How the Wind Howls -- Simple Living in Vermont

Ironwood Artisans

2011-12-11T10:39:00.003-05:00

I've been spending a bunch of time OVER HERE:

www.ironwoodartisans.com

...if everyone is wondering why I haven't posted in half a year. Oh, and full time job as well. In any case, we've just recently updated our website, and we have lots of goodies for those who want gifts for the holidays!

(This is the sort of stuff that's been taking up my time. Cute, eh?)
But, I've still got a billion projects going at once -- and I'll try my best to post them.

Until then, Happy Holidays!

Brooks House Fire

2011-04-20T10:08:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of the big Brooks House fire in downtown Brattleboro on Sunday night. Here's a link to the Commons article, which is really quite good:

I have some new pictures to post of Rhinebeck, NY, and some other fun things. Hopefully, I'll get to them in a few days.

Ironwood Artisans

2011-03-28T11:44:00.004-04:00

We're preparing for the big upcoming festival season over in the land of Ironwood Artisans! If you haven't heard of us, take a gander at our recently updated website: www.ironwoodartisans.com . Trevor and I were two of the original partners last September, and the business has taken off to new heights since then! It's exciting (and scary) to be involved with the business world, but with good friends and lots of help from fellow merchants, we've managed to navigate our way through a number of shows and festivals.

We're currently preparing for a number of Renaissance festivals and pagan festivals, and in the process, had to take pictures of 'the Artisans'. Here is our classical, dour photograph:

...and a picture of the lovely ladies:

Of course, we can smile, too:

...and when we're pulling an all-nighter to get ready for the show....

More pictures to come in the next few weeks. For more Ironwood related photos, check out our website or find us on Facebook.

Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.
-Adam

The Weight of Water

2011-03-11T19:45:00.004-05:00

Once again, we've had another ice storm on our mountain -- beautiful when the sun comes out, dangerous when the wind blows. Luckily, most of the deadwood fell in the ice storm of '08, so this one wasn't as damaging. Just a few power lines down, and no one severely hurt. Of course, it was very isolated -- just like the storm in '08. Ten minutes east down Route 9, and there wasn't a trace of ice. Just rain. I love micro climates.

Lucier Road

Path to the Cabin

Allison's Yard, West View

Driveway and Guineahen Coop

Here's to the coming of spring.

Peace out,
-Adam

Sugaring Season Again

2011-02-17T22:09:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we stared putting up buckets hoping for the first few drops of sap from the sugar maples this year. This will be the second year we sugar (though, I'm not sure if I can use sugar as a verb), and I'm very excited to see how well we do. Last year, we made just over two quarts of maple syrup of varying grades, and I hope to make at least one gallon this year.

A number of people have asked me how to produce maple syrup, and I'd thought I'd give a quick run-through of the process. Very simply, you take raw sap from the sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum)* and boil it until it reaches the consistency of syrup. You have to get the sap (tapping the tree), transport the sap to a pot or evaporator, filter our impurities, and then boil off the excess water.

*now, you can use sap from other trees, but the sugar maple has one of the highest sugar to water ratios -- about forty gallons of sap makes one gallon of syrup. By contrast, the red maple sap has much more water, making a ratio of 80:1. Still tastes the same, but takes much more work.*

For a small operation like ours up on the mountain, we have ten taps, ten 5-gal. buckets, and a few big pots that sit on the wood stoves. However, some of the larger sugaring operations in the area use taps with rubber hoses that transport sap to a collection tank, and they use a special shed with large steel pans and wood heat to evaporate the water. Some people still prefer the old galvanized metal buckets, and go around to collect the sap with their tractors.

To tap the tree, we drill a small hole through the bark into the living part of the tree, and then hammer a hollow metal tap into the hole. We hang our plastic buckets on the tap, and check them every two days (or so). After we get the sap, we filter it through cheesecloth, and then boil it in every large pot we can scavenge from the kitchen. After a few hours, we are left with warm, fresh maple syrup (and nothing compares to fresh maple syrup -- nothing).

After the maple sugar season, Trevor and I hope to tap some birches and attempt to make birch beer. Luckily, it requires most of the same equipment as maple sugaring and brewing cider or mead. I'll be sure to post our progress with both experiments.

Soon, it'll be time for mud season and prepping the garden. Until then, we'll have to settle for sugar and snow.

A Progression of Photos

2011-01-10T19:48:00.006-05:00

If you happen to be on Facebook, take a gander at my new album of cabin photos. It's a progression of photos from the beginning of construction in May 2oo9 to the completion in December 2010. It's stunning how far this small plot of land has changed in just two years. Now with the cabin done, our focus will be on the land around the cabin -- pathways, trails, gardens, wildflower plots, and other features. I can't wait to get started! Unfortunately, flowers don't grow well in snow....

Here's a parting shot just for kicks and giggles:

***ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1/12/2011

For those who don't have access to Facebook, you can see the pictures through a public link here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006835&id=161600417&l=8b6331a0f7

Enjoy!

A Wolf with Red Eyes

2011-01-04T09:30:00.002-05:00

Like a green maple leaf or a white snowflake, the overused symbols of nature remind me of a card shop – glossy photos of beautiful landscapes captured on heavy card stock and printed with catchy phrases or notes of love, thanks, happiness, or grief. In some ways, I can connect to them and understand that in that instant, those photos were of a real time and place – beautiful, remote, or even dangerous. But more often, I associate them with heavily-scented candles, boxes of mid-quality chocolate, fluorescent lights, and soft jazz music.

I promise this narrative is leading to the profound thoughts I had just before New Year's Eve. Reflections, even, that inspired me to record important events throughout the past year. But before I can reflect, it is my duty as a writer to inform the reader that these reflections are like the glossy images on Hallmark cards: selective pictures of a dynamic, moving landscape. Pictures can lie by hiding the whole truth, and so will I. But I trust you, the reader, can understand why I choose to condense and edit my past year.

Early in 2010, I found myself living in a half-completed cabin, struggling with broken wood stoves and drafty doors. Trevor and I had no running water, and we woke up to 40 degrees – curled up under four blankets with two dogs. We luckily found a new wood stove, and as the sunlight crept back from the solstice, our cabin became more habitable. I looked forward to a summer where the cabin would be finished.

At the same time, I fulfilled a dream of becoming a certified Emergency Medical Technician. The class was deadly boring, but the experience with the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company was invaluable, and continues to be to this day. Sometimes, the experiences are silly, or routine – fire alarms, down power lines, or unusual events at Vermont Yankee. Sometimes, the experiences are hard. Car accidents, medical patients, deaths – to name a few. For the first time ever, I performed CPR on a woman, and though we worked for what seemed an eternity to start her heart, she died. In short, it changed my perceptions of death in this world, and I understand the hardships of those who try their best to save a dying life.

Spring saw renewed work on the cabin, and the construction progressed quickly. The siding was finished, paperwork went to the state for running water, trim was completed, and rooms formed from utilitarian boxes to cozy and comfortable living spaces. For the first time in my life, I learned to tap maple trees and Allison, Trevor, and I collected many gallons of sap to make a half-gallon of maple syrup. Fresh syrup from the boiling pot has a flavor that cannot be matched by anything in the store. It was a sweet adventure. And speaking of sweet, I ventured into the world of Julia Child, successfully making her famous Chocolate Mousse and croissants.

I also learned many lessons in fixing cars and trucks, and wandered further into the world of electricity – a fascinating and fun way to spend work hours. The workshop started to form into a reasonable shape, and the unthinkable occurred: Allison's basement was cleaned!

The summer saw more cabin work, sawing wood, splitting wood, and occasionally good healthy fun (such as caving and climbing up marble-carved waterfalls). I also had the pleasure of meeting a small gray fox from only ten feet away – a beautiful wild creature. I was lucky enough to get photos, and meet with a good neighbor who I had never really known.

The end of the summer saw the formation of a new small business of which I am a partner, Ironwood Artisans, and the return of a good friend, Edwin, from China. It also saw the departure of another close friend: Ashley, who ventured to the west coast to play in the woods. I miss him still. The cabin continued to take shape, though the water was delayed for longer than expected.

Over the summer, I had added many new woodworks to my repertoire: kitchen counters, cabinets, jewelry boxes, chessboards, board games, bull-roarers, custom bookshelves, cutting boards, wind chimes, and others. I feel that in 2010, my woodworking skill starting moving from amateur to semi-professional. I am especially happy that I could achieve this. Papa Katrick, wherever you are, I hope you are proud. I certainly couldn't have done it without you.

I would also like to say that I have a greater appreciation of the hazards of table saws. That is all.

I rediscovered music, and have since picked up my trumpet again and fiddled with random sheet music. I occasionally played with the guitar, a new (to me) mandolin, tin whistle, didgeridoo, and, surprisingly, my voice. I pulled out my watercolors, and managed to sketch a few pictures. I have taken more photographs, and started to learn the basics of photography.

On the other end of the spectrum, Trevor and I raised Guineahens, and planted a very successful garden. The tomatoes overwhelmed us, and we had more squash than we could cook. Mint, sage, strawberries, carrots, peas, and peppers overflowed in our small plot. We agreed last year: the 2011 garden will be bigger and better. I have full faith that it will.

We also experimented with fermentation again, and I successfully made a dry hard cider that I have been enjoying very much. Trevor made juniper mead, which is aging gracefully under the kitchen cabinet. I hope to make raspberry cider in the new year, and Trevor wants to try gooseberry mead.

In raising poultry, I found the necessity to learn how to shoot a gun. I've since practiced with rifles and handguns, and it has changed my perception of firearms. Soon, I will be in the market for a .22 or a 30/30 so that Trevor and I can protect our livestock. I have also experienced the awful necessity of shooting predators by clipping the wing of a Barred owl who had attacked one of our hens. I hope the owl survived, but I also hope she finds a new hunting ground. My next shot will be more accurate.

I found more time to reconnect with family, but not enough, and I hope to more in the upcoming year. Trevor and I took a week-long vacation, and it was perhaps the most relaxed I have felt in years. It's hard to realize how hard I've pushed myself until I stop. The next month, We entered into the National Novel Writing Month to attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I am happy to say that Trevor succeeded at his goal, and is on his way to writing a new novel. I didn't reach 50,000, but I did pull out an old story and started a new. By the end of the month, I had totaled 12,000 words.

The beginning of December was filled with craft shows for Ironwood Artisans, and the middle of the month was a flurry of plumbing and electrical work on the cabin. I can now say that the cabin, having started in May 2009, is finally finished. Of course, there's still a few bits of trim here and there, but trim work is perpetual – kind of like dusting or washing the windows. I am happy to be living in a complete home with my boyfriend, two dogs, and a wonderful warm woodstove.

Now that I have taken you on this wandering and incomplete adventure through 2010, I hope you aren't too lost or bored. It is, in essence, and exercise for me to remember the many things that happened over the last year. I hope to remember them and learn from them to make my 2011 even better. I have much hope that it will be. Though the last year is still a collection of glossy, card stock memories, I have a dynamic and moving life in front of me and ahead of me. I will do my best of absorb it all – and take advantage of everything this beautiful place called Vermont has to offer.

Happy New Year.

It's almost here...

2010-10-31T23:48:00.002-04:00

Ten minutes until I enter the depths of my novel -- a world after death, before the afterlife. Garm, Barry, Faelis, and others will be there, waiting for someone's last breath. Wish me luck!

Woodstove Season

2010-10-16T23:38:00.004-04:00

Leaves are hanging on trees by thready stems in southern VT; the last rainstorm brought many of the yellow and red decorations down to the ground, collecting in the culverts and ditches beside the dirt roads. It's most certainly woodstove season again. The nights are chilly, and the last flowers are dying back. The asters and mums adorning our front stairs still show bright yellow, orange, and purple, but the marigolds are fading fast as well as the other summer perennials.

As the growing season ends, building season winds down with it. There is still work to be done, but my friends and I are working at a more casual pace. The temptation of sitting by the fire and knitting is much more difficult to resist, especially when the alternative is crawling around under the cabin in the cold. But, it needs to be done!

The cabin is coming along nicely. The crawlspace is 1/2 closed-in, and we have a new deck out back. The front porch is screened in, and the mudroom is cleaner than it has been in a long time. The loft is done, the living room is done, Trevor's study is done (and beautiful), and the kitchen is very close to being done. I'm nearly finished with the 6' counter to install as an 'island'.

Plumbing and septic work is taking time, but it is out of my hands, so it's not nearly as stressful. State paperwork is a bear to work with, but is a necessary evil. We'll be gifted with a full bathroom, a working kitchen sink, and both hot and cold water. Possibly, we'll even have one or two outside spigots! Trevor and I are eager to be able to cook in our kitchen for the first time with running water. Mmmm, the scones, pies, pasties, and stews will be wonderful.

The activities of the last couple months have been numerous, and would be a chore to remember -- but the highlights include building a tree house in the Marlboro forest, becoming Coyote to tell myths and stories to new students, becoming a partner in the new business Ironwood Artisans (go see our work at www.ironwoodartisans.com !), learning to shoot a rifle, exploring old barns in the area, and visiting with a local fox. I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of things in there, but I'll write about them some other day.

In the meantime, enjoy some pictures:

Trevor's Completed Study, North and East Walls
Trevor's Completed Study, South and East Walls

The Back Deck in Process of being Completed

My First Completed Chessboard (I didn't make the pieces -- but aren't they pretty?)

The Foundation Wall on the East Wall.

The foundation walls are complete on the East and West, and have been covered in shiplap and insulated with rigid foam. Hopefully, it will keep the underside of the cabin much warmer (especially because there will be plumbing under there!).

I don't have many pictures of the inside of the cabin at the moment, but I will work on taking more so I can share them in this blog.

In the meantime, peace out.

Old Memories

2010-08-01T21:59:00.004-04:00

I came across some old 35mm photos in my computer this evening. They were from the summer of 2006 -- photos I had taken from my Minolta manual, but hadn't developed until much later. They are a bit grainy, and the color is a bit off, but they are memories, nonetheless. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Raven and Sabertooth from Mission:Wolf

Stone circle, "Goblin's Dance", revisited in late August 2006

Lightning storm in Colorado

The old power house at Staatsburg House near Rhinebeck, NY

Gardener's shed at Staatsburg House

I may go through some of my old wolf photographs and post a few, as I have nearly 1000, and I only have shared maybe 20 or 30. I haven't had a place or a reason to pull them out since I finished with my plan at Marlboro College, but some of them are very pretty, and I'd love to make prints of them someday. Perhaps when I obtain a color printer. In the meantime, I hope everyone can enjoy them digitally.

Peaceful dreams,
-Adam

August Arrives

2010-08-01T09:01:00.005-04:00

August has finally rolled around, and with it come tomatoes, squash, cool nights in the 40's, and clear starry skies. As usual, I'm staying as busy as ever, but I long for a relaxing week of reading and sipping lemonade. We can all dream, can't we? Things are progressing, however, and the cabin is looking more beautiful than ever. The living room and kitchen have been completed, and there are books on the bookshelves and blankets on the window seat. The mudroom is done, but full of furniture and boxes awaiting their new home. The loft is close to completion, only needing a few coats of polyurethane and some cabinets. The only rooms left are Trevor's study and the bathroom. Soon we'll have a house!

My life has been full of distractions, which in some ways have been welcome, but in others have been stressful. I like the occasional day of trail work to take me away from construction and cabinetmaking, but what I really need is an afternoon of music and online games, or a walk in the woods with Shadow. The fire department has been stressful, as usual, and not as gratifying as it was in the past. But these things change, and sooner or later, I will feel more fulfilled. I have spent a great deal of time in therapy, and it has made my life calmer and sensible, but I really need to spend more time working on myself and my mind to be happier, less anxious, and more complete. I have been spending a lot of time with friends and acquaintances, but I could be doing a better job connecting with those people and listening to them. So many things to work on, but so little time. Such is life.

There have been happier moments, though too rare for my taste. Card games late at night with friends, food spontaneously made from the garden, or trips downtown with Trevor for tea make me much happier. Or, ever popular, Shadow's bath time:

For now, I'll hope for more completion of lingering projects, more time for relaxation and friends, and definitely, more puppy hugs.

Summertime, but the Livin' Ain't Always Easy

2010-07-09T17:08:00.010-04:00

Not too many words today -- just pictures:

living room -- almost complete

exhaustion

new guineahen coop

before...

...after

Roof for a commissioned arbor

trim details...

Cheers.

A Fowl Flock

2010-06-08T21:54:00.003-04:00

I'm aware that not much posting is going on... and given the large number of pictures that I have stored on my camera, more posting should be happening.
So! For tonight, feast your eyes on our ten new family members:
They are called Guineahens, and they are native to Africa. Unlike chickens, these guys don't scratch up your yard and they eat lots of bugs! That's good news for our garden! Apparently, they're also very tasty (but don't let them hear that).
Look forward to updates from the cabin. We've finished the siding, and we're doing the last interior work -- room by room. Also coming soon, plumbing, foundation finishing, and real running water!

An Unexpected Lesson in Auto Mechanics

2010-04-24T20:21:00.003-04:00

Let me put it this way: I may have set a record for the longest oil change in history. I could have driven down to Brattleboro and had my oil changed for $30 in ten minutes... well, in theory. Instead, it cost me five times that amount and took the entirety of this lovely, spring-like Saturday. It began when I decided to change the oil in my car by myself....

(For the sake of visualization, think of this part in black and white).
It was a lovely Saturday morning in Vermont. The air was clear, the daffodils almost in bloom, and the birds chirping. Meet Adam, a cheerful, happy amateur mechanic, excited to change the oil in his car as many young men do on the weekend. Now, this was not the first time he had changed the oil in his car; he had experience in the matter. All of the supplies were lined up beside the car, and with the radio tuned to NPR, he began his work.

The car was blocked and jacked up onto stands, and Adam could easily climb underneath. He looked for the drain plug on the oil pan, which he found with ease. All he needed was a gentle application of force to loosen the bolt, and watch the oil flow gently into his plastic bucket. But, something was wrong! The bolt wouldn't loosen! How could that be? Adam knew that over-tightening the bolt was not good for the oil pan, but his last mechanic must have tightened it too much!

(enter: villainous mechanic with handlebar mustache, sombrero, and dastardly fiddle music in the background)
"Haha!" said the mechanic, "I have tightened your oil pan bolt with my impact wrench of cruelty! I have destroyed the threads on your oil pan! Now, you will have to replace your oil pan! Wahahahahaha!"
(villain rides away on pogo stick waving a 17mm wrench in the air)

You see, really, a shadow was cast on my beautiful Saturday morning. So, instead of giving up entirely, I decided I was going to fix my car. I spent many hours removing the bolts from the oil pan, drilling a hole in the broken bolt to drain the oil, and pulling a heavily dented oil filter from under my car. Two of the bolts on the pan were hidden behind the engine, so I had a choice: remove the engine from the car, or spent lots of time fishing around behind the oil pan with a wobbly wrench and no visual clues as to where the bolts were. I chose the second. I mean, come on! I'm not going to take the engine out of my poor Subaru!

So, after the pan was off, I took it down to the dealership in our truck to see if they could fix the pan. They couldn't, of course, so I had to buy a new pan and gasket. (On my way down, I ordered Trevor's Guinea hens, which is a story for another day). I raced back up to Marlboro in the truck, and when I arrived I assembled the pan and gasket, cleaned up the underside of the engine, and put the sucker back on. It took an hour and a half alone to put in the hidden bolts. But, I installed the new pan, put on a new filter, filled it up with oil, took it for a spin around the block, and behold, no leaks thus far!

I'll check again in the morning to see how the pan is doing, but I think it's fairly well attached. *crosses fingers* The upside of this is that I can now replace an oil pan in a Subaru -- not an easy task! I think that I'll let the real mechanics change the oil in it next time.

The truck, however, is fair game....

Until next time, Yipppe kay-yea!

Where's the Spring?

2010-03-14T21:00:00.007-04:00

Just returned from a short trip to the Hudson Valley, and my only question to Vermont is, "Where's the Spring? Geez, it' mid-March already!!!" But, it will come in good time, I suppose. Meanwhile I've been working on indoor projects and furniture -- stuff that should be done before it's pleasant outside. Bookshelves, basement wiring, cleaning, and project drafts are all best done indoors. Oh well. Just a few more weeks, I guess. (Certain readers will like to know that I haven't forgotten a certain television table.)

I've been thinking a great deal about a future 'Canine Education Center' I've been dreaming up for a while. It's expanded from just a wolf refuge to a canine refuge, and I'd like to create a comfortable, cozy building with an library/media room, a dog training room, and potentially a small vet clinic. We'll see how this progresses. It sounds like grant writing is in my future. As well as a PhD in animal behavior and conservation...

Anyways, I thought I'd post some updated pictures of the cabin, as it's been a while since I've posted any. Please, enjoy. (And look out for this summer -- if you'd like to hammer some nails and cut some wood, I'll be doing some projects and would be happy to have volunteers).

Guardian snow wolf in front of the cabin.

Ceiling = done!

The kitchen is coming along nicely...

Double-sided bookshelf with cabinet doors, in the loft.

My new, semi-complete study.

Our brand-new wood stove (thanks Allison!) !

Kitchen cabinet, custom-built by me.

As always, more to come. I'm currently trying to design a rocking chair. I've never built a chair before. Hmm. This should be fun...

Oh boy!

2010-03-09T11:23:00.001-05:00

The Season of Sap

2010-03-08T11:24:00.003-05:00

It's sugaring season up here in Vermont*, and over at Allison's homestead, we're joining the old tradition of tapping maple trees. I've never collected maple sap before, but I thought, how hard could it be? Well, in fact, it's not hard at all. Trevor, Allison, and I gathered our materials (a drill, a hammer, taps, and plastic buckets) and headed out into the woods.

*What makes a good sugaring season? Temperatures that dip below freezing during the night, but are above freezing during the day. I don't understand all of the mechanisms involved; however, sap flow is entirely temperature dependent, as it dictates the pressure changes in the tree. The tree has a greater internal pressure, and the sap 'leaks' out of the hole created by a tap, just like a kitchen sink. Cool, eh?

We first picked suitable maple trees. We looked for sugar maple, as it gives the sap with the highest sugar content of the Acer genus (you can tap red maples, but it takes twice as much sap to create a similar amount of syrup). The trees we tapped were at least 20" in diameter, which allowed us to put two taps and two buckets on the trees. Smaller trees might be damaged by more than one tap.

Next, we drilled small holes 5/16th of an inch thick upwards into the tree.

The taps are simply metal cylinders -- they hold the bucket onto the tree, and allow sap to flow through. Taps can be made of anything (including wood or a plastic straw), but we got our aluminum taps from the local Agway.

The sap starts flowing as soon as it is inserted (click on the picture for a larger image). It's quite tasty.

We prepare the plastic buckets for hanging on the tap by drilling a hole in the side. It's classic to use metal buckets with tin covers, but we decided to use a cheaper (and equally effective) route. Some professional sugarers use plastic tubes to transport the sap to a collection bucket, which can lead right to the evaporation trays.

All ready for the sap to flow! We put up a total of 7 buckets on 4 trees.

We've so far collected 2.5 gallons of sap in a half-day, so we're well on our way to maple syrup! It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. I'm not sure we'll collect that much, but I'll give it my best shot! As we collect the syrup, we've put it on the cookstove or the woodstove to boil, and we add more when the pot is low. The weather forecast for sugaring looks good, so wish us luck this week!

If you're close enough to visit, come join us for waffles and homemade maple syrup when we're done!

Disappearances and reappearances

2010-01-30T00:17:00.003-05:00

It has been quite a while since I've been here, has it not? I've had the best on intentions to post to this blog frequently, but sometimes life doesn't work out as ideally as predicted. A few major events have absorbed all of my attention: becoming an EMT, making the cabin functional, being on the fire department, and some health issues (but don't worry -- I'm still alive -- I promise!). But, things are looking up!

The major event that has prompted me to write in my blog again is the near-completion of my study. I finally have a desk and some bookshelves and a place to put my computer -- a space of my own! Huzzah! I have great thanks to all of those who encouraged me to work on the study. I will post pictures when I take them off of my camera, but I give no guarantees to the time. I've got quite a bit of new furniture and shelving to post pictures of.

I am quite excited about a new shelving design that I have been working on. Instead of the standerd mortise and tenon, I've made a hidden mortise and tennon and rounded all of the working edges on my bookshelves. I've also made flip-top doors on dowels that are easy to install on any shelf. Soon, I hope to include glass cabinet doors on my bookshelf designs. Again, seeing is believing, so I'll have to take pictures.

I've stopped working on the outside of the cabin for the winter, so I'll finish the siding in the spring. This summer it looks like we'll be installing a foundation and hot&cold running water in the cabin. Also, possibly a septic system. Our cabin will grow up to be a real house! Trevor is very excited about gardening, and I'm excited about finishing the screened-in porch and the deck. If time and the budget allows, we might also build a greenhouse. Good things are ahead!

We had a bit of a setback two weeks ago when our wood stove died. The mechanism that held the glass doors shut broke, and the stove did not heat up well nor did it maintain heat throughout the night. So, I brought up an old Waterford box stove from Allison's basement and installed it temporarily to heat the cabin. It works well, but is definitely too small for the cabin. Hopefully, we'll find a good stove sometime in the next couple of months.

I think I'll have to cut this post short for the night -- I'm dreadfully tired. However, I look forward to posting more about the status of the cabin, and about life in the woods of VT in the middle of the winter. Cheers everyone, and stay warm.

The arrival of Autumn

2009-09-24T17:41:00.002-04:00

I rushed off early this morning to a rescue call, jumping in the car with Allison and Julia to speed towards the college. It took me a while, but around 6:30 I noticed the sun was rising, and I watched it from on top of Potash hill. It's been a long time since I've seen the sunrise there, and it was in some ways comforting. But, it had a strange juxtaposition with my current life; the sirens and lights and the cups of coffee. It makes me feel connected to a not-so-distant past.

Life has been busy lately, but that hardly differs from any of the other months lately. I've been learning new skills as a firefighter and first responder trainee. Soon, I'll be starting an EMT-basic course, and maybe someday soon, will be an EMT. Volunteering on a fire department has its benefits: cool gear, awesome trucks, flashing lights, and the opportunity to help out folks in the community. It also has its drawbacks, like 2:00am calls and difficult volunteers. But, I'm happy doing it.

The cabin has been a major stressor, being half-complete and trying to live there all at once. Trevor and I have a space set up in the loft for sleeping, but we still can't cook there, and we only just got electricity last week (whew). Hopefully, we'll get a lot more done this weekend, as we're hosting another building party. And, it looks like there is insulation in our near future. Once we have water and propane, we will be much happier. One step at a time, I guess. It's not a pretty way to live, but it's effective for now.

I am very much looking forward to having a study soon, as I've been feeling a lack of privacy in our living spaces. I really do like living near to friends, but sometimes, I just need an hour in a closed room with my pup and a good book. I have grand plans for my new study, but as with everything else, it will come in its own time.

For now, I'm trying my best to stay relaxed -- of course, that will change when the next tone for Marlboro Fire and Rescue goes out. KCF415, this is 44 firefighter Katrick awaiting the next call.

Today

2009-08-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

windows = done.

A quiet day

2009-08-10T22:39:00.003-04:00

It's odd working alone now, after spending so many weeks working with a crew. I like the quiet, and the slower pace of the job. Working by myself really lets me get into detail, and shuffle from project to project with no predictable path. I do miss the speed with which things get done. Time is short now, so I wonder if the trade for quality over quantity is poorly timed. But, what can you do? The world doesn't spin around the cabin, as much as I'd like it to sometimes.

I finished one project today, and started another. The loft floor is finally completely installed, and I am very happy with the result:

The wood was reclaimed, and when I got it, it had variations in thickness and old varnish on the top. With a couple of passes through the planer, it looked beautiful again, and it installed fairly quickly. There are bows and cracks, of course, but I like them. Floors that look perfect are boring. I like quirky things. They have more character. I did end up buying a few new boards (as we didn't have enough to finish completely), but they match fairly well. After a pass with the belt sander, I think it will be hard to recognize them.

I started working on the siding, which I am very excited about. I don't know about you, but a blue Tyvek house is an ugly house. I'm eager to cover it up for good:

The siding is spruce, and we'll be staining it red so we can still see the grain in the wood. The trim is going to be a cream, or ivory -- some sort of muted white. I love the accent of paint when it's not the main feature.

I heard from Allison that red paint used to be made from sour milk and rusty tools. You take a big barrel of old milk, put all of the rusty tools you can find in it, and let it brew for a while. Then, you paint your barn red with it. I'm tempted to try it with the woodshed -- it would be fun!

Just for kicks and giggles, here's a photo of my rudbeckia/coneflower/daisy garden. I'm hoping it spreads next year!

The Clock Keeps Ticking

2009-08-09T10:37:00.005-04:00

The days have rolled by, one by one, leaving so few ahead. I count 22 until the end of August, and it doesn't seem to be enough to get by. Perhaps, are we missing a month? Can I have just one more week?

The summer has most certainly thundered in, and I can see the autumn approach. A few days ago, I watched the storms sweep overhead in the hazy, humid weather. There were beautiful sunsets from the peak of the cabin, and the frogs have thoroughly enjoyed our unfinished well. The nights are growing chilly, and it is a sure sign that the Earth has turned just far enough that soon, we'll notice the woods changing and the animals scrambling for food and heat. I know I am; the wood stove and kitchen -- shelves for my food -- insulation for my warmth -- are all begging to be finished.

I've been stuck in the land of electricity for the last week. I've been burying a cable to the cabin, and it's tough work for one when you have 210' to dig. But, somehow, It will get done, and I'll be able to plug in a light for those midnight work sessions that I will inevitably be doing. Under orders from my significant other, I have to take a break from digging, so I am currently working on the windows and the siding. Once we have the outside finished, we can move in. The inside can wait until the fall, if needed. But, I have quite a list:

-Finishing the dry well
-Burying the utilities trench
-Installing trim and soffits
-Installing windows
-Installing siding
-Priming/staining siding and trim
-Stacking the rest of the wood pile
-Finishing the wood shed
-Installing the plumbing
-Insulating the floor
-Etc.

But, it will get done, someday soon. It's been harder lately to work because many of my friends and workers have gone away to other commitments (Canada, China, etc.). So, mostly, it's just me and occasionally another helper. But, there are many things that only I can do, so I can consider it good timing. We'll see.

I know I've not posted for a while, so I thought I'd post some pictures from the last month or so (In no particular order):

Edwin on the roof

Roof sheathing complete

Metal roof installation

Allison on the roof

Inside walls

Revolution

Wall sheathing nearly complete

Notice to all scallywags

Woodshed construction

Trebuchet (for besieging the chicken coop)

Sheathing complete, porch added

Peace out, all.

Dog days of summer

2009-07-12T20:59:00.002-04:00

It's nice to have a day to organize your life -- work on the necessities and chores that pile up during the week. With Trevor and I working so much, a lot of things have fallen to the back of our minds: laundry, baking, dog baths, and packing, to name a few. We made some noble efforts to catch up this weekend.

Trevor started out today by making six jars of cherry jam. Boy, is it tasty! We've been buying in-season fruits in large quantities so we can save them for the winter. I've got a bag of blueberries in the fridge with 'pie' written all over it. When blueberries come into season in VT, I think I'll freeze a bunch so I can have blueberry muffins this winter. Raspberries and blackberries aren't far off!

I managed to do some yard work with the nice weather, and Trev and I transplanted a bunch of green things over at the cabin (oregano, coneflowers, chives, roses, mint, columbines, and others). We'd like to start the cottage garden, but the siding has to go up first. No use putting things in if they're going to get trampled.

Speaking of the cabin... Allison's organizing another work party for next Sunday, July 19th. Be there, or be square! We finally finished the roof. There would have been more celebration, but we were all dead tired. Allison and I ate a bag of cherries up on the ridge before coming down. I'm still trying to recover from the sunburn -- the metal roofing makes it feel like an oven up there. But, now we're on to more interesting projects. We've got interior walls, exterior sheathing, electric wiring, well digging, ceiling installation, and the list goes on. At least it's only July.

I'm off to work on pan-seared steak with onions and wine. At 9:00pm. I guess I've been losing track of time...

Like a Kat on a hot tin roof.

2009-07-02T23:11:00.005-04:00

The rain never stops falling here. Three weeks of wet work let me know that I must be on track. How else would nature tell me to slow down? Each drop says, "Take a break... rest now... time to sleep... today is your day off...." No stopping for us, though. We've pushed our way through this unfortunate weather and have progressed very far on the one thing that will keep us dry: the roof.

The tricky thing about a roof is that to install it, it can't be raining very much. Now, I say 'very much' because tar paper isn't hard to lay, even if it's drizzling outside. Even metal roofing can be installed in the rain. Adhesive ice and water shield, however, doesn't adhere very well to wet wood. So, we have to wait for a dry day to install it. And, well, we haven't had many dry days for a while now.

We have finished 1/2 of the roof. The east side is completely done (chimney and all)! So far, no leaks! The west roof is proving more difficult because we decided to add a dormer to the loft space. The view was much too good to give up. And, I'm moving my study over to the west side so I can take full advantage of that dormer (and its window-seat potential)! I think we can have that side finished up in two days, if we get some sun.

In the meantime, we've been working on other projects that can be done in the rain, or under the dry part of the roof. Ashley and Edwin quickly finished up the firestopping in the walls, and Will has been working steadily on the dormer. Today, we lifted two collar ties into place, which look very fine. I'm trying to use native wood as much as possible; it's more ecologically sound, it costs less, and it looks beautiful. I can't wait to see it in the finished cabin.

In the next few weeks, I plan to sheath the house, start the woodshed and the porch, install some windows, and put up the interior walls. Once the roof is watertight and dried out, I can put up the toungue & groove pine ceiling, and then we're going to blow cellulose insulation into the gaps. I'm hoping it will keep the house toasty enough!

Of course, I can't sign off without at least a few photos to glimpse at, so please enjoy:

Carpenter extrodinaire, Rob

Ashley and Edwin at work on a floor joist

The much anticipated dormer

Will, at the helm of the 'danger dormer'

East side, complete

Peace out, all.

Long days of summer

2009-06-23T00:11:00.006-04:00

On June 14th, we had a spectacular house-raising party. I'm exhausted from many days of work, so I'll be brief for now. Later, I'll post more details.

Before:

Ashley squaring a beam

Raising the first wall
Rob, checking for plumb
Consultation
West walls going up
Jodi and Josh securing the top plates
Walls are up
Installing the center beam (took 15+ people to lift)
Rob, notching the center beam
Window seat

As always, more to come.
-Adam

Progression and Fortune

2009-05-26T21:41:00.012-04:00

Three walls down, one to go. Tuesday we put together the east wall, Thursday we finished the west wall and the bottom half of the south gable, and on Friday and the next Tuesday, nearly finished the top half of the south gable. With only two weeks to go before the big house raising (June 14), we're in a good spot. However, we've still got a few details to work out (floor joists, wood orders, well digging, etc.)More good news: we've got one more worker! My good friend Ashley decided to move to southern VT for a couple months this summer, and he's going to be helping us up at the cabin. It's incredibly useful to have someone who was raised in a cabin, and knows a bunch about 'simple living.' And, he's just fun. We've already had reason to break out the axes and machete to play.We cut a new center beam for the house, as the yellow birch we had previously cut had rot in its core. We chose a straight red maple just a stone throw from the cabin site, and with judicious use of axes, we felled it right where we wanted it to go. Who says you need chain saws when you've got a good axe and crosscut?! (In fact, the chainsaw has not been touched for the entire project, and we've already removed ~30 trees -- all to be used in a suitable fashion). Edwin and Ashley made quick work debarking the tree, and it's ready to be kerfed and squared.

Yesterday, we started work on our garden near the driveway. We debarked white birch, and set them 2' deep in the tilled soil. They stand 4' 4": tall enough for a 4' metal wire fence. Trevor went ahead and planted our tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and muskmelons. We've still got some basil and carrots to put in, but those will wait until a load of soil is dropped off later this week. The whole thing looks quite nice -- it has a farmhouse quality to it.

We've also changed our plans a bit and decided to dig a well for hand-pumped water. This Thursday, Ashley, Edwin, and I will pick up the shovels and start digging. We hope to get a 12' well, but it will most likely take more than one day. Wish us luck! It will certainly be fun, at the very least.

The more and more I think about it, I feel like a strange mix between a general contractor and a pioneer. Perhaps, a naturalist? Woodworker? Homesteader? Dog enthusiast? Nah. Maybe just canine.

Woof.

(Edit: The first picture and the wood-chopping pictures were taken by Joy Auciello. Her blog is at http://joystarstory.blogspot.com. Go visit!)

A Peck of Gold

2009-05-15T23:31:00.003-04:00

"Dust always blowing about the town,
Except when sea-fog laid it down,
And I was one of the children told
Some of the blowing dust was gold.

All the dust the wind blew high
Appeared like god in the sunset sky,
But I was one of the children told
Some of the dust was really gold.

Such was life in the Golden Gate:
Gold dusted all we drank and ate,
And I was one of the children told,
'We all must eat our peck of gold.'"

-Robert Frost, West-Running Brook 1928

Days go by...

2009-05-14T20:34:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy few weeks. It started out with a fantastic May day/ Beltaine party hosted by Trevor and me, and has progressed from there. Last week, I built a dining room table for my mother out of reclaimed birch and spruce; I worked with a group of friends to dig 400' of trenches around the cabin site; I helped my mother move into her new house; and, of course, I did another billion things I've forgotten. Can anyone say, "overscheduled?" I have this problem with saying no, you see...

However, things aren't as hectic this week. I'm standing in the kitchen, breathing in the scents of lemon and lime on the stovetop. I'm making marmalade for my first time ever, and I'm very excited to see how it turns out. Trevor is cooking Persian rice, and later, he's going to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie (rhubarb from our backyard!). I'm also going to attempt dandelion wine, but I'm hesitant, because last time I tried, there was a nasty smell coming from the jar a couple weeks into the project. Yuck. We'll see. At least I know I can make a mean hard cider.

The cabin is coming along beautifully. We're looking to start framing the walls next week -- the platform has been leveled, the water nearly drained, and the wood from the lumber store has arrived -- so we're two weeks ahead of schedule! Woot! We're going to be hosting a 'house raising' party in early June, and we'd love for many people to show up. Walls go up so quickly with lots of hands, so we may be ready for roofing by mid to late June. We're making progress!

So, without further babbling, let's get to the good stuff (check out my facebook page for more pictures):Will tossing a caber for our May day party; we had different sizes and shapes for various skill levels. This one was the biggest. Let me tell you -- this is fun. You get points on whether it flipped over, and what direction it's pointing when it lands. Truly -- it's more fun that you might think.Drumroll for the crowning of the May Queen (Edwin, this year). Other nobles include May King Joy, Chancellor Will, and High Priestess Chrissy. Long live the Queen!~

Joy tying ribbons on the May pole, after we all danced around it. For the uninitiated, everyone who is dancing takes hold of a ribbon attached to the top, and then weaves in and out of the other dancers to create this pattern. We've still got it up in our yard.

Trevor looking like a Greek statue (isn't he handsome?) while Jamie prepares to toss a caber.

Will playing with big digging toys. This one is called a 'dingo', and has a huge chainsaw-like bar attached to the front to dig ditches.

After loosening up the soil with the dingo, we hand dug about 300' of trenches in one day. Nice, eh? Here's Edwin and Allison in the background, shoveling away.

This is the dining room table in progress. It's done now (mostly), and currently being coated with linseed oil. I hope it will look good in my mother's new house. It has a distinct "farmhouse" type style.

Stay tuned,
Peace out, crazy cats.

That's the way...

2009-04-28T00:31:00.003-04:00

...the 36 hour chocolate chip cookie crumbles.

Yeah, that wasn't very inventive. But, I have successfully made a fantastic batch of chocolate chip cookies, and you'd never guess, the trick is to leave them in the 'fridge for 36 hours. Stop drooling and follow the directions below:

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 12oz bag chocolate chips
- nuts (if desired. Pecans are godly).

Cream the butter, add sugars, vanilla, eggs, and oats. Sift together flour, salt, and soda. Mix with other ingredients. Add chocolate and nuts.

Next is the hard part: cover, and put bowl in refrigerator for 1 1/2 days. For real. There's a reason for this, I promise. The liquid in the cookie dough (to be unscientific, eggs) needs to be absorbed into the grains. The butter prevents this from happening quickly, hence, the waiting period. Trust me, the wait is worth it. It helps to develop the brown sugar/toffee flavor in the cookies.

When you are ready to bake them, keep in mind, bigger is better. Wonder why cookies at bakeries are so good? The wait period and size. When the cookie is bigger, you get multiple kinds of cookie: crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and perfect in between. Try for 4" of cookie dough on the sheet, flattened a bit. Bake at 375deg. for 10-12 minutes. Most people overbake cookies because it's easy to do -- just make sure the center is not gooey, and don't bother to wait for them to brown too much.

These cookies, like all cookies, are tasty right out of the oven, but they develop new flavors if you let them sit for 2-3 days in a cookie tin.

I'm cooking a new batch tomorrow (er, today, I guess. 12:47. egads) I'd love to hear how they turn out for others!

"'Cause I try to climb your steps..."

2009-04-27T23:49:00.004-04:00

Good progress today: we've cleared the south exposure of the house, dragged tree crowns and branches into the woods, organized lumber into stacks, and started to dig the dry well. I'm hoping to spend May digging trenches for plumbing and electric, and draining the moat around our castle er... cabin. Oh, and leveling the foundation. And installing a vapor barrier. And buying materials and tools for framing. Whew. It's going to be a rush to get this cabin done by September 1st. Wish me luck and dry days!

It was incredibly satisfying to cut down all of the trees by hand. No chainsaws! I'm hoping to cut and hew the center beam of the house by hand as well -- for looks, if nothing else. And, it is a pleasure to work with yellow birch this time of year; our whole cabin site smells like root bear and sugar. You can see the sap dripping from the stumps like a leaky faucet. Fascinating, but watching a stump bleed reminds me of the cost.

Trevor is learning how to use my camera, so he took this nice photo of the front path to the house. It will be beautiful once the trees leaf out!

Stay tuned.

A hundred feet in the sky

2009-04-21T19:34:00.008-04:00

"...precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside."
-Jonathan Livingston Seagull

God I love that bird. I let my limitations build to an overwhelming pile, and no surprise, it's hard to overcome them when they look back at you en masse. But as the great seagull said, perhaps it's time to put them aside, and let them build my character, rather than be a great opposition.

Lately, my limitations have been mental -- a brick wall in the way of my physical energy and enthusiasm. When my brain is quiet, or positively contemplative, I can leap valleys and climb mountains. Depression hits hard, and pulls at my physical energy in so many ways. I never realized how complex the brain and its emotions were until they became obtrusive. It's a limitation to be worked with, dealt with over time, and sometimes, put aside.

But apart from that, I have much to share regarding the cabin. Beware those on dial-up: many pictures follow.This is a view from the southwest corner of the cabin site. As you can see, the foundation needs some work. It most certainly is not level. No worries, though -- it's fairly well supported -- just has some frost heave issues. There is also a substantial quantity of wood there already, which I am grateful for.

Our current roommate has been helping me clear the site, and he will be a great asset this summer when we are knee-deep in 16p nails. We felled this birch a few days ago, and it is a good size for the center beam of the house. I plan to use most of the lumber we harvest -- either in the house, or in the wood stove. Waste not...

Obligatory group photo, and the ever-popular Sir Shadow the Magnificent. I've gotten requests for more puppy pictures, and because I simply can't resist, there will be more. To top it off however, is a sure sign of the approaching growing season:

Fly high,
-Adam

And in random things we see a positive path

2009-04-18T19:22:00.005-04:00

Lot's of new things going on lately, and I've been enjoying them as best as I can. We've put lovely spinach, lettuce, chive, and pea seeds in our garden this week. Hopefully we'll have a good early-season crop. We've also got a garden site at the new cabin, which Trevor is excitedly planning out. Corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pumpkins may go there. As for our current garden, it will be filled out with our extra wildflower seeds. Next year, we can start anew, and buy lots of seeds.

I've been learning a lot about being a weasel. Yup -- that's right, a weasel. I've been rodent-proofing a chicken coop down the road, because there was a chicken-weasel confrontation earlier this year that ended badly for the fowl. So, lots of hardware cloth and scraps of wood are now covering up the small holes in the coop. Hopefully it keeps the predators at bay. It helps to put yourself in the mindset of a toothy carnivore, lusting for chicken. Mmmm, chicken.

The guitar is proving to be fun to play around with, and a good substitute for my trumpeting habits (which are so noisy, I rarely play it anymore. Weep not, my poor Bach strad. I still love you). I'm attempting to write a story to play music to, and it's a good mentally-challenging activity. Perhaps I'll even sing it for friends, someday.... My brother gratefully lent me his steel-string, which I'm preferring over the classical guitar. It's got such a sweet sound.

I've also got quite a few woodworking projects going; a dining room table, a cutting stand (for bamboo and mats -- longsword practice!), and a bedroom wardrobe. Oh, and more doors. At least I can say that I'm not becoming lazy.

More thoughts, I might post later. No picture you say?
Imagine.

Cabins and Canines

2009-04-16T00:49:00.006-04:00

I sometimes roll around in the grass and wonder what it would be like to be a dog -- having the twigs scratch my back and the sun warm my belly. I could just let my tongue hang out and smile at the sky. No bills to pay, appointments to keep, cabins to build...

Speaking of cabins, though (and I am excited about building it), I haven't said much to my digital audience about it. So, you're in for a treat! The gang and I will be moving into a small woodsie cabin this fall, which will be heated entirely with wood and will only barely have running water. It's quite exciting, and it will be wonderful to have a space all to ourselves.

The catch: I have 19 weeks to build it.

Yes, I am insane in many ways, but I think this can be done. The foundation is mostly there, I've got some fantastic help, and we already have firewood... but it's still quite the challenge. I enjoy a good challenge, but I seem to be an expert at accumulating them. Anyway, please ooh and ahh at my sketches below (it will help my self-esteem). I've only posted a couple for ease of page loading: (click for bigger images)

It's late, and I must be moving bed-ward.
Woof.

Glimpses of Joy

2009-04-07T10:47:00.005-04:00

Life has been bumpy lately (which is an understatement), but I had an enlightening weekend. I think it was good. I hope it was good. At least, it was a joy to visit family in Montpelier.

And because we all need small glimpses of joy,

Peace,
-Adam

Four Hour Tea Cabinet

2009-04-06T15:01:00.004-04:00

I had some spare time on my hands while gluing some closet doors together, so I started a project with scrap wood on a whim. The result: a tea cabinet!

It's just big enough for a box o' Celestial Seasonings, or a jar full of organic peppermint. Tasty! (My current favorite tea is Madagascar Vanilla Red -- which we lovingly call Aslan tea 'cause of the lion on the box). This is the first time I've built a cabinet with glass-paneled doors. The hardware and hinges cost me a total of $11.42, so it's an understatement to say it was cheap! Here's another angle:
I hoped to get out this week and start work on the garden, but the ground is still wet and there's still snow out there. It's going to rain all week, too. I guess the spinach and peas will just have to wait.

And now, the grand introduction

2009-03-29T13:06:00.013-04:00

It's pouring rain outside, and it's welcome sight. Goodbye snow, goodbye! It's time for crocuses and snowdrops and spinach! I've got a boatload of projects to do this spring and summer, and most of them require dry ground. I'm eagerly awaiting the disappearance of the last gray muddy bits of snow so I can till the garden and get to work on the huge cabin project (I'll post later to explain this to the uninformed). And, of course, I am looking forward to rolling around in the grass.

One of the new projects I hope to work on this year is this blog. I created it primarily to keep in touch with my friends and family -- to let them know what I'm up to in these secluded woods in VT. However, I also created it as reminder to myself -- a way to remember what I've been up to and why. I remember things better when I write them down, so I figure a blog with pictures will be a great way to keep track of what's been going on in my life.

So, without further ado, let me introduce the main characters in this adventure:

Above, we've got Trevor, the mastermind behind many of our devious plots. He is the yeast-tamer extrodinare, able to make yogurt and breads in infinite quantities. Last night, we play-tested his new board game (fun!). Tragic flaw: he loves rose (and is allergic to it).

Yet another deviously-intelligent character in the mix: Sandyshire's Trillium (a.k.a. Trilly), pictured below:

She may look cute, but she has a mean appetite. Just look at those eyes -- be careful, or you're next. Likes: sleeping in the sun, rubbing in the snow or on the rug, barking, eating food, devouring innocent bystanders. Tragic flaw: has arthritis.

Above, we have Sir Shadow the Magnificent (a.k.a. Shadow, Monster, Slinky, Rusty, Fuzzy, Canis Foulous, and many others). He is an experience. If you don't believe me, I dare you to visit! He has enough energy to be a renewable power source worthy of federal attention, and has a maximum attention span of .06 seconds (though this has been improving). Best qualities: he's cute and loveable, always wants to play, and keeps Trilly interesting. Tragic flaw: his brainstem is not connected to his spine.

And, finally, there is me:Unless, of course, it is a full moon...
I've got lots to write about and pictures to share, so I'll update the blog as often as possible. Coming attractions include a four-hour tea cabinet and plans for the anticipated cabin. It's exciting stuff!

Peace out, all.