We had decided on the previous trip that one of our first projects would be to get a door onto the outhouse. Don't really know why except to keep the rain out, but anyway Nance the scavanger found an old solid wood door somewhere in Osceola. Rammed it into the car and brought it to Creston. The plan was to make it into a "Dutch" door. So, I cut the door in half and we hauled it back to Shag III. The door fit pretty good height wise but had to fill in the sides with a 2X4. Now we have an outhouse with a view.
Then it was time to get on with other projects. Nance worked inside the shack, hanging an old Cuppord, then painting it so we would have a place to put things.
While she was cleaning and arranging the shack, I went back to work clearing a few more trees, and cleaning up the piles we had already cut. The wind was blowing about 90 mph but everything was wet from 1 1/2 inches of rain, so started the brush piles downwind and everything burned pretty slowly. We finished clearing off the brush piled on the dam and a couple of other big brush piles, then it was time for me to mow for the first time. It was a challange as I could not take my eyes off of where I was mowing. The people who owned the land before us cleared trees but left stumps about the height of my mowing blades sticking up. Took about 2 hours, but got it done. So we got several small projects out of the way this weekend. This was April 15 and 16. We did not overnite this weekend as it was too cold, lows in the lower 30's. I would like to fire up the wood burning stove, but to many other projects to do first. Maybe next time.
Boi
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
FIRST NITE AT SHAGBARK III
Our first nite at Shagbark III was with much anticipation on my part, as I didn't know what to expect. We spent Friday nite at Shagbark II, Saturday, gathered up any tools and anything else we could think of and drove on to Shag III. It had rained and the road in was a mess, so we walked in to the shack, hooked up the trailer to the 4-wheeler and drove it back to where we left the jeep, loaded things into the trailer and 4-wheeled back to the shack.
After unpacking things into the shack, we went to work cutting trees off the dam and some in the clearing around the shack. We worked at this till about 6:00 PM and decided it was time to get ready for supper. We threw logs into the firepit and proceeded to let them burn down to nothing but coals. Nance wrapped potatoes and onions in foil and threw them into the coals. I put a grate and grill over the coals and threw on a steak. It used to be a steak for each of us but now we share one. Anyway, it was a delicious meal.
Then it was time to get the cabin ready to receive us for the nite. We pumped up the air mattress, got out the blankets and pillows, then went out to sit by the campfire for awhile. We didn't realize how dark it got until I turned out the Coleman lantern. Between the rain clouds, the stars were bright. A very enjoyable evening.
It was time for bed. We were dog tired from all the tree cutting, and as we are older folk now it creates a few more aches and pains.
I slept fairly good, but woke up several times to hear the sounds of the dark. There were many, most of which I did not recognize, except for the mouse that scurried by my head. He must have been checking out his "company" for the nite. (the mouse has since passed)
I woke up at first sign of lite, as usual, got up and went outside to check things out. I walked down by the pond and just stood looking and listening to the beauty of first lite and the noise of nothing but birds chirping. I think my dream has come true.
Nance finally got up so I fired up the 30 plus year old Coleman stove that we used when we first started camping years ago. Put the bacon and coffee on(no better smell than this first thing in the morning), then eggs while Nance made toast over the campfire. After breakfast, we started burning the branches we had cut from the downed trees. We worked at this till mid afternoon, then decided we better get packed up to head home. We parked Dad's rider on the porch and also the 4-wheeler, locked the shack up and headed for home.
Stay tuned for the OUTHOUSE saga.
After unpacking things into the shack, we went to work cutting trees off the dam and some in the clearing around the shack. We worked at this till about 6:00 PM and decided it was time to get ready for supper. We threw logs into the firepit and proceeded to let them burn down to nothing but coals. Nance wrapped potatoes and onions in foil and threw them into the coals. I put a grate and grill over the coals and threw on a steak. It used to be a steak for each of us but now we share one. Anyway, it was a delicious meal.
Then it was time to get the cabin ready to receive us for the nite. We pumped up the air mattress, got out the blankets and pillows, then went out to sit by the campfire for awhile. We didn't realize how dark it got until I turned out the Coleman lantern. Between the rain clouds, the stars were bright. A very enjoyable evening.
It was time for bed. We were dog tired from all the tree cutting, and as we are older folk now it creates a few more aches and pains.
I slept fairly good, but woke up several times to hear the sounds of the dark. There were many, most of which I did not recognize, except for the mouse that scurried by my head. He must have been checking out his "company" for the nite. (the mouse has since passed)
I woke up at first sign of lite, as usual, got up and went outside to check things out. I walked down by the pond and just stood looking and listening to the beauty of first lite and the noise of nothing but birds chirping. I think my dream has come true.
Nance finally got up so I fired up the 30 plus year old Coleman stove that we used when we first started camping years ago. Put the bacon and coffee on(no better smell than this first thing in the morning), then eggs while Nance made toast over the campfire. After breakfast, we started burning the branches we had cut from the downed trees. We worked at this till mid afternoon, then decided we better get packed up to head home. We parked Dad's rider on the porch and also the 4-wheeler, locked the shack up and headed for home.
Stay tuned for the OUTHOUSE saga.
Monday, April 18, 2005
LJ' S BLOG #2
As long as I can remember, my dream was to have my own land, but this land was to be in Alaska. I wanted a snug little cabin with a big fireplace, lots of trees, and water all around. But as I got older, I realized this particular dream would never come true. Mainly because as I got older, the cold weather, snow, and ice became an enemy. I almost dread winter anymore. I can hardly wait for the first snow, but after that I'm ready for Spring to be here. I thought my dream had partially came true when Nance and I purchased Shagbark II from Gramps and Granny. Life at the lakes was great. We worked hard, played hard, and ate good. But as we became more involved with the politics and people at the lake, I have become quite dismayed. Everyone seems to worry about what the next person is doing, what rules are being broken, and who can tattle to create the most havoc. Then we purchased the two additional lake lots right on the lake shore. I thought this might satisfy my dream, and it did for awhile. It kept us busy clearing the lots and my mind off the politics of the lake. But, as time went on, the lake people keep fueding over nothing in particular, new rules are made all the time that everyone breaks, so life at the lake is fast becoming a thing of the past for me. When there are few people at the lake, it is so quiet and peaceful. That's when I love it. On holidays, its a madhouse. People racing around on 4-wheelers, golf carts and anything else you can imagine. No peace and quiet.
So for some time Nance and I had been talking about some land away from everyone and everything. I had no idea of how and where to begin looking for that special land. So one day I just plugged in "Missouri Real Estate" on the google search engine and what popped up? 37 acres with a pond and rustic cabin, now known as "Shagbark III". I e-mailed the realtor to see if we could possibly look at the land. We could, and we did. We jumped into the jeep and off we went. I was kind of leery at first, as we followed the realtor to the property in his car. When we got there, he jumped out and wanted to ride the rest of the way with us as he didn't think his car could get back to where the cabin was. He was right. The jeep went right to it. It was kind of a cool day, but we and the realtor walked a good part of the land. Thru timber, scrub brush, across creeks, it was pretty wild land. The cabin(shack) was not to important to us. We wanted room to roam. Our dream now is a walking path combined with a 4-wheeler trail, complete with rustic bridges across some of the creeks and gulleys. It will truly be a challange. But there will be no people to argue with, no rules, just peace and quiet.
Before I go any further, I want to say something that needs to be said. I am the luckiest person in the world to have a wife like Nance. She is an adventurer like me. We have tried to rubber raft down the mighty Nodaway River when there was no water in the river, we have camped on the Continental Divide in a tent, we have gone on trails with the jeep that made us wonder what the hell we we're doing. She shares in all the work, helps mow, cut down trees and haul them away, and helps doing anything else that needs done. A true trooper. And what ever time is left, she works on her own dreams and projects. Tho some of the projects don't seem to get completed without some prodding on my part, her intentions are good.
How many women of this day and age would go out to a timber with no electricity, water, or telephone, have an outhouse for a bathroom, cook meals over a campstove or open fire, sleep on an air mattress with the mice and who knows what else running around, AND LOVE IT? Not many!!!!!!!!!
The next blog will be the first nite experience at the new shack.
Later
LJ
So for some time Nance and I had been talking about some land away from everyone and everything. I had no idea of how and where to begin looking for that special land. So one day I just plugged in "Missouri Real Estate" on the google search engine and what popped up? 37 acres with a pond and rustic cabin, now known as "Shagbark III". I e-mailed the realtor to see if we could possibly look at the land. We could, and we did. We jumped into the jeep and off we went. I was kind of leery at first, as we followed the realtor to the property in his car. When we got there, he jumped out and wanted to ride the rest of the way with us as he didn't think his car could get back to where the cabin was. He was right. The jeep went right to it. It was kind of a cool day, but we and the realtor walked a good part of the land. Thru timber, scrub brush, across creeks, it was pretty wild land. The cabin(shack) was not to important to us. We wanted room to roam. Our dream now is a walking path combined with a 4-wheeler trail, complete with rustic bridges across some of the creeks and gulleys. It will truly be a challange. But there will be no people to argue with, no rules, just peace and quiet.
Before I go any further, I want to say something that needs to be said. I am the luckiest person in the world to have a wife like Nance. She is an adventurer like me. We have tried to rubber raft down the mighty Nodaway River when there was no water in the river, we have camped on the Continental Divide in a tent, we have gone on trails with the jeep that made us wonder what the hell we we're doing. She shares in all the work, helps mow, cut down trees and haul them away, and helps doing anything else that needs done. A true trooper. And what ever time is left, she works on her own dreams and projects. Tho some of the projects don't seem to get completed without some prodding on my part, her intentions are good.
How many women of this day and age would go out to a timber with no electricity, water, or telephone, have an outhouse for a bathroom, cook meals over a campstove or open fire, sleep on an air mattress with the mice and who knows what else running around, AND LOVE IT? Not many!!!!!!!!!
The next blog will be the first nite experience at the new shack.
Later
LJ
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