I went to Mayne Island on Wednesday night and returned Saturday night. The first thing I did upon entering the cottage was build a fire. It was freezing cold. Then I made a pot of tea. It was already getting late, so I watched a wonderful British film called "Maurice" and called it a night. Had the best sleep ever.
The next day, I began priming the bathroom...

I can't describe how sore my neck was painting the slanted ceiling. After I finished priming, I left the cottage for some fresh air and diversion. First, I sat on my front porch and looked up to see an eagle slowly circling in the sky. The birdsong was amazing - and to hear nothing else defies description. I could feel my blood pressure coming down. Then I went to the Trading Post...

Then I made eye contact with a deer...

Drove home to the cottage up the road that diverges around an Arbutus tree...

I have a renewed respect for painters. It is gruelling work, especially in a small space where you're constantly bumping into yourself. In addition, because we are on a septic system you have to be very careful when cleaning your brushes. I had to fill up a huge pot of warm water and carry it outside. The paint I used is zero-VOC but that doesn't mean you can wash it down the drain. In between coats, I wrapped my rollers & brushes in plastic bags. Anyway, the colour I chose ("Overcast"- Benjamin Moore) looked smashing in my home in Burnaby. I was confident that this was the right choice. It looks nice, but our cottage is surrounded by trees which intensified the green tones in the paint. Also, slanted walls intensify colour - it will appear several shades darker because of the shadow line...

I'm not unhappy with the colour, but I will not be using it anywhere else in the cottage. It's too cool and I want something warmer. Instead, I'm going with a happy yellow/cream that I've used before called "Man on the Moon." I'm glad I arrived on Mayne Island on a cold miserable day. The cottage was dark and rather unfriendly feeling, and it made me realize the importance of colour in such a space. We don't have an ocean view, or a pastoral farm-like property that is light-filled. This was a learning experience. I am satisfied with the results, but I won't be doing any more painting. I'm too slow. Here are some before and after pictures...

Using a semi-gloss finish on the ceiling is important in a small space with a low ceiling; it bounces the light around the room. The difference in brightness alone is incredible. Here is the other end of the space...

I worked until pretty late at night as there wasn't anything else to do, so I managed to get two coats done. Having an i-pod was fantastic - I listened to Irish music for hours on our little stereo system and it kept my energy up.
The next day, I filled in all the nail holes in the three bedrooms and the hallway...

Again, my neck was very sore from looking up for hours. I finished the filling at around 10pm. Then I had a shower, made a cup of tea, and sat outside listening to the frogs. Something really interesting happened. All of a sudden, this deafening chorus of frog singing stopped - instantly. It was like having a stereo blasting music and then hitting the "off" button. The silence that ensued was almost eerie. Fifteen minutes later, it started up again as if on cue. I wonder what makes them stop all of a sudden...and why isn't there one rogue frog who isn't quite in sync with everyone else?

The nicest part of being on Mayne Island, aside from the beauty and the peacefulness, was not having to talk. To spend your day in a monk-like state of continued silence is wonderful. I didn't have a single headache and I never felt tired until the end of the day. It was a really nice mental break. Also, while Lorenzo was staring out into a gloomy downpour, I was basking in a glorious sunny day with a blue sky above. Go figure.

Back at home, my kids seemed delighted to see me and said they missed me very much. The house was clean, Lorenzo had done the grocery shopping, so all I had to do was laundry. And then a miracle happened: our trusty painter, who previously said he was too busy to help us, called to say he was available. I dashed out to buy two 5-gallon pails of paint, primer, etc. This morning, he and Lorenzo headed over to the cottage. I am so relived that I don't have to paint again...