Random Saturday Notes

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It's time for a random bits post, one that contains little notable items that are either not quite worthy of a full post, or may need a little more prep time than I have right now. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here is a list of what has been happening:

--It's been another lovely day on the weather front. The nights cool off into the high fifties, and the days warm up nicely into the seventies. Perfect for waterfront activity. Addie was again in the lake, having spent several hours the last few days slaving away in the kitchen.

--Why was Addie slaving in the kitchen? Because she was hard at work preparing for her high school graduation party, which we held yesterday. It was a lovely bash, complete with an amazing spread of miniature desserts. When I get the photos downloaded from Greg's camera, we'll put Addie and her party completely in the spotlight.

--Greg and I got to take a boat ride today, as he had a bit of work to accomplish on the west end of the lake. We spotted a large nest in a standing-dead white pine on the Canadian side of the lake, so we trolled closer to get a good look at it. Seems that eagles have taken up residence there, as one large one sat above the nest. I swear at one point that somebody poked a head up from inside the nest. This might explain why the eagle makes regular visits to our bay---He lives so close by that he can keep an eye on us. Many years ago, an eagle's nest could be viewed from the lake at the east end of Gunflint. That tree and nest went down in the blowdown storm in 1999. It's nice to have a new family in the neighborhood.

--Speaking of babies, the raven family has been coming by quite regularly. The babies are growing, but they remain as demanding as before. When I emptied the compost bin earlier today, I soon heard the call go up that the pickings were fresh in the pile. They still have their downy brown and white feathers on their chests, but the tail and wing feathers are beginning to mature.

--I was very happy that today was Saturday, particularly when the call came in that another rogue bear had to be put down. With the spectacular berry crop, it would seem that these guys could find plenty of food. Unfortunately, for some that is not the case. Just as in a classic psychotherapy situation, we blame it on the mom. If she habituates her babies to people and buildings, they never learn how to be true woods bears. The good news is that most of them do stay away from people. In the meantime, we have a bit more bear in the freezer.

--It's Robert's birthday today! Hard to believe that it has been twenty-three years since we brought home that wee little one, and now he has grown up to be a man of the north. He still resides in Alaska, and is quite happy with life up there. Happy Birthday, Robert! We miss you!

A Bit of Paint, A Dab of Varnish

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Yet another remodeling project has managed to sneak its way into our summer. Addie and I recently gave the back bedroom in Tamarack cabin a bit of a face lift. Roughly seventeen years ago was the last time I had done anything in there. Back then, I learned about installing wallpaper, but I didn't do anything with the log walls. They were still coated in the original paint, and I thought that it wouldn't be good to change the integrity of that first paint job. In the years since, however, I realized that something needed to be done, history or not.

You can see by the following picture that it was a shade of yellow that covered the log walls. The exterior had sported the same color way back in time....back in the day, as they say. But over the years, it had changed to a dull and drab color. I needed to freshen it, since I am the one who sees it the most, thanks to cabin cleaning chores. I decided on a basic white. Since we were removing the furniture in order to paint, Addie and I decided that it was also the perfect time to sand the old finish off the original pine floor, and then coat it with some fresh polyurethane.


All went well for both the sanding and wall painting. We were able to fill some cracks that let the daylight through. I added spray foam insulation to strategic locations. We got to see a wonderful floor emerge, complete with distress marks. And then we got to put the two coats of varnish on it, to really make it shine. Best of all, it only took a little over a week.

This remodeling stuff is a little addicting! Good thing I have so many locations in which to work....The list continues on, and I bet Greg is grateful that he doesn't have to do it all.