Last year I wrote about getting closer to the Gatehouse by moving into a Geos townhouse in the blog, “A Step Closer to the Gatehouse: Tori and her Cats Move in with the Goats.” Well, we’re still next to the goats. As I write this with a cat sleeping next to me, I can see the goats grazing across the street, right on the Gatehouse lot. Now we are all settled in and the Gatehouse is closer than ever to opening day.
This is where we saw the owl, on the Choke Canal trail.
Most days I take walks along the trails here. The Ralston Creek Trail is right here, but another trails runs through the neighborhood to the south of us, Forest Springs. (I haven’t seen any forest or any springs there, yet.) My favorite path runs along the Choke Canal to the west of Geos. A couple of weeks ago my spouse, Bob, and I saw an owl in the tree along the canal. And, there is a small barn and paddock across the canal with horses, sheep, goats, and alpaca in it. It’s an easy walk, not very much used, and mostly sunny.
I have a balcony, where I can look out onto the Ralston Creek Train and (these days) the goats privately. But, usually I go out the front door and sit on the “stoop,” a cement bench by the sidewalk. I find I almost always prefer to have people stop and chat with me. I am waiting to for that to get to be too much, but so far I’m still waiting.
View of the Goats from my Office
This week the zoning was approved for a tap house to open across the street east of Geos. It will cater to trail users, particularly cyclists, with a repair station and a patio right on the trail. We are very excited to start patronizing it. Geos is developing step by step. We expect the Gatehouse to open in about 2 years.
I love the townhouse, and I have had people over often. Now that I live in town again, they come around. And, it’s easy to run out for last minute items. We have cohousing events here often, too. We show them the second floor of my house, pointing out that it looks a lot like what we are planning for a 1-bedroom Gatehouse flat. Then I start imagining my place there, and it’s great.
The cat owns all rooms in the house.
Every 2 weeks we have Game Night. 4 to 5 families take part regularly, with 3 kids and 6 adults. We play Clue, War, Pictionary, Mexican Train, and (once) Star Wars Monopoly. This has been a lot of fun. Even the cats participate, unless it gets really loud.
My rightsizing is mostly done, but not entirely. It took me more than a year to really comb through my old house. Now I am in a 3-bedroom townhouse with a garage and a 2nd living room. Wow! That’s not downsizing! But, I am not using it all. 2 of the bedrooms are empty and I am not using the 2nd living room, except for Geos’ Game Night every 2 weeks. I have 2 more closets to clear out. Then I’ll be ready for my 2-bedroom flat in the Gatehouse. I am almost done and feel so much freer.
So, the last year has been a lot of work, settling in and getting used to it all. But, the cats, the goats, and I are all pretty happy about it. One more step, across the street, and we’ll be there.
