Cedar Beach

What a Blur!

2008-09-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

The summer has flown by so unbelievably quickly, I can't believe we're getting ready to be done for the season! We have accomplished a lot in our short spurts out there, and we have a life time to finish I guess. I enjoyed this summer so much, and feel so incredibly blessed to have this beautiful place to retreat to. We got the floor stained, hung the cupboards, installed the wood stove, did the electrical, hung some of the wall boards, got all the furniture out there and set up, went through too much propane as we figured out our fridge, put together Adirondack chairs, found a giant table and built benches for it, cleaned up lots of mess, built a work shop, bought more tools, started a playhouse and I don't know what else. Fall is not officially here, but it sure feels like it. The leaves are yellow and crunchy as we walk to school, and I have not been thinking about making sure I make it to the meat store before it closes and we have no good steaks for the weekend at the cabin.

I have not posted since August Long, so here's an update; the weekend after we had Keira and Trevor out for the weekend, without child (theirs, anyway, our stinkers were underfoot). It was great to see them, we sure miss them now that they're out in Alberta, at least the beauty of the lakes will draw them back, if nothing else!

The following weekend we had the most people out ever! The cabin actually housed six adults and five children for the weekend. It was so much fun, we have been making the best friends lately and it's so nice to have this place to go to and just hang out.

Let's see, the two weekends following it was just us out there. Niall's parents came out for a bit September Long to see the progress made and had some lunch. We also got to spend time with our neighbours, the Renders, who ventured across the stormy waters with their 9 day old baby to get some peace and quiet!

We really have got so much done this summer, everything we wanted to really. The roof still needs insulation, which I really want no part of, but might be a fall project. It's supposed to be a nice weekend, so we're heading out later in the week, which reminds me, I have to run to the store for a few things...:)

Week Long Adventures

2008-08-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

We spent our first whole week at the cabin and just got back yesterday. The weather was not overly great for sitting outside, which was probably best since I would not have otherwise got any work done. But work we did, my fingers seem permanently stained from the floor stain, but I think I'm done with that job now. Niall worked hard at putting up interior walls and so we have a bit of privacy now (and we can send the girls to their room when they're naughty:)

The girls came out with us for the August long weekend as well as Niall's brother John and his soon to be wife Natalie. Or Nanty Nanalie if you speak like Ellie. Here are some recent pictures to show what we've been up to.

I made a life sized human chess board on the floor, thought it needed a little something

The girls like sharing their room at the cabin. I made the quilt on Lauren's bed (on the left), Ellie's is still not quite finished.

We have a guest room! Check out the Peanuts sheets on the top bunk, courtesy of Niall's childhood!

Too Excited to Blog

2008-07-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

We have a fridge!! I can't even say how life changing this is for us. After seven years of living out of a cooler with ice packs quickly melting in the summer heat...we can now have milk and it is still cold after three days!

I can't really think of a good reason why I have not updated the blog, I've certainly thought about it many times. Niall and I have managed to get out to the cabin almost every weekend this summer except for about 2, which is good because there is certainly a lot of work to do. In June my brother Steve came out two weekends in a row and got the whole place wired. He has just started an apprenticeship as an electrician, so I must say he's certainly come in handy!

Niall has stretched his limits by installing the wood stove. You'd think it would be a pretty simple process...the wood stove has a hole on the top, there are several pieces of chimney to stack on top, it goes through the roof, and presto, you have fire (or something like that). Apparently not so. Apparently the fireplace people send you pieces that don't fit together or do what they're advertised to do, and apparently the instructions are worse than what you get from Ikea and there is NO ALLEN KEY! Anyway, several sweaty brows later, he thinks he's got it done. He's waiting to test it out after we get the propane leak fixed.

The first weekend in July was our first weekend to host friends, as well as the first full weekend our girls have had out there. Sarah, Jesse and Lil' Elie Montes came out for some adventures, and we had a great weekend. Niall and Jesse started insulating, and got about half the walls done without too much difficulty. The guys got a bit of fishing in, Lauren caught her first fish, a nice big bass that no one had a camera for. So her version of how big it was grows with every telling of the story of course. Last weekend we had my mom and dad out once again, their first time at the new cabin. The weather was not quite as good, but we still got to enjoy the deck and the dock and the company.

Prayers and Swears

2008-05-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yeah for the May Long Weekend in Manitoba! Still snow on the ground in some places, and the ice just came off the lake days ago, but we braved it and headed out like so many others...towing the boat behind us, down highway #1, into the Whiteshell and over the Ontario border, down the winding road to the landing. The boat went into the water, and that's really where our adventure begins.

Why we bought property on an island is still sometimes a bit of a mystery to me, I'm just glad I don't have to drive the boat. We left for Dominique Island around noon on Saturday, and had the worst ride over (so far). Buckets of ice water dumped on us repeatedly, the boat lurching this way and that, me praying, Niall swearing, then both of us praying...finally into the bay and the relative calm. Phew, is all I can say, and laugh a bit hysterically in that way you do after you think you nearly died.

But we finally got to see the cabin!! That's the good news and what made the trip SO worthwhile. It was everything we hoped it would be, we were like kids at Christmas. It also was a bit overwhelming in that we see how far we still have to go. Oh well, labour of love they say, something to keep us busy in the years to come. Take a look...let us know what you think (and let us know what weekend you'll be out to help with wiring/insulating/putting up walls etc...etc...)

There it is, looks done from the outside at least

Not so much on the inside

On the deck, that's the porch door

Inside the porch (right after we stripped off our wet clothes)

View of the house and the shack

There's that red shirt again...cleaning up the mess left from the builders

New Baby

2008-04-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is just around the corner, we can't wait to get out to the cabin to see what it looks like. And now, getting out there is going to be that much better because we bought a new boat! For anyone who has been out to our place you've probably had a chance to feel the efforts of our 25 horsepower trying to get a full load out of the water. And with our growing family the Little (boat) Engine That Could just wasn't cutting it anymore. Niall's been looking at boats for awhile, and I finally relented...we're both really excited. So is Lauren, she thinks the front chair is hers because she's the captain. Take a look.

Just a Tease

2008-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

There is not much in terms of exciting photos for this post, just a bit of late night commentary since I've been reminded many times lately that there's been no update. It was a long hurry up and wait kind of winter, with the ice road taking ages to get to the stage where it was supposed to be ready, and then when it was finally plowed, it was too cold and stormy to work. So during the small window of time when the ice was safe and it was not minus eight million degrees, there was some work being done. But not many photographs being taken. Apparently, (so we've been told) the contractor's job is done, except for maybe 6 hours of work that may or may not have been completed in the last couple of days. The road had to be plowed many times since it kept blowing over, and that's when you get those unexpected costs creeping up...oh the life of an island dweller. Niall did make it out one weekend after borrowing my dad's truck and he and his brother, dad and brother's girlfriend made the trek out to deliver some furniture. These are the pictures taken from that weekend, with hopefully some more exciting news in the coming months (if spring ever actually comes).

The front of the cabin, no windows yet

The back of the cabin, not framed in yet

The screen porch, taken from the living room

The front from the inside - two big windows and a sliding door

Almost There

2007-11-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

We've been anxiously awaiting some new pictures, had been told they would come Friday, they didn't come. We figured maybe he meant the next Friday...they didn't come. We did a weekend of cross border shopping looking for a deal on generators and propane fridges (we'll be going back before spring I think to pick up a few things). We came home expecting pictures, still nothing. I had to phone. I interrupted Dale's supper, and 20 minutes later we got the pictures. They pretty much speak for themselves in terms of progress made, needless to say we are so excited!

A bit of snow while framing

A bit dark and blurry, but a better sense of what it will look like

(visualize some windows and a patio door in the center. That's the screen porch to the left.)

A view from the east, just behind the bunkhouse.

A side view from the west. Shingles are on, you can see where our chimney will go.

Here's a bit of perspective for anyone who has seen the bunkhouse.

So the guys are done for the season, they'll be back out once there is an ice road. They have rails on the decks, soffits and facia, windows and doors and inside framing to do. After that, we let 'em go and we're on our own. With the help of a few good friends of course ;)

Old Man and the Sea

2007-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Tues was a beautiful day, high of 17 C, unheard of usually here at this time of year (good ole global warming), and Niall and his crew barged over most of the materials for the cabin (except the windows, which never showed up, bit of a problem). They worked hard all day, into the dark, and the following day (Halloween) Niall and the man with the barge (Karl) took a boat back to the island to finish unloading the barge. Unfortunately it was opposite day...5 C, winds at about 170 mph and waves two stories high...the sea was angry that day...

So I hear, anyway, he didn't take the pictures to prove it, and he's been known to tell a fish story or two in his day. Dale is supposed to start swinging his hammer on Monday, Nov. 5. Hopefully the weather cooperates for him. Here is what a cabin worth of materials looks like:

The view from the deck...might need a bit of a trim

The Floor is Up!

2007-10-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

The pictures arrived, it's really happening...we have a floor.

The original plan was to finish this part in the fall and then put up the rest once the lake froze over and the winter road could be used. This was felt to be the most cost effective way to get the materials and the contractor out. Then we found out that there is no guarantee that a winter road will even be built, which would leave us having to pay for it...ouch. So the barge is pricey, but it's a fixed cost. We'll be taking everything out next Tuesday, so Dale says he might get the place up before the lake freezes over. Wouldn't that be nice, then we wouldn't lie awake worrying every time the snow started to fall all winter.

Downtime

2007-10-26T07:26:00.001-07:00

So, like most projects things came to a bit of a stand still for a few weeks, as with the colder weather the boat has been put away for the season. Meaning, we have no idea what is happening on Dominique Island. And the contractor was MIA for just over a week, appears he was on a hunting trip. So I'm itching to post new pics but have none to speak of. During the week of no contact Niall and I were left wondering if the floor ever did get up. We were assured it had not by our neighbour out there, which in turn prompted a few phone calls to the contractor. We did hear back from him early this week and he had every confidence that the floor would be done by Wednesday. Sure enough, the same neighbour is a pilot and he let us know he flew over Dominique the other day and had a nice aerial view of the rectangle from about 6000 ft. Hooray! And then the contractor (whose name is Dale) called and said he would email a few pics of the floor, so I'm waiting (im)patiently for them to show up.

In the meantime, I've been getting excited about indoor projects for the lake and have been starting myself a used furniture collection. So far we've got a double/single bunk, two twins, a sofa bed and a futon. Enough to sleep a couple families we figure, or host a giant slumber party. We also bought used cabinets for our kitchen which Niall and I are having great debates over. We're trying to decide between crazy-funky and sleek-modern. I don't know, there's so much to think about!

Ugly, stinky cabinets which need TSP and lots of elbow grease

They will be beautiful someday

Someone's homemade futon we got off Used Winnipeg.com, our latest addiction...

I plan to paint and recover at some point.

Less Talk, More Photos

2007-10-07T14:57:00.001-07:00

Can you see me now? In the bush with just an axe...let's count how many times we see that red T-shirt before this process is over.

Got a good deal gone, that's a lot of blood, sweat and pehaps a few tears (by me when the beautiful cedar came down)

Does this man look like he knows what's going on?

Bringing in the big guns, no more messing around

Our mud patch, with a side view of the bunkhouse, which will soon be a shed we hope.

Little bit of an intro

2007-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've become obsessed with houseblogs as of late, and have so many ideas crammed into my head that I must get them out on paper (?). Well, maybe not paper but if I spill them into cyberspace perhaps I can focus on something else for a bit. So here I go...

In 2000 Niall and I bought about 2 acres of lakefront property on an island in the Lake of the Woods area near Kenora, Ontario. We camped in a tent for one full summer before a bear went through it leaving us homeless (well, this is a second home for us so that's not completely accurate). Needless to say it was time for a bunkhouse so out of shed blueprints we built ourselves a quaint lil' place to call home. Seven years and two babies later, we watched the price of lumber soar and decided, it's time to build. This decision was made in a casual conversation on the way home one weekend. In a flurry of phone calls and some pretty scary meetings we were approved by our dear sweet banker, hired a contractor to build our "shell" and started clearing brush. Time for some photos.

There we have the busy dock, and the worn out shack. The cabin will be built just to the right of this mini cottage.