Before and After

I took some shots in the fall of the cottage so we could do "before and after's" as the project moves along.  Here's an interim pair.

What Have We Done!

First reaction in pulling in the drive on Friday was the reality of what was happening.  Mixed emotions as we begin the construction.  The footings are in and they are ready to pour the foundation.

Macy wanted me to make a sand pile this year for Beckett to play in...mission accomplished!

I have a pile of my own, this is what will keep my weekends busy for a while; thankfully we have a log splitter.

We're Legal

We have to make everybody happy, the state, the county, the township, and the omnipresent Department of Natural Resources.

Beginings

The dream started in 1972 when the property was bought.  My parents had camped Up North, on a now long gone campground on Flambeau Lake, and loved the area.  The four acres were bought for $10,000 and the building began in the winter of 72-73.

Here's some shots of the cottage construction in the winter of 72-73

Deja vu, while the cottage is under construction my parents stayed in their camping trailer.

Here's a shot looking across the lagoon where the bridge now is.

Last Fire

Saturday night Macy and I built a fire and had dinner in the cottage.  This was the best fire place of all in my universe.  Cozy, warm, and always inviting.  It was the one feature of the cottage we really wanted to keep, but the remodelers we talked to just couldn't make it work.  I've got the slide projector set up and am going to start scanning slides this week for Up North shots through the years.  Look for those, I'm sure there will be lots of fireplace shots...and lots of memories.

Demo Begins

The spring load limits on the roads have been lifted, so heavy equipment can now be brought in.  Demo begins tomorrow, Monday, May 2.  One of the guys from the demo team asked if he could come and remove some things for himself ahead of time.  He's building a garage and could use about 150 cement blocks.  They also took some of the heat ducts, the copper pipe, the air conditioner, and the stove.  Macy observed if we had them get started a couple of weeks ago we wouldn't have had to pay for the demo.  Removing the blocks was all sledge hammer work, not for the faint of heart.

Here's a couple of "proof of concept" shots.  The new house will have a wall of windows on the lower level looking out to the lake.  Heather has always maintained we should have done this long ago with the cottage.  Add a window and put a bedroom downstairs.

We're headed back up next weekend, should be interesting.

More New Wheels

After looking at a lot of so called "UTV's" (Utility Terrain Vehicles I guess) the choice was very easy.  The John Deere Gator is the perfect workhorse for Up North, dump in the back and it pulls a trailer.  Bucket seats for comfy rides down to the beach.  I wonder if they have a "party wagon" option...ice maker would help too.