Demolition Happens

Is the garage next?

As mentioned in the last two posts, I visited Kalaloch on the Washington Coast this week. While I was out of town, a nearby house on Mud Bay was demolished and removed (see photo). Although I used to see it every day, I had to scramble to remember exactly what it looked like.

Owning a home on Mud Bay is like living on a large cul de sac, although saltwater and mud connect you with your neighbors instead of asphalt. You get familiar with the homes that dot its shores esp. the ones closest to you. Like anywhere else, when a house on your cul de sac suddenly gets torn down, it can be a huge surprise.

On Tuesday morning before I left, some work was going on at one of the houses across Mud Bay from me. I figured the owners were getting the roof cleaned and repaired. Or perhaps they had contracted for some tree work. That’s all the thought I gave it.

This morning when I looked out—I got home last night—the house was gone. Completely. Siding, roof, framing, windows, foundation—everything. I wonder how many dump-truck trips up and down Marine Drive that took.

When something disappears without warning, even a home you look at every day, amnesia sets in when you try to remember its details. Old photos are about the only recourse.

I have hundreds of digital photos on my computer of Mud Bay scenery but not one specifically of the now demolished house. So it took some searching to find a photo that included it.

Google street view didn’t help because the home was on the water.

Later I realized that the Kitsap County Assessor’s Office likely has a far better photo than I do. Their photo is at the end of this post. I’m not including it as a comment on whether the teardown was justified. I’m in favor of property rights, and as far as I’m concerned, the property owners can rebuild whatever they want there as long as it’s permitted.

Instead the photo is just a way to remember an old friend.

Mud Bay is to the left.