It has been several weekends without a working toilet or access to the shower (luckily, Rockaway has a nice, clean public restroom). While Remodeler Bob has been working as quickly as possible, there is another factor, we hadn't dealt with before, slowing the process.
Being city folk by background, we are accustomed to being able to pick up hardware, paint, or plumbing supplies pretty much within a 5-10 minute radius of home. So if you discover a problem needing another part, it is a quick trip and you are back in business. Not so in rural life. The closest store is 20 miles away which may or may not carry what you need. It only takes a few trips per day back and forth to put a dent in your schedule.
Late Saturday afternoon, we (Bob) discovered we were short 6 tiles of a complete slate floor. The floor that still needed to be laid, left to dry, sealed, left to dry, grouted, and left to dry before toilet installation. The closest location to get matching tile was in Warrenton, up Highway 101 by an hour. We jumped in the car and 2 and 1/2 hours later, the tiling proceeded.
I have decided that rural folks must really be good at planning whether it be for food, supplies, or hardware. They are also probably much better at "making do" than city dwellers. I have also discovered a pick up truck is essential equipment, because delivery of large items to Rockaway is either not possible or ridiculously expensive.
Still without a toilet, our goal is to become better planners. We take out hats off to our friends who built (by hand) a cabin on a San Juan Island only accessible by private boat. I can't even imagine how much forethought that must have taken.
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