13 October 2009
Discovered upon waking that the back to my new cell phone has (again) gone astray. So on the “way” back to Virginia, went by Fern Lake to search for the missing piece… in the rain… and mud... as the most likely time for it to have popped off was while slithering under Delores yesterday while securing the tarp. No joy! The stump fire (finally) was out. Deliberately (this time) took US 206 through Princeton then I-95 through Philadelphia vice taking the New Jersey Turnpike. Even though that 25 mile stretch on US 206 has a zillion stoplights and low speed limit sections, still made the drive in just under nine hours… with one stop for $2.21 gas.
12 October 2009
Stump fire is still smoldering. Fall foliage is at its peak... and the weather today is perfect! Took the picture that is now the blog title screen. Spent the morning cleaning the RV interior and getting ready for the winterizing process. Lynne came over at 2:00 pm to help get everything that might freeze packed up and moved out. Then we took Delores to Kampersville for one last tank purge. Lynne’s first time underway… made even more exciting by Central Vermont Public Service (local electrical power company) tree cutting on the edge of Lake Dunmore where Route 53 is the narrowest. But by putting the RV w
heels right on the edge of the road, we had a full two inches of clearance to get by the power company bucket truck. Piece of cake. The CVPS crew left a large log in the road for the return trip just to add a bit of extra challenge. Getting the 30′ x 50′ tarp draped over the RV proved to be a two person job. In the midst of that operation, Sid Glassner came over with Kate Middleton and her husband, Dan Wheeless, who will be our new neighbors to the south. We had a nice visit. Turns out Kate (who is an actress in New York) and Dan live just around the corner from where Lynne & Perry used to live in Greenwich Village when Perry was in the acting business. Small world! By 5:30 pm Delores was snugly under her tarp and (fingers crossed) secure for the winter. During my final walk-around, shoved a green unburnt stump over the area of the fire that was still smoldering. On a positive note, t'weren't much left of the pile after 5 days of burning! Dinner and a warm bed at Lynne & Perry’s. Perry reviewed the woodshed plans after dinner and made several excellent suggestions that will make the construction process easier.
heels right on the edge of the road, we had a full two inches of clearance to get by the power company bucket truck. Piece of cake. The CVPS crew left a large log in the road for the return trip just to add a bit of extra challenge. Getting the 30′ x 50′ tarp draped over the RV proved to be a two person job. In the midst of that operation, Sid Glassner came over with Kate Middleton and her husband, Dan Wheeless, who will be our new neighbors to the south. We had a nice visit. Turns out Kate (who is an actress in New York) and Dan live just around the corner from where Lynne & Perry used to live in Greenwich Village when Perry was in the acting business. Small world! By 5:30 pm Delores was snugly under her tarp and (fingers crossed) secure for the winter. During my final walk-around, shoved a green unburnt stump over the area of the fire that was still smoldering. On a positive note, t'weren't much left of the pile after 5 days of burning! Dinner and a warm bed at Lynne & Perry’s. Perry reviewed the woodshed plans after dinner and made several excellent suggestions that will make the construction process easier.
11 October 2009
At sunup (and sundown) the stump fire was still smoldering. After feeding Lynne & Perry’s cats, took the pickup to the Leicester General Store for a fill up with cheap gas. (They knock a dime off their regular price on Wednesdays and Sundays.) Then spent an hour trying to get the plethora of white dog hair out of the pickup using the shop vac. That turned out to be a hopeless cause. Disconnected the battery, added fuel stabilizer and dry gas to the tank, and covered the pickup with a nice green tarp for winter storage. After lunch took the RV into Middlebury to fill up the propane tank… had used over 13 gallons in the last 12 days, mostly in running the furnace. One begins to think that maybe the RV isn’t very well insulated… Then drove up to Lynne & Perry’s to give Delores her (annual????) bath, for which an unlimited supply of water was needed. Understatement of the year: Delores is BIG… and was VERY dirty. Took 3 hours just to clean the roof (and, at that, pretty poorly), completely wearing out a brand new mop in the process. I know what I want for Christmas… someone (hint, hint Tasi & Kristen) to give me a mid-summer RV washing and waxing. Upon return to Fern Lake, used the carpet cleaner to remove copious quantities of mud and dog hair from the RV main cabin floor. Unfortunately, the Bove's spaghetti sauce stains did NOT come out…
10 October 2009
Miserable rainy morning… spent feeding cats at Lynne’s, doing laundry there, and buying a tarp at Goodro Lumber in Middlebury to cover the pickup. Alverta arrived late morning bringing a goodly supply of one of my favorite desserts – Butter Fudge Fingers. After lunch the skies suddenly went from low overcast to clear. Putting on winter jackets against the wind-chill, we walked around the property with Molly admiring recent handiwork, then took the trail down to the lake. Alas, we found that recent winds had toppled the new dock stairs into the water, the rope normally used to secure them in an upright position being used as a painter for the canoe of late. There is only one way to raise the stairs into their stowed position and that is from IN the water… which today measured 59° on the brisk-o-meter. Returning to the top of the hill, I decided to see how much of the remaining pile of junk wood would take to the still smoldering stump fire. With Alverta’s help, we quickly reduced the remaining pile by ½ and had a nice blaze going. Mid-afternoon Alverta left to return to Burlington and I realized that today would be the warmest of my remaining stay… and there was a nice hot fire... so back down to the lake Molly and I went. The dock stairs were quickly, shall we say, very quickly, raised out of the water… and it actually wasn’t too chilly… once I was back on the dock. By dog, cat, and human feeding time the junk wood pile had pretty much gone up in smoke.
9 October 2009
At sunrise the stump pile was legitimately ¼ gone. Started a second burn on the lake side of the pile (which today was the windward side) that quickly became a much sought inferno. By lunchtime the pile was half gone, but most of the largest stumps were largely unburnt. Getting 16 cubic yards of junk wood onto the fire one handful at a time takes a long time. Thought I learned earlier this summer not to wear nylon fabric running shoes when working around a bonfire. Apparently the earlier lesson wasn’t painful enough to stick. Glad I was wearing wool socks when the latest burn-through occurred. About 4 o’clock Bob LaPorte came by to retrieve his excavator and give me his bill for the retaining wall work. I tacked on an extra hour of excavator time, which he will use to bury whatever is left of the stump pile when the fire goes out. Lynne and Perry showed up the same time Bob was here to drop off Molly (their ancient canine companion) for the weekend. When all had left, it started raining, so Molly and I retreated to the RV, with the stump / junk wood pile more than ¾ consumed.
8 October 2009
Spent much of the morning raking out ruts and filling in holes made by 
Bob LaPorte’s excavator, then moving to the burn pile odds and ends of debris that looked like they belonged there, including much of the junk (wooden pallets, scrap wood, etc.) that we removed from down by the dock back in June. At lunchtime picked up Lynne at her office, then drove to Brandon Auto to pick up the pickup. Immediately upon return to Fern Lake struck a single match and set fire to the stump pile, which was a good 10 feet high at its peak. Fire started verrrrrry sloooooowly… but start it did. Can you see the dancing flames in the picture???? Me neither. Calvin Loven 
stopped by and recommended using as much used motor oil as could be found, about 5 gallons of diesel fuel, and a gallon or two of gasoline. In a slightly more eco-friendly mode, used the pickup to haul many loads of dry brush to feed the fire… only way to get the junk in the pile to even think about doing anything but smolder. Used the 4WD often, as the tires on the pickup might be good in snow, but leave a lot to be desired off road in the mud. By 9:00 pm only an optimist would say that even ¼ of the stump pile had been consumed. Looking forward to seeing how much more is gone by morning.
Bob LaPorte’s excavator, then moving to the burn pile odds and ends of debris that looked like they belonged there, including much of the junk (wooden pallets, scrap wood, etc.) that we removed from down by the dock back in June. At lunchtime picked up Lynne at her office, then drove to Brandon Auto to pick up the pickup. Immediately upon return to Fern Lake struck a single match and set fire to the stump pile, which was a good 10 feet high at its peak. Fire started verrrrrry sloooooowly… but start it did. Can you see the dancing flames in the picture???? Me neither. Calvin Loven 
stopped by and recommended using as much used motor oil as could be found, about 5 gallons of diesel fuel, and a gallon or two of gasoline. In a slightly more eco-friendly mode, used the pickup to haul many loads of dry brush to feed the fire… only way to get the junk in the pile to even think about doing anything but smolder. Used the 4WD often, as the tires on the pickup might be good in snow, but leave a lot to be desired off road in the mud. By 9:00 pm only an optimist would say that even ¼ of the stump pile had been consumed. Looking forward to seeing how much more is gone by morning.
7 October 2009
Rained most of the night and well into the morning. Another perfect day to stay in the cozy confines of the RV. Instead, donned my 20-year old but almost never worn foul weather gear (that seems to have shrunk somewhat while in storage), and did hand work around the edges while Bob finished excavating the shed cellar hole and back-filling the retaining wall. Semi-final excavation seen here. For a sense of scale, the surveying rod in the back of the cellar hole is 7 feet tall. Rode with Bob down to the gravel, sand, and stone pit in Fernville to pick up a load of crushed gravel that will make the spur driveway down to the shed turnaround much 
more passable. While Bob was back at the pit for another load, a fuel truck showed up to top up the Glassner’s oil tank. Fortunately I spotted the truck as it was backing out of their driveway (again blocked by the RV, as the Glassners had assured me that they would be in New Hampshire today…) and was able to get the driver’s attention. RV quickly moved aside, the refueling (ordered by the Glassner’s real estate agent, so not known to Sid and Shelly) was accomplished in short order. Put the RV back where it had been. While Bob was leveling out the gravel under Delores' usual parking spot, he caught my eye and pointed over my shoulder at the Glassner’s driveway. Sure enough, there was
ANOTHER vehicle trying to get down the driveway but stymied by the RV. This turned out to be an insurance agent who, don’t ask me why, needed pictures of the house for the file. He, at least, didn’t need the RV moved, as, in spite of the steady rain, he was quite happy to just walk down to the house. I held his umbrella while he snapped away. As the day wound down, Bob pulled the stump of the maple alongside our driveway that the Kubota had been unable to budge. Took Bob about a minute. Then I had him move to the stump burn pile the huge mound of debris that was on the property when we bought it, as the stuff in that mound was
so tangled and full of dirt that pulling it apart and putting it through a chipper would have been a nightmare. Two very full dump truck loads (…and Bob has a very LARGE dump truck) and a half-hour of time did the trick. Some quality time in the shower after Bob’s departure was followed by a delightful dinner at the Lapidus’. My foul weather gear now looks like it’s 20 years old… amazing what one day of fun in the mud can do to clothing.
6 October 2009
Bob LaPorte had a previous engagement with Brad Ramsay for the morning, so puttered around doing this and that and eyeballing the work to be done once Bob arrived, which he did around noon. First on the agenda was to disassemble the unstable / collapsed part of th
e retaining wall and start over. Mission soon accomplished. Then we went looking for big rocks to complete the opposite end of the wall. Needless to say, we didn’t have to go far. Found another 4-tonner, too big for Bob’s excavator to pick up directly, but a quick wrap with my logging chain did the trick, though the excavator went up on its nose a few times. Once that rock was in place, Bob turned to digging the shed cellar hole longer and deeper, using the gravel and rocks from that excavation to back fill the retaining wall. By Sam Adams time much of that work was done.
e retaining wall and start over. Mission soon accomplished. Then we went looking for big rocks to complete the opposite end of the wall. Needless to say, we didn’t have to go far. Found another 4-tonner, too big for Bob’s excavator to pick up directly, but a quick wrap with my logging chain did the trick, though the excavator went up on its nose a few times. Once that rock was in place, Bob turned to digging the shed cellar hole longer and deeper, using the gravel and rocks from that excavation to back fill the retaining wall. By Sam Adams time much of that work was done.
5 October 2009
Figured Bob LaPorte would show up at 8:00, so was getting the RV ready to move about 7:20 when I heard noise out by the road. Sure enough, Bob was here already and starting to unload his excavator, completely blocking the driveway. We did a quick round of musical chairs so that I could get the RV out of his way for the day’s activities. Only reasonably level spot available was that portion of the Glassner’s driveway that is actually on our property. Since the Glassners are over in New Hampshire now pretty much full time, seemed like a reasonable place to temporarily park the RV. Bob and I went straight to work moving BIG rocks into place for the shed turning area retaining wall. The Leicester nugget (6 feet wide by 4 ½ feet high by 2 ½ feet thick… about 5 tons worth of granite) that Bob unearthed while digging the shed cellar hole was easily moved to a prime position in the new wall. Roger Currier, an old friend of Bob’s, showed up early on, stayed most of the day watching the fun, and lent an extra set of hands and strong arms on several occasions. Two of the nice things about Bob is that he is very precise with his bucket control (so that it is safe to be near the bucket when he is moving it) and he jumps right out of the cab to wrestle in the mud if that is what is needed at the moment. Mid-morning, while we were in the midst of horsing a rock into position, Sid Glassner showed up, asking could I please move the RV so that he and Shelley could get to their house. Ooops! The only other place to put the RV was by the pile of logs that will be sawed into beams for the shed, but that area looked pretty soft, which is why I didn’t put Delores there initially. Nothing for it at that point but to back the RV off the driveway into that spot. Early afternoon (notice I didn’t say “after lunch”… Bob and the Energizer Bunny have a LOT in common) it started to rain… just long enough and hard enough to be annoying… and to make the rocks really slippery to handle. One portion of the wall was a bit unstable because the base rock (roughly 6 feet square and 2 feet thick) at the bottom of that section had broken when another rock was placed on top. (Like I said, we were moving some truly man-sized pieces of stone!) Try as we might, we just couldn’t get that section to firm up. Finally, Bob tried placing a large boulder on the uphil
l side, thinking that might provide the support needed. Instead, that maneuver caused the whole section to collapse. Bigger oops! With rain again falling, time to quit for the day. Delores had to think long and hard when asked to pull out of her muddy parking spot… she almost decided to stay right there. But as they say, almost only counts in horseshoes. Safely returned to her normal, and much drier, parking spot, with all wine glassed intact, t’ was time to clean up. Literally a dozen washings of hands and they’re still stained black from whatever is in the Leicester mud. Had to clean the shower after cleaning me. A Sam Adams slid down real easy… and this pooped puppy will be early to bed tonight!
l side, thinking that might provide the support needed. Instead, that maneuver caused the whole section to collapse. Bigger oops! With rain again falling, time to quit for the day. Delores had to think long and hard when asked to pull out of her muddy parking spot… she almost decided to stay right there. But as they say, almost only counts in horseshoes. Safely returned to her normal, and much drier, parking spot, with all wine glassed intact, t’ was time to clean up. Literally a dozen washings of hands and they’re still stained black from whatever is in the Leicester mud. Had to clean the shower after cleaning me. A Sam Adams slid down real easy… and this pooped puppy will be early to bed tonight!
4 October 2009
Woke up to lots of fog… a sure sign that fall has fallen. More shed design drawings completed, then went into Middlebury to buy another 20 feet of tubing for the Egyptian water level and to pick up an onion at Hannaford’s. Left Hannaford’s $50 poorer… and I wasn’t even shopping hungry. Finally got the retaining wall elevations set, and discovered that the inconsistency problem with the Egyptian water level was due to the flimsy tubing I bought in Virginia. To paraphrase Junction Auto’s motto: cheap stuff ain’t good and good stuff ain’t cheap! Barbecued chicken for dinner. (Question of the day: why does everything just taste sooooo wonderful when cooked over an open fire????) Decided to go for a dip in the lake after dinner even though the water temperature has fallen to 62°, the theory being that if the air temperature is less than the water temperature, the water will feel warm. Nice theory, and call me a wimp if you will, but the swimming season is definitely over.
3 October 2009
Another rainy day… perfect for continuing shed design work. Weather cleared up somewhat mid-afternoon, so attempted to set the retaining wall elevations using the Egyptian water level. Still very inconsistent! Also the tubing wouldn’t reach to the farthest points of the intended wall. Grrr! Barbecued dinner, then went for a mentally relaxing and physically rewarding canoe around the lake. Not more than a dozen houses / camps showing any signs of life.
2 October 2009
While lying abed shortly after dawn pondering the upcoming day, it dawned on me that we hadn’t done a very thorough search of the pickup yesterday while looking for the missing wallet... and the more I mentally retraced my steps on Wednesday, the more convinced I became that that is where the wallet had been left. So after breakfast I drove back to Pittsford (which fortunately is only 11 miles from Fern Lake), where I found the mechanic to whom I had given the pickup’s keys on Wednesday. Together we went through the pickup with the proverbial fine tooth comb. No wallet. At that point the mechanic remembered that a regular visitor to the car lot had been in the pickup after I dropped it off on Wednesday. So, who knows, maybe that person found the wallet and has mailed it to Virginia. Well, you can ALWAYS hope… While talking to the mechanic, I enquired about the status of getting the 4WD fixed. “Well”, he says, “let me show you what’s wrong with it…” Seems the plastic knob for the 4WD selector switch is cracked, allowing the knob to rotate without actually turning the switch. With the knob properly positioned, the 4WD engages just fine… as we proved about 20 times on the spot. So I drove up to Brandon, saw Frankie Gomez (the Brandon Auto salesman), and within five minutes had reached agreement on a sales price. (I offered $1,000 less than the Kelly Blue Book private sale “fair” condition value; he countered with my price plus $50; I shook his hand.) Lest you think that is an outrageously good deal, as soon as I take delivery, the truck is going straight to Junction Auto for about $500 worth of repairs to known problems. Obviously, with zero identification I couldn’t go to our bank and get a cashier’s check, but Frankie took a personal check drawn on that bank with the understanding that I wouldn’t take the truck away until the check clears. Since I was in the area, stopped for a social visit with Tom Whittaker at his real estate office in Brandon. Back at Fern Lake, put stakes in the ground for the corners of the shed foundation footers. The layout checked square (equal diagonal measurements) on the very first try… which has NEVER happened before, on the first or twentieth try. Some mosquitoes about and somewhat bothersome without an application of Vermont perfume (i.e., Deep Woods Off). Lit a campfire on which to barbecue dinner… which caused the rain to start again in earnest. Barbecued anyway…
Post Script: IT’S A MIRACLE!!!!! The person who we suspected might have taken my wallet turned said wallet into the Brandon Police Department this afternoon. Wallet retrieved this evening, completely intact (money, IDs, credit cards, etc. all present).
Post Script: IT’S A MIRACLE!!!!! The person who we suspected might have taken my wallet turned said wallet into the Brandon Police Department this afternoon. Wallet retrieved this evening, completely intact (money, IDs, credit cards, etc. all present).
1 October 2009
Another rainy day… great for working on shed design drawings in the cozy warmth of an RV with a full propane tank. While making pancakes for breakfast, neglected to turn on the stove vent fan, and therefore completed, a few hours earlier than planned, the annual smoke detector battery test. Of course, while dealing with the noise issue, burned the pancake. Went for a stroll around the property after lunch eyeballing rocks to be used for the retaining wall. That done, decided to go over to the Salisbury Free Library (open 2 – 5 Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus 9 – noon on Saturdays) where they have a Wi-Fi connection. While gathering up my new laptop and other implements of destruction, couldn’t find my wallet anywhere in the RV or the Sienna. “Hmmm”, I says, “I wonder if maybe I left the wallet in the pickup truck on Wednesday”, as I have a habit of putting it into a cup holder rather than sitting on the lump. So down to Pittsford I drove. Alas, there was no wallet in said pickup truck cup holder. Oh, dear! (or words to that effect) After using the Wi-Fi (a nice high-speed connection), having a lovely chat with Jennifer the librarian, and signing up as the 362nd (all time) member of the library (which actually has 5,000 titles on hand, some of which I would even want to read), I spent the balance of the afternoon and evening calling credit card companies and credit bureaus concerning potential identity theft and fraudulent use of credit issues. Oh, joy!
30 September 2009
Woke up to a typical Vermont fall day… 46 degrees and drizzle. My how things have changed in the 10 days I was in the south land. Trees are starting to turn; lots of leaves in the driveway. Took Delores into Middlebury for window repairs and fuel. The garbage bag and cardboard patch over the broken window lasted until I hit 40 mph, about a mile down the road. So we enjoyed some natural air conditioning… the RV needed airing out anyway. Ace repairman Todd Deasabrais at Deasabrais & Sons Glass took a long look at the broken window and recommended I call Ehlers. Seems that if you’re going to break a window, ALWAYS choose one that moves. Fixed glass, though maybe smaller, is MUCH more difficult to replace. Apparently the RV learning curve still has quite a slope to it... the price tag to take the door apart to get a piece of tempered glass back into the hole was likely to be north of $1,000. So then Todd says, “How ‘bout we at least put a temporary piece of Plexiglas over the hole while you decide what to do.” So he does that and I ask him what I owe. “No charge, glad to help”, was the response. Then Todd says, looking at the state of the RV, “Now, I don’t mean to be condescending, but your RV looks like it’s been around the block a few times and if I do such and such, that Plexiglas could be a permanent repair and nobody will ever know the difference.” So $20 changed hands and the deed was done. The amazing thing was that duct tape was NOT involved… though I think Delores’ feelings may have been hurt just a bit! Next stop was Agway for 15 gallons of propane. Then on to the Leicester General Store, who always has the cheapest gas in the area on Wednesdays and Sundays. “Only” took $135 to fill Delores’s tank this time. But considering that that tank-full should last about a year, that’s not that unreasonable, he says, thinking wishfully. After lunch drove down to Brandon Auto South in Pittsford to test drive a 1999 Ford Ranger. For a change, the four wheel drive seemed to work just fine, and other than typical Ford truck rust issues found in Vermont, the pickup seemed to be in okay shape and had all desired features (e.g., cruise control and air conditioning… critical to hauling logs out of the woods). Took the Ranger up to Junction Auto, where Zack Wright confirmed that the A/C wasn’t working, the illuminated check engine light means that the oxygen sensor needs to be replaced, and no matter what we did, we could not get the 4WD to engage. Returned the truck to Pittsford, where the mechanic there thought the solenoid that engages the 4WD may have gone bad. No 4WD, no deal! Back at Fern Lake, while making spaghetti sauce for dinner, found more shards of broken wine glass behind the stove. Also had to clean a bunch of glass out of the hydraulic controls for the RV leveling system…
29 September 2009
Only 8 hours 45 minutes from Springfield to Fern Lake, and that included an unintentional detour through Philadelphia, Trenton, and Princeton. Take a gander at a map to really appreciate the magnitude of that navigational faux pas. At least I missed the New Jersey Turnpike entirely… and found gas for only $2.28 / gallon. No mice (or signs thereof) and no mosquitoes! Disconnecting the coach batteries when leaving the RV unattended for awhile worked as advertised… refrigerator started right up. After stowing food and clothes, removed the remaining glass from the broken window and cleaned up the residual mess using the shop vac. Discovered why you don’t park an RV under a large (and apparently quite virile) oak tree during the nutting season. It may be a long night…
18 September 2009
Drove back to Virginia. Only took 9 hours with just one minor traffic delay in New York.
17 September 2009
Further calculations showed that the shed, as currently designed, would be too small to hold six cords of firewood (guesstimated two year's supply). So back to the drawing board... Moved, by hand, because we don't have either a pickup truck or a tractor, the huge brush pile adjacent to the shed turnaround area to other piles that will be out of the way of the construction site. Cut four more trees to enlarge the turnaround a bit more... and did not get bit by any yellow jackets even though the trees were close to their nest. Leveled the retaining wall footer trench (by hand shovel, because we don't have...) Took Dolores to Kampersville for a pump out. Sewage hose sprung a leak while dumping the black water tank. Oh, crap... literally and figuratively! Discovered that the bread intended for today's lunch was COMPLETELY moldy... and I'm not real fussy about what I'll eat. Lynne & Perry came for dinner. As they were leaving, SOMEONE threw the safety latch on the RV main cabin door. Consequently, when I went to go back inside after seeing Lynne & Perry off, the door was quite definitely locked. As were ALL of the RV windows and the driver's door. Close inspection showed that whoever designed the RV had security firmly in mind -- NO breach points were apparent. Fortunately, I had just bought a two pound hand sledge. Picking the (hopefully) least expensive window to replace (fortuitously located just above the driver's door lock) one firm swing did the trick. And you thought the wine glasses made a mess?!?! Hah!!!! A bit of cardboard, a black plastic bag, and, of course, you can't call yourself a true Vermonter unless you personally own enough duct tape to hold together the whole State... While cleaning glass shards out of the driver's seat, I found a penny, so this must have been my lucky day...
16 September 2009
Up to South Burlington to do some maintenance and repair work for Alverta. Looked at pickup trucks on the way back to Leicester. Found a 4.0 liter Ford Ranger in Brandon... at a dealer with a not-so-good reputation and for only $7,000...
15 September 2009
Rained on and off all night. Stump fire still smoldering. Spent the day driving to Pittsford, Center Rutland, Junction Auto, and back to Center Rutland looking at pickups. No luck... but did decide that the 3.0 liter engine in a Ford Ranger is just not powerful enough for my needs, e.g., hauling logs out of the woods.
14 September 2009
Did garlic sauce removal laundry and internet search for pickup trucks at Lynne's in the morning. Stump fire still smoldering. Established stakes for shed turnaround retaining wall arc. Again attempted to use Egyptian water level to establish shed elevations and again got very inconsistent results. Stepped on another yellow jacket nest. Amazingly, even though they were buzzing all around, I did not get stung. Unfortunately, a couple of trees close to the nest will have to come down. Should be exciting... Took the first picture of the house site from the tree stand.
13 September 2009
Did a little branch trimming and cut two small trees at the house site. Now, once Bob LaPorte removes a couple of rocks and the stumps, will be able to drive from the leach field site to the shed site via the house site. Took inventory of the firewood stacked up alongside the driveway and elsewhere... well over 8 cords is drying nicely. Late morning Larry came and took away the Kubota. On a hunch, went across the road to Dave and Ceil Todd's house to see if they knew how to get hold of the Leicester Fire Warden, whose phone had been called at least 50 times (no exaggeration) this summer, but to no avail. In all those calls I never talked to the Fire Warden once -- no voicemail!!!! and the phone was only ever answered twice... by a young child who obviously didn't do so good in relaying a call-back message. All those calls were to find out what kind of permission was needed before burning stumps and/or brush piles. Ceil Todd knew instantly who to call - the Fire Warden's father (OF COURSE!!!!) That august person said, sure, go ahead and burn... and he would let his son know what was going on. Returning back across the road, matches in hand, the weather turned downright ugly -- gusty winds and threatening rain. Not the time to light a large bonfire! But an hour later, rain squall gone (the only daytime rain, by the way, in the last two weeks) ole One-Match Doug, fire-boy-in-charge, tried to light the stump pile... five times. On the sixth try (being a fast learner) I actually built a fire with real firewood upwind of the stump pile, whereupon the blaze started with gusto. Unfortunately, no longer having a loader / backhoe, there was no way to move the stumps around the edge into the fire, so after 8 hours of burning (halfway through which a quick plunge in the lake just felt sooooo gooooood), only about 2/3 of the pile was consumed and the fire was down to a very, very large pile of embers. Dinner was, (what else?) hot dogs roasted on a green stick over the burning pile... along with a bottle of cheap wine... Does life even get any better?
12 September 2009
Putting away the groceries after a morning trip to Middlebury, picked up the infamous jar of Bove's Roasted Garlic sauce by grabbing hold of the lid. Said lid was NOT secure! When the jar hit the floor (sans lid) sauce again went everywhere, including mounds of the stuff on the RV dining area carpet and onto the only pair of "good" jeans and running shoes that I had (note the past tense). Dolores now has a SERIOUS case of measles. Grrrrr... Figuring the day couldn't get any worse, was time to fire up the Stihl and cut down another white oak... this one with a 22" butt. Even though I completely miscut the notch and hinge, the tree fell right where it was supposed to: still on our property but right towards the Glassner's house. Being nobody's booby, had waited until after the Glassner's left for New Hampshire before dropping the tree. By the end of the day all evidence was removed - and logs sufficient for all needed shed beams were in the skid pile. Even though the Kubota's gas gauge was firmly on "E", back dragged the Glassner's driveway until it was smooth.
11 September 2009
While doing some shed design calculations over breakfast, realized that the logs set aside to be sawed into beams for the woodshed just ain't going to be big enough. Need to get six 8" W x 9 1/4" H beams out of the pile, which takes a log with a minimum 12¼" diameter to get a beam that big. So felled two white oaks at the house site, both with 20" butts - and managed to hang up BOTH trees. However, the Kubota proved quite adept at pulling them down. Gotta love the power of hydraulics... and the reach of a backhoe! Took inventory of the logs now on the skid and am STILL short the makings for two beams.
10 September 2009
Finished moving stumps from around the property to the BIG burn pile... 12' long x 8' wide x 6' tall. Used the backhoe to dig out several more stumps from the shed turning circle. Moved mucho loader buckets of compost to cover roots of the big white pine next to shed cellar hole. Bob LaPorte came by after dinner for a beer and to eyeball the retaining wall job -- to be done when I return north in early October.
9 September 2009
Larry arrived first thing in the morning to repair the Kubota's burst hydraulic hose; machine back in operation by 10:00. Attempted to remove the stump from the 16" maple taken down so adroitly on the 4th. No joy! Kubota just not manly enough for that job. On the other hand, was able to dig a footer trench for the shed turning circle retaining wall. Attempted to remove the stump of the former maple alongside driveway that once threatened to destroy RV passenger-side rear view mirror. Again no guts, no joy! Spent balance of the day moving stumps from alongside the driveway (and other places where they had been cast) to a burn pile in the open field where the leach field will be. Called Bob LaPorte...
8 September 2009
A Kubota LA480 loader / backhoe was delivered by Larry, owner of Shoreham Equipment Rentals. Used it to drag 10 logs out of the woods and put them up onto a skid, ready to be sawed into beams for the woodshed. Lynne came for a lasagna lunch and property tour. After lunch, moved the RV a "mere" 50 feet up the driveway. During the move, 3 wine glasses came out of their cabinet and shattered into a zillion pieces. Worse, a jar of Bove's Roasted Garlic sauce also did a swan dive. Even though the glass didn't break and the top didn't come off, sauce exploded all over the ceiling and walls, desecrating an area from the sink to the forward passenger seat. After cleaning up the mess and teaching Dolores a few new words, used the backhoe to dig out the four stumps under where the RV normally parks. Knocked off quite a bit of rust from my backhoe operator skill set. Also removed a few stumps from the shed turning circle. Hydraulic line broke during that evolution, ending the day's work.
7 September 2009 (Labor Day)
Tasi, Kristen, & a grunt laborer spent the morning widening / smoothing the path down to the dock. Moved the new dock stairs down the path using the hand truck, then installed them, but couldn't get them perfectly level because of a fair-sized rock on the lake bottom that will have to be moved. Long swim after dark... soooo relaxing!
6 Septermber 2009
Returned to Fern Lake in the morning, threading through the Tour de Vermont bicycle race. Repaired the seal around the RV emergency escape rear window. Alverta, Tasi, & Kristen arrived mid-afternoon for swimming, canoeing, and campfire dinner. Approaching the south end of Fern Lake while out paddling with Kristen after dark, we were just in time for a private fireworks show being launched from one of the docks. Though not nearly as spectacular as the Calais show, talk about "in your face"!
5 September 2009
Drove to South Burlington to pick up Alverta, then up to East Calais for Labor Day weekend party at brother Steve's. Nineteen people camping there for the weekend. Hiked up Spruce Mountain with brother-in-law Perry in the afternoon... fabulous views of the Adirondacks to Mount Washington and everything in between from the old fire tower on top. Then had fabulous lasagna feast (prepared by sister Lynne), followed by spectacular, professional quality, fireworks show, which was extra exciting when one of the launchers fell over and fired sideways, fortunately NOT at the crowd. Caught up on news with many of the Calais neighbors. Back to South Burlington for the night, by way of East Calais to retrieve a left-behind cell phone.
4 September 2009
Modified dock railing so canoe fits on the dock better. Dropped a 16" diameter maple that was in the shed turning area... trickiest felling job I've ever undertaken. Notched the two trunks above the "Y" (20 feet off the ground) VERY carefully so they would break off when the tree fell and tried to hang up in a big hemlock that the maple was pointed right at and was DEFINITELY going to hit. Plan worked perfectly! After lunch, spent time widening / smoothing the path downhill from the yellow jacket nest (that still seems to be alive and well). While trying to remove a 500 pound boulder from the path using logging chain and come-along, sort of kinda lost control of the rock, which proceeded majestically downhill through the trees. Thought for SURE it was going to take out the dock then sink the canoe moored alongside. Instead the rock hit the dock shack fair and square... but did NOT go through, though a couple of siding planks and a 2 x 4 stud are no longer intact. Having done enough damage for one day, went for a swim and canoe. Circled around a loon who seemed to be convinced that the echo from his call was another loon answering back.
3 September 2009
Spent the morning attempting to lay out the shed elevations using an Egyptian water level. Not successful... very inconsistent results. So spent the afternoon venting frustration with the chainsaw (which worked perfectly... earlier problems MUST have been bad gas). Cleared trees for a turning circle that will allow a truck (or, hopefully, tractor) to be maneuvered into the below ground storage area under the woodshed. Swimming afterwards was sooooo delightful... water temperature is 73 degrees. This is why we bought lakefront property!
2 September 2009
No mouse! Alverta came down to pick me up to go up to South Burlington to pick up the Sienna to go to St. Albans to look at / drive a Ford F-150 pickup truck to Junction Auto for a pre-purchase inspection. Whew! And it weren't over yet. The truck had major problems so won't be joining the Perkins' fleet. After returning the F-150 to St. Albans and dinner with Alverta (one of the 50 recipes from A Man, A Can, A Plan), drove back to Fern Lake. Only 250 miles driven today... and Vermont just ain't that big.
1 September 2009
No mouse! Drove Delores up to Ehlers RV Sales and Service in Essex Junction to fix water leaks and the inoperative furnace. Had been warned that they were good, they were honest, but they weren't cheap. Right on all counts... "only" cost $500 to get the keys back. Back to Fern Lake by dinner... 1/4 tank (20 gallons) of gasoline lighter. Lots of activity around the yellow jacket nest at sunset so "treatment" didn't work. Nor did the ice cube trick that Ehlers recommended to solve the black water tank level indicator sensor problem. (Other than having the tank overflow through the toilet -- not a pleasant alternative -- there is no way to tell how much "stuff" is in the black water tank, 'cause the indicator hasn't worked in who knows how long.) Found a mouse nest (in plain sight... previously not seen because of male-pattern blindness) in the cabinet under the RV sink.
31 August 2009
Woke up to find a (the????) mouse in a utility drawer trap. Transported the critter to a nice hollow stump at the Silver Lake parking lot... 2 miles from Fern Lake. Alverta came for lunch / canoeing / dinner cooked over the campfire and to drive the Sienna up to South Burlington. "Treated" the yellow jacket nest alongside the path that caused me so much pain.
30 August 2009
No mice in the traps! Replaced RV wiper blades and repaired screens. LOTS of mosquitoes about -- took 3 doses of Deep Woods Off to slow down the biting. Worked for awhile widening / smoothing the path down to the lake (preparing to get the hand truck with the new stairs down to the dock) until a yellow jacket nest was disturbed. Got stung 15+ times, some in very tender places, while beating a hasty retreat to the RV. Unfortunately, 6 of the yellow devils accompanied me into the RV, where they continued to make life way too exciting. Swimming in the afternoon helped to dull the pain... at least temporarily. Attended the Lake Dunmore / Fern Lake Association dinner at Camp Keewaydin in the evening and "won" a bushel of the famous Kingsley's sweet corn at the silent auction. Kingsley's farm stand is only two miles south on Route 53. Some hereabouts say there is no better corn grown in Vermont. I'm not saying they're wrong!!!!
29 August 2009
Drove from VA to VT. Took 10 hours because of a major traffic delay on the New Jersey Turnpike - 1 hour to go 6 miles! Lots of mice "presents" in the same two utensils drawers.
13 July - 8 August 2009
7 July 2009
Another (????) mouse was in the trap this morning; released the critter down by the lake. Secured the RV for an extended absence, then made the nine hour schlep back to Virginia. Chree says I need to take the mice at least a mile away, as I’ve probably just caught and released the same rodent four times. And hoping not to jinx things: the shower enclosure track (only "fixed" five times) seems to be holding together just fine.
6 July 2009
Woke up for the usual reason at 2:45 a.m. and heard noises emanating from the kitchen area. Another little mouse had found his/her way into the second trap… and was deposited at the Route 53 end of the driveway. Spent most of the morning cleaning the RV, including shampooing the carpets to remove doggy footprints and hair left over from Geisha’s and Shlomo’s visit. Then did a slight reorientation of the house footprint (turned 10º towards the west to better align with the land slope and the driveway terminus) and re-staked the corners. Took Delores up to Kampersville for a tank dump. Price this time was $15! Grrr… I understand that you can’t consider yourself a true RVer until you’ve had a brown bath. Yep, just as the #2 tank started emptying, the hose pulled apart from the connecter sleeve. Good thing I’ve got quick reactions. Unfortunately for my lower body, the shutoff valve was right next to where everything was spewing out. Even more unfortunate (for someone who changed nary a diaper because of a horrible gag reflex), the only way to continue the tank dumping was to hold the hose together with my hands. “TOTALLY GROSS” doesn’t even come close! Just before bedtime, checked the mousetraps and found another (?) furry creature enjoying my prized peanuts.
5 July 2009
Spent the morning and early afternoon cutting, splitting, and stacking the rest of the junk limb wood to be used in the fire pit. Ended up with a nice pallet load (about ⅓ cord). As hard as this is to believe, then took the rest of the day off for some sunbathing, swimming, and pleasure reading, as this was apparently the only non-rainy day in the last six weeks. Checked the mouse traps while preparing dinner and found a cute little furry creature needing a new home… down by the lake.
4 July 2009
Made the easy two-hour drive over to Charlestown, NH where I met Chree, Tasi, & Kristen at Anne Swanson’s house (Chree’s younger sister) for the annual Tarrio family picnic party. Chree brought with her from Virginia the two dogs, two humane mouse traps, and five Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to serve as mouse bait. Unfortunately, when I confined the dogs to the Sienna because they were misbehaving during lunch, Shlomo ate the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and four of the five wrappers. Upon return to Fern Lake set the traps using plain ole Honey Roasted Peanuts as bait.
3 July 2009
Finished cleaning dead limbs from the white pine out of the shed cellar hole; cut, spit, and stacked about half the resulting pile to be used in the fire pit (only thing that wood is good for). Managed to break the handle of my splitting maul… but nothing a little duct tape couldn’t cure. Good thing I bought a new roll before coming north! Replaced the handle that is used to open the hood of the RV (original was broken before I bought Delores)… and while I was under there, added fluid to the radiator reservoir, which was a pint or so below the “cold” mark. Removed all of the remaining small spruce and low-hanging limbs from the house site. Spent some more time with the leveling sight and (patched up) survey rod trying to figure out what elevation to set for the shed floor. For a former Type A, this is proving to be one tough decision. Rolled up onto rocks and/or wood skids all of the logs that will be sawed into beams for the shed. Replaced the ladder from the water to the dock (old one fell apart last night as I was climbing out… must have had too many hot dogs for dinner) and moved it around the corner so that the canoe now can be hauled onto the dock MUCH more easily. Made one of the recipes from the cookbook that Alex and Katy gave me for Father’s Day, “A Man, A Plan, A Can – 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make”. Took a long swim after dinner… needed the exercise after such an easy day. When the air temperature is 66º, the water just feels sooooo good! There is an ENORMOUS, and VERY loud, bull frog living next to the dock who loves to let me know when I’m trespassing in his territory.
2 July 2009
Rain off and on all day… the Leicester mosquitoes are loving this weather! Definitely a Deep Woods Off kind of day. Between showers, cleaned up some of the downed branches from yesterday’s tree pruning. Repaired the shower enclosure track, yet again. Used plain old (accent on the old) PVC cement this time. Is the fifth time the charm???? Managed to break my 10’ surveying / measuring rod, but nothing that a little duct tape couldn’t (sort of…) cure. Discovered either lots of mouse droppings or some chocolate sprinkles in two of the utensils drawers. My bet is on the former, as I can hear something rummaging around in one of those drawers as this is written. Gary Perkins brought the long-awaited cover plate and enclosure for the RV electrical receptacle. He discovered, after finishing the installation, that the RV electrical plug won’t fit in the enclosure. He left, very disgusted, and promising this will be fixed before I next visit Fern Lake. Built a fire in the pit and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. You just can’t beat the taste of wood smoked charred beef!
1 July 2009
KNOWING that the chain saw is still acting up, arranged with Dave Bishop at Champlain Valley Equipment to have the seals inspected and the cylinder pressure tested, per a suggestion made by the Stihl dealer in Virginia. Just to avoid further embarrassment, ran the saw to replicate the flooding / stalling problem, BEFORE taking it into Middlebury. Note to self: never, ever let a piece of equipment know that it is going in for repair. The saw ran absolutely PERFECTLY, no matter what I did. Also working normally again are the Sienna air conditioner and the RV refrigerator. Installed the barrel rack (built in Virginia) and the water barrel that will be used for cement mixing activities. Pink tinge to the barrel comes from former contents: the antibiotic solution used to clean the milking part of a cow. (How’s that for a family-friendly way of not saying “udders”?) Mike and Charles from Limbwalker Tree Services (that’s Charles in the center and Mike top right and proving that you have to be young, strong, AND fearless to be a limbwalker) arrived early afternoon to remove dead branches threatening the RV and the (to be built) woodshed / outdoor storage building roof. Mike said, after climbing up 75′ and not coming close to reaching the top, that the 3′ diameter white pine next to the shed is at least 100′ tall. Went for a swim at dusk… very agreeable 74º water temperature (measured 1 foot below the surface).
30 June 2009
Uneventful 9 hour drive up from Virginia until reaching Lake George, where the roads were flooded curb high due to a severe thunderstorm headed east. After driving through that deep water the Sienna air conditioner no longer works. Grrrrrr… Got to Fern Lake 15 minutes ahead of the storm, just enough time to throw all critical items into the RV before the deluge began. Just realized that in my rush, the toilet kit got left in the van. Good thing nobody wants to kiss me tonight. Refrigerator refused to turn on. Troubleshot the problem to the brand new coach batteries being flat. I THINK I rectified that problem by running the truck engine… that is until an alarm (unknown cause) went off. The bottle of wine I opened tonight still has WAY too much left in it…
17 June 2009
Departed for Virginia via Connecticut after a very enjoyable (except for all the rain and lack of heat in the RV) week-long vacation. Chree decided that The Beast’s real name is Delores…
16 June 2009
Repaired RV exterior storage compartment latches, one of which was ripped off by a “helpful person” right after we bought The Beast. Noted that the repair to the shower enclosure didn’t hold up, AGAIN!!!! Surveyed driveway and house site elevations, trying to figure out the wood shed / outdoor storage building floor level datum. Turns out that the driveway is 3′ 2″ higher where it passes between the electrical pedestal and the large white pine than what we thought was going to be the elevation for the garage floor, and the distance between those two points is only 50 feet. So the conundrum is: do we raise the house elevation, excavate the driveway, accept the slope, or some combination of the three? The answer to that question drives the shed floor elevation. While we were pondering that issue, the dogs headed down to the lake for an unauthorized swim. After banishing them to the once-clean RV, we went down to the lakefront ourselves to take elevations needed for designing the dock / sauna / gazebo layout. Decided that the lake-end terminus for the trail from the house site to the lake needed to be via a different route, so I spent an hour trimming branches and removing some saplings. Met Shelley Glassner while hauling things to be stored in the boat shed. We agreed that the Glassners would remove the top two sections of the stairway that is on our property (per a requirement in the Deed), but that we would be responsible for removing the remaining stairway when we revamp the waterfront. Took The Beast over to Kampersville for a $12 pump-out and rewatering. Chree isn’t quite ready to tour the USA in her Winnebago, but she was much more comfortable with the over-the-road experience.
15 June 2009
Spent the morning looking at pickup trucks for sale and loader / backhoes for sale and rent. Had to change my shirt afterward ‘cause of all the drool stains. Repaired the shower enclosure (again) and the exterior where two storage compartment door latches had been ripped out. Met Gerry Flint, neighbor directly across the street, who also is a member of the Zoning Board. He said that in Leicester there are 1,000 rocks for every person and 1,000 mosquitoes for every rock. Chree believed him. At noon we went down to the lake to take measurements and elevations needed to design the dock, gazebo, sauna, and other necessities of waterfront living. Made the mistake of taking the dogs with us. Both spent the better part of an hour in the water, Geisha swimming almost the whole time. Bet she sleeps well tonight! Shlomo found a couple of dead fish which he both wanted to eat and to roll on. Tried taking Shlomo for a canoe ride; lasted about 20 yards before he was over the side. Needless to say, we took virtually no measurements or elevations. After a late lunch, went back down and got the measurements, sans dogs, but beat a hasty retreat before getting any elevations when a thunderstorm rolled in. Spent the balance of the afternoon reading. While cleaning up after dinner, a black bear strolled by the RV, headed for the Lapidus’, just as Perry was arriving with three 55 gallon barrels that will be used for storing cement mixing water. Perry reported that he had chased two deer off our driveway as he backed in. Would have been a good day to have the furnace running…
14 June 2009
62 degrees in the RV again this morning and the furnace still refuses to work. Removed three more trees along the driveway that were potential RV accidents-in-waiting. Cut and split a small pile of wood for use in the fire pit. Alverta arrived at noon with her kayak, so went for a canoe/kayak around the lake. Alverta was so taken by the quiet beauty of the scenery that she took a nap in the middle of the paddle. Fired up the pit and had wood smoked BBQ chicken and tofu for lunch/dinner. Delicious!!!! Chree climbed the camera platform for the first time. At dusk went looking for moose on McConnell Road and found Woods’ Farm Stand instead, reputed to have the best produce in all of this area, sweet corn especially.
13 June 2009
Woke up to 62 degree temperature in the RV, so turned on the furnace, which refused to ignite. Went for a canoe around the lake. So calm… so beautiful… so warming! Spent most of the morning removing stumps, by hand, from the trees cut down yesterday. Amazing what a Toyota Sienna can pull if you don’t care about damage to the transmission. While stumps were being excavated, Chree and the dogs dug the fire pit. The grate is perfectly level, much to Chree’s chagrin, ‘cause you know who still has vestiges of his type A personality. Steve (Doug’s brother), Mary (Steve’s girlfriend), Lauren (Steve’s older daughter), and Justin (Lauren’s boyfriend) came by early afternoon for a quick tour. Took The Beast over to Lynne & Perry’s for Alverta’s 85th birthday party (center and right) and to refill the water tanks that were ⅔ empty after two days of two people plus two dogs' consumption. Chree’s first time underway… she found it very OMG, GMTHOOH!!!! eye opening. Backing The Beast into its parking spot at Fern Lake now is much easier with the RV-biting trees removed. Discovered (by Chree yelling, “STOP!!!!”) that there is yet another tree halfway down the driveway that has evil designs on the passenger-side rearview mirror.
12 June 2009
Woke up at the crack of dawn to find that Shlomo had had a large bout of incontinence in the night… ALL OVER the dining area carpet that I spent most of my previous visit to Fern Lake shampooing. Chree did wonders with some Spic N Span… before she even had her coffee. Rain all morning. Installed shelves in one of the hall closets, doubling the amount of storage available for non-hang-up clothes. Used Goo Gone and a razor blade scraper to good effect on various stickers and sticky things left over from The Beast’s last owner. Steve and Carole Osmer (my boss for many, many years both in the Coast Guard and then afterwards as a contractor) stopped by for lunch and a tour of the property. Hamburgers on the grill became Sloppy Joes on a bun due to the rain. Chree wanted more sunlight where The Beast is parked, so four trees (including the cherry that bit The Beast’s back bumper) went from vertical to firewood. Chainsaw ran almost perfectly. Gathered rocks for a fire pit to be created where the car turnaround has been, but won’t be needed with the sun-blocking trees removed from the driveway. Had pistachio ice cream with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for dinner. Yes, that was our ENTIRE dinner…
11 June 2009
Chree and I, accompanied by Geisha (our German Sheppard, who was born in Vermont) and Shlomo (Tasi & Kristen’s Labrador Retriever), along with the other half of everything we own, made the trek from Virginia to Fern Lake. Shlomo chewed through his brand new seat belt (destroyed beyond repair) within the first two hours, then got car sick. It was a looooong 9 ½ hour drive, with rain off and on the whole way. Chree liked The Beast, and, even more, the Glenora Cranberry Chablis we had with dinner!!!!
29 May 2009
Returned to Virginia. Was making good time until I got to the toll plaza in Baltimore. From there to Springfield is normally a one hour drive. Took 2 ½ due to accidents and heavy rain. NOT FUN!!!! This is why I want to move to Vermont!!!!
28 May 2009
Hard rain off and on all night and most of the morning. Soothing is not the term I would use to describe the cascading drops hitting the roof of the RV. Drove The Beast up to Kampersville to dump tanks and rewater. Took lunch (lasagna and strawberry shortcake) over to Lynne at her office in thanks for doing all of my laundry earlier this week. Fixed the cracked plastic shower curtain track (again) and it promptly broke, again. Hmm… Main entry door handle loosened up so the door wouldn’t open from the inside. Fixed. Promptly loosed up again. Put the handle in the van to be dealt with in Virginia. Using a screwdriver to operate the door in the meantime. Shampooed all of the RV’s carpets once again and this time they actually look pretty decent. Spent several hours clearing trees from the spur driveway that now runs from where the RV is parked down to the lower (north) end of where the shed will be. This spur driveway will provide access to the underground garage and equipment storage area. That spur also will give us a nice shortcut to the Lapidus’ house. Chainsaw ran okay, but that puppy still ain’t right! An incredibly delicious grilled vegetables dinner at Lynne & Perry’s to cap off a fairly productive two weeks.
27 May 2009
Third time's a charm ‘cause the camera platform is up!!!! Rained off and on all day, sometimes pretty hard. No leaks (!!!!) from either the skylight over the shower or any of the other roof openings, at least once I closed the bathroom and living/dining room roof vents that got left open all night. No wonder the furnace was running so much… Perry came by and trouble-shot / repaired the dining/living room light that suddenly went on the fritz the other day, then caused a fuse to blow. Used the RV microwave oven for the first time to cook dinner. Worked fine. Nobody yet has been able to figure out how to set the microwave clock. One of these days I suppose we should look in the instruction manual… Nah, why spoil the fun!?!?
26 May 2009
Spent most of the day cooking… preparing for Marty and Merry Lapidus coming to dinner. Good company and a fabulous repast (if I do say so myself) with Cabot extra sharp cheddar cheese on Ritz crackers (paired with a 2008 Chrysalis Sarah’s Patio White) for an appetizer, followed by lasagna, garden salad, and garlic Italian bread (paired with a 2006 Bayo Oscuro Syrah – provided by the Lapiduses, who know the Chilean vineyard owners), and finished with strawberry shortcake (paired with a 2005 Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glacière). As mentioned earlier, this ain’t no pop-up camper. First time I’ve used the RV oven… which, judging by cooking times, seemed to produce the temperatures advertised on the dial. Spent an hour scrubbing the stove top to within an inch of its life. Tom Whittaker stopped by early 
afternoon for a tour of property developments and news of local real estate activity. Had a spare hour between cooking after Tom left so reinstalled the bathroom vent cover (using stainless steel nuts and bolts), then raised the ladder for the camera platform. Kristen’s grandfather’s block and tackle once again made hoisting the ladder an easy one-minute task. The only hard part was getting the tackle hooked to the fixed block I had left high in the tree. I thought the ladder on a ladder on a ladder rig was pretty clever. It did the job and wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it looks. (Sure, Wilbur! Got any waterfront property in Florida you want to sell?)
afternoon for a tour of property developments and news of local real estate activity. Had a spare hour between cooking after Tom left so reinstalled the bathroom vent cover (using stainless steel nuts and bolts), then raised the ladder for the camera platform. Kristen’s grandfather’s block and tackle once again made hoisting the ladder an easy one-minute task. The only hard part was getting the tackle hooked to the fixed block I had left high in the tree. I thought the ladder on a ladder on a ladder rig was pretty clever. It did the job and wasn’t nearly as dangerous as it looks. (Sure, Wilbur! Got any waterfront property in Florida you want to sell?)
25 May 2009
Returned to Fern Lake about noon and resumed cleaning efforts. Consumed half a bottle of Windex and several hours washing all windows inside and out… The Beast has a lot of windows that were very dirty! Discovered that the passenger side windshield wiper blade is falling apart. How did this vehicle just pass inspection???? Put another bead of sealant around the kitchen sink. Went up on the roof to clean the exterior housings for the two exhaust vent fans. Three of the four nuts holding the bathroom vent cover in place were rusted into immobility. Pried off the cover and eventually freed up the nuts. Discovered and sealed, not two, but four, cracks in the bathroom skylight exterior cover. Tried to tighten the one leaking water compartment fitting that I can reach. No joy!!!! Bob LaPorte stopped by to give me his bill for putting in the rough driveway, digging the utility trench, and excavating the “cellar” for the storage building. Only a touch over $2K, about 50% less than I was expecting… and he did about 50% more work than I was expecting, as well. He’s a keepa!!!! Tired of cleaning after Bob left, so built a quick and dirty rock stairway so we can more easily access the house site from where the RV is parked. Also hauled the major pieces for the camera platform down to the hemlock where they will be installed. Used my new hand truck to move the 110 pound ladder, which worked really slick! Bob says we’re supposed to have a frost tonight, so guess the RV heater is going to get some use. Outside the master bedroom there is a black cherry growing around a dead pine. When the wind blows (like tonight) there is a constant creak, creak, creak as the cherry rubs against one of the pine’s branches. Fetched chainsaw, solved problem! Reached into the cupboard under the sink after dinner and found water in my 9 x 13 baking pan. I HATE water leaks!!!!
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