I hope he has a solid left

 

tigger couchMy neighbours told me the red squirrels are bad right now and this might be a summer full of rodents.

That made me think about how many animals Tigger is going to have to contend with.

My best guess is that none of them will actively seek out a cat, but I really don’t know.

Wild turkeys and cats?  Deer, squirrels, owls and cats?

Bears, coyotes, wolves…. you don’t have to read about those combos.

I will have to do a little research.

No cat outside unattended and not after dark.

He has his claws. He has a bell. I really hope he has the ability to hold his own.

 

 

TIMBER!

It is very different looking at a tree and thinking I wonder which way it will fall.

May Long Weekend is being dedicated to cutting down trees.

I need openings to the sky so come July the ground will be dry and workable.

tree clearing 1This is the first area.

I feel like I can handle those trees.

tree clearing 2These ones are huge and when I look up at those trees and imagine them falling I only see a crash.

A crashing down that will be dangerously close to the deck.

These are way outside of my comfort zone.

tree clearing 3This is the campground area.

They are a nice mix of sizes and I have more forgiveness if they don’t fall exactly as planned. I know that I can thin this area out and maybe I will feel solid enough to try the bigger ones in there.

tree clearing 5 tree clearing 4The fallen ones should just be a couple days of easy cutting once I am up there in July.

Slow, steady clean up straight into the fire pit.

tree clearing 6There is one more window maker that needs to come down.

I would like to know the math on this one.

I am guessing a line straight down near the base to a 90 degree angle but then when it falls does it snap up and take off my head.

These are my thoughts right now.

It was a Good Friday

I finally spent a night in my tent and it was amazing.

I would have felt a bit foolish making trips up to shovel out the tent but never stay in the tent.

It was just right in sleeping bags under wool blankets with toques.

 

Beautiful Spring April Day!

JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 1

This is my friend Jill.

That is her Ontario Ranger mug from 13 years ago. She was an Outdoor Ed. student.

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She had the -7 degree sleeping bags.
JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 5She cooked us scrambled eggs and Veggie Bacon.

Delish!

JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 9

JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 6

She also used the adjective “calm” to describe my home to a friend of hers.

I really like that adjective. JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 2 JBI-GOOD FRIDAY 7

 

 

 

In the Black?

I have $12,000.00 to build the Ginger Shack. It seems like a lot but I am starting to wonder if it is enough.

The Grand Cook Stove is 2400.00 USD. Take the exchange rate, the trip to Michigan, the stove pipe etc and I am thinking $4000.00 CAD.

$8000.00 is still a good amount of money.

I really enjoy a financial challenge. I grew up with coupons.

Here’s to staying in the black on this adventure.

homedepot-4

4 foot counter top for at the new low price of $59.00?

Yes Please!

homedepot-3Slick door handles.

Keeping my eyes on their flyers … things like this have to go one sale!?

homedepot-2

I hear that odd sized windows and 1 off windows go on sale.

Perfect.

 

I feel like my new second hand shopping ground just opened up. Goodbye Value Village …. Hello Home Depot!

My lesbian status just got a gold star!!

 

 

I don’t want to do the right thing

I don’t want vinyl siding but I will have vinyl siding because its the right thing to do.

I am really not a fan of synthetic fibers.

My “wood house” is going to have lovely hues of Natural Oak if you squint your eyes in the right light.

natural oak sidingThere will be ‘Starless Night’ blue door.

white doorIn the end I am sure it will be beautiful and according to my mom, more importantly it will be easy to maintain.

Fashion or function.

Sometimes much to my dismay function has to win.

 

 

DAY OF THANKS FOR MARCH 30

GA-display of energyLEO Jul 23 | Aug 22 “The national anthem of Hell must be the old Frank Sinatra song I Did It My Way,” declares Richard Wagner, author of the book Christianity For Dummies. “Selfish pride is Hell’s most common trait,” he adds. “Hell’s inhabitants have a sense of satisfaction that they can at least say they’ve been ‘true to themselves.'” Heed this warning, Leo. Tame your lust for self-expression. APRIL FOOL! I was making a little joke. The truth is not that simplistic. I actually think it’s important for you to be able to declare, “I did it my way” and “I’ve been true to myself.” But for best results, do it in ways that aren’t selfish, insensitive or arrogant.

 

I could not agree more.

Leaving the Concrete Jungle

July 1st, I will be leaving Toronto to live in some wide open Mother Nature. As I prepare to leave, I am trying to make my peace with saying goodbye to the city life I love. I think the best way to say goodbye is to take a little of what you love with you.

I really love concrete. I love the texture of it, the feel of it, brand new under my wheels and I love the smell of it when it is wet from a rain.

The area around my wood burning stove will need to be insulated. At first the obvious choice was brick but I don’t want a small country cabin in the woods. I want a small, slick modern little home.

t-shaped-contemporary-mexican-house-6-thumb-630x420-26962

The heart of the home

grand cook stoveI have had a lot of romantic day dreams about cooking in my new home. Thanks to some amazing Amish design I think they are about to come true.

Meet the heart of my home – The Grand Cook Stove.

6 loaves of bread, a tasty birthday cake or simple stir fry … sky is the limit!

 

I am so very curious …

as to how this is going to play out.

I am not interested in rushing or controlling the process but I am incredibly curious about this entire process. I headed up North last weekend with 5 friends to create a barrier between the snow melt and the actual tent. I now have a 1 foot moat around my tent and a deck free of snow. I also have an outdoor fire pit and a ice block couch.

I love that you can’t see the division between work and play.  My heart expands a little with each visit when I see what we accomplished and how we decided to do it.

JBI-MAR15-16

 

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