NEW YEARS BEGINNING

Weekend of March 10, 2006
We had intended to go to Shag II on Saturday and install new plumbing in the cabin, however around 6:30 PM on Friday Nance declared "we should go tonight". So, rush around and gather things up and off we go. Of course we can't turn on the water at II as the toilet leaks, but anyway we arrived and carried in 10 gal of water to get us thru the nite.
The next morning, I got up and started on the plumbing. As all the plumbing and fixtures had been there since the cabin was built, my goal was to replace everything. While I was doing the plumbing, Herself started her year off by: you guessed it-she went shopping!!! However, I will concede that this time it was necessary, as the cabin had to be restocked, gas cans filled, etc. I truly am glad she enjoys it, because I truly despise shopping.
Back to the plumbing. I removed all the copper plumbing and started installing the new flexable "pex" piping. With the tubing and all the snap together attachments, it can make a plumber out of anyone, me included. All went well until I tried to remove the bathroom faucet. It would not budge. Every fitting was corroded. So I had to take a hack saw and cut the faucet out. Once that was done, everything else went smoothly. I also installed a drain faucet outside the cabin, so when we drain the pipes for cold weather, instead of taking the pipes apart, then put them back together, now all I have to do is open the drain.
The temperature climbed rapidly to 70 degrees, so we had a quick lunch, and headed for III.
By the time we got there, it was 75 degrees and sunny. We immediately went to work. Actually I went to work, herself started her year off by going exploring down by the well while I worked on widening the 4 wheel trail. We (I) worked till about 3:30 PM then we decided to pack up and head back to II to spend another nite, this time with water.
We got up on Sunday to cold and rain so we just puttered around the cabin, had a good breakfast, then packed up and headed home.
Herself's year got off to such a good start that after we got home, we discovered her arms were covered with poison ivy. If anyone ever wants to find poison ivy, just follow Nance. She can find it anywhere.
Later
Boi

Migration

Here in the "north", the ducks, geese and hawks are moving into and through the area. We have had warm days of sunshine which tantalize our senses into thinking spring is here. But then, the very next day, the temperatures have dropped, the air is crisp and we are made to realize that it too soon, too early. It is not yet time to start our migrations to III.

I am restless and yearn for the outdoors, the timber and the creatures of the fields. I take Mom on long drives on the back roads, into the hills and crooked roads of southern Iowa, looking for areas that remind me of III. When it is dry, we take the low maintenance roads where the trees are apt to meet over head, where long abandoned barns have been brought to their knees, where the roads go up hill and down vale and follow the natural curvature of the earth.

Our inner clocks tells us that soon it will be time to go south. . . . the other side