Ojai Kitchen

I am sitting here looking at a pink-purple sky against faraway mountains. Dusk in Ojai.

Ray and I are staying until tomorrow because we have been busy all day buying materials for a freestanding kitchen that will be nestled between two orange trees near the fire-ring and sitting area. This will be an 8 x 10 structure with tin siding and a tin roof that will be our new center for all cooking operations. It will include a Chambers cooktop and oven, a refrigerator, a three-basin sink, a bank of metal shelves on one wall and cabinets above the oven and on both sides of the sink.

Today we went to Restore in Ventura and found a glass door, a huge window, and the stackable metal cabinets. We already own another window that we’ll also be using so the space ought to be light and airy and pleasant whether it’s hot or cold outside. The stove, fridge and sink also are here in storage so it’s only a matter of moving them from a nearby bin to the kitchen when it’s done.

This will be a great addition to the orange grove. Currently when our kids are here or other friends come, we have to carry everything for cooking over from our Spartan trailer and it takes lots of hauling back and forth to get everything set for a meal. This way, we’ll have a kitchen ten feet from where we’ll be eating and it will be fully functional, which is a far cry from our current situation. At this rate, I might actually have a way to host a big family gathering like Thanksgiving up here. That would be a lot of fun without losing any of the benefits of a full menu.

Gregorio, a man who has worked for us for fifteen years, has already built the platform for the little building and tomorrow will start construction of the walls. That was our other stop today – Lowe’s – where we bought plywood and the wood for framing. We are on our way now. I am so pleased. This has been a dream of our since we bought the orange grove a decade ago. The time is coming when we could actually serve a big meal with the comforts of home. Hooray.

Off to head down the road to post this from my neighbor’s Wifi. I have to hurry, though. It is starting to get dark. Ray had begun to light the candles.