Inside the Copper Crown bedroom, the base and blended coats of paint are finished, and the first of two glazes is underway. The hand-sculpted grey concrete is only a memory. Out in the tall main room, the plywood backing is largely complete, and the stapling of the diamond lath is progressing rapidly. Our mantra is ‘castle by Christmas,’ which may be possible at the current pace. Stay tuned…
Staying in the Under Hill
We’ve stayed at countless hotels, motels, and inns through the years. Most were simply a place to lay our heads and get some rest. Some were luxurious, others very plain. Some of these abodes boasted fancy lobbies and grounds and fantastic vistas, but the rooms, for the most part, were not particularly memorable. The Hazelnut Inn is far different. What is it like to stay here?
Janis & I stayed in the Under Hill Suite last night as part of our fifty-first anniversary celebration. The moment we shut the garden gate, the outside world disappeared and was forgotten. We were in a different place, far from ordinary. A beautiful mountain vista peeked over the garden walls. The trickling water feature and bountiful and private, colourful garden were calming. An outdoor fireplace and chairs beckoned. Inside was simply breathtaking. Although I’ve been inside this room countless times as Peter and his crew constructed this masterpiece, quietly sitting on the couch snuggled up with the person I loved most was absolutely amazing.
Staying in the Under Hill was like camping inside my favourite theme park without any distractions, noise or people around us. It was calming, quiet and very unlike any other hotel we’ve stayed in. It wasn’t just a room but rather an immersive experience. We loved studying the endless detail our crew lavished on every single square inch of the interior. We noted many details we had never seen before. The giant soaker tub was a delight. This morning, as we leisurely luxuriated in the king-sized bed, we simply had to smile as we enjoyed relaxing and escaping the real world in this underground abode. It was amazing!
Fifty-one years!
In September of 1970, I moved to Vancouver Island. I was in my senior year of high school. I started my own business that same year, painting signs. That fall, I also met this charming young lady. After a few dates (Janis was the first girl I ever dated), I knew she was the one. I asked her to marry me a few weeks later. But Janis, wisely, is not as quick with major decisions as I am. But I just knew and, being a patient guy, waited a couple more weeks before asking her again. This time, she said maybe. A few weeks later, I heard a ‘not yet’. As I recall, it took a few more tries before she finally said yes. We were young, very young, and we waited three years before we said our vows and started our life together in June of 1974.
What an exciting journey it has been! We've been partners in life and in business. After working outside the house for a year or so, Janis chose to be a stay-at-home mom. I've also worked at home most of those years, meaning we've spent a great deal of time together. We've built houses and businesses together, worked on the road when necessary, and travelled tens of thousands of miles with our two kids along for the ride.
We’ve worked together and played together all these years. We still hold hands, and like to be close to each other. We both believe in true and lasting love and the hard work to make it so.
Has it always been easy? Janis summed it up one day several years ago when she told me... "I'll ALWAYS love you, but right now I don't like you very much." Life is like that on occasion. But the good days (and there are so many) more than make up for those rare ‘other' days.
Today we celebrate our fifty-first wedding anniversary at the Hazelnut Inn. I look forward to many more happy years with Janis!
