Building new stuff is one task. Maintaining old stuff is another. We’re doing both at Camp Many Moons on Huron Bay as we build a new house while battling trailer limitations, rain effects, and insects. (They have the right to exist. They feed other forms of life. I know this. I just wish they didn’t have to exist on my body! 😉 ) The ongoing story in photos and captions below, as Jeff creates steps and I…well, read on…
I wanted a cabin with a loft. We considered a pull-down stair (which I have in Virginia) but managed to make room for this. Jeff is building it…
…using various woodworking tools which now sit on the concrete porch. Here, he uses a sander to smooth out a piece of oak. (He also has a planer, joiner, router table, and table saw. He used them all for this. All self-taught!)
The wood for these steps came from a pile of oak boards he bought from a neighbor. They didn’t look like much on the ground, and sat in the loft for a few months to acclimate. After several days of refinement, dull-looking boards turned into this. Beautiful, even without stain.(Reminding me that you often can’t tell the potential of a thing, or a person, until it’s been “worked.”)
He filled some holes with wood filler….
…and sanded again, then stained. Stay tuned for more results in this multi-step process.
It was in the 80s today as Jeff lit the wood stove. !! He said it was to help the process with the stairs…maybe to help dry the stain? I stayed outdoors. 😐 (Did I mention I dislike heat?)
Part of the outdoor process today was to reconsider the entry driveway. We have a large drive-through “U” right now which circles all the way around the house…you can see part of it on the left, heading toward the water…and want to close the waterside of the house to traffic. That means a huge driveway on this side of the house, suitable for turn-around by large vehicles such as the UPS truck and the big pick-ups that most locals drive. And that means taking down those three evergreens in the left foreground. I sure wish there was another solution. I think about the big trucks in Virginia that manage to navigate our tiny spaces and streets. Rural navigation rules sure differ from urban ones!
I’m the one who suggested we take down this evergreen today because it’s become more brown than green. (Jeff worked the chainsaw while I attached and pulled on the line.) I also trimmed brown branches from other trees. When I see brown, I want it gone. Maybe because I just turned 66 and don’t want these reminders of early mortality?
Another maintenance project this week…the trailer we live in while building. Last week, I cleaned the whole outside, including roof, and scrubbed at inside mold. This week, Jeff repaired leaks. Every trailer leaks eventually, and we got 4″ of rain in two days.
It’s much cleaner after days of scrubbing. (I let it go too long, not understanding trailer maintenance.) Notice the large propane tank, which I bought several years ago. Fairly pricey to buy vs. rent, but the propane itself is cheaper that way so it pays off over time. Propane is one of the many things I’ve learned about in recent years.
Maintaining the ditch was another of my tasks this week. I spent hours clearing out weeds and grass and leaves, and it’s flowing freely again. Frogs love it…
And then there’s insect control. Sigh. The fly paper works great…
…but the fly traps work better. I have at least four of these in strategic places, and they hold thousands of flies. Maybe tens of thousands? Gross but effective!
My new lavender plant should help deter both flies and mosquitoes.
And this “zapper” fills with mosquitoes and moths within a few days. I don’t like the sound of insects sizzling, but it’s better than scratching all night. (I still scratch. Just not all night.)
Now you know the backstory of the gorgeous pictures. This was last night, as the setting sun lit up the east side of the bay. You can’t hear the insects! But, they are generally manageable. That’s a mosquito plant on the left…
You see why it’s worth it, even with the trailer maintenance and insect abatement?
One last nature-pic. I took this pic during a paddle across the bay, hoping to see the noisy cranes that hang out here. Just a seagull this time. I’ll catch the cranes another day…
For Many Moons 
It’s all coming along so beautifully! I’ve said it many times; Jeff can do anything!
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