Tiny House Living Part II

October / November 2020 Home Away From Home

Prepping for this blog, I asked myself, "How exactly is tiny house defined?" The reason I began to wonder was that our current stay, at just under 600 sq. ft., doesn't feel tiny at all. In fact, if it were our 'forever home,' we could live quite comfortably in this space. I learned that a tiny house is considered one under 400 sq. ft., while a small house is considered under 1,000 sq. ft. 

Two great features of this small house that I think are important in any tiny or small house are high ceilings and lots of windows. The ceilings really help create the feeling of a larger space. The only downside is the webs - cobwebs and spider webs - that we are constantly knocking down. This is the most spider-y place we have ever stayed! On the positive side, it's been great for my Seek species-identification game! 

    

A Long-Bodied Cellar Spider and a Noble False Widow

While here I have also identified: jumping spider, mouse spider, wall spider, six-spotted orbweaver, brown widow and false black widow. That's a few too many "widows" for me! And you might be thinking, like me, "I know which widow is next!" Fortunately, not yet and, hopefully not at all.

The cottage's windows let in all of that great Santa Barbara sun. We also enjoy the multiple patio doors that make for a feeling of indoor-outdoor living.

Windows also nice for enjoying the two full moons this October. A toast to indoor-outdoor living!

Other than two of my pet peeves - too much bric-a-brac on the limited shelves and no shelf in the shower to put toiletries on, all of the other features of the cottage are adequate to good for living, including a few good space saver ideas: nesting end tables, a sofa bed, bathroom vanity with deep drawers. It's also nice to have the bedroom in its own nook. Friends who I've given the video tour have commented on this art in the bedroom, how it ties in the natural setting and makes the space seem larger. I agree.

  Awesome vanity, but no shower shelfBedroom Nook

In a strange twist of fate, we discovered that our friend Kristen lived in this exact same cottage about 20 years ago! Kristen is a true Barbareno, with deep roots and family history in the community. She's been a wonderful resource for learning about the area and its hidden treasures. Kristen's also a great person, optimistic and generous. As an example, she recently dropped off an air fryer for us to try out. 

John is in charge of that kitchen appliance. Here are the various things he has taken on:

     

French Fries            Pork Chops                    Whole Fryer Chicken

  

Soft Boiled Egg                Pumpkin Seeds            Brussels Sprouts

Breakfast Sausage Patties    Cinnamon Raisin French Toast    Hard Boiled Egg

Fried Chicken                Breakfast Potatoes            Tandoori Chicken

The only thing that didn't work out so well was the whole fryer chicken. It took way longer than we thought it would, and John was concerned about making sure it was cooked all the way through, so it ended up being a little dry. Nothing that some BBQ sauce couldn't fix! The fried chicken, in contrast, was fabulous, and I'm not a fan of fried chicken. I also thought the sweet potato fries and pork chops were particularly tasty. We also made corn on the cob, but it was gobbled up before I could make a picture! The air fryer is a fun addition to the kitchen and will be especially useful at our next AirBnB, where we do not have an oven.

Aside from spiders (!) our mascots on this trip have been two kitties. I still don't know their names. There was also a puppy named Popeye who was being fostered, but I never captured his picture.

We're at this place until the end of November, when we will switch to another location in Santa Barbara for December and the beginning of January. That one is closer to Emily's place, so that will be nice, especially with the holidays.