The Journey Has Begun

Hi and welcome to my blog! It's a work in progress and just bare boned but I couldn't wait to start writing so the fancy layout and graphics will just have to wait. So, let me take you on a visual journey as I renovate my 1940's home, discover old treasures and bring truth to the old saying: They just don't make 'em like they used to!

When I posted a wanted ad for a sink on Craigslist last week I thought it was a waste of time, nobody would see it and I'd just have to keep hunting for months to find my dream kitchen sink. It's getting increasing hard to find porcelain enameled steel double drainboard sinks (say that five times fast!). As far as I know they make reproduction farm sinks which acquired new are well over the average homeowners budget. Well, imagine my surprise when two days later I got an email from Bill, a man in Hope who had exactly what I was looking for and for an incredible price! The only stipulation was that I had to take the cabinet it was sitting on. Agreed!



Yesterday Cody and I made the 2 hour trip to beautiful Hope, B.C. What a paradise! Bill and his two friendly dogs, an old black Lab and a young Akbash (a serious livestock guarding) met us as we drove up the lane. We talked to Bill or more like Bill talked to us. He had so much to share which I LOVED. Bill has lived on his 36 acre plot of land for 35 years. The sink he was selling was from a cabin on his property. The cabin was built in the 1910's on the edge of his property near the railway line. You could only get to the cabin by train in those days as Bill explained and I wildly imagined people riding the rails and jumping off when they got to it. A romantic idea but far from practical.


Bill's property around the shop, garage and house was crammed full of useful stuff but I guess if it's not being used than it becomes USELESS JUNK. If I were left to my own devices my place would look much like Bill's with all this stuff and all these ideas of what I what to do with it but it never, ever comes to fruition. The kitchen unit I was getting was from the 40's, or so Bill says. I looked up Olympia but couldn't find anything. I do know though that some companies made just those kitchen sink units as a stand alone piece instead of mix and match cupboards you put together to get whatever desired set up you want. The faucet looks older than the 50's but I'm not qualified enough to make that determination but the lines are fantastic and remind of a 1930's gangster car. I think I'll keep them.



Bill told us more about the railway which is no longer in use and the Othello tunnels built through the mountains. So after we left we decided to have a look ourselves. It was just gorgeous. Too bad the tunnels are closed in the winter due to dangerous conditions but we did get a good look down one of the dark train tunnels. That adventure will have to wait until the summer and so we will be back. Hope was much too beautiful to forget about.