City news and what's planned for the next trip

I just learned that we'll be getting a GreenBin soon and am very excited!

We already recycle as much as we can right now.  We can often skip a garbage day.  And, in order to stop the house garbage from smelling, we put all foodstuffs garbage in the freezer to await trash day.  Now, we will be able to put a lot of stuff in the GreenBin. 

Next visit's 'To Do' list:

1. Bring in all the lawnchairs, BBQ etc.
2. Get our 2 cords of firewood
3. DS wants to pick up some woodworking maple from her brother's place
4. I want to take apart the old footbridge
5. Pre-winter tidy of the woodshed area
6. Clean under the bath vanity (mice activity) and put out some traps just in case

 

Fall is upon us

This visit included firing up the woodstove every evening.  Overnight temps were below zero, just a degree or so, but still!  Some of the trees are turning already, but likely by the next time we go up, the leaves will be down.

The water was a bit higher than when we left:  the beavers had added a fair amount of 'mortar' (weeds from the bottom mixed with mud) to the dam.  All we did was open up a hole in the dam, about a foot wide, the first thing on our last morning.  That'll get the level down a bit, and I'll take the dam down next visit.

Our To-Do list for this visit is all done!  I think that's the first time it's happened.  And we got some other stuff done besides.

I think my most favorite accomplishment is the bedroom door installed:
 

From Deux Hirondelles

We also got the snow removal pickets and the motion sensor light installed.  Up until now, we have had an on-at-dusk-off-at-dawn zillion-watt light shining from the top of the house.  Not so energy efficient, and it also interfered with star-gazing unless we unplugged it.  Besides which, it gave us very little light where we needed it:  unlocking the door.  Now, we have a more conservative wattage that lights up the carpark area, and the door, when we arrive and while we unload.  It is also where we most often let the dogs out at night, but on the other side of the house from where we usually do our stargazing.

From Deux Hirondelles

 We also got stuff done that wasn't on the To-Do list:

From Deux Hirondelles

I fixed my yukky concrete job on the steps and we cut a little access hole in the wall unit I had moved in June. I knew I was blocking off the thermostat and a light switch, but I lined things up so it would be easy to create access.

From Deux Hirondelles

From Deux Hirondelles

From Deux Hirondelles

And, we brought in our wood,We had set up our wood storage to be 8' wide, so we would know how much we actually had.  Well, as you can see, we're up to the ceiling, so this is 4 full cords of stovewood length, plus we've already burned some and the woodcart is fully loaded.  More than half of last year's wood was punky birch.  This year, we have a lot less punky wood, so it will last longer.  We have also reserved two cords of maple from the same source as last year, so we should be fine 'til the burning season ends.
We've decided to do our 'winterize' routine on our next trip up.

And for you animal lovers, the obligatory cute dog photo:

From The Dogs

DS loves to put the ballcaps on the dogs, but started too late with Duster and he doesn't like it on. So, she's starting early with Zach.

Needless to say, these busy days left us all tuckered out:

From The Dogs

Hmmm (Part Deux)...

Our morning routine is such that DS lets the dogs out when she gets up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 AM, and I bring them in and feed them when I get up. While they're eating, I head into the kitchen to make my breakfast. Before I sit down to eat, I go back to the kitchen door with two end-chunks of banana in hand for the boys, where they are waiting patiently for their treat.

So this morning, there was no Zach at the door waiting for his banana. I stepped over the curtain rod that serves as a reminder to them that they're not allowed in the kitchen and went searching for him. (It's not like it's really a barrier: it's six inches off the ground and they could easily just step over it, but they don't. And it's a little bit of exercise for us.) Zach, however, was nowhere to be found. Hmmmm.

Then I looked at the landing wall and saw the Zach-shadow on it. The little monster had once again gone looking for me upstairs. Of course, he still won't come down without an 'escort'. Usually, Duster obliges and goes to get him, but this time I went. At the top of the stairs, on the second floor landing, there was Zach, and by his side, one of DS' sock-in-slipper combos. It was too cute. Duster never collects our clothes when he misses us, but a dog our family had as a child did, when we were out. I left it there for DS to find upon her return.

Labour Day Weekend

At the lake, of course! This was our first full-length trip with both dogs together in the back. Zach can't yet comfortably see out the windows, so he tends to crash out at the back. This was taken on our way back. Clearly, if he continues to favour that spot, we are going to have to do some load re-arranging.

From The Dogs

We finished clearing brush along the stream. We cut down the weeds-masquerading-as-trees/shrubs so long as there are young, real trees to take their place. This is so we don't make the streambank susceptible to erosion. This will give the real trees an opportunity to grow. At the same time, I trimmed almost all the low-lying branches over the stream, and all the dead ones. I also got rid of the various cement blocks/pieces of cement blocks that were here and there. They have no business in the stream. Looks so different now. Before the snow flies, we hope to be able to remove the old bridge over the stream. We have to carve a new footpath at the end of the Sugarbush Trail so we stay on our property. The cedar logs they used are likely sound enough for us to re-use to make a bridge over the drainage ditch when we do that. We'll build the new one in the spring, likely. We have enough full-length used hydro poles, and 4' length ones for the structural elements, and will likely be able to do the actual walking surface out of either the 2x3's or the two remaining picnic table 'roofs'. 

We also removed all the branches that flowed out of the beaver dam(s) either as the beavers were building them, or as we were dismantling them. Since the lake was only up about 6", we left the dam alone. We also did trail maintenance on the Sugarbush Trail. There were several evergreens that were lying across the trail. DS has turned into a wood-burning crazy! ;-) Anything bigger than 1.5" diameter gets cut into stove-lengths*. Anything resinous will go to friends for their outdoor fires once dried. The rest stays for our stove.  

The boys - Duster and Zach - got bored of this activity real quick. They spent their time 'sploring the woods around where we were working. Duster is great, really reliable: if we whistle, he comes. Zach, with his shorter legs (for now) is slower. He eventually would show up, except one time. After a few minutes of calling for him, we still could hear no movement in the bush. We told Duster to 'Go find Zach'. DS saw him sniff around, pick up the trail, and take off. He came back two minutes later with Zach in tow. Now THAT's a big brother!

Saturday was the traditional Family corn roast, this year hosted by two nephews. Weather was sunny, but with a cool wind. No one went swimming. I got into the Mott's Caesars at the early end of the evening, and got a little tipsy. It's been a heck of a long time since that happened. A good time was had by all. Since the dogs had been alone for several hours on Friday, we set ourselves a limit of 6 hours.

Moka and her moms came over again on Sunday. We all prefer our socializing to be done at our place. The dogs can run free with no worries, there. And, E & C find it as peaceful and re-energizing as we do. But, they were uncomfortable with us always feeding them. So this time, they hosted us at our place. It was kind of weird, sitting there and letting them do everything, and being asked "do you want a drink?" but it worked out really well, and it will likely happen again.  

The kids had a great time. Moka is so high-energy Zach didn't know what to make of her for the first couple hours. He eventually joined in on the fun, though. It works out well: Duster and Zach tag-teamed Moka so they could each take breaks. I got this shot close to sunset:

From The Dogs

I compared Zach's hind leg musculature to Moka's as they are one week apart. He is a bigger breed, though, so his legs should at least be as big as hers, if not bigger. He's not quite equal to her, but he's very close. Such a big change in just 3 weeks.

Zach had no accidents in the house while we were up at the lake. Then again, the boys didn't spend much time in the house.

We left around noon, after taking a 'short walk' around the lake. DS' idea, and she thought the growth was about knee high. I knew it would be more like waist high, but was a sport and went along. We could tell where the boys were by the waving grasses lol. It was good exercise for everyone.

There was a purpose to this madness: DS wanted an up-close look at a large poplar the beavers have been working on. She'd spotted it from her 'yak. Turns out it's about 16" or more diameter. We'll let them topple it and remove the branches, then we'll scavenge it for firewood.

The To Do list for next visit:

1. install the door on our bedroom
2. put up the motion-sensor light
3. put up the markers for snow clearing

I'm sure there's more but it's not coming to mind just now.

*DS also does the same thing with the beaver dams I de-construct. We got 1/4 cord of wood from this year's residents.