Yesterday, I finally caved and brought myself a pair of rubber boots.

When I went to move a couple of boxes by the couch, I discovered moisture back there and have since found bits of mould starting on windowsills. Next purchase - as soon as the store opens after New Years - is a dehumidifier. This is definitely a problem (which I have since learned is common in small, well-insulated spaces) that needs to be nipped in the bud!