Awakening day.

I was up early walking the dog and had the opportunity to see the sun rise on a beautiful fall morning.  Patches of sun as the yard awakened, highlighting old leaves, flowers looking for their last kiss of summer. 

I am not a gazing ball kind of gal.  But, I saw a gazing ball earlier this year at a relative’s home and became convinced I needed that spot of glint and glitter in my yard, somewhere.  I couldn’t find the ball I wanted ~ theirs was like a big bubble, blown from the sweet lips of a child.  My current gazing ball is green, and greener still as it reflects the trees that surround it.  I am fond of it, but that clear bubble dances in the back of my mind.   

The yard was cold this bright, sunny morn.  I stood in the sun streaked yard, I paused in the shadows, to come out again so the sun could warm my back, and watched the lake wake up.  A pair of swans had the lake to themselves for a time and the loud flapping of their wings as they took flight echoed across the water. 

This is a glorious morning.  I moved to test the tackiness of the newly painted turquoise chair.  I may not get its partner painted this fall, I may have waited a few days too long for the metal was cold to the touch.  Moving through the yard, up the drive, and back down, to see what the woods offered to me as a train whistled in the distance.  I took my time, I pulled in the crisp air, listened.  So hard to listen at times, but this morning I tried.  There is something about a fall morning that makes it easier to listen.

A busy few days lay ahead and this morning was fuel.  My skin is still chilled, my hands gathering warmth from the coffee cup, my feet welcome the slippers.  I am grateful for the day.   

My take on the lake.

I schlepped water down to the marigolds this morning and as I listened to squirrels chattering, sort of lost in my own world, I ignored how wet the bottom of my flannel pajama pants were becoming from the dew.  I gave not a thought to how this might look from the lake.  I so often admire what I see from my yard, my swing, the porch of the new shed…but what a sight the few fishermen out this morning had of me.  I could not even tell you what my hair may have seemed to them, glowing bright in the sun, as I have yet to look in a mirror. 

Last week, as I moved around the yard I gave a thought to what is different about living on a small lake like ours to a big lake like Lake Michigan, right down the road.  My first thought was the connectivity of the homes to the beach, and getting to know your neighbors, with toes in the sand and waves lapping at your ankles.  That’s nice.  I know a few people who live right on the shores of Lake Michigan, their summer place, and they tell me of cocktails at sunset with gathering neighbors, pop up parties if you will.  I like that, seems friendly.  Now, of course, if you live not on the shores of Lake Michigan you know it can be a bit less than friendly, but, that’s another story.

Then there is the boat life.  I know of folks who own big boats.  BIG boats and they never leave the dock, or maybe only once, to make a yearly run further north up the lakeshore and back to home pier again.  They also have gatherings and parties as many have a set-up on the boat and pier to accommodate quite a soiree.  It’s kind of hard to break in there,  if you are interested in becoming part of that life, but, it can be managed with the large investment for a big boat and a yearly dock fee.  I remember years ago Johnny Carson would joke with Ed McMahon about life on a boat docked in a marina, never left the dock, but what a great time they all had there.  I was young and had no frame of reference for what they teased back and forth about.   There was something so classy about the life they described!  

 

There's also life in a cottage or cabin, like my brother's place.   Big and roomy, with a kitchen big enough to make a meal but that's not the focus.  The focus is the open rooms, the big deck and porch, the firepit at night...the gathering of friends and family, especially their dear friend, down the road, who shows up regularly, as soon as the fire starts.  I love that.   The gift of my brother and sister-in-law's hospitality, the dimples and giggles of their charming granddaughters.   I love visiting the cabin in Kentucky and have written before about it being different than my life, my lake and truly magical. 

Then, there’s my life…a small recreational lake full of pontoons, jet skis, row boats, kayaks, speed boats and canoes.  A place where you can disappear for an entire day or for an hour.  Pull up at the beach or out on the water, meet some friends, make some friends ~  it can all be done in the confines of our small but open lake.  We gather in the middle of the lake on pontoon boats, link up, pass kids and food back and forth.   Float, swim, jump and most importantly, start, tend and build relationships.  Laze away a summer day.  While we may be done with swimming for this year we have a few good boating days left.  Sure, it might require a blanket and a warm beverage…hot cider comes to mind…but there are days left.

Breaking out of a few days of some really cold and windy weather, I am back to watering plants and deadheading marigolds.   I’ve done an inspection of some of the azaleas, dogwood and redbud I planted earlier in the year and it looks like they have taken hold in most cases…I may have to replace a couple in the spring but I am willing to top them off with some rich soil for winter and give them a chance.  Planting “whips”, I’ve learned, is a tricky business and takes a special hand.  The dogwood starts were only about 10” to 12” long and not all have taken root.  When I planted some a few years ago I would say 1/3 survived.  My odds are a bit better this year.

I am also moving some daffodils, especially around the new shed.  The shed will be a bit like the barn located on the property in that it will be red, with a green metal roof and white trim.  When hubs and I moved in to our house an old glass paned entry door was the door used at the top of our basement stairs.  We lived with that door for 30 years and only replaced it a few years ago when we upgraded all the doors in the house.  Now it will be the door for the shed, after a nice coat of yellow paint.  I’m getting very excited for the shed to be finished! It will be super cute…which my husband has pointed out is not really the end goal for the shed, but it doesn’t hurt!  He has reminded me it is for tools and boat stuff and not a guest cottage (oh, how I wish!).   The yellow daffodils in the spring will be a nice addition! The ground out there is hard, hard but I am determined!
 

At some point we need to take the old shed down.  I’ll miss that structure but it will be so nice to have that space cleared and cleaned up.  I’ve got my share of potting mess going on over there, and we have some old bicycles, brick and a broken down leaf vac.  It needs some tender loving care and I’m just the person to tackle it.  Hubs said he is not in a hurry, yet, to take the shed down as it will be a chore…and maybe not till spring.  I said we need to put caution tape around it! Maybe a chalk outline.

I’ve got a list a mile long for fall prep and still have two or three plants to get in the ground before it gets too late.  I am in charge of the painting of the barn and some of our metal chairs are getting a new color but require MUCH wire brushing before that happens.  Those are big projects at the top of the list!  Of course, I’m also in charge of fun and I have plenty of that in mind, too! Yes, fall brings a lot of work, a lot of planning and a lot of fun.     

Is it over? Is it ever really over?

So we had it, right? The last hurrah of Summer 2015?

At least twice this past holiday weekend rain threatened to ruin my day.  I am happy to report that it did not happen either time.  The first, when we were expecting, oh, I don’t know fifty or sixty people for a cookout and bonfire, dampened things a little bit but held off for the rest of the late afternoon and evening.  Playing in the yard, laughing, eating and boating was the order of the day.  The second was a promise to kids that tubing would happen.  A storm moving quickly through the area and a bouncy ride in the rain gave way to a glorious, beautiful last sunny spin around the lake for some grinning kids.  My heart is full. 

My house is a wreck today, after three days of end-of-summer fun, and I would not trade it for anything.  The grandkids were here, family was here, friends were here.   I mentioned a few posts ago that hubs and I have shifted our focus from this being our house - kind of taking it for granted in a way - and making sure we share it with family, and also our extended "family friends".  We are truly blessed with a great circle of friends, who really are family.  Semantics.  Are they family or are they friends?

So, now, summer is coming to a close.  It’s been a great summer and thanks to all who made it possible!  From sharing food, sharing a laugh, it’s been one for the books.  Surprises in store and more fun ahead.  We don’t shutter our windows and roll up the deck furniture for a long time yet.

Fall 2015 is on the horizon, folks.  Football, marching band, raking leaves, chili and more family, more friends, more fires!   

I'll huff and I'll puff...

I haven’t broken out a measuring tape or anything but I would say the shed today is about 1/3 of the way done.  Hubs has put in many long hours, cutting, bolting, measuring…and I hand him tools.  Oh, occasionally I will use the drill, never the saw, and also hold the level.  This shed, I think, is being built as if the big, bad wolf might someday try to blow it down.  To which, the response I received from hubs was “Have you ever seen the news after a tornado went through?”  Fair enough.

My initial fear, in deciding on the shed plan, was that it wasn’t going to be big enough.  We finally landed on the size based on building permits issued through the county.  Oh, and we have a new rule in our county that you cannot have more than one additional building, other than your house that is, on a lot without a variance.  That’s right.  Not two sheds.  Not a shed and a boat house down by the water, which carries a different requirement anyway as it would be in the flood plain and need a permit from the DNR.  Basically, the variance for the second building, say a garage, would mean application to the county, plans, inspection, approval, building permit based on size…oh,  and fee.  Don’t forget the fee.  You have to pay a rather tidy fee to be able to build that second building on your own lot, to pay for the variance, you see. 

We work pretty well together, actually.  Its years of practice. I try to anticipate the tool he will need next as invariably it will be on the other side of the project.  I keep an extra screw or two on me at all times as I know he will drop one, or one will be bad or not usable, and he will have gathered just the right amount, usually held in his mouth. I tend to ask a lot of questions, he tends to not always want to answer.  I know when to stop asking questions and he knows when to change his tone.  I am especially quick at adding numbers, even fractions, and he has a method he uses that has baffled me for almost 40 years.  I think the nuns taught it to him or something, so you know, it must be the way to do it.  I blurt out the answer while he goes through this crazy formula and then agrees with me.  Okay, as long as we both get there, and agree on the measurement.  I will just stand here and hold up this building while you calculate this all out. 

But, I am not good at algebra, geometry or any other higher math.  I can add, subtract, divide and multiply.  This week I have been party to the Pythagorean Theorem more times than I can count.  Said outloud.  I got that sucker.  I guess, if you are a builder or somehow in the trade or even a DIYer, it is something you can use your entire life! So, a math teacher could retort “When in your life will you ever use this? When you are building a shed!”