Finally, the last of the stained glass series that Irving designed for the dining room shutters has been completed and installed. There just doesn't seem time enough for him to do everything that he sets out to accomplish, sometimes. This is one thing that is now off his 'to complete' list, in any event. That was on Friday, and we set off soon afterward for a ravine walk.

We'd no sooner returned home, got out of our outdoor gear, settled Jackie and Jillie down, when the doorbell rang. There, to our surprise, was a young couple we know from the ravine, who live several blocks over from where our street is located; you've got to access a main road at the bottom of our street before you eventually come across the street their house is located on, another four streets or so over.

They bought their house about five years ago. We'd always noticed it because it's on a prime lot with one entrance to the ravine right behind the very large backyard. The house itself has had quite a succession of owners, and some interesting work had been done with it; one of the owners had extended a glass window like a terrarium in the kitchen, overlooking the green space surrounding it.

We'd got to know the young couple, coming across them from time to time in the ravine during our rambles, and often stood about talking. They have two rescue dogs that are regularly taken for walks there. And there they were, on the porch, to say they had been walking by, noticed we were in and thought they'd say hello. Months ago Mike had told us that they often walked by the house (though we've never seen them on the street) and wondered who lived in it.

Our house is distinguished from its neighbours because for one thing it's different. It was built as a new type of model and never repeated. Not the kind of house to raise young children in for one thing. Too many elevated open spaces that could spell disaster for a young, adventurous child.

Over the 25 years we've lived in our home Irving has changed it quite remarkably. Unusually, most of the windows have been covered with stained glass inserts. If our house actually faced or backed onto the woodland ravine that mightn't have happened. In any event, people tend to know this house as the 'stained glass' place. And so it was with our ravine friends. We invited them in because they were obviously curious, and spent time ushering them about so they could view what they were curious about, as a courtesy.

The young woman had minored in art history, I think she said, so she had a particular interest. And Irving never minds explaining to people who express an interest in learning more, how he goes about designing his windows, producing the pattern, repeating it to cut out the pieces, numbering them and then beginning the job of putting all the pieces together to produce the final product.