Back in southern Alberta

 As I sit at the dining table in our AirBnB near DeWinton, I really have to think about the day of the week we are on. On Wednesday, we drove from the farm near Sexmith seven hours down to the SEED Homes facility in south Calgary. 

We spent a full hour walking through the house, getting a sense of the space and chatting with the SEED Homes team. 

I was struck by how big the master bedroom and Heather's office felt. The kitchen felt really great, too. It was hard to get a feel for the two living areas on either side of the house, as the internal walls weren't up. They will go in at the very end when the home gets placed on the lot in High River. 

We were trying to picture our dining table and sofas in the space and were struggling. However, we had a great example of how looks could be deceiving. In the master bedroom, we have two floor to ceiling windows on either side of where our bed will go. In looking at that space, one could think that it's not wide enough to fit a bed. However, after pulling out the measuring tape, it was several inches wider than we need. 

The team has the roof panels laid out on the shop floor. Walking from one end to the other, I was able to get a great sense of the length of the home.

Insulation was was done on the west side of the SEED Home when we were there. The east side was being done that night, with the crew pulling in some overtime. The next step will be installing the Trusscore wall panels and flooring. After the appliances and bathroom fixtures get placed, they will install the state-of-the-hard hinges that will allow the team to fold the house up in preparation for transport to our land in High River. I can't wait to see the time lapse video of when they do the big fold. 

Our AirBnB is on an acreage in the country between Calgary and Okotoks.

We have an entire walkout basement. It truly feels like a palatial palace, owned by a couple who moved here quite recently from eastern Europe. Picture a large recreation room with a pool table, oversized sofa facing a big screen high definition TV above the fireplace, two spacious bedrooms, full kitchen, dining area and even a small office. We feel fortunate to be here and would recommend this spot for a personal retreat, or if you're wanting to explore the Foothills/Calgary area. 

Thursday was spent running around doing various errands, the most important of which was diving into our storage pods to find some essentials. I started digging in the studio pod while Heather searched for some hiking gear in the other one. We both grabbed what would could reasonably grab, and gave up on the rest. As an example, I was looking for boxes of paintings that were way at the back. To get them out I would need to hire a couple of strong lads for a day to empty everything out, find the boxes, and put everything back. Not a pleasant thought.

We did get some great news on this trip to the Storage Pod location. Our two pods went from our former property in Okotoks directly into a giant warehouse where they have stayed for a month and a half (so far). In other words, all our concerns around the pods getting too hot or too cold have completely been dissipated. That was a relief, as both of use pictured the pods being stored outdoors this whole time. 

Our next task was to make several trips from our former yard to our new yard with the outdoor plants. Josh and Ashlee, the new owners of the Elma Street house, have been so generous in allowing us to keep a few things in their yard and garage during this awkward time. After several hours of hard work, the bamboo plants and perennials have been temporarily placed in the ground in High River. They will be replanted next spring when Heather dives into the landscaping. 

It was great to visit Yooneek Books, our favourite little book shop in Okotoks, to pick up the latest Terry Fallis novel called "A New Season". Even though we've only enjoyed one in-person visit, I consider Terry a friend. It was nice to see a collection of Terry's novels in the shop, as they are fantastic reads. Regarding his first novel, "The Best Laid Plains", I've previously written that it should be mandatory reading for all Canadians. 

We ended our big day with a walk in the country. We saw a beautiful red tailed hawk, fields freshly swathed, and a stunning view of the city off in the distance.