White belts

Not the best fashion statements, but they can be really striking features on a house.

On the rear and south sides, a wide piece of wood called a ledger board marks the depth of the joists between the first and second floors.

We could paint them yellow for less emphasis, or leave them in white to frame the house with the rest of the trim.

The vote's for white, even though this piece will be broken up by the roll-up awning over the big door to the living room.

(Sorry about the sky color, by the way, but a cold front was starting to blow through; it was dropping to 60 and spitting rain. Everybody who lives here was in sweats and a jacket; the turistas were still in T-shirts.)