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!!!!