What this includes is:
• 2-hour Assessment & Consultation with a BPI Professional
• New CFL Light Bulbs Installed
• Low Flow Shower Heads Installed
• Written Reports Detailing Recommendations

Some items recently discovered during Energy Audits include:
• Recalled Electrical Panels
• Recalled Heaters
• Insufficient Ventilation / Moisture (Mold) Issues with Attics & Crawlspaces
• Standing Water & Wood Destroying Organism Activity in Crawlspaces & Attics
• Myriad Simple Ways to Save Homeowners Substantial $ on their Utility Bills
• Poorly Installed Insulation & Air Sealing Measures
• Insufficient Clearances between Flues & Structure (Fire Hazards)
• Rebates Available through OPALCO
• Structural Deficiencies (Safety Issues for the Home)
• Plumbing Leaks
• Excessive Moisture at Ceiling (roof leaks) and Subfloor (toilet seals)

For more information go to: http://www.opalco.com/energy-services/energy-assessments/
Or Contact Elisa Howard at OPALCO: 360-376-3586

A used thing takes on a sort of persona. To the second hand buyer, it has a sense of mystery. It often is something from far away or long ago. In many cases it is not something that you could buy at the mall, even if you wanted to get it new. But this column is not about buying, it is about releasing. When you decide to give away, sell at a garage sale or charity event, or go online or classified with your treasures, you will be pleasantly surprised at how happy it makes other people to get your things. They may hold up your tourist souvenir of a Native American doll which was made in China and purchased 30 years ago at a Canadian tourist trap and reverently say, “Where did you find this?” They always want to know. It’s called Provenance, or at least it is called that on PBS’s “Antique Road show.” Stay tuned to that series and you might discover some real treasures you own that you should even insure.

I scaled down about ten years ago. We owned a four bedroom farmhouse on twenty acres with plenty of storage spaces and we wanted to move into a much smaller home. In choosing things for the garage sale I was surprised to see how many items of the same use or purpose I had somehow ended up with. You know how things accumulate if you are a mother. Little gifts for many occasions that you don’t really need, an attempt by someone to start you on collecting things you never admired in the first place, and just that weird concept that when people see you they think you probably would like a certain kind of present. For me, it was ceramic candy dishes and purses.

What a pleasure it was to pick my favorites from many similar things and let the rest of them go to others. How many candy dishes does a Diabetic need, after all? Having found and sorted through all my things, I sort of felt like I had passed away and come back again. But looking at it from that standpoint, I am happy that it was me that did the sorting, not my bereaved children. The good thing was that I didn’t have to mourn myself! It was fun to open up the barn to young islanders who were needing feathers for their nests. Their enthusiasm for my leftovers was making us all happy.

The real prize was when I moved into my scaled down house. I could put my mind and even my finger on where everything was! I got to thinking about how much of our lives are spent in searching for things. Sometimes, things we never find until we decide to scale down. The final reward, then: looking less and therefore living lives full of more important things. And, feeling knowledgeable and in good mental state when someone says to you, “Honey, where is the candy dish?”

1. A second home should be a different setting for you that will refresh your attitude and leaves you pleased to return to your first home. It also gives you a place to dream about and escape to when things at your first home or job get stressed. You can create this different atmosphere in many ways. If you live in a setting that is urban, you can look for a second home in a more rural place, for example. You can search for a climate that varies from the one where you reside. You can buy a small cottage if you live in a big main house; you can go where there are no neighbors if you live in a development or condo.
2. Getting to your second home should be affordable and achievable. You may have to fly or drive or boat for the trip, but it should not be an expense in time or money that prevents you from going or at least feeling like you could go, frequently.
3. It should be a place where relaxation is the key. That means no lawns to mow, very little upkeep, simple amenities and working appliances. If it is a place you can “lock and walk” then you can come with you book, sit by the window, and read. The whole idea of a getaway is that you are getting away from everyday work and obligations.
4. It should be fun to personalize. Here is your opportunity to have a space for your hobby and leave the project out when you are gone. You can fill the room with the comfort and appeal of just what you like: family photos, finds from your travels, your favorite books, recipes, and shabby furniture. We had fun outfitting our second home with garage sale items. Going to garage sales became a weekend hobby for us that still survives. Some of the things you purchase are repeats of the things you already have that you know you will need in both places. Other sale items can take you in brand new exciting and eclectic decorating journeys that can enliven your sense of humor.

You may find, as I have, that a second home becomes a mental escape as well as a real physical place to go. You will end up checking the weather in this other place, reading the online news about events, history, controversies. You will find new friends who know you as a different person than those in your hometown who grew up with you or those who do business with you.

The San Juan Islands make a perfect escape for people from Seattle and other parts of Washington State. It rains half as much, so the climate is different. With no freeways, malls, or stoplights; the traffic is a two lane situation. The two national parks and other smaller parks make hiking and beachcombing available to everyone. And, like most islands, there is a low-key attitude and casual dress. Friendly people, good food, interesting entertainment and peace and quiet abound. If I didn’t live here, I’d buy a second home here for sure! In my opinion, we all need some kind of escape and some of us are lucky enough to have one that is not just imaginary.