We bought a Nissan Juke!
We have now swapped out all of our lighting, added bathroom fans and humidistats, installed granite countertops, replaced the hardware for our kitchen cabinets, bought a microwave, an upright freezer, an all-refrigerator, a beer fridge, and a stove. We had the awful wallpaper removed from the master bedroom and ensuite; they are now painted to our liking. The bricks surrounding our woodstove are now painted black, and all of the touch-up repairs and painting are complete. We have lots of wood in the shed and I am adept at managing the woodstove operations. We've had the woodstove serviced and the chimney cleaned and repaired, including replacing the cap. We've leased a new propane tank and purchased a good space heater.
We have redone the roofs of two rental properties and our own large shed. We replaced the dryer at one tenant's, and the washing machine at another's. We installed a new gate there as well.
Our crawlspace now has 6 vents (as called for in the original architect's designs as per code), but unfortunately we discovered some dry rot issues already caused by the lack of required ventilation for the last 23 years. The damage does not appear to be too severe, but must still be addressed; unfortunately, to repair it requires removing at least two feet of stucco, wire mesh, tar paper, and trim boards from around the entire perimeter of our house. We will then need to reconstruct it and refinish the exterior. Our extensive renovations appear to have just become much more expensive.
Lisa and I both joined our local volunteer fire-rescue department. We have even received our first paycheques, for $24 (tax free!) each. We have had one training session so far, where we practised with ladders. We now have all our gear, including keys to the firehall, a pager, and full uniforms. My first official act as a "firefighter" was helping an elderly woman up a ladder and onto a parade float. I participated in the Lake Cowichan Christmas Parade, walking alongside the firetruck while passing out candycanes to children.
We have met many great people and are making new connections and friends, but miss those back on the mainland. We do enjoy the small community events that make this place unique. We will be regulars at the "Family Movie Night" at our community hall and are looking forward to the upcoming Firefighters Christmas Party and the "Pot Lick Dimmer" festivities.
Of course, we still walk twice a day with our dog, and the lake makes a beautiful backdrop. As expected, Vecsey and Lisa are still awesome, so the best part of retirement is having more time with them.