I Don't Do Windows

I have never been particularly fond of washing windows. The first sunny semi-warm Saturday morning, for as long as I can remember, Mom would drag out the ladder, paper towels and bottles of Windex and employ Sara and I to wash windows. As a teenager I found absolutely no sense in all this as the windows were just going to become covered in dust again the next time a crazy kid drove too fast down our gravel road. But, as I became older I did enjoy a crystal clear view.

When we moved here to the Territory I was ecstatic to find that there were no windows to wash, only screens!! It just doesn't get cold enough to have to have a pane of glass for the window, just a simple screen to keep the bugs out. Here there are two seasons, the wet and the dry. During the wet season the wildlife is in plentiful supply. Bugs seem to appear from places you didn't know existed. Then as the water dries up the bugs find better places to inhabit. They do leave behind a bit of a mess though. We have noticed that the bugs have accumulated in the screens. So, Saturday morning we pulled out the pressure washer and started cleaning the windows. No let me tell you, this is my kind of cleaning windows. Forget the Windex, just stand on the INSIDE of the house and blast away with the pressure washer. There is a bit of water to be mopped up when you are done, but much less mess than I am used to!

I have had numerous requests for pictures of the house we live in. It is about as opposite as you can get from the style of house I am used to living in. I have included some pictures below and will do my best to explain.
This is the view of the house as you enter the place. You have to look very closely to see the house at all. There are large palm trees and mature gum tress surrounding the house. This makes for great shade and they are tall enough to let the breeze underneath them. It is almost like living in a tropical resort!

This is the exterior of the house. The main entrance to the lower level is the screen door to the left of the stairs. The house was initially placed on nine foot pillars and only the upper portion was used. Under the house was left open. As time went on, they closed in the bottom portion and made it into rooms and usable living space. The stairs on the right are the main entrance to the upper level. There is a living area, office area and three bedrooms upstairs. The kids love all the concrete areas to ride their bikes on. Not the spa is to the right and behind the stairs, this will help with orientation in the next picture!

This is inside the lower level of the house. This is much the same view as the picture of Butch pressure washing the screens, just taken from further back. Two walls of the lower level are screen and two walls are solid. This view is looking out onto the spa, which is under the shade cloth in the right half of the picture. It is nice as you can turn the TV to sit in the spa and watch a movie or some footy. The main entrance to the lower level is at the end of the solid wall on the far right side of the picture. All floors in this house are tile or linoleum. Carpet would become way to dirty and too hard to keep clean. Tile is cooler as well. You can see one of the beams that holds the upper levels of the house in the middle of the picture. The dining table is to the left of the picture as well. I don't have a picture of the kitchen, but it is directly behind this picture. Just an open style kitchen with an island and a big window with, you guessed it, just screen.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of our house and living style.