The View From My Window(s)

But Which Window?

I live in a residential neighborhood in a small rural town. Our house was the last one to be built in the cul-de-sac, and one of the last ones to be built in the first stage of the development. The view has changed a little bit over the years, but mostly to fill in more houses farther and farther from our home. You'd need photos over a 15 year period of time to really notice the change. Incrementally, it's hard to remember what was or wasn't there.

We've got windows facing every which way. This one upstairs faces west. Looking southwest, it's possible to see the houses at the top of the cul-de-sac and some of the houses beyond on a rise on another street.

However, the thing that's most interesting to me from this particular viewpoint right now is the fact that our fence and gate are missing. A new one should be there by the end of tomorrow, but when this image was taken, that front area looked like it did 15 years ago. You can see the pile of remains of the old fence in the bottom left.

And Which View?

If I turn due west, I get mostly my detached office (which I share with a garden shed), and probably the best way to look at the garbage and recycle bins, along with the gas lawn mower that doesn't work but has yet to be hauled off. I think it's in it's second year of sitting there.

Again, though, the thing that catches my eye the most are the two Post-It notes. My daughter-in-law wants to teach my granddaughter different languages. She, however, only speaks English (though she does understand a remarkable amount of Spanish). Her husband, my younger son, knows Spanish and Japanese, so we've got the words for window in both.

If I turn some more and look northwesterly, I get the best view, in my opinion, on this side of the house. The garden area, with the miniature cherry tree and the apple tree blooming in the background. This is actually the best vantage point for the garden area, too, since if you get closer, the weeds in the raised beds kind of drown out everything else. I had to resist pulling some while I was out there earlier.

Those houses filling in that I was talking about earlier? This direction you get it the most, since two or three other streets have been paved and houses built along them. You just can't see more than the rooftops. I also like it for the hills and trees that you can still see in the distance.

But There's More Windows!

The top window and the half circle one in the door face south. This is taken from the top of the stairs. Otherwise, you don't see much this way other than blue sky. As it is, you get a very narrow view of the neighbor's house, truck and driveway. To see through the one in the door, you'd need to be on a stool. At least I would.

Largest Window In The House

This window basically gives you the same view as the previous two, but you can get right up to the window, and it's just plain huge. I know it's taller than I am and probably four times as wide. It's so big, it's comprised of three or four panes. I'm sure it's a selling point, but it's not that practical, especially if you want it to be dark. There just isn't one set of curtains that will cover it all.

My wife has actually climbed out on that part of the roof to clean the outside of the window. When she does it, I can't watch, but I can't look away, either.

Finally! A View!

I believe this to be the most picturesque view we have. This is facing east, and slightly north. The hill in the distance is what sells it for me, which means I have to look past the rooftops in the foreground.

I decided to crop the same picture so you can see what I mean. A tree I don't normally notice that much kind of took over the image, but you can see the hill better. One of these days I need to go up there and see if I can see my house.

You can't really tell because there's no big semis present, but the I-5 freeway sits in between us and the highest point of the hill. It sits on a rise lower down. And below that even closer to the hill are railroad tracks that actually come from the east, turn to run parallel to the freeway before crossing underneath it and running parallel again on the other side.

Last Two, I Promise

Those are basically all the upstairs views. We don't have any windows upstairs that face north, because at the time our house was being built, the backyard neighbors made it known that they hoped we would honor their privacy. So, we made sure we didn't have any windows overlooking the fence we eventually put up.

Which is basically what you see when you look out the sliding glass door that leads to the patio—the fence. Technically, I suppose, this isn't a window, but I included it anyway.

This last one also faces north. It's the kitchen window. Some kitchens are in the front of the house. Ours is in the back. So, you see the fence, the strip of backyard we have (making the east side the biggest patch of grass we have), and some more of the yard ornaments my wife has collected over the years.

A Tour Of The House

I kind of just gave you one, without really showing you much of the inside. The idea was to be on the inside looking out, though, so I'm good.

I can't say our views are the nicest or the coolest there are, but essentially, they are still a part of our living here. No one else has those exact same views, even the house beside us, which makes our views unique.

I know if we ever move away, they will play a part in the memories I will retain of this place that has been our home for the last 15 years.

_{Images courtesy of Glen Anthony Albrethsen. All were shot on an iPhone 6s.}

This post is published in conjunction with the @steemitblog's #viewfrommywindow challenge.