August news

 We are almost done unpacking and getting ourselves set up for business. I still have about a dozens boxes to go, but that's because we are also doing a LOT of home improvement projects as well. Did I mention that the house in Pennsylvania sold right away? We had multiple cash offers well over our asking price within hours of it being listed, and we closed on the sale last month. We paid off the mortgages on both houses and now we're totally debt-free! 

our 40' container arrived in July!

We just had the roof redone and we have new sliding glass doors (with impact glass!) arriving soon. I planted bananas, papayas, pineapples, coconuts, a garden, and several ornamental plants, and I work on cutting back the jungle and improving the general landscaping plan a little more each week. We changed out doorknobs and bathroom fixtures and installed a new water heater. I've installed some smart lighting, and ordered a few more that should be here soon. Right now we're working on doors and closets -- most of the interior doors need to be cut down to fit, and the closets all need hanging rods and shelves (several closets still need doors, too!). And everything has to be painted, which is not exactly the kind of painting I was hoping to be doing right now.

Our temporary pool 😎

Next week we have a crew coming to remove a huge Kennip tree in front of the house, and the construction of the new swimming pool with deck and added bathroom is scheduled to begin in about a month. 

View of Gallows Bay from the bypass

Every day is another trip to the hardware store in Gallows Bay. We always seem to need one more thing to complete what ever project we are working on that day. 

In other news, I'm thrilled to report that my painting "the Teacher" juried into the 1st annual North American Watercolor Society International Exhibition. 

The Teacher, 14x20 watercolor

and my painting "the Scream" juried into the Red River Watercolor Society 33rd international Exhibition. Both exhibitions are online. 

The Scream, 12x16 watercolor

Between the unpacking and the home improvement projects, I'm running behind in setting up the reservations page for Caribbean Art Escapes. Give me a few more weeks. I don't think I will have all the extra bedrooms finished by the time season begins, so I think our first group might be limited to just four artists. But on the plus side, it looks like the new pool will be ready early! Be sure to follow me on facebook to catch when the registrations open.