Sun Porch

Converted from an outdoor porch to an extension of the living room sometime during the 1940's. It's kind of cold up here in the winter, but it's getting better. I've been insulating the crawlspace, and blocking the gaps around the power outlets. Also wrapped the heating pipes under the floor, which seems to have raised the temperature a bit.

I used to keep my flatfiles and glass case here, but since I moved those to the living room there's just the barrister bookcases (1, 2), some pretty well-hidden built-in book cases, and a couple house plants. Also some plants and a glass case containing a pheasant (a birthday present from my brother Will - he'd originally helped me find a taxidermist that specialized in birds, so that I could have a sparrow, but the taxidermist -- who worked mostly for scientific collections -- said we'd have to supply the dead animal ourselves. Will was originally going to do that for me, but we both got queasy at the idea of killing a bird just to put it in a case. It was an entirely different idea from finding a dead animal and having it stuffed, especially when you LIKE the animal to begin with, which would be why you would want the thing in your house, right? So, several months later Will found this pheasant in a Dean & DeLuca's catalog (yes, the NYC deli/grocery store), and had it shipped. It's the funniest damn thing, and the cats don't seem to notice it as long as it remains in the glass case.)

Seems like this sun porch must have been a real showcase for the house's previous owner; our neighbor Anna Puss has mentioned a few times that there were never curtains in the front windows of this house, only plants. I don't think the sickly bonsai tree I've got here is going to fullfill the same modest purpose, but curtains don't seem to be in the offing either.