Just for a Day

I drove over four hours today just to spend about 4 hours at the land.  And it was amazing.  Just a few hours at the land can work wonders on a person.

Todd is in the process of doing our big summer job.  So far today, I saw the 6' culvert extender at the driveway.  This will make getting in and out easier and for future concrete trucks, etc. it will make a huge difference.  Todd also moved those huge trees we had taken done over a year ago.  They weren't really in the way, but just were not that nice to look at.  Chris had the genius idea to move them to line the property line.  And they look great.  Now we just need a huge bonfire and a chipper and we can clear that whole area out of the remaining brush now that the big pieces have been moved.  Todd also took out a few trees out near the cabin and it brought so much new sunshine into the area.  It was beautiful.  The trench was dug around the cabin so water shouldn't be too much of an issue there anymore either. 

I also bought and planted two strawberry bushes and also dug the second hole for the reinforcing concrete piers we plan to add to the cabin.  These small jobs were fun to do and also very satisfying.

It was a gorgeous day today, 80 degrees and sunny.  No humidity.  Amazing.  Standing deep in the woods, planting the strawberry bushes was so amazing.  Quiet, calm, breezy.  Just about a perfect moment there.  No people around, just your thoughts and beautiful surroundings. 

I went to see Lisa and get a coffee but she wasn't there.  I did notice she painted the coffee shop.  It looked great.  Just driving around with the windows down, sun shining high, and listening to music down these beautiful Vermont roads reminded me of how worth it was to spend half my day driving to get there.  I hope to do it again soon.  

Exterior Done (Well, Almost...Damn Generator)

Chris and I had ambitions of finishing the exterior this weekend.  That meant trim, clapboards, and shingling the gables.  And we almost did.......damn 1973 generator.

We arrived Friday night and were able to get to work early Saturday morning after the obligatory trip to the flea market and Lisa (for coffee). 

Saturday went perfectly (well, almost perfectly.  See next paragraph).  We finished the trim in a matter of minutes it seemed and the clapboards flew by as we were done by about 6:00.  It would have been much sooner too, except we had a small incident with Birch.

Birch took off on us mid-morning and after a while of not seeing him we stopped and looked for him for a long time.  Birch takes off every now and then but he always comes back.  This time, he didn't come back and we couldn't find him.  And we gave it a pretty intense look too.  It was getting worrisome. 

We drove the ATV up to the top of the road where some other people were to ask if they had seen him.  No luck.  They did however, let us borrow a small pocket of cell service they have.  Chris had missed a call from a local.  We managed to get in touch with them and luckily, they had Birch.  He had basically run down the hill to their house.  They loved him (obviously).  It took a few calls back and forth between us all, but this story had a happy ending and we got Birch back safely.  He went on the leash the rest of the weekend after that.

Sunday morning, we got up excited to finish the exterior, as all we had left to do was the shingles.  We got our coffee (Ahab's) from Lisa and made our way to WW for some shingles.  We even picked out colors to stain the clapboards (lighter) and shingles (darker) and then a color to paint the trim (Hunter Green).  It was exciting.  There was even talk of finishing the shingles so early we thought we were going to maybe have time to install a screen door.

We get back to land with the whole day ahead of us.  I go to crank up the generator--nothing.  I try again, nothing.  The rip chord won't even pull.  Chris gives it a try--nothing.  Uh oh.  This isn't good.  In fact, it was awful.  Our old faithful generator gave out on us.  We had a good run but our luck ran out on the last day.  What a slap in the face.

We pouted and fussed for a while and then regrouped and decided to just enjoy the day and have fun.  We met with Todd about the work he's going to do for us next week so that was exciting and uplifting.  The driveway will be finished, more trees taken down, and some water re-direction (it seems we're always trying to move water).  We spent the rest of the day just relaxing at the lookout, talking, and drinking a few beers.  All in all, not too shabby.

I'm not sure when my next overnight will be as Amanda is due in about 6 weeks and our lack of cell service at the land is just too sketchy to risk being away from home with a new baby so close.  So, I'll have to watch from afar and get updates from Chris.  But, it has been a pretty sweet run he and I have had over the last 9 months.  We went from nothing up there to a pretty sick little cabin.  I'm very proud of what we've done and can't wait to see what the future holds for us, our vision and the land.  So much has been accomplished but our success has only opened our eyes to bigger and better dreams.  Until another day.....

Smell What I'm Steppin' In?

Back from another fun and successful trip. The trees are close to popping with greenery.

We were able to relax a little while still getting things done. We're heading into summer and we've got big plans ahead of us so from here on out, it's going to be some heavy-hitting projects.

First off, no luck with the trail cam. I was pretty convinced we were going to see something, but nope. Nuthin'.

The weather was gorgeous and we could have done without the wood stove. We did rock a small fire after dinner Saturday night but we let it die quick as Chris complained his stomach was so full he was close to exploding. We did install a new window above the door. Now we can crack that window when it gets too hot from the stove or whatever and get some relief. It came out great and was pretty easy. It's got a great little view from the loft as well.

The loft got reinforced with a second 2x6 on the outside and some side support as well. We definitely noticed a difference right away and it made me feel better sleeping up there at night, not having to worry that I was going to go crashing down in the middle of the night, crushing Chris...but I wasn't really ever worried. We also kicked around a few ideas about a permanent ladder to the loft that will be functional but not get in the way. The wheels are in motion...

Chris spent some time finishing the interior trim to the long and thin window while I dug through our wood scraps and built a small table and mini wood shed for the Lookout Spot. We also used some scraps to add a footrest in the outhouse (which, by the way, was everything I had dreamed it would be).

Sunday AM, Todd came by and we talked with him about our future plans and what we needed him to do. He was pretty sick from a rough sounding night of the flu so he didn't have much energy, but he got the idea. We're looking to build up the driveway all the way to the cabin (about 400ft.), have him trench around the cabin for water run-off, move a different culvert for a more efficient water path, and also to fix the end of the driveway. Chris and I are also toying with the idea of trenching for electric while Todd does the work but first need more information on what needs to be done to make the whole electricity thing actually happen.

We were able to have dinner at Maple Leaf Brewing in Wilmington and it was AWESOME. We'll be back fo' sho'. It just re-opened after being closed for 8 months after Hurricane Irene. We saw some pictures of the bar during the flood and the water was probably about 4 feet high in the restaurant...right where we were sitting. Crazy. Go Wilmington. And, they're definitely rebuilding the Famous Dot's restaurant in Wilmington. Apparently, it will re-open in November. Just ask Chris, he's got the bumper sticker to prove it. Literally.

Lastly, we scored an amazing wood table, made in VT from fir, it looks incredible in the cabin and it's much more functional as it's smaller and gives us a lot more usable space. Oh, and the previous owner of the land stopped by--how about that? He stayed for probably a good 30-45 minutes and checked everything out. I think he was happy for us but also a little sad too, understandably. He sees what we've got goin' and as Chris would say, he "smells what we're steppin' in"

The Work of a...Moose!!?!

Chris went up this weekend and stumbled across something pretty cool on an early morning walk through the property. We've never seen this before, but a few trees had markings up and down them.

Initially, we thought maybe it was the work of a buck or maybe a black bear, but after doing a little research, it seems that is most likely the work of a moose stripping bark from the tree to eat. Awesome. We did see some moose scat pretty close to the area where the markings were last year so it is entirely possible (and now, probable) that it was it was.

Chris was smart to move the trail cam to monitor that area in case we get another visit. I'll keep everyone posted.

The Throne

Hole cut, seat attached.

Enough said.