Tag Archives: Farm

Why Have I Stayed?Part 2

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It’s now February 1st and I have decided to resume my story into the reasons I continue to live in a four season climate. Each season truly has something different to offer and I suppose each brings certain challenges. But every season gifts far more than any hardship it creates. And what is that hardship anyway? Something that nature brought that we find unacceptable because it hinders our human condition in some manner? To better connect to nature might occur when we better accept the weather itself. I try to work my plans around the weather as much as possible. Being retired helps as commuting to work is no longer a weekly requirement. Winter always brought challenges to my commuting but my career choice was my choice just as living here became my choice. These days my choices are driven by different things.

Its funny to me the avenues that I allow myself to travel at times when considering writing projects. Any number of things can prompt a deep dive into some particular subject. I call these events or thoughts “triggers”. Driving home the other day really pulled a trigger on my observations of winter. Needing to plow snow the next day really pulled the triggers! Like holding a double barreled shotgun with two triggers and pulling them both at once! What a recoil! Things really took a dive after that as I more closely examined my relationship with winter. And when I realized that sometimes over the years that I had sometimes been ultra critical of winter, when the actual burdens were mine to bear by my choices. Is all this too obvious perhaps? And not worthy of a closer examination?At this moment I am not even sure that I can tell this story in any logical manner. Let me take a stab at it regardless.

Ice formations coming off the cabin roof.

How best to tell a tale of winter than starting at its conclusion? We rarely think about winter during the warmer months. It might come up in conversation at times though but never dominates any given moment. As spring arrives winter begins to fade and the long stretch of milder weather coming fills us our hearts with happy possibilities! With spring arriving in March, we are usually well into maple syrup season. I never think of syrup season as winter although the first weeks typically and technically are still. As winter departs we pack away the heavy coats, gloves, and all the many pieces of attire that were necessary for several months. Mine go into big plastic totes that are quite rodent proof. I place them out of the way and forget about them. Things like snowshoes, micro spikes, and all the accessories of winter hobbies also get stashed away. It always amazes me the amount of things that I own just for my winter pursuits! I will get into this subject a little further into this post. I think it’s the winter hobbies that have really prompted my interest in writing about all this to some degree. Call it an attempt at positivity!

If we fast forward past the warm days of spring,summer, and early autumn we will ultimately arrive at a some random day in October or November when the temperatures will reinforce that winter is approaching. There may be a heavy morning frost where the mud stiffens up a bit. Or maybe some stinging snowflakes driven by a brisk wind from the north. But often it’s a trigger of one type or another that really makes us think. There’s nothing like digging out those carefully stored totes with our winter gear to get us thinking. The lessening daylight also jogs our memories at times. I think that’s an important reason why the prospect of winter can make us question our decisions. A quick look at a calendar reminds us that outdoor projects and things that require warmer weather aren’t going to be feasible much longer. There is a ticking time clock in motion. And possibly imagined alarms sounding if we are way behind schedule with something. Winter can cripple a construction project with frosty precision. Everything slows down then.Everything takes longer. This was my reality many times over the years if I was on outside projects. No wonder I became conditioned! But even at home we may feel a sense of some sort of impending doom. Sure it sounds a little over the top and overly dramatic! But if you burn firewood and don’t have it all ready? Not good! Haven’t sawed that pile of logs into lumber? Haven’t started that cabin addition yet? These were some of my concerns last fall as I continued to work at the Methane project into November a little. Winter was coming! So I believe that many of us here in the north country twinge a little at the prospect of it all.

Staging for the addition in December.

And then just like that we arrive at winter solstice on the calendar. But this time we will have taken care of many necessary tasks at the last minute. We took advantage of mild days and gambled on getting things done. Xmas is close and we use the darker days to slow down some hopefully. Our gear is ready and sometimes new items are purchased. Snow brushes find their way into the vehicles. Snow shovels come out of storage and find their way next to porch doors.Snow comes at times but often leaves just as quickly. We ease in with practiced hands.Things change then in some strange fashion. I view the coming season with an almost calm demeanor. What didn’t get done may need to wait until spring. Or maybe even summer. What’s the use of being negative about it now? Winter has sealed the deal after all. Why fight it?

The decision has been made to stay. And the reasons are many and rather familiar. I had often thought that someday I would follow the geese south and escape some of the cold season. But years pass and I have not. Why do I stay? I have stayed because my son is still here for one reason. And since I have decided to stay I build a schedule around winter. And here the answers to the question begin to add up. Hobbies take center stage suddenly and it becomes obvious why I stay.Let’s showcase a few of my activities these days. Out come the cross country skis and boots. It’s time for a glide along a groomed Adirondack trail perhaps. Not a big activity of mine but one I enjoy some. Out come the snowshoes! These get some serious use the past several winters. Excursions will be in the Adirondacks, near the farm, and down into the frozen Beaver Creek gorge.Snowshoes take me into some rugged places and I enjoy them immensely! Out came my snowboard,helmet, and boots recently for a late day assault on tiny Mt. Pisgah in Saranac Lake with Zane. The first time in two years but as fun as always. All this after volunteering at the Ice Palace build for Winter Carnival in Saranac Lake. I showed up with two ice saws for cutting blocks free. Year five for me volunteering and more fun then ever! A true winter event like no other.And there’s also been a little ice walking this season but it’s been rather tricky so far. Winter has brought the birds to my feeder and I love to watch for them each day. It’s also brought squirrels and possums to the feeder! They don’t bother me so I leave them alone. Rodents continue to plague us here and I stop their tiny tracks near the Airstream. Bad news when they get in but I am ready for them. The snow is the ultimate canvas for nature to paint upon. Enter the hobby of track identification!

We have gotten some decent snow accumulations now. Lots of fresh snow and I have been fortunate to have spotted a good selection of animal tracks. There have been fisher tracks near the barn twice now. Recently a weasel visited the sugar house. On a nature trek yesterday near Alexandria Bay, New York, we spotted the tracks of a mink, otter, and a weasel. Deer sign was plentiful in the snow. Reading tracks in the snow is like reading a book and trying in interpret the story. And speaking of ice, yesterday we had a wonderful moment standing high above the frozen expanse of Eel Bay in the St. Lawrence River. The mass of the ice that extended to the far horizons was something to behold. All that water frozen into a large mass. Covered with drifted snow below us as a north breeze nipped at our faces despite the warmth of the sun. Nightfall was coming and our shelter awaited us nearby. A room with a large tub to fill with hot water to bask away the winter chill before having a hot dinner after. This is a gift of winter. Hot water to soak a cold body. A hot drink with a hot meal. Not things we desire in summer. They come with winter and things make sense in those moments. The simple pleasures that satisfy our fragile bodies. Only winter can bring these things. Piercing chills and numbing stings to our faces. Frosty breath from exertion and exercise. The need to take shelter from the cold,dark nights where the mercury drops below zero. The warmth of another’s body close to you under heavy covers and the blissful passage into sleep in a warm room. All this does winter bring. And my sporadic ramblings weave and twist in all directions. For all I may question about why I stay? There are so many reasons why I do. And even if I dream of warmer days without the weight of heavy clothing upon me, I revel in the magic that appears as we truly embrace the winter days. Yes it will still challenge us. Yes we will feel cold and miserable at times perhaps after a hard day in the woods. Or curse the plowing of snow with our tired iron protesting it’s mechanical issues. Or find ourselves stuck behind slow traffic and snowplows as we speed about our winter business with our vehicles covered with salt and sand. And memories come from the recesses of my mind of much harder times then these. They were real and not figments of my imagination. Subzero times and record breaking snowfalls live there in my memories. I have not forgotten. For I was once a snowmobiler. And an avid ice fisherman. A winter trapper of furs. I learned to drive on a frozen lake. Winter has shaped my life here in the St. Law. Valley. And I know now more than ever why I stay. It would be hard to leave this behind forever. A piece of me would be lost. And I must ask what if? What if we were to take a short break from winter and then return? Could we still manage to find enough days for all we wish to do before the ice and snow disappeared? Today is February 2nd and winter is well underway now. There has been no ice fishing yet and little ice walking. But time remains. Isn’t it funny that when winter hits a certain point I begin to worry about what I might not do? A contradiction of sorts. And the origins of my Spin. For contradictions live in all seasons of nature. A great subject to ponder next to the wood stove on a cloudy, cold day. It is enough.✍️

Why Have I Stayed?

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January has moved right along but that’s understandable as I have maintained a rather full schedule. I just worked my final day on the Ice Palace project in the Village Of Saranac Lake, New York yesterday. I was able to spend more days volunteering there this year but I will follow up with a featured story of my time there in the future. It’s worthy of one. Another post worthy topic is the work I did logging with my former neighbor on January 15th and 16th. It’s a story best suited to compliment my Run Of The Mill series at some point. Today I am rather entranced by some muses on winter so I think this post will be justified highlighting some of those thoughts! It all started on the way home late yesterday afternoon. Two hours of driving home from Saranac Lake gives a person plenty of time to think!

I left the village around 3pm yesterday and headed down Route 3 like usual on bare,salted roads. Somehow a car had plowed into some guard rails several miles before the Village Of Tupper Lake. Strange as the road was completely bare! Much later on during my drive I left Route 3 in the Town of Fine to head west on Route 58. This takes me to Gouverneur where I take a series of roads that lead me to the Homestead. Route 58 has many open sections where farm meadows come down to meet the road. The wind had picked up and snow was blowing into the road in places. I remained vigilant as the bare road was deceiving at times. Snowy patches would suddenly appear and I would inherently slow down to navigate across them. My 4 studded tires give me excellent traction but there is a limit to any set of tires with the right conditions. Near the Village Of Edwards a car had slid off a snowy corner in an open spot. Good fortune for the driver as he hit nothing expect the ditch full of snow. He was about to be towed out as I went past. The wind was intense as I neared Gouverneur. After a quick stop for groceries, I continued on to the Homestead on increasingly snowy patches of road. Zane was there and had the wood stove going which was a welcome sight to me! The wind was howling across the main meadow and hitting the cabin full force. It was great to be off the roads! We had plenty of food and firewood! We were set for whatever happened you hoped! But before I could settle in I had to disassemble the Chop Shop tent that covers the outside tools. It had blown loose from its corner posts and was in the process of destroying itself. Luckily my tie down anchors were frozen into the ground and my ropes were strong nylon material. After some cursing and wrestling the tent was safely flat and secured. The tools themselves were now exposed but I didn’t bother trying to cover them in the gale force winds. I grabbed some extra firewood from the cabin’s front lean to woodshed and headed into the warm, inviting interior. Life was good!

Sometime after dark it began to snow while the wind continued to whip against the cabin walls. We enjoyed a simple dinner of hot turkey sandwiches with gravy that I was able to quickly prepare in our temporary makeshift kitchen. This is the second winter of having a makeshift kitchen and this one is slightly different then last year’s. The new addition is now open to the original cabin and heated. It’s full of stored construction things at the moment. Tools and screws mostly. All work has been sidelined lately given all the other volunteering. I have a cot set up for sleeping downstairs when Zane is home. He occupies the loft for hanging out and sleeping. It’s very warm up there! I passed the evening watching a movie on my tablet. I don’t have a tv in the downstairs of the cabin. It’s not necessary really and I often read. A quick look out the window as the wind continued its onslaught showed a decent snowstorm in progress. It was a good night to be hunkered down! We could stay warm even if the power failed. That’s something I had wanted in my cabin plan.

I went to bed fairly early but got up around 12:30 am to put more firewood in the stove. Outside it was still blowing and snowing hard. The snow looked like it was accumulating but it was difficult to tell as it was really swirling around out there! By morning I had put wood into the stove two more times. It was 9 degrees with a rather brisk breeze giving a minus 2 degree windchill according to my phone’s weather app. The sky was dawning clear and bright though. Outside the expanses of untouched snow resembled a giant art canvas. Nothing stirred except for a few birds visiting the feeder behind the new addition. Zane needed to leave and but needed me to plow the driveway first. We had gotten around 10” of new powder snow and there were scattered drifts around the vehicles and in front of the cabin. Zane plugged in the tractor’s block heater for me. Without it , the chances of it starting were questionable. The tractor is kept in the bottom of the Big Red barn out of the weather. During the colder months I keep anti fuel gel additive in its diesel tank at all times. All important steps that help us deter the winter problems that might arise. Keeping the tractor functioning is key to surviving winter.

The Main Meadow. Post snow storm this morning.

I plowed snow for a long time before I finally got everything cleared. I did a thorough job on the driveway and parking areas. This was only the second time that I had needed to plow this winter! I can’t complain about that! I also plowed up to the warehouse and made a large parking area there as well. I also plowed behind the cabin by the woodshed as we will be in need of firewood soon. The supply of hardwood slabs stored in the upper woodshed continue to disappear. given the rate that we burn them.It’s time to get to the forest for some winter wood firewood cutting. I plan to skid trees log length right to the woodshed to save time. We did it last winter and it worked well. I broke out the tractor road to the upper meadows beyond the gap ridge and skidded down a log that I had left behind last winter. It’s red elm and should dry quickly once cut and split. We have plenty of snow for skidding logs but not so much to cripple moving around with the tractor. I need to install it’s front tire chains though. That really helps its traction.During sugaring having the tire chains on is usually a necessity.

Plowing out.

It was truly a beautiful January day with blue skies and a warm sun when I was out of the wind. Icicles were melting off the cabin as I worked to bank it with snow to help keep the floors warmer. There’s more of that to do depending on the weather forecast. I decided I had enough firewood for another night and mentally dedicated Wednesday for a firewood day. It looks like we might get more snow tonight. Did I make a good decision? Time will tell. I love being outdoors but had spent enough time out I decided by 1:30 pm. Tomorrow was another day and I was happy with my accomplishments. While I was out and about on the tractor I noticed very few signs of life on the surface of the new snow. I spotted a few squirrel tracks in the sugarbush and those of a weasel. The weasel had come from the sugarbush over to the big slab wood pile next to the sugar house. It had gone into the sugar house and then out the far side.No doubt hunting mice for dinner. I could visualize it’s tiny white form hopping through the fresh snow. The winter white ermine that is brown in the other seasons is a lethal hunter! I wondered if it had caught its dinner? It moved on at any rate heading through the woods to somewhere. It’s tiny form edible to an owl or hawk if caught in the open. Not even hunters are invincible when larger predators occupy the same territory. These are hungry time I suspect. A time of great energy expenditure in the snowy,frigid conditions of deep winter. But rodents are plentiful it seemed last fall at least. And good hunters probably manage just fine. All this as darkest comes again and suddenly cloudy skies where the wind has picked up again. Inside the tiny cabin the hungry wood stove demands constant fuel. But we have it ready and inside for the night. My own body will demand fuel later. A hot dinner from the makeshift kitchen will take some time to prepare but will be satisfying next to the wood stove. And an interesting pattern of thoughts had presented themselves to me today as I took what winter had brought us into stride. And a most intriguing question. Why do we stay here in this cold,frozen place?

The hunter left it’s sign. A weasel ( ermine) leaves a most obvious set of tracks.

I first asked the question this morning as I put on layers of heavy winter clothing before plowing snow. Wool socks over regular socks into gripping rubber boots well suited for snow. High and flexible they are a winter stable. I wear my rabbit fur Bomber hat for working typically reserving my muskrat hat for more leisurely type activities although I usually wore it working on the Ice Palace. Heavy gloves are a must for my hands. All this gear takes up space in a house and takes time to don! This morning inside the super frigid, unheated barn I had stepped onto a very cold tractor that started with a whiny protest. Why do we stay when it’s so much more difficult to do even simple things? Why do we stay needing to move mountains of snow each winter? Why do we stay when it takes extra energy for everything? Fuel for snow removal equipment for our homes and highways. Fuel for our bodies for shoveling snow and wading through it. Winter exacts a higher cost in all types of energy. Fuel to heat our homes and businesses most certainly . It’s all rather perplexing when you really consider it. Wouldn’t it be easier to leave with the summer birds and head south? So I asked myself again: why do we stay? I think I know why I have stayed.

The tiny snow sculptures.

Thinking back it’s rather obvious really. I stayed as a child because home was where my parents chose to live. Home was here in this four season part of the world.It’s what I knew and I never thought or needed to question it. I was taken care of and taught how to dress for winter. Fortunately I had a family who could afford me all the attire I needed for winter. Winters came and went as I grew up. I never thought about leaving. My family never traveled to faraway tropical settings. We stayed here and tackled each winter like icy warriors going into battle with the elements. Things weren’t always easy and things sometimes went wrong. Frozen pipes and frozen equipment that refused to work would impend winter tasks severely. We endured some very cold weather. Minus 20 below and sometimes colder. Why did we stay? We stayed because our jobs and schools were here. Our families were here often as not. Grandparents and siblings. Our homes were here. Our farms and property. Perhaps our livestock as well. That’s why we stayed.But this story must return to a more personal journey for me to tell it properly. For I assume many things about other people. This is my story and maybe some of yours.

Why did I stay? The childhood part is pretty self explanatory don’t you think?But when offered a chance to head off to distant colleges in warmer states after high school? What was the answer to that. And after college? Why did I want to find employment here and make a home here? Why did I seek out like minded women and desire to share time with them here? That’s a complicated story line for me and one that will need to remain somewhat hazy for the moment. For it is a lengthy tale with many turns and twists. Difficult to fathom at times even for myself. Perhaps I avoid some truths there that I might rather not face. They aren’t dark or filled with shame deeds. They simply deal with large passages of time that has gone by now. Time. That subject that I promised by written intention to visit differently on this page in 2025. Many of my stories are from the past but when told properly won’t revolve around time as a central topic. And I have strayed from my subject as I am prone to do at times. Let’s cut to the chase.

I suppose that I could write a very lengthy manuscript on this subject as I examine it further. But a summary might be best for the moment. A glimpse through a window that might be a door. I can easily tell you more reasons why I chose to stay in this frozen winter landscape hen ones why I shouldn’t. It’s really quite simple actually. This area has always been my home. I never lived anywhere else. Sure I have traveled south in the winter and spent Easter breaks there. Many times over the years. And I suddenly realize that there’s a much larger story within this story. To truly answer my own questions I must ask more of them to deliver the answers. So consider this part one of a two part story. I have presented a case against winter here at times. Given it an almost criminal element. But winter is innocent until proven guilty. And with Mother Nature defending her seasons there will be no winning this case. After all ,we humans have chosen to live here and face winter each season. I think I am spinning in circles here. Time to rest and deliberate. It is enough. ✍️

The Icewalker’s Plunge

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Mid January finds with a small amount of snow on the ground but nothing major. 6”-8” of powder snow isn’t much for this time of year really. Last year on this very day we had a snow storm that dropped several inches on us after a warm spell had left us with mostly bare ground. I was recovering from my artery incident then and wasn’t pushing myself too hard. Walking mostly but we managed a few other tasks around the cabin. It was a new chapter for me then.

I have been balancing my time between the valley and the Adirondacks since the end of fall to now as I mentioned recently in my last post. The biggest news recently is that with the help of the Amish carpenters we finally finished the siding on the cabin last week. Some soffit work remains but the weatherbeaten tarpaper is now all covered. Zane and I had sawn plenty of siding fortunately so there was no danger running out. We also removed some old rusty roofing from my Uncles barn up the road at the property where I had my first house in 1983. We repaired the lean to roofing boards and some structural damage before adding 4 sheets of new metal. The old metal matches some that my Dad had repurposed from the old garage that used to be here before the 2012 house fire. He used it on the sugar house here and I may need it also for the cabin. I started out just wanting some old metal to put on the wall behind the new wood stove in the cabin above the Drury brick hearth. But then I decided that I want old metal on the ceiling in the new addition of the cabin. It remains to be seen if we will have enough to do all our work. It’s stashed outside and needs a very thorough cleaning. Maybe I will flip it upside down and show the underside which has no rust. The design on the metal is what makes it special. A wave type pattern repeats itself a long the length of the 2’ wide siding. It’s very unique! We had a couple of rather cold days last week while doing our outdoor work but we soldiered through despite!

The repairs after the removal of the old roofing

By last Thursday I decided that I needed a day to just catch up on a few things around the cabin. The carpenters had finished their work here that they had time for by Wednesday afternoon. So I hauled some firewood and stocked up the cabin woodshed. Keeping firewood stocked for the cabin keeps me rather busy actually especially on cold days like we had last week. It’s noteworthy that I had just installed a ventilation fan in the loft floor of the cabin and ducted it into the new addition. With more insulation in place it has been heating well since. The loft is much cooler as a result. Before it was way too hot up there most nights while the back portion of the cabin stayed rather cool. I think things will balance out well now. As for the firewood, I have been hauling it down from the old granary up behind the barn where it was stored last spring. Super dry hardwood slab wood from the sawmill project at my friend Gregger’s last spring. It just needs a bit of splitting here and there. The mixed cherry and yellow birch make a super hot fire. Before too long we will need to cut and haul in some dry red elm that’s burn ready. Our current supply of firewood won’t last until spring.

The siding progresses.

By Thursday afternoon I was ready for an outdoor outing so I decided to snowshoe down Beaver Creek if the ice was ok. There barely enough snow to need snowshoes but I wore them anyway.Upon reaching the edge of the marsh where the grass is thick, I quickly realized that the ice wasn’t all that great. I struggled out through the bogs breaking through in several shallow spots before reaching the bare open sections. But even here the ice was very thin and weak! It wasn’t looking good but I didn’t want to backtrack across the crappy bog part so I pressed on. Slowly and cautiously, I might add! The ice was fickle and unpredictable. Some spots were ok but my tapping beaver sticks would detect hollow sounding spots below the snow covered surface. Death traps I call them. I managed to skirt several tricky spots and reached a deeper wider section of the main channel. After one rather close call I chose a shortcut on a smaller side channel that held me up rather well. I soon reached the area we call “The Deep Hole”. It seemed like decent ice but was slushy on top. A sure sign of thin ice being pushed down by the weight of the snow. I became even more cautious and my forward progress became even slower. I noticed an active beaver lodge and was happy to see them occupying the area. They come and go from this spot on occasion but continue to occupy it mostly. I knew that I could never hope to get across the main beaver dam that spans the creek here. It’s a challenge at times even with much better ice. I approached the dam and laughed when the dog almost broke through where she was walking next to it. I was trying to get close enough to what we call the “Big Cliff” to get photos of some large icicles hanging from a section of it. Without warning I suddenly plunged through the ice with both snowshoes! There was no cracking first or anything suspicious! Just a death trap breakthrough! I was held up by beaver stick walking sticks fortunately and for a second was expecting the shock of cold water filling my boots! But I lunged up onto my knees and somehow avoided getting wet! My nylon hiking pants were so tight around my boots that no water got in! My knees got a little wet but that was nothing. Snow on ice is the great insulator and the death traps are invisible from above. Even the tapping and probing of the beaver sticks fails me at times. Just one of my many plunges over the years I suppose.

The plunge hole!

At this point I lost my desire to ice walk any further! I cautiously and nervously backtracked my way to a channel that got me safely ashore in the stand of white cedars known as “ The Cedars”. This tiny grove has been here my entire life. Never really getting any larger or much smaller. Sometimes the beaver cut a few and years ago we cut out some big dead ones for salvage. The Cedars seems ageless although I didn’t see any of the tamaracks that once lived alongside the cedars. Perhaps they are all gone. The cedars contains a couple of boggy spring holes that never freeze. I used to trap here as a young boy for raccoon. In winter I trapped ermine under the shelter of the cedars in small cubby sets. I used wax paper to keep my traps from freezing. I once caught a red fox here also. My ermine traps were empty most of the time but I didn’t care. I became familiar with the area and loved its remote feeling of winter beauty out of sight of the road and the farm buildings. I was destined to desire to explore this area and all that lay beyond it was I grew a bit older. The marsh was my classroom and I was an interested student who showed up frequently. And the spirit of the Icewalker was forged here. Not of molten metal but of ice and snow. Adversity would thrill me here. Wet feet and cold hands. Frosty cheeks and nose at times. Those were cold winters. Some nights my Father would not let me run my small trap line because of the cold and approaching darkness. But I would return soon and resume my frosty activities. There are many memories here in the marsh of the big gorge. Perhaps that’s why I return each winter.

After a rest and the reminiscing, I tackled the cut up the side of steep ravine that would take me towards the Homestead cabin where the warm wood stove awaited. I stopped at one point and gazed back at the marsh. I was disappointed that the ice had not been better for traveling. And I pondered several things then. How many times had I stood in this exact spot over the years? How different the winters are now. How much older I had become. And how the draw to run the ice and call myself the Icewalker had never diminished. How long would I try? How many winters would gift me the opportunity? Such thoughts became too much then so I chose something far different to break the serious moment. I spoke with my best Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation downhill towards the marsh: “I’ll Be Back!”. But no one heard me but the dog and a few disinterested winter birds. But that was fine. I know that I will be back if good fortune and good health continue to favor me. And I will play the game of staying on top of the ice as I move forward to explore the further reaches of the gorge of the big creek called Beaver. I have no fear there. Just respect for this beautiful and enchanting place. I have traveled the ice here more times than I can remember now. What adventures I have had! I will be watching and waiting for signs of better ice. Then I will set out once again! And not forgetting the Icewalker’s motto: The distance in must be traveled out!” It is enough! ✍️

Back To The Homestead

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It’s really been interesting since we moved back to the farm property. AKA: The Homestead. It always takes some adjustment getting everything moved and this year there was extra cleaning to do since rodents had been busy in the cabin and in the Airstream. Having them get into the Airstream was a first and I can’t help but wonder if it was because I had boughten a different brand of mouse repellent pouches for it. I think there’s an abundance of mice this fall based on the number we have caught so far. So far damage in the Airstream appears to be limited to some blankets, paper products, and minor things like that. But it’s hard to see just where they may have been busy destroying things. Since getting it set up I have had no further problems. Same in the cabin. After catching several there have been no more. Lily the cat has also moved to the farm so that is a total asset. Just the other day we saw her with a mouse in her mouth! Yay Lily!

We have made some progress getting Zane settled into the cabin loft. I am currently staying in the winterized Airstream where I mostly just hang out,sleep, and have morning coffee. It also serves as an office setting where I can sit down with mail etc. I rarely cook in there lately since setting the makeshift kitchen back up in the cabin. Zane and I have dinner there most evenings. Although I am away on the weekends some. With the bathroom and laundry center in the cabin , life flows rather well. We removed the old wood stove recently and have been heating the cabin with the recessed 240 volt electric heater. It does a decent job although on super cold days it really runs a lot. Just this week I assembled the new wood stove and began construction on it hearth extension to raise it off the floor an additional 14”. We will be able to store some firewood underneath. It’s not as elaborate as I once envisioned but will function well I believe. I used salvaged red brick from Saranac Lake to build facade walls and a top. The main support frame was built with repurposed pressure treated salvaged from the deck project in Saranac Lake last summer. All these repurposed materials continue the theme of the rustic cabin. We are inching forward to getting the wood stove set and the new heavy duty stovepipe system through the roof. A tricky job I predict.

The biggest news is the 8’x12’ addition I decided to add on the sugarbush side of the cabin. With both Zane and I planning on wintering in the cabin we need more space! It will add more space of the kitchenette area as well. I plan to tuck a bed into the back section of it. Zane and I laid out the foundation pier locations recently and he dug out the holes. We used some repurposed 6”x6” pressure treated pieces for the piers and cemented them in. Fortunately just ahead of a recent cold snap and some snow. I hired two carpenters from the Shetler family on the outskirts of Macomb last week and they started framed up the floor supports yesterday. We now have an insulated and covered floor footprint of the addition. Walls and rafters will follow next week weather permitting. All of the lumber for the addition was recently sawn using our saw mill and the big quantities of logs on the skidway. Zane and I spent almost two days getting it all ready. This also generated a nice pile of sugar wood to dump by the sugar house. It took a little effort to get the sawmill running but after draining the fuel system and adding new gas it has run great since. Good fortune has favored us! The weather has begun to get rather chilly and we currently have about 3” of powder snow on the ground. It been hovering around 20 degrees the last couple days. Warmer weather and rain will arrive next week.

This short post gets things current again and fills in some of gaps as to exactly where we have landed recently after closing up Camp Edith. We made it out of there just ahead of a freeze up! It’s nice living back at the farm and getting things in motion again with the cabin. My free time has been spent in the Adirondacks doing some hiking etc. There’s a larger story there that can wait for now. I have even done some part time work on the Methane Project as November closed out. Life is busy and the spin has intensified. But winter is closing in fast now. The geese are leaving in big flicks now and we see them all day. Think of the ones that go through in the night! Do they fly much at night? Something to research perhaps! I will follow up on more progress as things develop. This is a rather exciting time for us! Coffee fueled each morning! It’s a rather interesting choice for living arrangements but it seems like the way forward. Tonight I write this from the comfort of a motel room awaiting a Xmas party where we will spend the evening. A break from the farm. Nice diversion! Until next time!✍️

The Last Night

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It’s a drizzly night outside here at Camp Edith and the wood stove is cranking out some serious heat! It’s difficult to regulate the temperature inside at times and it generally too hot inside most evenings. Nothing throwing the porch door open for a few minutes can’t help solve! Our answer to a thermostat. Wood heat is rather free so it doesn’t really matter. We have trucked wood in several times so far this fall to keep the camp heated. We supplemented it with some dead white blocks from a tree removal project from awhile back. It’s been a nice addition to our hardwood supply once we split and dried it some. Most recently we brought in some large dry red elm chunks that hold the fire well throughout the day and night. The bark less red elm is burn ready as soon as it’s cut. The ultimate farm to wood stove commodity that we ferret out on a regular basis. At the moment we are harvesting from beside a field at the farm called “ The Long Narrow Meadow “. It certainly lives up to its name! Sheltered by a steep ridge on one side it contains nice stands of dead elm that needs to be harvested.

We hadn’t planned on living here at Camp Edith this late in the season but it’s remained mild enough to do so mostly. Last week our pipes gently froze three nights in a row as the nighttime lows dipped down into the 20’s after midnight. But they thawed each day and we survived the minor inconvenience. But with the temperatures that are coming next week it is definitely time to close up the camp and move to the farm. So this is our final night here for the season. Tomorrow we will begin the move to the farm where Zane will occupy the unfinished cabin and I will stay in the Airstream for awhile. We just pulled it out of the warehouse recently. I was shocked to discover that mice had gotten inside and had made a mess of things! They had tore up napkins and paper towels plus dragged in a bunch of hickory nuts. There are numerous droppings to clean up as well. So far I have spotted no major damage for the moment. Plus I haven’t smelled any mouse pee. They sure can wreak havoc in a place! I have kept a bucket trap in the warehouse for months and it has eliminated a fair number of mice. A recent check of the freshly baited trap yielded 8 mice in two days. I set a trap inside the Airstream but it hasn’t been tampered with or caught anything. That’s good as maybe the resident mice were all caught in the bucket trap before the Airstream left the warehouse. It time for a good cleaning at any rate before moving in .

Mice have also been busy wreaking havoc in the farm cabin. A recent addition of mouse traps only yielded one casualty. The traps were stripped clean by resourceful mice reminiscent of Mr. Jangles the mouse of my Canadian bush blog posts of 2022. I built a second bucket trap recently to use in the cabin and it just got two mice yesterday. We may be turning the tide in this war with our tiny rodent guests. Plus Lilly the cat has returned to the farm to patrol and hunt down the infiltrators. I wish the mice could be kept out but it’s nearly impossible to accomplish that. Hopefully winter will slow them down some at least. Maybe the rodent hunting weasel will return and pitch in. It doesn’t come around when the cat is there though. Nature sure can challenge us!

Moving out and closing up camp will keep us occupied all day tomorrow. The water pump and intake line pipe to the lake must be drained.The remaining pipes and the water heater must be drained down also.That takes time.

There’s food and clothes to move as well. Plenty of things that we haven’t even thought of yet. It’s going to be a big change but we will adjust quickly I hope. There’s a lot of unfinished work in the cabin and we have laid out a lean to addition to enlarge the cabin. The new space would be a bedroom for me. Zane has the post holes mostly dug and we hope to set the posts Wednesday.Then cement them in place. Phase one ahead of dropping temperatures. Zane is not working presently as his seasonal job ended recently. We will work together to bring the cabin project forward again. Today we removed the old wood stove and pipes . The new one is still boxed up and waiting to be installed shortly. There’s lots to do! Work tied up most of the past several months but I am fine with that. It has served a valuable purpose. No need to look back now .

As for other activities? I have been venturing into the Adirondacks to hike some and take time to attempt to right some wrongs of the summer. I won’t go into details but it was important for me to do this. Trying to be a better version of myself is a journey. But worth the effort. Writing new chapters where I am “Always The Same Book But Never The Same Page”. A moving song by the band “A Day To Remember”. It’s powerful lyrics never fail to remind me of the challenges of human interaction. But for the story to continue to be written I must survive and move forward. And always try to make the best decisions. I will fail at this. I may succeed at this. I will be hurt and sometimes hurt others unintentionally. I will wilt and wither at times yet live so that I may continue to grow. And some things I will never understand. About myself and about others. Life teaches us some hard lessons at times. And what have I learned? That I will never stop learning. Often the hard way. ✍️

The Push

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It’s been awhile since I took the time to write here. Things have changed dramatically in the past few weeks in several ways. Work has continued to dominate my schedule as the September 15th cutoff for my employment was extended until October 31st.This has brought both pros and cons into play most certainly.Too say that the past several weeks have been a blur is true and accurate. There’s been a lot of progress made though. Both on the methane project where I have been working and at home.One of the biggest accomplishments has been helping get all the haying done! I stepped up and began mowing for my Uncles on September 10th shortly after my last post.This continued until Friday September 20th pretty much every day except Sunday. I mowed the last of their big hay fields that hadn’t gotten done this summer then moved down to my own farm. We enjoyed a nice stretch of hot,dry weather that was perfect for September haying. I would mow until dark after work which would take me to about 7:30 pm then return to Camp Edith for dinner and a shower. Those were some long days!

Laying it down.

It was great seeing the haying finally getting done at my farm.Not so different then last year but this time it was all round bales. With my work schedule there was no time for loads of square bales. Once my fields were done I mowed second cut at my Uncles place most of the final week.We did a lot in 10 days considering it was just Uncle Art and me. My other Uncle was recovering from surgery. I found myself enjoying the mowing. I saw deer,ravens,and hawks most nights as I mowed. Some of the sunsets were spectacular and I even got to see a wonderful moonrise a couple evenings. The scent of freshly mown hay was rather intoxicating at times. There was a feeling of accomplishment that carried me through my fatigue when I needed that final burst of energy most days.

My farm is down! All mowed!Raking underway.

Meanwhile on the methane project the farmer was busy harvesting and piling corn for silage. An operation of mammoth proportions. The corn silage trucks rolled with dusty succession all day every day. I named the corn silage pile “Corn Mountain”. The hundreds of acres of standing corn began to disappear and all that remained were rows of stubble. We were busy as well there. Placing conduit into the ground for our power and control systems. It was a hot period of September weather that was much different then what October would bring.

Corn Mountain.

The Monday after my final night of mowing, the project went onto 10 hour work days. I wasn’t thrilled with this and worked as much as I could but never any Saturdays.We took off to the Adirondacks recently for a weekend away to the Indian Lake area for hiking and paddling.Luckily the weather cooperated and we had a nice time. I had hoped to see some beaver to video one evening but they remained elusive and the coming darkness would force us to leave the flow we were paddling. We had spent some of that day on a hike and saved our paddling for the afternoon. We discovered a creek that dumped into the flow and followed it until a beaver dam forced us to stop. It was fragrant and tranquil! The scent of balsam permeated the creek bed and it was rather awesome up in there! Except for the biting flies! They look like house flies and they bite hard! I used my handkerchief as a fly swatter and soon the bottom of the canoe was littered with their broken bodies. It felt good to take the hunt to them at that point seeing as they had cut our beach picnic time short!The sun began to cast shadows over the mountains and although the leaves weren’t at peak color it was stunningly beautiful! The sun was warm and it was very pleasant paddling. A true battery charging moment to enjoy after a busy work week. But change was waiting for me and I didn’t realize it then. Perhaps it’s best not to know some things in advance lest the moment be tarnished and become bittersweet. It was Saturday and there was still one day to enjoy before the new work week began. Retirement is a gift and returning to work continues to remind me of that. But this year’s work was serving a higher purpose. The endless need for cash flow never ceases that’s for sure. So sometimes small sacrifices pay big dividends. It’s not that bad after all. I do enjoy my work most days.

The stream off the flow.

So here it is October 13th. We are still living at Camp Edith after installing a new pump to deliver lake water to us. Our other water source had to be disconnected a few weeks back and we were not ready to move back to the Homestead just yet. After a few minor glitches which were rather maddening given the schedule the water system is performing well. We always have the option of using the shower and bathroom at the farm fortunately. We have been making cider over there after work at night. It’s a good time to get laundry caught up! Zane brought in 15 bags of apples and I can’t say for sure how much cider we pressed but it’s quite a bit! Some went into the freezer but he’s fermenting some also for hard cider. It’s nice to see him in touch with his rural heritage. Not to mention all the pumpkins he grew to give away. What a kid! 19 and still very much a boy at times. Reminds me of someone!

Pumpkin patch at the Homestead.

It’s Sunday night again and Monday morning looms some 10 hours away. We are cozy and warm here with a nice supply of firewood on hand finally. Yesterday’s power outage that lasted almost 24 hours is behind us. Nothing some generator hook up couldn’t solve although my schedule got thrown aside. Being able to adapt quickly has its advantages at times. Life is changing fast it seems. This has been a most turbulent year at times. But it has also been filled with moments of discovery and happiness. Passion and adventure. And crushing moments of painful indecision and sadness. How best to proceed becomes a most perplexing question for me as autumn grabs hold of the north country. Where am I going and what waits for me next? November 1st will be a new chapter where my work on the methane project will be behind me. Time will be short as Homestead projects move to the top of the priority list. Daylight is waning now as we move to the next solstice. And frost will grip the land once again slowing us down at times. I hope to begin to write here more frequently and with more meaningful content. I am tired quite honestly. My spirit energy has also waned somewhat. But my schedule was self imposed and my decision. And I must see my commitment to the project through as I promised. But did I break other promises in the midst of the blur? It weighs heavy at times but days of autumn remain and there is still time. And we are fortune here in the upstate region to be spared the ravages of the hurricanes and flooding that have battered the south recently. My challenges and concerns seem petty by comparison. So I remain grateful and humble I hope. MOONTABS are being made. It is enough.✍️

On the digester cover!

Acquiescence

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July 9th has arrived hot and humid. Enter the days of work shorts and cutoff ratty tee shirts for me. The jackets and hoodies stashed for the time being but never too far from reach. The big news is our return to Camp Edith for some full time living again. Amy and I had done some work in the past few weeks cleaning and organizing the rather cluttered inside of the cottage ahead of a planned July 4th long weekend.Our hard work payed off!When the weather came in hot and calm we were well positioned to have a fun and relaxing time!We did continue to work on some miscellaneous interior organizing efforts however to enhance our small but cozy living space. But it would be the state of the outdoor space that would set my mind wandering and searching for answers to something that was haunting the recesses of my mind. What drives me so? Why the rollercoaster ride of emotion that has taken me so high then so low these past 6 months? And I have experienced every curve and twist in between those destinations along the way. The answer had come suddenly in a moment of perfect clarity. I had discovered the true meaning of the word acquiesce. As in reluctant acceptance of something without protest. But what had I accepted? And had I not protested? There was an answer and a place to face the future in all of it.Was I ready though? The answer would not find me at the Homestead property as you might expect but rather at Camp Edith. It’s rather complicated but simple at the same time.

July morning creeps over the main meadow.

If you recall from following my story I had left Camp Edith suddenly last September in a whirlwind to take up Airstream living at the Homestead project. The thrill of having running water there and the project itself was a draw that I couldn’t resist. Besides I had lived at camp since May anyway. The Airstream had sat idle since 2022. No surprise really my decision when focused in that light. But parts of that story are already sprinkled across these pages leading like a trail of breadcrumbs to this moment. And if I didn’t tell that story properly then that’s mine to consider. But what’s all this got to do with acquiesce? Nothing at that point. Things were about to change for me big time as those days of 2023 slowly ( quickly?) wound down. And I had felt something was wrong but didn’t heed my inner spirit warnings. Fatigue was finding me more and more then. I merely blamed my gathering years. No acquiescence there. But the universe had plans for me I realize now. I was still clinging to my old ways with the tenacity of a greying wolverine. Bad eating habits. Overindulging in beer and hard ciders on occasions that were becoming rather to common some weeks. Not all that problematic so they lay quietly close at hand robbing me of clarity and dulling my thoughts of a higher level of connection to my surroundings. But those old habits had taken time to develop and had become normalized to a degree. But I was lonely and prone to self destructive habits of work and play in a way that didn’t seem to identify as just that. One thing is most certainly true: in that mode of existence I am truly a force of purpose and drive. The work accomplished showed itself all around me. The tiny cabin leaped forward after my two week sojourn in the Adirondacks in October. And in my arteries the sleeping giant was about to awaken. Change was coming and I was blindly unaware of it.

Tiny cabin days in Autumn 2023.

There’s really no need for redundancy in retelling the details of my health situation last January. It’s already here on these pages in a post. I just desired to reflect on the differences between then and now. And the trials of my journey through time. The importance of all this lives in the direction I have taken. Steered as it were by universal energy to find a different way forward. Post January I was adjusting to my new situation. I was attempting to change my diet and gave up my alcohol for close to a month then. I was feeling pretty good but was struggling to a degree with things I couldn’t exactly explain. I can easily say that gratitude for my good fortune was my constant companion! I was happy to be whole and alive! I was staying busy and that always makes a difference in my day to day existence. Alone at night in the tiny cabin’s loft I continued in my manifesting of things that I wanted in my life.And the universe was listening and preparing to answer.

Home sweet home! Homestead 2024.

Amy would enter my reality in late January when I was in Saranac Lake volunteering for the Ice Palace construction. It would be late February before we would begin spending any time together. I could easily write an entire series of posts about our new journey together but our privacy is paramount. But she’s solidly within the posts of the past few months. With an improved diet, exercise,and an alcohol free lifestyle a shift began. Time in the Adirondacks has been a big part of this recent journey as well. And I have strayed far from my story! Where is the acquiescence? I might not get the words today. I will try though. So picture a very abandoned Camp Edith. Winterized in a hurry last fall. Packed up and closed up. Rather cluttered from the constant moving that has become my norm these past few years. I have enjoyed my transient lifestyle but it comes with a price at times. But it’s the outside around the camp where it really shows. Leaves everywhere from last years growth. They bury everything with a silent slow drop. Nature doesn’t do this on purpose it’s just the way of things. Left untouched they will cover up lots of our things left on the ground. And then there’s the growth of trees and brush around the camp. Much of the section in front of the camp can’t be maintained easily due to its steep terrain. Not to mention the poison ivy I need to avoid at all costs! I am super allergic to it! Subsequently we had lost most of our view of the lake from our yard and front porch gradually the past few years. Even the camp roof is being covered by nature. Moss grows on the shingles in the shaded areas trapping leaves and pine needles. There’s nothing new in any of this. However there’s extra cleanup from the salvage log event that occurred last fall. I was feeling a little overwhelmed this spring when we first stopped by Camp Edith. And I realize now that I have been avoiding being here because of the work that needed to be done. But Amy expressed an interest in spending time at camp so I agreed that we should! And I am slowly getting the outside areas brought into a useable state. That’s where acquiescence was discovered.

Welcome to the jungle!

The mosquitoes were a problem the moment we got to Camp Edith. They were hunkered down around the open section of the front porch. Shaded by the overgrowth down front they brought a bothersome war to us so I decided to fight back. I decided to tackle the overgrown area out in front of the camp where they were hiding out of the sun.I wore my hip boots and saw chaps to avoid the poison ivy. What an uncomfortable combination!😂I chose my mid length chainsaw for its horsepower and length. It was tricky cutting and safety was crucial. Once I started I cut nonstop until the clearing was completed. I was left quite the mess to clean up! The difference is huge though! Our view is back again and the mosquitoes have left for more settled locations. And where is the acquiescence in all this? It’s coming!

The view is back!

This morning I was out working on a section of lawn under the two huge maples where we park our vehicles here. They are truly massive and discard thousands of leaves each season. But they are stately and their shade is priceless! I have walked and lived under their presence all my life. Cleaning up under them is tedious and time consuming but is an annual event when we chose to open up camp. I haven’t devoted all that much time to lawn work but it’s becoming a priority now that the inside is under control. It was while working out under the big maples this morning that the word acquiesce came to me. I was thinking about music actually when I remembered the old song by the band Oasis. Acquiescence was part of their 1995 album “What’s The Story Morning Glory”. I hadn’t heard the song in years and the meaning of the word suddenly tied things together for me! What was I struggling with all these months? My reluctance to accept my new situation. My health changes. Protested in mood swings and anger at times. I realized that I was being ungrateful at my good fortune . Things had changed for the good so why was I struggling? Was my anger due to my decision to quit drinking to aid in my health journey? That has been a challenge after years of engaging in that past time. But the resulting mental clarity has been refreshing.Was I frustrated by lack of energy that sometimes plagues my days? Or my ongoing knee issue? That’s being addressed properly I believe. So what is it exactly? The answer that suddenly came to me might be hard for you to fathom. I realized that I was protesting nature in some strange manner. And that it was futile! And it’s all connected to my health journey. Probably lost you now!

Always the leaves!

Acceptance that nature is far more powerful and lasting then I will ever be might be a difficult thing to even consider but it’s true. Everything that I own that is subject to the outdoors is under the control of nature. Rack up those leaves! Mow that grass! Cut the brush! And on and on it goes. Take a break and see where you land. Time passes. Seasons pass. Nature doesn’t take a break even when I need to do so. What was I feeling? Mortality? Perhaps. Fatigue? At times. Something beyond my comprehension that was showing itself suddenly in my new situation? Was the shift of new found direction to much for me to steer into? Acceptance is key to this moment in time. Acceptance that I can’t ever beat nature at this annual dance of seasonal cycle. So I simply just need to find the best way to flow with the season. It’s a balance thing. A recent post that I listened to spoke of the fifth dimension. It’s an interesting consideration once I realized that I have lived most of my life living in the third. My connections to nature are the bridge to the fifth dimension. Ascension becomes the new word as acquiescence merely becomes a word to reflect upon. As in rising to a new level of consciousness. No I am not on drugs or alcohol! Rather the contrary. I need further clarity to embrace the change. To ascend to a higher place in harmony with nature will be painful it appears. For me especially. It may be hard for my loved ones to understand. It will present grand challenges. And what exactly waits in that higher state of connection? That’s the mystery and the draw. But there are those who understand and encourage my efforts. Learning never ends I feel. This is to be the year of tremendous change. Further growth I hope. And while writing this the lawn hasn’t cleaned itself. Back to it soon. There’s no hurry really. If I don’t finish anything will it truly matter in a larger picture? No course not! Time will pass regardless as will the season. I accept with no further protest if I am truly ascending. And you are far from home in the forests of Tazmania. I am very much alive in this moment. It is enough. ✍️

Milling Around

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This post was started awhile back and there were a few technical glitches that have since been resolved fortunately! It doesn’t take long for the central theme of a post to suddenly change direction some! I originally was staying in Saranac Lake when I began writing it but am currently here at Camp Edith getting it finished. I just got fully moved in this afternoon. Amy and I have been working at getting it cleaned and ready the past couple weeks.Thursday night was our first night here and we stayed here all weekend. It’s really shaped up with some TLC! Amy has done a wonderful job transforming the functionality of the space. It’s very cozy now! I had a lot of decluttering to do!Things have wrapped up mostly on the project in Saranac Lake and I will be spending more time back here now. It’s been a rewarding experience living and working in the village. There’s plenty of work to do at the farm and some catching up to do with miscellaneous things. I recently got a gel shot in my left knee to try to relieve some of my pain and discomfort. My meniscus injury may very well require surgery but I am postponing that for as long as possible. At this point it’s still unclear how the injury even happened but it may go all the way back to last November when Zane and I tipped over the side by side one night by accident while burning off the meadows across the road at the farm. It’s the only thing that I can think of really. That was a rather wild evening of burning! But we had everything under control! Mostly… but that’s another story all together. The focus now will be shifting to resetting the sawmill and getting some logs run through it. It’s been stored in the warehouse since it got back from Winthrop in late May. I got it back out and set it back up recently one Friday night after returning from Saranac Lake.

Burning off the pond holes.

Back in February I had cut logs with my friend Gregger in his big woods up behind his home in Winthrop. I stayed in his cabin for a night and we cut logs for a couple days. We targeted hemlock for me for my Homestead cabin siding. Four trees made a rather large pile of logs. For him we cut cherry and yellow birch. With the snow covered ground we made good progress and we’re soon finished with the project. The plan was to leave the logs till spring when we could bring the sawmill up to run them through.

Stacking the hemlock.

It was mid May before I finally got the mill up to Gregger’s. I packed some food and extra gear so I could spend a night in his cabin then work a second day without doing all the extra driving. We got the mill set up and Zane came up to help out. We got a few hardwood logs run through that first day before making a nice dinner of venison and fish. Zane spent the night at the cabin with me but had things to do the next morning. Gregger and I ran a bunch more logs through the mill and stickered all the lumber up on his trailer under a tarp. Rain was a little bit of an issue but we worked around it as best we could. By the end of day 2 we had made a decent start on the hardwood log pile.

Off we go!

There was a gap in our sawmill activity when Amy and I traveled for a long weekend to the Brimfield Flea Market in Massachusetts. It was quite the event! We ended up purchasing a number of things that easily fit into her car. We tried to buy sensibly but impulse purchases of collectibles can be difficult to control! While we were in Massachusetts we traveled to nearby Connecticut to tour her former hometown. Saturday would find us on the beach at Watchhill, Rhode Island. It’s a lovely sanctuary that has preserved and will remain undeveloped. There’s nothing like the ocean to stir the inner spirit. It was our first traveling experience together and we had a really great time!

Brimfield Flea Market.

May was moving right along and there was only one week left before the Saranac Lake deck project was slated to begin. It was obvious that Gregger and I could never finish sawing his hardwood logs and all of my hemlock. I decided to truck all my logs to the Homestead instead. So we sawed during the day and I hauled a load home every night. We cut up some of the hardwood slabs to weigh down the truck also. Cut into 10” chunks they were stored in the Homestead woodshed each night to dry for the tiny cabin wood stove to be used during the next heating season. We completed all of Gregger’s hardwood logs and some hemlock he needed before finally beginning to concentrate on cleaning up his landing. I hauled a couple big loads of slab wood to the Homestead for sugarwood as part of this process.It was time consuming and tedious work but one with a larger purpose. I was beginning to get a little road weary but stayed with the pace. The final morning would find me following Gregger as he trucked the sawmill back to the Homestead.

Headed back.

I had received an offer to pick up some hemlock logs from a friend of a friend over by Sixberry Lake awhile back. I had picked up one load the day we returned the sawmill to the Homestead and dumped them off in the meadow near the warehouse.The fellow who gave them to me wanted two 14’ 6×6’s in exchange for the logs. A very fair proposition to which I readily agreed! I hadn’t gotten them done however and his July deadline was fast approaching. I picked out three decent logs but ended up needing four as one turned out to be “shaky”. Wind shake causes the growth rings in hemlock to break out when sawn into lumber. It’s not super common but sometimes happens in hemlock. The boards and timbers fall apart when shake shows up. It’s a frustrating thing when it happens and often those pieces of lumber end up in the sugar house for firewood! I ended up making the fellow three decent 6×6 timbers and one decent 4×4 timber. It seemed fair. I loaded them onto the trailer and delivered them to him where he then loaded the second load of logs for me. Prior to that I had moved all the piles of logs in the meadow up onto the landing log loading platform above the actual sawmill.

Prepping for 6×6 sawing.

Prior to delivery of the timbers,Zane and I spent the better part of Monday last week getting some pine logs that were on the log loading landing run through the mill. The pine sawyer beetles had begun to bore into them just under the bark so it was time! A couple months later it would be a different story as the beetles would have gotten inside the logs boring destructive holes through them. Nature at its finest! Sawyer beetles serve as a frontline decomposer type process that helps dead pine return to the soil. It was hot and dusty work but we managed to produce some very nice lumber. All the slab wood was dumped off the tractor loader into the big outdoor pile right outside the sugar house woodshed. Another job for another day or days most likely! We may be a little behind schedule!😂

Moving slab wood to the sugar house.

I finally got tired out from sawing and hand peeled the last three pine logs. They won’t be bothered by the beetles with their bark gone. The lumber was stickered and stashed away in the old woodshed and in the warehouse. We had to stack and haul all the dry sap buckets that had been sitting in the woodshed for weeks first though. That’s done finally at least. Lots of task oriented work to get done. I finally called it quits but felt very happy with our accomplishments. We had done a lot! It felt good getting caught up a little and working with the sawmill! Nothing like accomplishment to stir the inner spirit and charge the batteries! All that slab wood will be used for making maple syrup. Talk about repurposing! It all seemed a little time consuming. Last winters log cutting in Winthrop. Sawing logs there as payment for the hemlock logs I got from Gregger. Hauling those hemlock logs to the Homestead from Winthrop. Then turning around and going after more hemlock logs at Sixberry Lake. And all those hemlock logs still needed to be sawn! Was it really worth all the time and effort? Why not just side the buildings with vinyl siding or rough cut pine? It represents something much larger to me however. It’s all connected in some way that many people might struggle to understand. Hemlock is gone from the farm property where it once thrived. Locked in the buildings themselves in the form of timbers, rafters, and siding. To use hemlock to transform the farm buildings and the tiny cabin seemed justified in that moment to me. Who would buy siding or lumber when the means to create it lay within my grasp? What price do I place on my goals and dreams? I have insisted on hemlock siding for my building projects and hemlock we shall have in large plentiful quantities. I will create each piece with a driven mindset of determination. The time I will have invested in creating the lumber will be significant. But so will be the MOONTABS that led to its creation. That is the very level of resolve and stubborn perseverance. There is prideful rural heritage in the tasks at hand and in the deeds themselves. It will be remembered and visible long beyond this moment. That is where the message lies if indeed there is a message at all. Perhaps I simply underestimated the very magnitude of the job itself. What does it truly matter in the end? When all is finished and slab wood burns in the evaporator from those same logs what will I think then? I will know that answer I hope if I am to be so fortunate. I will be residing within those hemlock shrouded walls of the tiny cabin and standing in front of my boiling evaporator yet another March day. Why ask so many questions anyway? What is time anyway? I will never get it all done anyway say the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. It’s an inner calling these things I desire to do. It is enough.✍️

Incoming hemlock logs.

And The Wheels Turn

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Day two of summer has arrived! Summer solstice burned in hot and humid yesterday. It’s been a very hot week and very typical for this time of June. I have spent most of June (to date) up in Saranac Lake working on a capital project on Amy’s house. After deliberating the scope and timeline an agreement was made with Amy’s carpenter friend Peter to do the project ourselves with me being an assistant. We started at the tail end of May demoing the old deck. Then the rebuild.It’s been fun and challenging! Amy’s choice of natural white cedar for the deck sealed the deal for me way before we even started. Way back in February when I arrived at her place to rent for the night for the first time she had shown me the project. She had mentioned the white cedar then. I was sold and time would lead my hands to the project. But not before the subtle dances of courtship followed a certain soundtrack. Enter the many hours traveling back and forth to see each other. The distance has been no hardship for either of us. The mix of time spent in the Adirondacks and the valley has a certain flair to it! And the wheels turned.

Safety first! That drop off is killer!

Where’s the time go besides covering those miles? Health concerns,procedures, and doctor visits eat through the hours like ravenous dogs. My knee situation is one ongoing problem. There’s more but the point is not to showcase my health struggles but rather acknowledge the investment of time it takes to overcome them. This has been a year of huge change for me. I stand pounds lighter and healthier these days. I have lost weight and overhauled my diet thanks in part to my wellness coach! Fate would bring Amy into my life at a time when I was needing change. And change has come in waves for me. And I ride an imaginary surf board at times. High on top,sitting at a dead calm, and sometimes tossed under kissing the coral. It’s all a little surreal at times and I feel like a bystander in some strange manner when I wake sometimes at 3am suddenly. But I am lucky! Blessed with the simplest of things when I need them most. The connections to nature can be loosened a little at times but fortunately never broken. I try to keep myself surrounded by nature as much as possible! And those little things found in nature become huge and meaningful in the passing of days. Perhaps I have learned to look for them better. My inner spirit batteries need a good charging to keep the balance! It’s working well and I continue to work on becoming a healthier me. It’s taking some time. And the wheels turn.

Eastern pond hawk visitor. A small wonder.

I have truly enjoyed my time in the village of Saranac Lake! Staying at Amy’s while working has been great. It keeps me off the road and helps me focus on the project. We sometimes get out onto the Rail Trail to ride our bikes for some relaxation time. The sight of the mountains always pumps me up! We have done some paddling as well on some of the nearby ponds and lakes. One morning while driving back from nearby Bloomingdale after picking up some lumber I was struck by the magnitude of the moment! Here I was! Right where I had sometimes envisioned myself as a future me. Living and working right in the village.Of course I could never have envisioned all of it! Too many things had to change first. And if it seems like I am in a different place these days on my journey it’s because I am! I am doing my best to move forward on this new path. Out beyond that crossroad I headed down in February. And the clock enters my schedule in new ways. It turns with the new season. All the extra daylight sure changes things but it’s easy to take it for granted since it comes on so gradual.That’s part of what I always attempt to capture here. There’s so much to see and do when summer hits. And if you are wondering. The wheels turn.

The Slow Turn as summer starts.

We will soon be done with phase one projects at Amy’s and take a little break there. We are about to open Camp Edith and get it ready for some summer times! Summer will also see me returning to some of my invasive species volunteering work. It’s all being placed on the calendar in neatly arranged time slots. Here at the Homestead there are things to keep up with every week. The small lawn grows quickly! We also have a tiny garden out by the silo. A fun little “throw and grow” project that we are experimenting with here. So time is balanced between two places these days. It’s working though. Things continue to get checked off the lists each week. We are due for a new series of adventures soon! It’s taking some planning to assimilate into each other’s lives we have learned. It’s no surprise or no big epiphany. It’s simply a new reality to share together. So the wheels turn! Between the valley and the Adirondacks. In the Adirondacks and in the valley. And all sorts of destinations in between! It’s all creating a unique set of MOONTABS! ✍️

The tree of resilience.

The Brown Ghosts

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June has crept upon us and there’s been lots going on! Writing hasn’t been one of those things though! I am so busy living life and doing things that I never write about those things in the present recently. But playing catch-up is a great way to reflect on the weeks that have sped past! May turned out to be an activity filled month that’s for sure! It’s important to note that the final day of April was spent trolling for brown trout on Lake Ontario with my friend Gary and his son. It’s pretty much a full day commitment and a long drive but super fun! We went a couple of times and came home with some nice fish on each occasion. The brown trout were tasty to a degree but will never become my favorite! I much prefer perch and walleye! But that’s another story altogether! Something much tastier would soon be filling our days!

The cliffs along Lake Ontario.

I spent part of the first day of May working at the IRLC Ferrone Preserve with a friend and former coworker. We were joined by a fellow (Win) who had recently been hired by IRLC. One of his jobs is to develop a trail system on the 100 acre parcel that was donated to the land trust a couple years ago. It’s a very unique piece of property that’s a little unusual for the Town of Macomb. It resembles land that sits across Black Lake in the Hammond area. There are several very interesting features there that will be featured in a post at some point. For now I will leave a picture of one of the rock formations!

Gracie scopes out the arch formation.

We had received a decent amount of rain in April. The muskrats had added to their huts several times ahead of large rain events. An interesting phenomenon that I sometimes write about here.May began with some increasingly warmer temperatures so I decided to start looking for some morels. I had been sent a photo of some small morels that a friend had found in the Waddington area on May first. I was curious to see if any were out yet in Macomb so I went out for a little scouting mission. I went to a location that had yielded some in 2023 and began finding a few! It was on! Definitely time to search in earnest!

Found them!

I searched several areas but most of those I found came from the one location. But that never means much when the season is just starting. I picked a few leeks to add to my foraging adventure and cleaned my prizes for dinner! Yum! Zane would join me in the hunt a couple days later and our searching brought in a decent amount of fresh morels! We also foraged chives and more leeks. Zane made a chive and leek dip that we ate with crackers. Strong but delicious! I used the morels to top off grilled cheese burgers. They were so incredibly good!

Morel cheese burger!

I stayed busy that week sawing a few pine logs and putting lumber away to dry. I spent more time gathering a few morels that I usually ate with my dinner but I put a few in the fridge to save. Amy was coming down that Friday to forage with me for a couple days and I wanted to be sure to have some for her to try. It was nice to be getting some salvage logs done and taking time to enjoy the morel season while living at the farm. There were numerous other things that needed my attention as well and the days flew! I scouted out a section of ridge below a spot where I had found 14 morels one afternoon and was happy to see some nice big blondes there! I decided to use them as a training mission to get Amy accustomed to finding them. When she arrived I wasted no time getting her onto the morels! She took right to the foraging and found the big blondes easily. We hit some other locations before heading back to prepare them for dinner that evening. We found over 20 morels before stopping and we still would have all day Saturday to forage!

Foraging headquarters!

Saturday would find us up on my friend Gary’s property and we began finding morels shortly after we started searching. We hit the sections of woods around his meadows until about noon when it began raining rather hard. Our morning count was around 49. Back at the Homestead we washed and prepped our finds.Insects love to move inside the mushrooms! Especially ants!We got our rain soaked apparel dried out by the wood stove. We would eventually find another twenty something morels that afternoon before dinner. Morel cheeseburgers were again the main course and I soon realized how many morels I had cooked that week! Amy set some aside to take home to dehydrate for winter. We had been very successful! Life was good!

Nice haul!

I didn’t know it at the time but that Saturday would be the end of morel season for us. It was time to take the sawmill up to my friend’s in Winthrop that Monday and the next weekend was a travel weekend. But we had been so very successful overall! Our final season count totaled around 173 morels! A couple dozen had been left in the forest to rot as we had found them too late to salvage them. And just like that the search for the brown ghosts of the forest concluded. But we had made special memories! MOONTABS as you already know. There’s nothing like the search for them really. Brush and ticks never seem to deter us! Amy actually found a tick on herself when she hit the shower that Saturday night. Luckily barely imbedded in her skin.It all seems like a blur now and it was only one month ago! But we have lived busy lives during that month. That’s how I choose to live in these days of retirement. Always moving and pushing forward. The time of the morels was not missed fortunately. It was a time that I thoroughly enjoyed! Eating morels about 6 times in one week! Cooking outside in the outdoor kitchen whenever possible. Life on the Homestead is rewarding and full. Each day full of promise and hope. It is enough!

Outdoor kitchen living!