Our Little Cabin in the Woods

We're on our way! Last Monday, April 20, Mike and I went over to the property to check out the melting and to unload some supplies. To our surprise, our well had been drilled. That was the beginning. A couple of weeks before, a neighbor had been over with his bull dozer and "pioneered" a road into our building site. He came back later to clear brush and dig a trench for the electric company. Mike laid the electric wires and is now learning how to put the meter box together so that Homer Electric can come out and get the power from the pole to our meter box.

The weather has been cooperative. Mike spent a little time each night last week at the property. I went out a couple of nights to help. I have learned what it means to put something on the 16s and what the little red numbers on a measuring tape are for. I've learned that hurricane straps aren't long straps that you put around things to hold them down when hurricanes hit, but are actually metal pieces that are hammered into place that hold the frame onto the base of something. I've learned that Mike actually has a stubborn streak and that it's ok to compromise on the size of windows (I'll win on the big house, though, never fear!).

My brother Bob came over on Saturday to help us out. He got pretty excited over the nail gun and put together our steps to the cabin. We like them so much that we may just leave them there permanently. Today Bob had put up the back wall by the time Mike arrived from work. Together, they were able to finish the framing of the main floor. Tomorrow will see them starting on the loft. Things are really coming along. Mike promised me that once it all started, it would go quickly. He's right.

The greatest part of all of this is getting to be outside. The days are very long now -- nearly 16 hours of daylight. Even now as I'm writing this, it is 9:30 and the sunset is still not for another 20 minutes and even when it does set, there is still light for nearly an hour afterward. The geese are back and nesting. Songbirds are singing and chasing the eagles when the eagles get too close to the nests. Clammers have hit the beaches for the first big clamming tide of the season. Trees are breaking out with little fuzzy blossoms. And the snow is nearly gone. Meghan is moving back to the Peninsula on Saturday. School will be out in just over three weeks. The dogs love being outside too. Life is good.