Half a year with no progress on this workshop! Well of course 'exhibition season' had a lot to do with that, and then once we got into February, this place was just so cold that it was very difficult indeed to get enthusiastic about coming down here to work.

But even though there was no hammering going on, progress was being made. I went searching for a supplier for the windows for the front wall of the room. I first visited the showroom of Tostem - one of Japan's major window and sash makers, but soon found that buying from them would not be a practical idea. Most of their products were far inferior to the quality level that I want for my own home, very crudely made and with quite poor workmanship. Even their top-of-the-line stuff, intended for the Hokkaido market, wasn't suitable. And the prices! I am very willing to pay top prices when the product is worth it, but these prices were just laughable. A company like this can obviously only survive in the featherbedded Japanese construction market ...

So I looked farther afield, on the internet, and soon found a number of factories in North America that made exactly what I wanted - heavy-duty, well-made, superbly insulated windows - at reasonable prices. I contacted a few places, got quotes, worked out sizes, etc., then in mid-January placed an order with a small company in Ontario Canada. I then returned to my printmaking activities while waiting for them to arrive in Yokohama.

I received the arrival notice in mid-May, and the day after I made a trip to Yokohama to do the 'personal import' paperwork the huge crate arrived in my entranceway, and I could no longer delay working on this room! You'll see the windows (and hear more about the prices) in one of the upcoming pages, but first, I've got to frame the wall for them - and before I can do that I've got to remove the balcony railing, because the wall is going to replace the railing ...

You can see where the main railing has already come down (just the 'feet' are left). The new wall will be built on the concrete 'footer' that is left. In this photo I'm cutting away one side of the railing on the stairs that descend to the river bank.

Now that the railing is out of the way, the river seems a lot closer! There's going to be such a wonderful view from this room as I work on my prints every day, I don't know how I'll get any work done!