A Grand, and Project Filled, Summer

We're having a shortish summer here this year.  Three months instead of a little over four since Bob has to get back to his four month Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum docent training.  We're hoping to make it up a bit by coming back for Christmas and New Year.

As usual, our summers are filled with projects, from making curtains to fire pits.  As our time here draws to a close, we're getting things wrapped up and enjoying every moment.  A sampling of what we've accomplished...

Part of Bob's duties as board member in charge of fish, lakes and
 forests, he helps with the farmed trout deliveries to Deer Lake

Fish delivery bonus.  Meet Guiness, a 50 day old captive bred Northern Goshawk
traveling with the trout deliverer, a certified falconer.
This bird actually allowed these resident kids to pet him!

Provisioning is my weekly 'project'

Bob's built four of these bird houses, suitable for either American Kestrels
 or Screech Owls depending on where you hang them

Bob built a new set of stairs to access the area off the front deck
(where one of the other projects resides...see below)

My birthday present this year...a camp fire pit off the front deck. S'mores!!!!

Babies on board...House Wrens moved into this bird house,
one of three we installed on the back of our cabin, and
now we can hear the chirps of the hatched chicks

Resurrection

Of the blog.  The resurrection of the blog.  The cabin we resurrected, Phoenix-like, out of the ashes of the Hayman fire, three years ago.  There were a lot of hopes and dreams and fantasies associated with the build, and I documented many of them in this blog.  Well, we’re on summer number three, and things are starting to settle. As with anything you pour your future into, the reality of that future is always different from that envisioned.  Some things don’t materialize the way you expected; others are more magical than you dared imagine.  Intentions are based on many things, but outcomes are often determined by the behavior of others.  One thing I’ve learned this year -- everybody gets to make their own choices...including me.  This acknowledgement of only having control over yourself (best-case scenario), has been a little sad and a LOT freeing and joyous.  Positive change is good and I’m working on that (now and forever) in myself, and hoping others will do the same.  In the meanwhile, the Welcome sign still hangs outside our cabin door whenever we are in residence.