Log House Progress - Angara at Blind River

Waxing moon

2011-12-06T17:50:00.001-05:00

Winter is holding off for the time being despite a few snow flakes that appeared at the end of October. Harley and I noticed them as we were leaving Blind River to go to do Magical Paws therapy work. Needless to say the flakes all melted away, for now that is. A new activity for me for the week was working on the first in a series of correspondence courses. I am studying to register for a real estate sales licence in the spring and have lined up a brokerage to article with. The bed-bale-breakfast plan is slow coming together, so I thought that I would branch into a related field. So far the first course is interesting and the self testing is not too difficult. I am looking forward to meeting lots of people and having the opportunity to see local houses and properties. Bob may be concerned that this will add ideas to the to-do list....??? October closed with an early evening waxing moon and I dedicate this photo and post to Alan Moore, a dear former colleague (and recipient of this letter series) who passed away suddenly on Friday evening. I'll miss his witty insightful comments, as well I will remember fondly the more than twenty years that we worked together.

Indoor progress

2011-12-06T17:47:00.001-05:00

A little progress was made indoors this week. Bob constructed the stud framing for the wall that is to go behind the wood cookstove. It is a partition to make a visual separation between the kitchen/dining area and the living room, and is just over six feet tall so that the view into the vaulted ceiling and loft is not obstructed. This will cause the rooms under the cathedral ceiling to remain airy looking but also a little tidier. Theoretically that is. The wall will be clad on the cookstove side with non-combustible cement board for a later masonry and stone siding.

Mago tried to help with carpentry

2011-12-06T17:44:00.001-05:00

We worked this week on outdoor cold weather preparation and a few repairs. One of the jobs was to fix a large bale hay feeder. This was of no interest to the three mares, but Mago stayed the whole time and was fascinated by the portable drill, saw, ratchet and hammer. He kept a close watch on Bob and followed me back and forth to the barn to get extra supplies.

The second shot of him was taken by me from inside the feeder. I was trying to use the ratchet socket wrench to tighten the bolts when I snapped a picture of him investigating the cordless drill. This was just before he stole the paper bag full of nuts and bolts and emptied it out. This was followed by moving other tools around while we were not looking. Fortunately he believes that bringing things might get him a treat, so he generally brings things back. He did find a couple of broken plastic pieces that Bob missed on the ground and he kindly brought them to me. Now there is something useful! The only catch is if he finds something quite edible, he'll tend to munch it instead of returning it.

2011-12-06T17:36:00.001-05:00

Angara is watched over by not only Harley the Wonder Dog, but a few scarecrows and pumpkins too. The pumpkins were grown by and are the courtesy of my trail riding chum Elaine, after today they will retreat inside and become pies. Needless to say, although I stocked up on goodies for treat-or-treater's, none came to the door. We shelled out some to Bob's granddaughter Olivia yesterday when she visited for her birthday, plus to her brother, Mum and Dad too. The rest will have to be nibbled on by Bob, which should be no problem as it seems that I stocked up on his favorites.

Enjoying the fall

2011-10-24T18:01:00.002-04:00

George and Harley the Wonder Dog are pictured checking each other out after gazing from the porch into the bush and autumn colours. George is eager to go out when Harley is out, but he sticks pretty close to the house and cries at the french doors to come in if it is too windy or cold. A cat thing as any other cat caretaker will tell you. George is restricted to going out only briefly in daylight and when protected by Harley. In the continuing adventures of Harley, he tried to make a breakaway to follow Nikki when she visited with her horse Rio on the weekend. After they left he picked up their scent when I walked with him toward the barn, so he took off to go for what he thought was a requisite ride. This is the first time she has been here since Elaine and I have been taking Harley with us on our trail rides, so he will have to learn to distinguish between the horses that need escort and those that don't (he has not followed her before!). Although I was already about to get in my truck to go and retrieve him, Niki kindly called on her cell phone to tell me where to rendezvous with her. Bad dog. More communication is clearly necessary with Harley on this matter.

Last up is a little more fall colour from a week ago, already the wind has whisked away most of the mantle of red and orange. Only the oak trees are holding on to a few leaves. The deep green of the pines and hemlocks now peek through the white of the birches and brown of the other deciduous trees. Sure enough, this is a sign that moose hunting season has opened and the deer season is just around the corner. From now on I will be wearing my fluorescent PINK reflective clothing in the bush, not much of a chance that hunter will mistake anything that large and that pink for game. Mago has learned to cope with this great indignity, as he has learned to cope with my other embarrassing behaviours.

Snooze in the sun

2011-10-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

The next photo shows Belle (right) and Mago (left) lounging sleepily in the afternoon sun at the barn. This week we sealed up the eavestrough over the run-in opening for the shed with a few more aluminum sheet metal nails and some Gutter Seal. The latter is an incredibly sticky product that has excellent adhesion and flex properties. Fortunately it is dispensed from a caulking style tube, so contact with it is minimized (or mostly minimized??##!!). Mago will be happy to have that nasty bit of drip line eliminated as he seems to always be the one left standing in it.

Feeder research

2011-10-24T17:49:00.000-04:00

It seems that the way our hay was baled last year, I did not have waste problems using our Duplessis feeders, but this year the horses insist on pulling out too much hay at a time and wasting it. Angie and Princess demonstrate in the next photo how they are making a mess for me to clean up. I have to stay on top of this or the hay makes a mat and mulch layer that causes the area around the feeder to become terribly mushy. I have been researching a type of "slow feeder" for the Duplessis's and sure enough there is such a thing. It is made by a company that sells the so-called "Big Bale Buddy". The big bale slow feeder is a very tough giant bag with a draw cord closure and is made of a hockey net style very tough netting with 1-1/2 inch diameter openings. The horses have to work to pull the hay out in small tufts at a time. This has three benefits, it slows down their rate of eating the bale, it prevents them from pulling out large clumps causing waste and it keeps them entertained in a more natural "foraging" manner. I am thinking of trying one out, savings should be about $80 per month, so it will take about three months to get a payback for the cost of the feeder. This venture is a work in progress.

How to cope with a rainy fall day

2011-10-24T17:47:00.001-04:00

Although there were some mild brilliantly sunny days in the last two weeks, we have had a good share of rain as well. Gabby (Gabrielle) demonstrates how to snuggle in a comforter to deal with cold rainy days. There were more than just blustery winds on Wednesday night, apparently a water spout twisted its way up the Blind River into Lake Duborne, taking at least one boat and dock with it. In addition a chum of mine had a two foot by two foot patio stone (that was attached to the leg of a tent style carport) deposited on the windshield of her car! Miraculously the windshield and part of the car body was scratched but the glass was not broken. Weather can have quite a sense of humour.

The gravel trucks rumbled last week with some A gravel (a recycle type with some ground asphalt in it). We put four loads on the road and two loads next to the house where we park our vehicles. A little bit at a time will make the wet seasons easier to cope with. We also took delivery of two loads of "dirty" pea gravel, which is good for horse footing but not cleaned free of sand. Cheaper and just as useful for keeping the horses out of the muck on supportive but conforming footing. One load made a mound for a hay feeder "high spot" and the other was deposited just outside the horse's pen...... that would be because the truck got stuck. Although our trusty tractor was able to pull him out, it seems I left doing this job until a little too late in the season. Now we will have to wait until the ground freezes so that we can use the tractor to position the second load of pea gravel for another feeder and to extend the horse's loafing area. How do I know this???? That would be because of the culvert installation caper. We created a nice trail through the bush for the horses to get on to the trail system without using the driveway, which has minus two inch blasted rock on it. That surface is good for locking the road bed together but difficult for the horses. They are fine on natural rounded stoney ground, but the blasted rock is quite sharp edged. I managed to lay my hands on a WONDERFUL twenty foot length of twenty-four inch diameter plastic culvert (there is nothing like a really nice culver to make me happy), which we cut in half to use for the trails. We used the tractor to dig it into the existing ditching which goes around the main field, but got the tractor stuck when we came back with the front end loader heavy with fill to cover it in. Fortunately a four-wheel drive tractor with a loader is easy to free up when you empty your load and push yourself out with the loader, those muck ruts will need to be dealt with next year. That means we will have to find a way around the wet spot in the trail (we already jump the ditch itself) until the ground freezes and we can get the culvert properly installed late this fall. Given that, I definitely KNOW that we will not be moving the remaining pile of pea gravel around in the paddock for a while.

Fall colours

2011-10-22T19:59:00.002-04:00

This fall is going so fast that I missed out on some good fall colour photo opportunities! The leaves are now past their peak at the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, but hopefully the brilliantly sunny fall days will continue for a while yet.

Railings and newel creation

2011-10-22T19:57:00.000-04:00

Before the rain came in October, I managed to get all three coats of stain on the porch railings, up and down and up and down the ladder. It is necessary to do each section, front and back, one at a time to avoid a "stain line" showing. This should help MY toning??? This time of year, and being on the west side of the house, I have to wait until after 9 am to get the dew and condensation off the railings before I start and I can only go steady until 1:30 pm because it is best not to work in direct sunlight. This is actually fine because it leaves the afternoon with a few hours for riding, that's my story and I am sticking to it.

Shown next is a "carved" newel post for the top of the loft stairs. We prepared it from a cedar that was cut in the winter of 2009 and that was in the stacked to dry for fence posts or lumber pile. The bottom is squared up to accommodate fitting in the subfloor at the loft, plus it was bored with a 2 inch diameter hole and electrical outlet box. This post will house a two way switch for the light over the stairs. We had to be a bit creative to get the electrical "fish" line in place. The old fishing-line-and-vacuum-cleaner trick did not work due to the surface of the bored hole, so we used a length of flexible smooth horse fencing wire and small bungie cord hooks to get it through. Necessity is the mother of invention. We will complete this installation with the last 2 foot length of railing and extra handrail when Ronn is staying with us again.

Love that backhoe

2011-10-22T19:52:00.003-04:00

We did some more ditching on the road, had some posts for gates installed and made a swale (shallow ditching) to protect one of the horse trails. John is shown pushing a big rock out of the ditching along Kahles Road. You gotta love backhoes.....

Cleaning out scrap metal!

2011-10-22T19:50:00.002-04:00

October is productive! We loaded about 6 tons of scrap metal on Greg and Deana's flatbed in the manner of a large heavy jigsaw puzzle. We still have a few loads of miscellaneous materials from the Barbosa property to take to the dump, but we are making progress in getting that parcel of land cleaned up and "back to nature".

Magical Paws dog picnic

2011-10-22T19:47:00.000-04:00

This week Harley the Wonder Dog encountered an unexpected challenge in his therapy dog work, well actually a therapy dog play day. We had a "bring your own lunch" dog picnic at the little park on the south side of the road, just east of the Serpent River bridge. There is a sign with the symbol of a picnic table at the almost hidden entrance, which is less than about 50 feet from the bridge. Nestled in there is a quiet park that follows a natural bend in the river and that includes a great swimming spot for sliding on the smooth rocks through gentle rapids. Harley popped in for a swim but immediately came back to the group, getting together with so many doggy friends seemed to have him "wired" to the point of bouncing and vibrating. I was puzzled but thought it was related to having so many dogs around, albeit on lease. This was just as well because Harley was so wound up that he got quite snarly with two dogs, one little Papillon and a Sheltie. I pulled him off, scolded him and remained very puzzled as it is not at all like Harley to behave this way. After a few more minutes and a brisk "get on heel" walk, he seemed to settle down and sat quietly at my feet while we ate lunch with the other people and dogs. The first photo shows Harley with the group, we are on the right hand side. The next day we put our heads together and sorted out that the problem was the Papillon he first snarled at was in season, something Harley (although neutered himself) has likely never encountered..... apparently he still has some hormones to handle. The second dog that he snarled at was lying in the place that the Papillon had just been, so had the same scent. All in all, I now know that if he behaves that way again that he needs a strong correction and I need to ask the other person if their dog is in season, too bad for Harley that he just has to learn to cope with this situation. The next day we did a therapy work session at the Golden Birches nursing home in Blind River, with the same woman who had the Papillon in season. This time Harley was well behaved, the dog the other lady brought was not in season and he was back to his regular self. Always something to learn.

Mago and Angie on the trails

2011-10-22T19:46:00.001-04:00

Now THIS is how to see the world, through the ears of my faithful gelding Mago and along with my dear friend Elaine. We are riding twice a week and I generally get in one additional ride to make it three. Bob has been very helpful in clearing new sections of trail that we discover, although Elaine points out that there is still irregular footing and some maneuvering required (which is good for keeping a trail horse thinking). Mago continues to improve, he is very willing to move forward and explore new place,but steady. Despite being inexperienced and still not "using himself" fully, he has such a LOOOOONG striding walk you'd swear he was a gaited horse.

Angie often has to trot to catch up, which has the benefit of giving her some nice muscle toning. Angie has lots of trail experience but even Mago can handle the more difficult rocky and slash filled trails, however he still needs more practice on steep downhills. He is getting "softer" (this is a good thing) with responding to his hackamore (rope halter type bridle) and learning about neck reining. As Angie gets more miles of trails, she is getting quite zesty and bubbly. I often hear Elaine behind me saying things like, "hey pretty girl", only to look back and see her smiling with Angie marching along with tail high and ears pricked. This happens more often when we ride in the crisp morning air instead of the warm sunny afternoons.

Play too

2011-10-22T19:43:00.002-04:00

Ma-Nee and me are shown with Harley along the shore of Lake Huron in a deserted bay. We are pictured with one of the hauntingly lovely carvings that are in a circle of driftwood and old relics by the beach. Someone has been coming for a week or so annually to camp and make carvings. They have set up a sort of "honour circle" from driftwood, stones and salvaged metal. It took us over an hour to hike along the shore to find the spot, but it was worth the hike.

Starting porch railing staining

2011-10-22T19:40:00.004-04:00

Now to the outside! Early October sees me beginning to stain the west porch railing (note the two right hand panels). It took me a bit of organizing to get my equipment and ladders in the right configuration. We have clear weather forecast for the week so I hope to complete this task in the next few days.

Yet more stair details

2011-10-22T19:36:00.003-04:00

All the details put together are shown here, complete with root flare cedar posts, the twisters and ET!

This is one of the white pine stringers, now aged all of two weeks. The view is from the underside of the stairs. We will leave the bolt holes exposed on the stringers for another year and then they will be tightened and plugged. Note in this picture the rough finish that we left for character on the back sides of the stair treads. We will be able to put the finish on the underside of these treads and the stringers in a year.

The next photo shows the tenon joinery and lag bolt plugging at the corner newel post, which is one of the "root flare" cedar pieces. It is shimmed off the floor by 3/4 of an inch because that is the gap needed to put the finish flooring under it. We still have rough cut oak and black cherry planking stored in one of the sea containers, finishing it for flooring will be a future job.

For the top and sides of the stringers, Bob has been busy doing progressive sanding from 80 to 120 grit. The top and sides will be treated right away with a water based clear polyurethane floor finish for protection because the floor treads are already well seasoned and dried (for four years in air drying). This picture shows the top side of a black cherry stair tread with the "custom" cherry wood plugs in place and a sample of the finish coat options. The clear finish we selected to use is the "band" in the middle. Black cherry does not take stain very well, it tends to show in a blotchy manner - so using a clear finish and letting nature take its time to deepen the colour is what is recommended.

More stair building details

2011-10-22T19:22:00.001-04:00

The end of September was busy with Ronn (the log builder) and Dan (the railing expert) living with us while we completed the transition from the raw black cherry, white pine and cedar to finished railings and stairs. The first photo is the nearly completed stairs to the loft. Note that on the left hand side is a gap to accommodate a cultured stone finish on the wall, we have a retired stone mason to help us with this. There are shims at the bottom of the stairs which will be removed as we carry out three more seasons of dropping the jacks for the log wall shrinkage. In other words, we bring the stairs down with the walls. After the requisite heating seasons, the structure will be fully stable and we can set the permanent shimming on to the final flooring.

Note "ET" the extraterrestrial mounted on top of the bottom newel post, this is a hard maple tree burl, formed from disease or interference in the tree's development. This is a close up of ET.

Dan, Bob and me are shown in the process of preparing ET for installation. Originally we were thinking of mounting a wood carving on the newel post, but the burl seems eclectic enough to suit us.

I then feature a detail of one of the ash "twisters" in the stair railing spindles. This is a small ash tree that twisted because it was growing together with a vine. We cut this piece in Colborne and it has been drying and seasoning naturally, it made three spindles, two of which are shown installed in the following picture. One more was put in after this photo was taken to go in at the bottom by the newel post because a space greater than four inches remained there, making it not building code compliant. Now that it is in, we are fully compliant!

Friends and fun

2011-10-22T19:14:00.000-04:00

Here we have me and Bob along with the Kahles-Marshall fall visiting team with Bob's brother Jim and sister-in-law Marilu. We are shown checking out the Pier 17 restaurant that was newly opened in June of this year. Bob and I investigated it on opening night and it was a little dodgy that day. The restaurant and soon-to-be-motel are in an existing building along the river that is beautifully restored. In June it was somewhat disorganized and not "on the mark" for the food. With the summer to get some experience, the food is now excellent. We had great fun, and not just because they now have a liquor licence......

In this picture Bud demonstrates how to "JUST SAY NO" to chocolate.

More gatherings wrap up

2011-10-22T19:09:00.000-04:00

Bob is shown with Ma-Nee, just before she left to visit her daughter's family and grandsons. The are standing by the sweat lodge constructed to wrap up the fasting weekend. For the fast itself, I was in a little tent on my own, about 200 feet from the "base camp", all in the forest on our property. Not having any food in the tent is quite beneficial from the perspective of generating no interest from curious local bears and other wildlife. My tent was surrounded by a ring of cedar leaves, one of the traditional medicines and for protection. A traditional and effective way to lay down a "non-food" scent. In order to be certain, when I left the safety circle to let my bladder have some relief, I opened a spot in the cedar leaves, closed them, and piddled in a territorial way around the outside of my ring. Why not demonstrate some behavior that is understandable to the local creatures? The folks at the base camp drummed for moral support and checked on me twice a day, but otherwise it was incredibly peaceful and meditative time. For some folks who are not used to being in the bush alone, getting over the fear of this is a big step. I was comfortable with that aspect, given the physical arrangements, so was able to get a great deal out of this time. At base camp, they had a sleep tent and a kitchen tent, plus two fires, one for cooking and one ceremonial (sacred). The latter is strictly attended in shifts around the clock while a fast is underway. Surprisingly, I did not feel hungry at all throughout the fast. I had tapered down my eating prior to starting it and had given up coffee about a month prior. I quit drinking coffee in the tradition of giving something up, for me the most difficult thing in the selection of vices from coffee, sweets, chocolate and alcohol. The other consideration was that I wanted to get through the coffee withdrawal headache period before having the fast. Being a woman, it was acceptable to have sips of cedar tea during the fast time. My research on cedar tea shows that in moderation, a few tablespoons at a time, it contains a great deal of vitamin C and can be beneficial (as it was to Jacques Cartier who received it from native North Americans when he and his 18th century explorers were suffering from scurvy). On the other hand, like any "medicine", it can be harmful if taken in large quantities. Following the fast, five of our group went through a sweat lodge process. The frame shown in the picture is covered with tarps and blankets to create a dark and "womblike" space. There is a pit dug into the middle where hot rocks from a fire nearby are passed in three "rounds" into the lodge. The sweat lodge leader (Ma-Nee) used a branch with cedar leaves to shake water from a container on to the rocks, creating a sauna. During the time in the lodge, the leader shares teachings and each person has several chances to speak about how they feel and what they are experiencing. After being cramped in a rather small space for several days, it served to limber me up nicely and was followed by a feast, laid out for everyone and to wrap up the fast. This process was not only enlightening, but also a learning experience for me. The process is called either a fast or a vision quest. A fast can occur without the desire to quest for enlightenment and vision, but when it includes time cloistered alone and followed by a sweat, it is often called a vision quest. As with eastern meditation, one of the objectives is to still the chatter in your mind and find a place of stillness, inner peace and inner knowledge. Being inexperienced, I would say that I touched on this feeling but need more meditative practice to be good at it. In other words I am not transformed into a totally changed and zen person, but I feel better for taking a little step in that direction. Each person finds a life path in their own way and this traditional Ojibwe approach embraces that concept, so it's for me!

Mago and the festivities

2011-10-20T10:25:00.001-04:00

We took a mid-September break for an Ojibwe tradition wedding and drumming festivities! A group of about 25 of us met for two days of pot luck and fun over Saturday and Sunday. Ma-Nee (pictured with me) is the elder who carried out the ceremonies and she stayed overnight with us for a few days. The ceremonies were very moving and beautiful. To add a horse blessing, I dressed Mago in regalia and he marched right up to the fire and drumming circle. He stood beautifully to be photographed with the bride, groom and guests. He was quite insufferable actually, strutting like a peacock, POSING and gracefully accepting treats from folks. He perked his ears as though he KNEW he was being photographed, stood like a rock and then did NOT want to go back to the barn. Pretty good considering that it was only my tenth time riding him, that I've never worn a dress before riding him, that he was all fluttery with decorative ribbons and that this was the first time that I've ever used that bitless bridle on him. He clearly has the notion that he is something special and it made me so amused I almost fell off of him giggling. How did he know how to do this parade stuff????? Bob is clearly giving him the "book" to read about such things at night. Just look at the expression on his face, I am sure that he is so pleased with himself that he will be quite impossible to live with unless I can keep his fans coming to adore him. Good grief.

Steps into place

2011-10-20T10:21:00.001-04:00

The treads are "glove" fitted into place using the short cut sections of muffler pipe as bushings. They are then through bolted with the 7/16" threaded rod. These bolt holes will be filled in with wooden plugs made of the same black cherry material as the treads themselves. Note Dan with the pounder that he made for such fittings, it is a natural hard maple burl mounted on a wooden handle.

We were all so enthusiastic about getting this done that we could not stop ourselves. We stopped for a dinner snack and then worked with lights until midnight to get all the treads in. After over 30 years of log house building, Ronn still gets excited about each new creation.

Here is the partly finished product, enough to keep them safe and let us all break for four days of rest... well not exactly for Bob and me. George is checking things out from tread #4.

Another view, still spindles and more railings to go.

Clever inside positioning

2011-10-20T10:17:00.001-04:00

Now the trick that made this really slick, we transfer the lifting to a wheeled single lift of scaffolding, using a peeled fence post log as a lift beam. With this "trolley" we roll the stair assembly into position. This seems to be the "secret" of log stair building, to be tackled only with the guidance of a professional log builder!!!!

From here we transfer from the trolley to a second log lift beam, this one at the stair opening in the loft floor (you can see a bit of the second beam on the right at the top of the photo).

Now we hoist them into place and fine tune the fitting into the space (e.g. by flattening the log header beam of the opening with an electric chain saw). Ronn kindly switched to using clear chainsaw oil instead of the usual messy red oil.

Flip and in the door

2011-10-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

Bob and helpers used the tractor to flip the stair assembly with all but four of the stair treads (two top and two bottom) removed. With Bob at the controls, we did the preliminary positioning with the tractor to run them into the house using saw horses. Although the treads are black cherry, seasoned by air drying for four years - the stringers are white pine, seasoned for only two days........ They were a little sticky to handle.....

From here they are guided to the porch and "roller" logs (that's double duty for the future stair railing posts).

The "from" view of running the stair assembly in.

Loft stairs continue

2011-10-20T10:06:00.000-04:00

Ronn is shown with a mirror and special self inking scribing tool. The stringers are scribed to fit the "round" of each log stair tread.

Dan uses two squares to set the alignment and spacing for the treads.

The stringers are bored out to match the treads for bolting.

Elaine watches on as we now finish off the other side of the treads with the stringers off.

Now the loft stairs - we begin

2011-10-20T10:01:00.000-04:00

The jagged cut edge is of a plywood jig used to build the stairs in an upside down and backwards configuration, basically you build them lying down and then flip them over to put them in place. In order to get perfect alignment, we needed to fit the lovely black cherry treads to the pine stringers a few times. The treads are set into the jig, which is cut based on the dimensions of the place it is to be installed. They are then drilled and trimmed in various stages with and without the stringers laid on top of them. I had expected Ronn to bring the stringers, but he did not, so we found two nice white pine and harvested them for the stringers. We used Ronn and Dan's peeling blades, and this went quickly but the pine is very sticky with pine sap. The hardwood black cherry stringers are seasoned with four years of air drying, but for these structural members, Ronn normally uses green logs such as the pine ones that we cut. This was an adventure as we felled them along the edge of our property and used the tractor to drag them across the 557 highway on to River Road to load them on the trailer......

We needed a few more spindles, so here I am using Ronn's draw blade instead of my little scraper. It is faster but not as smooth a job. I am very fond of his clamping vice, pictured here holding the spindle for me.

Elaine took this picture of (clockwise from the left) - Ronn, Bob, me, Frank and Dan working on the treads. They are bored and countersunk for bolting using a novel fastening technique. There are short pieces of 3 inch diameter muffler pipe used at each of the two bolting spots on the treads. This acts as a strengthening bushing to seat the stringer-to-tread connection. Inside this, the hole all the way through the stringer and tread is made for the 7/16 inch threaded rod bolting.

West porch railing comes together

2011-10-20T09:52:00.000-04:00

Mid September comes and we see the results of all that cutting and peeling we did in the summer. We worked from Wednesday to Monday, dawn to dusk with Ronn Hann the log builder and Dangerous Dan (nice fellow, relates to another story) helping out, as well as Elaine and Frank on Monday. Ronn and Dan stayed here with us so we had some great visiting and dinner conversation too. Here the fabricated railing pieces are assembled, using a nice set of Veritas brand cutters for making the dowel and tenon end fittings for the spindles and rails.

Dan stands in front of the freshly installed elephant tusk, adding more curves to add to the roundedness of the house, giving the picture that it is growing right out of the ground. These corner braces were my idea because I did not like the lack of support at the ends for the straight rail run, despite assurances that it was acceptable. I could see that bending moment in my mind.... so we adopted a creative solution! Bob was the one who conceived the idea to put them on this way around, we'd also toyed with using the radius the other way around, scooping up instead of down.

Here is the nearly completed railing. After this photo was taken, Dan inserted and sanded down wooden plugs over the lag bolt holes at the bottom. I then polish sanded the whole thing again, scrubbed it with 25% bleach solution and finally "painted" it liberally with Sasco Boracol 20-2 BD (a water based solution containing 20% disodium octaborate tetrahydrate). The latter is a preservative that prevents blackening of the wood and protects it from insect infestation. Once dry, I will be able to put the final three part Sansin stain and sealer on - hopefully within the next week or two.

Happier early September fun

2011-10-20T09:30:00.001-04:00

On a happier note, I was able to squeeze some trail riding in this week. First I rode with Elaine and then today with just Mago, Harley and me. Mago was put out because on Saturday Anne helped me with some hoof trimming - it was fine when we worked on Mago, but when we got to Angie, Mago did not approve. Mago and Princess were turned loose, so he reached out of the pen and retrieved first a cotton quilted saddle blanket, then a neoprene girth, then Anne's water bottle - each time tossing them into or at Angie's stall to get our attention. When this did not work, he leaned over the door and wall and blew his hot breath on us, contributing to the already very hot day. There was no getting away today when I came back from my overnight camping to clean the barn. After getting his vitamins and hemp meal, I let them all back out. He scooted out to get a drink of water and then right back into his stall to nibble hay and wait for me to pay attention to him, the girls were long gone in the pasture. I left his stall door open and brushed him, and he still was not leaving. So I popped the saddle on and snuck off into the end of the pasture without Harley, thinking that I might take Mago for a little gallop and Harley may not be able to keep up with us. I also wanted to try a more challenging bush trail for the first time. We worked our way through the meadow and down a trail that is partly washed out from spring flooding. We needed to track through a little slash to avoid some bad spots. Once I was not sure which was the best way so I got off and led him, he trooped along even when there was actually no trail to follow. I mounted back up and took him on a section of trail that is very steep and rocky, requiring careful weaving to get good footing. Not only did he truck up there at a steady pace, working around trees and rocks as I asked him to, but he also stopped halfway up a particularly steep section to look back and show me that Harley had tracked us down. Now at this point we NEEDED to keep our momentum, so I grabbed some mane, leaned well forward and gave him a slap on the flank. He returned to surging up that hill and I stopped him at the top to catch his breath. It was a long hard climb but he was not even puffing!!!! We sent Harley on ahead and carried on for the rest of the ride. Interestingly, Harley caught up to us about 20-30 minutes into the ride, so he must have gone over to the barn looking for me and then tracked us by smell, so maybe he can add being a tracking dog to his set of skills. On our return I got Bob to snap a picture of us, me very happy with our progress.

I let Mago graze a bit and Harley seemed to think he should participate and chewed on the grass to, they are pictured together grazing. Our animals all seem to have most peculiar personalities. Don't in any way consider that this is a request from me to know why, I think I already have an inkling that their caretaker is a contributing factor.

Ivan goes to heaven

2011-10-20T09:27:00.001-04:00

On a sad note, I had to dispatch Ivan, my orange and white feline chum of 10 years to heaven this week. He was fine at his annual May checkup, but over the last two months developed a growth in the large muscle of his left hind leg. Although cheerful, he had a rapid loss of weight and so despite being able to get him eating soft food again, the prognosis for him was that he would soon begin to suffer. It is a difficult but necessarily compassionate requirement to help our little furry friends when this happens, so we let him go. He is buried here at home and I'm sure that his spirit is in heaven playing with his old friend Widgy.

Parging done

2011-10-20T09:24:00.001-04:00

Early September brings more progress with the west-walkout side of the basement. The masonry parging was done to the exposed west walkout side of the basement. Dieter provided expertise so that he and Bob could do this together, and it went well. We used a product called Sika Topcoat Seal 107, it is a polymer cement which adheres directly to either brick, concrete or polystyrene. The latter was the surface that we applied it to, meaning the outer styrofoam part of our insulated concrete form (ICF) foundation. Although more expensive and tricky to use than regular parging material, it adheres and sets up very well when applied correctly. We were glad that we used the expertise of a stonemason for the work because we heard of another general contractor who applied it to all four exposed walls on a local house and it flaked right back off. As in handling most of this kind of product, surface preparation and between coat preparation are critical, as is mix ratios and thorough blending. Dieter has some physical limitations these days but he is very knowledgeable and has all the tools for this so it was an interesting learning experience. I am happy to put regular parge on the block at the barn but was glad that I did not tackle this job. The surface must cure for thirty days and then it can be painted. That is the next challenge, finding a good quality compatible paint. The Sika technical rep has only data for cosmetic finishing using their own products, although it is not a foolproof method for success, I am a big fan of research.

Labour Day celebrations

2011-10-20T09:13:00.000-04:00

The ceremony for the practical (as opposed to official) end of summer took place at my chum Deb and Mike's camp on Bright Lake. There was great food and lots of music. Pictured is Paulette and Bob singing "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" with Patty, Deb, Fern and others providing backup. Bob stayed behind to finish up some floor truss work in the loft and I camped the night in Anne and John's tent, having had a few beers it was no time to drive. I was prepared with my sleeping bag and wooly socks. It was my first time camping in tent since when I was in my twenties.....that's right, over 30 years ago.... Compared to my old canvas tent, this new style nylon vented one was very comfy. I was alarmed at first that it had the appearance of a sultan's tent, but John assured me that the arrangements were all very respectful, which they were as well as comfortable. I had a great time, thanks to Deb and Mike for the gathering and to Anne for giving me some barefoot horse hoof trimming tips while she was here.

Prep to parge

2011-08-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

On the progress front, we took delivery of a propane fueled gas furnace this week in an effort to catch up a little with modern technology. We received a good price from Bob's golfing partner who is a ticketed sheet metal installer for the local fuel supply facility. We are also proceeding with the masonry parging of the west basement wall. By good fortune we have connected with a neighbor who is a semi-retired stone mason and who will do this for us for a very reasonable fee. Harley is looking on at the "before" for the west side of the house where Bob is prepares the wall for the parging.

Little herb garden

2011-08-29T21:25:00.000-04:00

My little herb garden is still growing with the mild days and cool (but not freezing) nights. The dill, sage, marigold, sweet grass and lavender all did nicely in my hillbilly old tire planters. The sweet grass is nice when braided and drying in the house, plus it also imparts this nice sweet herbal smell when burnt like incense (in a non-combustible bowl!). If I can salvage some topsoil from the pile and a few cedar posts, I will make a little larger raised garden next year for tomatoes and other northern friendly vegetables. It seems the trick to this is a solar powered 3 to 4 wire electric fence, this keeps the creatures who also like these crops from indulging in domesticated gardens.

Geese are gathering

2011-08-29T21:23:00.000-04:00

The Canada geese are gathering and starting to collect in V-shaped flocks, so summer is winding down. Already one of the maples is starting to turn at the septic-bed-disguised-as-a-putting green, which caused Bob so much distress that while whacking defenseless golf balls at the weekend's club tournament, one of his favorite clubs (a Ping 7 iron for those who know what this is) broke right in half. This lead to a VERY BAD GAME, so a little return of summer sizzle would make him feel much better. This blog is dedicated to Gil Jurchison, a former colleague of many years who passed away suddenly. Thanks for all you taught me.

Trail riding and hitching

2011-08-22T23:21:00.000-04:00

This week we added hitching rails to the barn and round pen - all the better for resident and visiting riders! I tested Mago by taking him to a T in the trail and seeing if he would take me home, he did not. As long as I know where I am, that's fine and great that he is eager to go. It is not very helpful if I get myself lost......

Magical Paws!

2011-08-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

Harley the Wonder Dog passed his assessment to be a therapy dog and we did our first assignment at a senior's residence in Elliot Lake. He received a good review from the more experienced handlers and we had a great time. Lots of treats and petting for Harley, who along with the other dogs generated lots of smiles from the clients. I think that he will get better at it as he associates wearing the bandana with being "on the job", meaning not playing but standing quietly to be petted and given treats. He takes the latter very gently and politely and loved getting extra hugs.

Not the most glamorous

2011-08-22T23:13:00.000-04:00

This shot tends to make Mago look like a moose and me as though I have put on 50 pounds, but none the less it shows us on our return from our first trail ride this year. After his third time being ridden and only his second time this year, we did nice smooth walk, trot and canter. He moves very nicely and is eager to go. He'll be a GREAT trail horse. I must try to get some better pictures under saddle however.....

Interesting log shapes

2011-08-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

There are two of these curved logs to be used as elbow braces for the west porch railing, prepared and ready for early September installation.

These interesting root flare cedars will be newel posts for the inside log stairs going to the loft.

Signs of late summer

2011-08-22T23:06:00.000-04:00

The early evening mists at 8 pm are a sign that it is August, alas!

Another sure sign of August is that my double tiger lilies are in bloom. I am having to fight back the bracken fern that are threatening to take over my little lily patch!

Bats are back!

2011-08-22T23:03:00.000-04:00

This little creature may not be a welcome visitor to some, but as long as they do not take up residence in the house, it's fine that they have made a comeback. Bats were essentially wiped out in this area due to a fungal ailment referred to as "white nose disease", so it was a surprise to see this fellow looking quite healthy today. The dragonflies have been more abundant than usual this summer, likely because they are taking over eating the insects that the bats usually go after. Being a bat, this one was oblivious to the flash from my camera. I caught him in the photo after he swooped past my head at a neighbor's barn.

My truth

2011-08-08T20:36:00.000-04:00

The house may be coming along nicely but the truth is that without the barn it is.... well.... not so much of anything......

Little summertime get away

2011-08-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

This series of five shots shows my niece and a couple of other young friends having fun at the Cedar Rail Ranch outpost camp - the only way in is by horse or boat. Fun was had by all!

Summer concerts by the river

2011-08-08T20:27:00.000-04:00

Women in Song were featured in the concerts by the river series in Blind River, and we were out to cheer them on. My favorite is one of theirs, "I knew her when".

Solution to peeling problems and an odd place for a bath....

2011-08-08T20:25:00.000-04:00

I was struggling to finish peeling the last of the spindles in mid-July, so Bob kindly dredged up a bathtub that he found in the bush near an old cabin site to the east and I used it to soak them. This worked nicely and I show a photo of the tub with the last few pieces still in it. While I worked on them up above on the porch, I got to pondering about that bathtub sitting on the front lawn. Although we have a shower plumbed into the house, we do not have a bathtub yet........ so I scrubbed it out, put some nice fresh cedar leaves in there and filled it with the hose. I let it warm up in the afternoon sun and hopped in that evening, with candles on the corner to light my way. Bob tried to get a photo of this caper, but quarreled with the camera and was not able to capture the moment (about which I discreetly posed with strategically draped towel). Bob is thinking that I am becoming just a little peculiar spending so much time working at the house after this experience, so he's trying to get me to get out a little more.

Summer asiatics

2011-08-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

Two of my lilies, summer asiatics.

I am a great aunt!

2011-08-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

Here is Benjamin, my brand new high flying great nephew. On a flight from Halifax to Toronto, he started to arrive...... causing an emergency landing in Montreal and an appearance within 6 hours. I am not biased in thinking he is VERY cute.

Summer skies

2011-08-08T20:16:00.002-04:00

The view from the porch, through the log columns. What do you see in the clouds?

Wild and tame

2011-08-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

Mago lounges in the foreground while two sandhill cranes and a deer share the pasture, all in close proximity to each other and all relaxed about it.

Summer serenity, cultivated and from cultivated?

2011-08-08T20:10:00.000-04:00

Powwow and little feet

2011-08-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

Great July dancing and drumming at the powwow this year, with a great find for my new grand nephew's little wee feet.

Make Hay while the Sun Shines

2011-08-01T23:53:00.000-04:00

One nice load of 105 little bales, times two gives us 210 in storage for this year. After slugging these in the heat and humidity, I vow to go with only a few next year and all or mostly the big bales........ they are so much less work!

Community Days Summer Fun and Parade!

2011-08-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

Being goofy

2011-08-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

Wild and cultivated summer lovelies

2011-08-01T23:46:00.002-04:00

Turtle crossing

2011-08-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

June and July bring the turtles out on the road to find places to lay their eggs, and this gal did not seem to mind interrupting her trip to pose for a moment. She is not a snapper, so less inclined to be grumpy and bite my fingers. She happily trotted on her way when I put her down.

Trade and tidy

2011-06-27T18:43:00.000-04:00

Harley had a bit of a fright a couple of days ago. It all started when we worked on an exchange of cedar posts for backhoe work to ditch and repair Kahles Road, given that a fair exchange is no robbery. Bob is shown with John, loading the 200+ fence posts on to John's trailer for the first of five loads.

We also used the tractor and forks to lift the last wrecked car out of the field and over to the pile of scrap metal that we have collected for the next pickup. This is where Harley had a problem, you see the old car was plunked right in front of one of our walking paths and HOW DID THAT STRANGE THING GET THERE!!!!!!! For a dog that rarely barks, there was much woofing and checking in with Catherine. I walked over and gave it a hearty WHACK and then patted it, declaring it to be quite dead and safe to approach. He now is satisfied that it can rest there until it is removed. The scrap collector who did the first removal a couple of years ago managed to decline to pay us for the three truckloads and related scale weights, but we have found another dealer that appears to be more reliable. The former has gone out of business, perhaps persuaded by another irate supplier????? We understand that he is out of business and in a suitably unhappy karmic situation, given his treatment of others over the last couple of years. And so it goes, you reap what you sow. Life has a funny way of returning what you give.

Summer blooms

2011-06-27T18:38:00.000-04:00

In the time that we have been here, I had not noticed the bold pink wild roses in the pathway to the well. The longer that we are here, the more that we learn to look more carefully for what has been there for some time. I managed to catch the roses while still dewey from one of the many recent rains. Apparently this distracted my concentration, on our return both Harley the Wonder Dog and I were soaked to the skin. He had a mighty shake and felt fine, but I shivered my way into a dry set of clothes.

Another outing with Harley revealed the profusion of blooms on the blackberry bushes this year. I would pretend to keep their location a secret, but that is not possible because they are all along Kahles Road and our main lane. There are lots of blueberries ripening in the meadow all around the horse pasture, but the sandhill cranes are picking away at them faster than they can finish ripening. They have similarly "harvested" the wild strawberries.

Work in progress

2011-06-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

Bob's theme for the week has been week whacking and lawn cutting. Not only has he trimmed up the putting green (septic bed), but he has also whacked out the burdock in the path to the north trail and he has started to brush out the field. He is shown in "Mad Mower" mode in the picture. As if that was not enough, he volunteers every Monday at the golf course and cuts fairways with their super mower. There should be less to do next year if we can get some more fencing done this summer for the horses - they will be fans of the idea too.

My obsession for the week has been cedar log peeling. I just can't seem to stop myself, but am not finished yet. I have taken to wearing some protective "part" gloves, they allow for me to still feel to peel and they prevent me from gouging my hands so much with the peeling blade. The posts and rails for the west porch railing are all peeled now, I just have to do the 83 spindles and some supplies for doing the inside stairs. Despite the work to harvest and prepare them, supplying the peeled materials makes the installation more personal. I would like to get finished so that I can start to get some riding in, that was the idea with retirement???

New addition

2011-06-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

It is "previously owned" but in great shape with far less mileage than Bob's old one (which is pushing 500,000 kilometers). Harley has not been allowed in it yet, so he does not get too excited when it comes and goes. The only remaining problem is that although the plates are removed, Bob's old truck is still here. He has some reasons for this, but I am suspicious that it has more to do with the unnatural attachment that he has to it. I'll have to keep an eye on this matter so that we don't accumulate the valley of the dead trucks here. We have a scrap metal dealer coming to pick up the remaining odds and ends of metal that we have been collecting to have removed, I am gunning that what ever Bob does not salvage from it, will go with the rest. I just hope that he can cope with the separation. Hmmmm.

End of spring

2011-06-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

Spring is now lush and ready to roll into summer. Days are finally dryer and warmer, but evenings are still pleasantly cool. Fine for sleeping indoors but maybe still a little chilly for being lost in the forest. I have one last delivery of plants that I ordered from Richters Herbs, but it is being held captive by the postal strike. Richters have kindly sent the order again today, but alas it is by Canpar, who (unlike Purolator) has not ventured up our lane yet. The Purolator driver zooms up here with no problem, but new drivers are timid about it. Too bad the adventure seekers on ATV's and mud trucks don't feel the same way!

Harley checks on the beached tree

2011-06-15T22:22:00.002-04:00

A visit to Camp Kahles revealed an errant tree that was a victim of our recent thunderstorms. Once it dries up a bit, the tractor should pull it out. Harley thinks this is a fun thing! He was supposed to be tested this week to be a therapy dog, but the folks who were to do it got hung up on the highway due to an accident that blocked their passage from Elliot Lake to Blind River. We have re-booked, so he may soon be a "working dog". Going to visit people to get patted and admired does not seem like it will be a bad job for a dog like Harley.

Tree frogs

2011-06-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

Bob has been industriously stacking some oak that needs one more year to dry before we split it and use it for firewood, one more pile to find a protective covering for! With all of the wet this spring, Bob had some wee friends helping him with this job, several little green tree frogs. They liked to sun themselves on the wood, up and away from the snakes that might like to nibble on them. Bob would lift them carefully out of the way, only to return for another trip and have to do it again. A good thing too because I am very fond of frogs.

A neighboring construction project

2011-06-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

We knew that our log builder was busy doing a site re-assembly (construction) for some folks on Lake Lauzon, which is just to the east of us, so we popped over for a visit. Our timing was good because Ronn Hann was still there and able to show us around. Earlier in the spring we had removed the temporary stairs he loaned to us at our own site re-assembly in 2008, and he was just at the point where he could use them for this job. We scooted home and delivered them to him at the site. The couple building the house are a dentist and his wife, so I took a picture of the front entranceway that has a bit of a "tooth root" theme.

The construction style is a bit unusual and rather complex, it is log style timber frame, complete with a multisided architectural style. It has a gorgeous view of Lake Lauzon, which will be very tranquil for the owners to enjoy when the chaos of building is over.

Gardening via recycling

2011-06-06T13:06:00.000-04:00

I have been busy creating temporary gardens via recycling used tires! We had planned to drop the abandoned ones that we collected from the field and trails off at the local tire shop for their recycling route, until I asked Bob to round a few up for me to use. I dug topsoil from our storage piles, mixed it with bagged peat moss and potting soil, then used it to fill the tires and some pots for flowers and herbs (sage, peppermint, dill, lavender, basil and cilantro).

I also mulched the soil around the plants in the tires and pots for two reasons: to conserve moisture and to discourage Harley the Wonder Dog from seeing these containers as a place to bury his toys and treasures. Harley is pictured observing the pots with distain, he does not seem to like the flower scents as well as that of dead fish and other dog favorites.

Semi-annual adjustments

2011-06-06T13:03:00.000-04:00

We completed another semi-annual log house duty, the adjustment of the log post and column jacks. The full scribe round log style walls compress by 6% over a period of about five years, so at year 2-1/2, we are roughly half way to achieving the final vertical wall height (there is no horizontal shrinkage with this style of construction). Each of the window and door frames in the log walls are fixed and equipped with a tooth-in-groove slider to allow the walls to compress smoothly past them. The interim flexible trim at tops of the windows stays in place until the settling process is complete. We have a special tool provided by the log builder to turn the nut on the jacks in the spring and fall of each year. There are jacks under each porch post plus three spots inside the house as well as one under the main king truss support column and two in load bearing positions located "in" a stud wall that runs parallel to and under the summer beam for the loft area. We drop the jacks by about 1/4 to 1/2 inch each time, so 1/2 to 1 inch per year. This progressively locks the logs in the main walls, increasing the seal that from the outset was provided by closed cell foam gasket material at the toe of each log scribe surface. Once the logs have compressed by the predicted 6.5 inches, they will achieve a stable wall height and the final fixed top window and door trim can be installed.

New life in the puddles

2011-06-06T13:01:00.000-04:00

The spring rains have not only caused the grass to develop vigorously but they have also caused the puddles to burst with lots of wiggling tadpoles. There is a puddled area behind the house which is full at night of very vocal singing frogs, and that is teeming with fledgling frogs. I took a picture of the little fellows as they wriggled about looking for food. This area tends to dry up by mid-June, at which time they must move on to the damp forest to the west of this spot for the summer. The seasonal wet spot seems to be a sufficient environment to keep the frog population in good shape because they show up at this spot every spring.

Trimming the pen

2011-06-06T12:58:00.000-04:00

Mago is seeing no hardship in trimming the grass in his round pen. A little trimming on his part will make this a familiar place and ready it to use to play with him under saddle in preparation for riding on the trails. I sat on the top of the rails and although he "checked in" with me from time to time, he showed no interest at all in the girls who were left behind in the adjacent paddock.

Indicators of spring moving to summer

2011-06-06T12:54:00.000-04:00

Not only did I encounter this wee bunny on a lawn neighboring my parents house (while on an evening walk during a visit), but on return to Angara, the next two photos show more signs.

The trilliums are even more lovely with fresh raindrops sparkling on their petals and leaves. These are ones that I found right behind the house.

Although cultivated, these are lilacs that were planted by the old clubhouse by Cook's. They have survived untended for many years now.

That's it for these stairs...finally

2011-05-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

Here are the finally finished basement stairs, sealed to the treads and wall with a product called DAB. This is dispensed like caulking from a tube and meant for use in carpentry. Bob is very handy putting this on in one stroke and dressing it with one swipe of a finger. I did this job and managed to have to do odd looking gymnastics to get the DAB to the bottom underside of the bull nosing on the treads, which I followed by repeated dressing to get a smooth surface. The latter resulted in me having DAB all over me, my painting clothes and parts of the stairs that did not need DAB'ing. Fortunately it is washable with water when still wet, so I DAB'd and cleaned as I went, but looked quite a sight in the process. This time George stayed well out of the way and I managed to get touch up painting on it without too much on Harley, George, Ivan, Gabby or Bob. It is a good thing that I do not have latex allergies, as wearing gloves is the only way that I can prevent my hands from having their color adjusted.

Mago does not miss much

2011-05-16T20:22:00.000-04:00

That Mago does not miss much!

He is shown posing with the birch trees greening behind him. He is looking very much the Morgan breed with his stance and is finally filling out from his earlier days of being a skeletal rescue case. The horses have just about shed their winter coats, leaving pads of brown hair just right for the birds to use for nest building.

Cultivated and visitors

2011-05-16T20:17:00.001-04:00

Harley the Wonder Dog hears Bob coming up the lane and so steps into my daffodil photo, which is better than lying in them which he had been attempting a few moments before.

Fortunately he missed these visitors:

This male and female wood duck waddled across our lane on their way to a little pond protected by the forest. Last year a pair stayed through the summer, perhaps they will this year too.

They are welcome visitors..... unlike the porcupine that Harley found but fortunately did not touch. He came back to my call in time for the prickly visitor to retreat up a tree. Phew and thanks for Sherry for working on this encounter retrieval last summer...

More spring unfurling

2011-05-16T20:02:00.001-04:00

Nature unfurls here spring treasures... one at a time!

We continue to bud and green up, albeit slowly this year. Although the sun has finally arrived and the birch trees are turning the forest roof to soft green again, the overnight temperatures are still dipping to the freezing point and the last three days we were whipped with a north wind. There is a blanketing of little yellow wildflowers all over and some trilliums about to open on the forest floor.

While out with Harley the Wonder Dog, we discovered lots of ferns cresting their way open. These are not the fiddlehead variety, so they are safe from my saucepan.

I love the blooming of life that happens in spring, even the tips of the hemlocks show pale buds this time of year.

Work and Play

2011-05-09T23:06:00.000-04:00

Harley the Wonder Dog takes a break after a run peaking at 36 km/hour and cruising with the ATV on the forest trails. This was a break for us after a day of working on wiring. A test of any relationship is working together on electrical code compliance..... We are going to finish up on our own permit where our electrician left off. A visit from the inspector gets us to change a few things but generally shows us to be on track. Now it is just painstaking careful work to get the next phase done. It will be nice to soon have a little more lighting (other than candles and the trouble light), some main floor receptacles and an electric stove.... how decadent!

George shows how to be mellow about everything. This despite a day of being locked in his cat carrier after running through the wet paint on the basement stairs that I was working on...... he is shown here on the back of the sofa with his paw on Bog's shoulder while we watch a movie.

Sun and mosquitoes

2011-05-09T22:56:00.000-04:00

Lovely Belle basks in the sun but already shows the mark of the mosquitoes who have also returned. The horses move to spending mid-day in the shelter and frolicking at dawn and dusk.

Pecking in grand style

2011-05-09T22:53:00.000-04:00

This handsome Pileated Woodpecker did a dance around the tree with me, so I was barely able to get a photo.... but managed this one before he evaded me. He is doing pecking detail close to the house as we often hear him hammering away. I hope he focuses on dead trees.....

Budding into Spring

2011-05-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

Following Mother's Day, the trees finally had a chance to bask in the sun and have started to open up their buds. This is a welcome relief compared to last week's record rainfall. The start of Kahles Road remains a bit of a casualty to the rainfall as one of the hydro feed line poles needs shoring up. Hydro One was right out to look at it and will repair it, then more permanent road repairs can be made. Always something!

The forest floor is also greening up and soon the spring flowers will be peeking out.

Preparing for the next heating season already

2011-05-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

Bob's chainsaw of 35+ years finally quit and he reluctantly replaced it..... Greg at Howson's rolled his eyes when Bob whined about how it should have lasted longer. He sure gets attached to his favorite tools. Re-equipped with a Husqvarna 365 model, he was back happy as a clam preparing for next winter. Work in progress is shown. We using logs taken to clear pathways last winter when the selective poplar harvest was done. The partial load that they left stacked for us has helped one friend and Bob's brother Jim, plus it is going to cover two years of our needs. Once that is done we should not need to do more than take wind fall trees every year, even that will be too much for what we will use!

Mago prepares for trail riding

2011-05-02T22:43:00.000-04:00

Note him playing with the ball that I hung up for when he is inside - he flings it around with gusto for his hour of "rest" each day.

I have taken to the trails on the ground with Mago to familiarize him with where he will shortly be getting going under saddle. His paddock has limited good footing for galloping and playing, so when I got him out in front of the house he was quite exuberant. To start, I put his bareback pad on then played in circles, sideways and backwards to get the "knots out". From there, we have for several days now gone trekking on the trails to check them out, both of us on foot and finding that there are still some pretty mushy wet spots. After another week or so most of the trails should have a more solid bottom and Mago will be adjusted to Harley the Wonder dog trotting ahead and sometimes racing out of the bush from behind him. The first couple of times this caused a big show of bucking and such jolliness. By the end they were working in harmony and looking for each other, Harley to lead, Mago to investigate the interesting smells and sights along the way. We were able to get from head up and boing-boing-boing stepping to relaxed neck and back, forward and floppy ears and soft blinking eyes on Mago. The latter being a horse that can cope with trail riding. He gallops to the gate and stuffs his head into the halter now because he seems very eager to get out and play this springtime game. Hopefully after hours on the trail in the summer he will still feel the same way..... maybe if I keep trim enough to make it easier for him???

Robins of Spring

2011-05-02T22:39:00.000-04:00

Undaunted by spring's rambuncious weather, the summer birds have been making their way back in great numbers. We recently had a blanketing flock of robins come through. Looking out the window the sight of a carpet of fluttering robins is enough to induce dizziness. I snapped a photo of one fellow right by the back door after he cheekily hopped about and drew my attention to all of his friends. They did not linger long, hopping here and there and finally taking flight again.

Post Spring Storm Neighborhood Watch Checks!

2011-05-02T22:37:00.001-04:00

Record rainfall and high winds bring a big old conifer down over the lane into Camp Kahles - Bob stands next to it to show how big it is.

The lake level is up high and the road is partly washed out by the onslaught - Bob redirects the flow to get it back into the culvert again!

Despite that, the cabins at Camp Kahles are all fine! After many years at this location, they have weathered well yet again. Neighborhood watch patrol, Harley the Wonder Dog is seen doing his part.

Home and Home - which is your favorite view?

2011-04-18T15:47:00.000-04:00

This is the view from my sister's new place in Toronto. It is a rooftop open deck area that will make a nice roof garden, east facing and on the horizon is Lake Ontario.

On the other hand....

This is the view that I prefer, Angie and her friends in the field. I am going home tomorrow and will see Bob and the fur gang again.

More projects for Bob??

2011-04-18T15:43:00.000-04:00

I discovered Restoration Hardware, very interesting spot. They sell furniture and items made from recovered wood and metal materials. Rustic and suitable for a log house. Attached are photos of a chandelier made from old wooden wine casks and a table made from salvaged wood. Bob will be thrilled to see these shots with ideas of what HE could fabricate for us. He will be delighted, don't you think??? On the other hand we could just order from their extensive catalogue....

Wheeling and dealing

2011-04-18T15:37:00.000-04:00

I am still in Toronto helping my chum, we have had a number of adventures and she is learning to tolerate me making the vrooom and errrrrrrrkkkk sound for go like stink and stop with the wheelchair. She orchestrated furniture shopping from the car whilst I parked illegally on Queen Street so that she could see the shop window and I could start the negotiations for a legal bookcase (illustrated). If challenged, she was to burst into tears and hold off the police until I could return, claiming some mission of mercy.

Illustrated below is the chaise lounge chair used for the negotiations

Mago plays and tries to be handsome

2011-04-11T18:59:00.001-04:00

After I refilled the loose mineral pail (pictured in the background to the left), Mago conspired to scoot away with the empty paper bag and fling it around like a flag. He had a little trouble tossing it up to get it over the doorway to give it back to me, knowing that this was the way to regain approval and get a treat.

Now he poses trying to look handsome and appeal to me to brush him and not leave for a few days. I've never had a horse quite like him before. And darn it if I don't miss him too. They manage to get under your skin somehow.

Spring on the road

2011-04-11T18:53:00.000-04:00

Definitely the ice cream truck is a sign of spring in Toronto. I am here for a visit and knowing that the truck will not be showing up any time at Angara. Best that I get some goats in and learn how to crank the old fashioned ice cream maker instead..... I didn't realize there still were these traveling treat trucks!!! Harley the Wonder Dog would love the idea. He gets excited enough now to go through the Tim Horton's drive through window to get one plain Timbit..... thanks to Bob for teaching him this bad habit.

Deer and sandhill cranes

2011-04-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

Such graceful creatures, two deer are pictured having a snack near the horse's paddock. We heard the sandhill cranes on April 2, so they have heralded their return but we have not seen them yet. They have such a unique "prehistoric" call, so we can be sure who it is.

Spring sporing and rest

2011-04-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

Mago kicks up his heels and flags his tail to celebrate better footing for running around.

The cats celebrate the improved spring sunshine - this appears to be a preferred spot...

Stair construction

2011-04-04T14:40:00.002-04:00

After my agonizingly slow updates on the main floor to basement stair building, I can now report that the stairs are finally built! Maybe a particularly welcome bit of news to everyone who found the temporary stairs to be wobbly and frightening? We attempted to do finish carpentry stair building and as a result have ended up with a sturdy, square and building code compliant version that is paintable but not exactly at precision furniture grade. If I checked one more stair tread with the level, I hesitate to think what Bob would have done with me and the level.... Suffice to say that we are within a sixteenth of an inch tolerance in both vertical and horizontal planes. Not bad for having salvaged and ripped much of the two inch thick spruce from earlier construction activities! George (the cat) found the removal of the temporary stairs and installation of the stringers to be quite exciting. He was initially relegated to the basement with the other two cats, because that is where the cat litter is located. He was having no part of missing out on the action and insisted on climbing up up the bare stringers (first photo) and climbing around the stairwell opening to see what we were doing. He is also aware that the cat food is located upstairs, clearly his priority. This first photo is of the in-progress installation.

Harley the Wonder Dog is shown with the completed stairs. I have put filler in the screw holes, next up is to sand and paint them. When we had about half of the stair treads in place, Harley tried to sneak upstairs, only to find that he was on a bit of a stairway to heaven with imaginary upper steps. He beat a retreat and was wary about trying them again when we insisted to him that they were finished. I demonstrated by descending and ascending first so that he would see that it was safe, now he has resumed trusting this route.

Snow retreating

2011-03-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

This view always makes me think of the "road less travelled". The snow is retreating and so I think that this week will bring the closing of the snow machine trail. Time to get riding those ponies again!

Window repairs and stair construction

2011-03-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

The snow lingers but progress marches on. The cutting was completed this week by Bob for the three basement stairs stringers. The adjacent walls at the temporary stairs are in as well so it is "just" a matter of hoisting out the temporary ones and building the permanent ones in place. Next up is getting the materials and cutting them ready for the treads and backing boards. That way we are "stairless" for a shorter period of time. The porch railing materials were kept swept clean through the winter for February installation, but it looks as though that will be postponed to a summer caper.

Income Tax Time.... induces snoozing

2011-03-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

George does not appreciate the point of income tax document preparation, he finds the whole business quite boring and cause for a nap. If only he knew how much the Prime Minister scoops from his cat food fund!!!! Note that Gabby presents herself as a beached whale as well on the sofa in the background. Ivan is no doubt also snoozing somewhere.

Mago it seems finds tax time to also induce sleep, it must be my view right now affecting them all.

Harley the Wonder Dog identifies a new danger

2011-03-21T11:45:00.000-04:00

Harley stands guard over the simmering danger hidden in the snow. He has decided that moles are a great menace and spends hours looking for them. He plants his nose deep into little holes, while madly digging and circling the hole like a live corkscrew. Most of the time the mole is long gone....

More Spring Snow

2011-03-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

Initially we come into spring with some gentle melting and thawing.....

This is followed by another frosting with heavy wet snow.

Basement stair fabrication

2011-03-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Jim Tulloch made the first of three stringers for us to use as a template, and now Bob is fabricating the other two stringers. Now that we have managed to build the walls on either side of the temporary stairs, we can prepare to hoist them out and replace them with the permanent (code compliant!) stairs. Stairs are the sort of thing that you need to "get right the first time", so we are proceeding slowly and carefully - adjusting for the top and bottom attachment differences so that the stairs are identical in height. There is no better tripping hazard than having one "out of line" stair height. So far so good.

Snow Fleas!!!

2011-03-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Here are some snow fleas at the door to the barn from this morning. Soft shelled tiny little fellows with an enormous "hop" ability, which they do if you move close to them. Definitely a harbinger of spring which I usually see at this time of year on the cross country ski trails.

Transition to Spring

2011-03-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

This white cedar shows the transition to spring, from winter on the right to thaw on the left. And so the seasons sweep us along. The thaw is gentle so far and we hope that March does not exit like a "lion".

Nothing like a warm supper in winter!

2011-03-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Angie relishes the last morsels of a hot mash supper, a nice way to stay warm in the continuing crisp days and nights of winter.

Protecting his toys

2011-03-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

A bit of wind and snow the other night, Mago has deposited one of his favorite toys by the barn door for safety. Here he tries to bring it to me....

Snoozing in the sun

2011-02-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

The horses are getting a little restless, they are not able to run and romp as readily where it is icy. Mago and Angie are pictured lounging in the sun and looking out into the nearby hillsides. With the leaves off the trees, they can see everything that is happening on the west and south hillsides. When the three girls are watching attentively and Mago is leaping around to show off, you can be sure to see a creature or two traversing those hills.

Harley gets comfortable

2011-02-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

Harley the Wonder Dog was happy to receive his new bed! I was happy too because it was on sale for $32 and it has cedar in the stuffing, making him a very nice smelling dog. Harley now sleeps in and has to be fetched to go out in the morning.

Harley boasts about his new bed to his friends.