helmhomeinspections: Summer Food
- 08/03/07 07:41 PM
As the summer progresses, this Bellingham, Washington vegetable garden gets more out of control. The pumkins and squashes leap out of their beds and fill the pathways. The fourth succession planting of brocolli is ready to harvest. The corn is producing tassles. Eggplants have started producing fruit. Tomato plants and pepper plants are loaded. I ate my first pole beans today. The first planting of bush beans is not far behind. It gets harder to find the time to weed, but I try to do a little each day. It is truly wonderful to go out to the garden and pick the … (21 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Ajo Harvest
- 08/03/07 07:19 PM
Last week I harvested my garlic (Ajo in Spanish). I grow both hardneck (rocambole) and soft neck garlics. I grow several varieties of hardneck because I like their flavor and ease of peeling. I grow the soft neck because they keep longer. Hardnecks will lusually last till December and soft necks will go into March or April. In both cases, they have to be properly dried. Here in Bellingham, Washington the garlic is usually planted in November. It puts down roots and grows to about six inches high before any frost. It then goes dormant till it warms up a little, … (2 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Riparian Repair
- 07/28/07 06:35 AM
This is a quick look at an intergovernmental/private money project to restore the riparian area along sections of the Nooksack River just outside Bellingham, Washington. This area, which is prime wetland habitat, had been poorly used for many years. It is home to many species of duck, overwintering area for Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese, and had badly trashed small streams. The streams have been repaired, with current interrupting log jams, and many riparian trees have been planted. A good sign is that the beavers have returned. You can see the number of agencies involved in this project. This is an overall view … (9 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Local Independents, A Free Press
- 07/22/07 02:07 AM
I'm sitting here this early Sunday morning looking at a group of local independent newspapers. These papers, in this era of only three corporate owners of news media, are the last bastion of a free press in this country. These locals, all with a slightly different political bent than each other, really bring out the information that one needs to make informed local decisions. They also are a great source for local arts and entertainment. Here are the ones in my county. Cascadia Weekly, published in Bellingham, Washington. http://cascadiaweekly.com Whatcom Independent, published in Bellingham, Washington. http://whatcomindy.com Fish Tales, the newsletter of the Nooksack Salmon … (0 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Water? What Water?
- 07/20/07 08:42 AM
I hate to belabor a point, but here are a few more crawlspace photos. Where does that water in the crawlspace come from? These photos, not all from the same house, show a few ways water can get into the cspace. Enjoy!
The above two photos show drain lines penetrating the foundation wall. That part is normal. What is not normal is the lack of, or inadequacy of the closing off of this penetration. On this shot, there is a downspout. Just imagine how much water pours into the foundation area from this arrangement. The previous picture was responsible for the water entering at … (4 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Fire Hazard
- 07/19/07 03:45 AM
I think a while back a colleague did a post on chimney's and their problems. I thought I'd show this one to illustrate why it is important to get chimneys inspected and cleaned annually. Creosote buildup can burn your house down. And it can happen fast. This is a chimney fire just waiting to happen. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. Fortunately, the buyers of this home had a home inspection and were advised to have a level two chimney inspection/and cleaning done. If this were the winter, and the wood stove being used, it could have ended very poorly. Thanks for looking. David … (23 comments)
helmhomeinspections: More Trees
- 06/25/07 04:00 AM
On a previous blog post I showed a number of specimen trees on my property just outside Bellingham, Washington. The trees I'm showing on this post are some more mature ones. These I didn't plant, but were instrumental in making the decision to buy this property ten years ago. The gardens that are visible were not here when we bought the place. These are two very large Black Locusts located in our front yard. This may be the largest Weeping Willow in Whatcom County Washington. The tree to the right is an English Walnut. The large trees in the background are a row of … (0 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Unique Home, Is It a Hobbit?
- 06/25/07 03:31 AM
Went to a party Saturday evening at an old friends home. He lives on the side of Blanchard Mountain in the most interesting home I think I've ever seen. The pictures I am showing are only of the outdoors of the home. The inside is every bit as interesting as the outside. The builder is an old hippy who truly shows his roots in his work. As you can see, much of the home is done in materials that reflect the site.
This pond is what you see out the front of the house. There are several streams and numerous small waterfalls that … (16 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Garden Tour
- 06/25/07 03:14 AM
On Saturday, my wife and I went on the Whatcom Horticultural Society's Tour of Private Gardens. This is an annual event that hilights private gardens in Bellingham and other communities in Whatcom County. This years tour was the 21st annual. There were five gardens in the tour (self guided), all in more rural areas of the county this year. The garden styles ranged from a very wild forest garden to a very formal, professionally designed garden. I personally tend to prefer wilder looks over the formal. The following are a few pictures from the tour.
This is the stump of an old … (0 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Specimen Trees
- 06/23/07 05:33 AM
I commented on Tony Moores gardening blog about thinking of all four seasons when planning a garden. I thought I would show a little of what I mean by showing a few specimen trees we have planted in our gardens. This is an Acer Griseum or Paper Bark Maple. The interest here is the brown exfoliating bark and beautiful red foliage in the fall. The bark adds year round interest in the garden. One of thousands of varieties of Japanese Maple, the Full Moon needs dappled shade. Full sun will burn this spectacularly yellow green foliage. Coral Bark Maple, another of the Japanese Maples. … (5 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Dutch Treat
- 06/21/07 04:57 AM
Yesterday I was doing an inspection in Lynden, Washington. Lynden is a small town Northeast of Bellingham, Washington. It was founded in the late 1800s by Dutch immigrants. Lynden, Washington is a very clean and well kept community. The downtown area looks like a little bit of Holland.
Lynden also has a unique entry. The gateway to Lynden is, I believe, the only one anywhere that is flanked by a pair of cemeteries. Lynden is also the home of the Whatcom County, Washington fair. The permanent fair grounds occupies a large area on the South side of Front Street, the main drag of Lynden, Washington. I … (4 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Is It a Prince? or What?
- 06/19/07 12:08 PM
Took a break this afternoon and sat out by the pond for a few minutes. I happened to look over at the water lilies and this is what I saw. This has to be the classic prince pose.
I've heard that one has to kiss a lot of frogs before finding the prince. This guy looked regal enough to be a prince, but I'm not going to kiss him. Just another crummy day in the paradise of Bellingham, Washington. Thanks for looking. David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (8 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Bellingham's Working Waterfront
- 06/19/07 07:03 AM
Many people get to see marinas with yachts and other pleasure boats. These are a few pictures of the working water front in Bellingham. This is one of two floating drydocks at the shipyard on the southside of Bellingham. If you look closely, you'll see one of the peaks in the Canadian Rockies just to the left of the drydock. Research vessel checking on the conditions of eel grass beds, prime herring spawning habitat. The Bellingham fishing fleet has to go far and wide to make a living these days. Since the decline of local salmon runs, the local boats go to Alaska, Oregon, … (0 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Time Warp
- 06/19/07 06:44 AM
Went this morning to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. This is the place that the Alaska Ferry (Bellingham is the southern terminus for the Alaska Marine Highway) loads and unloads twice a week during the summer (once a week during the winter). Today, docked at the terminal were two very different eras of overwater conveyance. One one side was the massive Alaska ferry Malaspina. On the other side was the 130 foot long wooden schooner Zodiac. Zodiac was built around the turn of the century (19th to 20th) and, I believe, is the largest wooden schooner on the west coast. She was … (2 comments)
helmhomeinspections: My Town; Downtown Bellingham
- 06/18/07 07:36 AM
There are many new buildings in downtown Bellingham, Washington that are interesting. The buildings I am posting here are all old. Some of them are on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. I hope you enjoy this pictorial. This section of the Whatcom County Courthouse is fairly new. I believe they did a pretty good job of keeping faith to the original architectural style. Also known as 6 flags over Bellingham, this is the City Hall. A classic of its type, the Mount Baker Theatre is on the National Registry. There are no square corners on this building. This is currently the tallest building in Bellingham. … (5 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Ocean to Snow Road
- 06/16/07 05:30 AM
I had the occasion to work in the village of Glacier yesterday. It was a grey rainy day but thought I might take a few pictures of the diversity we find on State Route 542, more commonly known as the Mt. Baker Highway. This road travels from near the water in Bellingham, through small towns and villages and ends up at the Mt Baker ski area. Glacier is the last town before climbing in switchbacks to the 4500 foot base of the ski area. While the ski area isn't high altitude compared to areas in California or Colorado, it consistently gets more … (5 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Urban Trails in Bellingham, Washington
- 06/14/07 11:38 AM
There are a number of magnificent trails in and around Bellingham, Washington. They are all a part of the city's Greenways program. Here is a list of five that Bellinghamsters use regularly. 1. Interurban Trail - This trail, for much of its distance, follows the old interurban rail line road bed that connected communities in Whatcom County to communities in Skagit County. The trail starts on the Old Fairhaven Parkway, makes its way through some residential areas, old forest, Arroyo Park, open areas and ends up at Larrabee State Park. It is seven miles one way and is well worth the effort. 2. Lake … (2 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Garden Tour, Bellingham/Whatcom County Washington
- 06/12/07 10:22 AM
On Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, the 21st Annual Tour of Private Gardens, put on by the Whatcom Horticultural Society, will take place. This is a magnificent, self guided tour, of usually, 5 to 6 private gardens. My own garden was on this tour a few years ago. This years gardens include: A flower-filled garden in the woods, A wildlife sanctuary filled with ornamental shrubs and trees, An immaculate homestead using innovative recycled materials, A beautiful sprawling garden with recycled sculptural treasures and A bird haven with numerous water features and exotic plants. Tickets and directions are available at … (3 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Bellingham, Washington Outdoor Art Part 3
- 06/12/07 09:00 AM
This outdoor art blog, the third in a series, features art found in Downtown Bellingham, Washington. The sculptures on the back lawn of the Bellingham Public Library, are part of a revolving display. Pieces are kept for a period of time, then replaced by others. Some of the downtown Bellingham pieces have been in place for some time.
I hope these pieces are enjoyed by all who look. There will be one more part in this series. Hopefully I'll have that one up later this week. Thanks for looking David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (4 comments)
helmhomeinspections: Bellingham Outdoor Art; Part 1
- 06/09/07 04:53 PM
Bellingham, Washington is a town that is known for its patronship of the arts. This blog series celebrates sculpture at various venues around the town. The first venue is the campus of Bellingham Technical College. This school, one of the most dynamic technical schools in the country, hosts an annual welding rodeo where artists make metal sculpture. Some are on permanent display around the campus.
Th sculptural art displayed at the Bellingham Technical College is mostly by local artists. Thanks for looking. David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (4 comments)
My blogs offer a wide range of topics, from home inspection to cooking to woodworking to gardening to local area information and photos. I love talking about Bellingham, Washington and its surrounding area. Home inspection is my work; life is my passion.
As the summer progresses, this Bellingham, Washington vegetable garden gets more out of control. The pumkins and squashes leap out of their beds and fill the pathways. The fourth succession planting of brocolli is ready to harvest. The corn is producing tassles. Eggplants have started producing fruit. Tomato plants and pepper plants are loaded. I ate my first pole beans today. The first planting of bush beans is not far behind. It gets harder to find the time to weed, but I try to do a little each day. It is truly wonderful to go out to the garden and pick the … (21 comments)
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