I'm now settled in my new parking spot and I think I'm going to like it here. This morning I woke up to sunshine and rolled over to discover two hummingbirds sipping nectar from the flowers on the bush outside my skylight. Glorious deep purple blooms of the old lilac trees just outside my window seat provide shade and a lovely aroma. My front door is near the street so I wave to neighbors passing by. Ella is settled into the chicken coop (It's totally amazing that I happened to find two parking spots with empty chicken coops!) The folks who live in the house seem very nice. And there's a garden and a hammock just steps from my front door.
I had fun showing the place off this afternoon to Hannah Doyle, a journalism student at the University of Oregon who is doing a story for OR Magazine. She and her colleagues visited with me on a picnic blanket, munching chips and salsa, asking questions about the Little Life, and taking tons of pictures.
One of her questions was "What has surprised you about living in a tiny house?" I told her I've become more attuned to the weather. I explained that when you can see every side of the house from where you're standing you know where the moon rises, which way the wind is blowing the driving rain, which constellations are hanging over the skylight.
It's incredible how rotating the house 180 degrees from how it was oriented at the last location really
changes the feel of the house. Now my windowseat is to the south and my kitchen window is to the north which is completely opposite how it was before. I've especially been marveling at how the light moves through the house differently.
My kitchen gets direct sunshine first thing in the morning before the sun rises behind the trees. That morning light is fresh and bright, but without the rich golden hues of evening. By the time the sun makes its way south it's partially blocked by the lilac trees which dapple the light coming into the house. Even though we have had a streak of unseasonably gorgeous weather the house hasn't overheated. Unfortunately, I can't see the sunrise from my bed anymore and I'll miss the pink sunrises. But now my kitchen window now faces west so I can see sunset skies while cooking supper.
It's neat to see how the same space can have a different atmosphere because of it's orientation. It's a great argument for strategically siting and orienting a house that is fixed to a foundation! Nevertheless, my tiny house still feels very much like home in its new location. I hope someday to live in a tiny house that can be transported easily so that I can try out different settings. Way better than rearranging the furniture!