Progress & Problems

I got to do some more work on the fence after Paula left on Saturday morning. Integrity, be damned; I’m doing whatever I want, mixing conifers and deciduous materials. The branches I’ve added to the Fir pinecones are Aspen from the grove on the trail near my house.

Arbutus is unbelievable. It’s like no other native tree. It’s the most exotic; its palette and shapes are magnificent so I want to use some on the fence. I have some drying in my shed for panel #2. And I think I’m going to attach some kind of discreet water containers to the fence posts so that I can berry-laden greens. These are the panels that face the road. I can think of so many options for decorating the fence with found materials and the fence is huge so I can try many of them of them out. In some places I want to decorate the lattice sections at the top.

Still, no matter what I do, it’s the birdhouses that are the most brilliant part of the fence. Seriously: I never tire of watching them feed and fly. I have become such a passionate fan of all the different species. 

Before I got started though, I went over to the studio and just “was” in it. Darrell wasn’t there and Paula was gone and it was inspiring to be alone in it. I could both see it as it was and as it will be and the thought of working in there with the doors open in summertime, listening to music really excites me.

The window frames aren’t done in the photos above, but you can see the vertical Cedar in the gables. It will darken and the Pine will yellow with time.

I took HH for a walk on “our” trail. I undertake it as something I “have to” do to give her exercise and familiarize her with walking but once I get on the trail it feels as though it’s all about me. I am drawn along the trail by the changes in the vegetation and the silence.

I “harvested” some lichen to see how it will look on the fence but I saw some Fir branches I covet to add capillary-like detail to panel #1.

Then I installed the tree — and not where I’d thought I’d put it. It’s quite out-of-the-way beside my desk but it can give the cats access to the loft — if they want to climb it.

Then we went into town. Yes. For pie — and other things!

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I asked my financial advisor, Nancy, to put some of the proceeds of the sale of my place into my investment account. She works for a Vancity affiliate: Credential Securities. Vancity is my bank. Today, the assistant manager of my Vancity branch called to say that another Vancity employee (Mary) had blocked my account: Mary is the Vancity loans officer who provided my bridge financing. 

I’ve been complaining about something being wrong in my account for two months. Mary is the woman who, on first application, rejected me for bridge financing — me, a longtime Vancity client with a faultless credit history and all my money in their bank. Then, when I complained, she wrote me the nicest letter of apology and gave me the loan.

I was charged for the loan ages ago and I assumed therefore, it had been paid out. Besides: I have a letter from a lawyer confirming deposit of the money from the sale of my house into my Vancity account but Mary seems to think there is a problem. 

This afternoon when I went shopping in the village I was denied access to my account. I get the message: “Access denied due to absence of funds.” But there is plenty of money in my account. The bank has, effectively, seized all my money so I wrote an email to Mary to complain and I copied Nancy.

Thank God for Nancy. She called someone and now I have access to some money and a promise to fix things next week.

I was freaked out for quite a while. But I did have pie for compensation.

It’s always something….