the "looking down boards"

WE FINISHED A huge part of the staining yesterday--all of the shitami ita clapboard siding that makes up the base of the mountain side of the house. It really soaked up the stain, but we're happy that it still shows the grain of the wood as well as the color shadings. It has the deep reddish tone that I was hoping for, and it really goes with the slightly off-white mortar and the dark brown of the roof, the gutters, the eaves, and the windows, not to mention the main entrance door. We're really happy with how it turned out, and Yamada-san of Kagatsuma said, "It really makes you want to look back at it when you leave."

 

Our fingers recently have been in a perpetual stained state, but there's still quite a bit to do of the interior, so I'll leave my cuticles in their "old brown" condition.