Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Week 15: Moving up

.:May 14/15, 2011:.

So comfy...
The weather this weekend was not that great, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that almost all of our activities during this week's visit, such as they were, were spent inside.

A bit of backstory to one of our improvements: last fall we installed new cabinets and appliances in our kitchen (our real one). The trusty old microwave was supplanted by a new overhead one and was taking up valuable space. We had been meaning to do something with it for some time. Thus it came to pass that Spencer loaded it in the car for the ride to its final resting place - the kitchen in the cabin.

Before actually doing anything with it Spencer needed to clean the area. It was pretty gross - so much so that Sim refused to even enter the kitchen unless it was a quick dash in to grab a beer from our (new and clean!) fridge. There were cobwebs in the studs, mouse droppings, insects, and other unpleasantness. As luck would have it, however, there was very little there that a shopvac couldn't deal with, so after dedicating some time and elbow grease to it, the kitchen was habitable (at least for Spencer). There was just enough space on the meagre counter to put the microwave and viola (yes, viola, as Spencer says), we had a cooking solution.

Among other things we accomplished this weekend were getting sheets for the futon from the a big box store and hooking up the DVD player (which we will likely never use, but we needed to get it out of the condo).

... and convenient
Sim's major contribution was putting said sheets on the futon. Ha!

It rained practically the whole time so we watched a fair amount of Fringe. And regrettably the weather was so poor we decided to leave first thing Sunday morning.

As an bit of a postscript, some of you dear readers may remember the film Snatch with Brad Pitt and Dennis Farina, among other notables. At the end of the movie Dennis Farina's character is returning to New York after being in the U.K. The customs officer asks him whether he has anything to declare, to which he responds, "Yeah, don't go to England!"

Well we have our own little declaration of sorts: don't go to the Tim Horton's on First Street in Orangeville. It was freezing outside and they were running their air conditioning! It made our breakfast pitstop truly pitiful (not to mention uncomfortable).

But we got home without any other incident and Aims was happy to see us.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Week 14: High Spirits

.: May 7-8, 2011 :.

This week's visit to the cabin was fairly low key with few highlights.
Pups with a purpose 

After having already briefly met our neighbour we decided to formally get to know him and his wife, so we dropped by their place and rang their doorbell. We were warmly welcomed in to their home and we spent the afternoon getting to know each other. After chatting for a little which we were given a tour through what we basically characterize as a mansion. It is a beautiful and spacious two-storey house which the neighbors designed themselves and had custom built. It sits on a 50-acre plot of land with a wonderfully manicured yard (including a huge pond that puts Pond Superior to shame).

It became clear that D & B (we won't use their names here) take great pride in their accomplishment and rightfully so. We learned that they "settled" what was nothing but rough, forested land approximately 36 years ago. Like us they had no running water. They didn't even have shelter, so while improving the property in the early years they camped. At least we have a cabin to keep the elements away!

When we arrived D & B were actually watching the pre-race festivities surrounding the Kentucky Derby. Neither of us have ever had much interest in horse racing, but we have to admit that they made it entertaining. So much so that we followed the next two events in the Triple Crown series and even watched the movie Secretariat in the weeks following that visit.

Calm before the storm
After a while our discussion turned to a little of the history of the area and the community. We even learned that there are Mennonites down the road that will clear our driveway/lane for us when the snow gets bad.

Overall it was a very pleasant experience. As it became dark we said goodnight and headed with Jazzle and Bubs back to the chalet. We look forward to socializing more with D & B over the years to come.

The next morning Sim spent some quiet time out by the ponds. She was fortunate enough to see a variety of wildlife, including a beaver, a fox, a hawk, a cormorant, and a flock of geese.

Digging
Spencer was of course cutting wood with his chainsaw. He also paid some attention to an area just before the ponds where water has been "leaking" from a swampy area on the north side to the dry area on the south side. Over time a miniature stream was developing and we wanted to prevent soil erosion, so Spencer laid a piece of weeping tile from one side of the path to the other to facilitate the drainage of water from the swamp (created by beavers). We'll see how that turns out.

And then before you could shake a stick (you have an abundant selection to choose from), it was time to go, so we packed up the pups and hit the road.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Week 13: We're back!

.: April 30, 2011 :.

Given the original state of the cabin when we bought Twin Ponds there is understandably a lot to do. Thus, when we go (other than for brief visits) we try to have definitive objectives that we want to achieve. The goals this week were to finish laying the floor in the bedroom, assemble the table for the living room, get a futon, install the new television, and to assemble the dining table as well as the new charcoal barbeque. We got a late start and ended up arriving well after noon, but it didn't stop us from making progress. This was also to be the first overnight stay of the year. We had packed some travel pillows and sleeping bags and were ready!

TV for rainy days
Upon our arrival Spencer turned on the power, plugged in the fridge, and stowed our (soon to be) cold drinks. The first order of business was to get the new TV mounted. It was a bit of a task because, disappointingly, the TV's wall mount was a proprietary design that did not work with the mount Sim had procured. Spencer therefore improvised a wall mount using wood while Sim went to the ponds to check out what was going on there. By the time she got back, we were ready to mount that puppy on the wall. We stepped back, checked out the work, and the work was good.

Next up was laying the floor in the bedroom. Since the room is quite small, this task didn't take too long. Before we knew it, we were done and it was time to move the bed back to its rightful place.

We then decided to head to a department store in Al's town to see whether we cold find a suitable futon. On the way there we were, shall we say, going a little faster than the posted limit. As we came around a bend in the road there was a police cruiser travelling in the opposite direction. Although Spencer immediately slowed the vehicle, alas it was too late. The cop car wasted no time in hitting its lights and sirens, turning around mid-highway, and coming up on us from behind. With a sign of resignation Spencer pulled onto the shoulder and stopped the car waiting for the inevitable. In those few seconds we looked and each other and shrugged as if to offer a mutual albeit unspoken, "What can you do?" And then the cops drove past.

Nothing like getting caught and then realizing you hadn't actually been caught. With a sigh of relief we continued on (at a somewhat slower, but still slightly unlawful, speed).

Shiny new floor
As we rolled into town the A&W beckoned us, so we stopped and had our usual meal, which was customarily delightful. We then headed to a department store to explore their selection of home furnishings. To be honest, Spencer was not too optimistic that we would find something that was appropriate. And in fact he was almost right. But Sim managed to find their last metal-framed unit which was seemingly perfect for our purposes. Regrettably it was in a box that clearly had been opened. That is to say, the bottom of the box was nowhere in sight. We looked at each other somewhat reluctant to buy this one, even though it was their last. We each independently had visions of getting it to the cabin, being halfway through the assembly process, and realizing that parts were missing. Despite our initial discouragement Sim noticed an inner box which ostensibly contained all the parts (i.e., everything other than the futon mattress). Better yet, it was still sealed. So Sim hunted down a very polite member of the store's personnel who not only offered to help us get it to the car, but also told us that he'd "pull a few strings and get 10% off, since it was a floor model."

Futon-y goodness
Overall it was a very positive experience and once again proved that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (unless it's been written by a German author).

After getting the futon back to the cabin and unloading it, we both puttered around for a while, each procrastinating. We both recognized, though, that sooner or later we would have to get it put together if we wanted to sleep, so we got down to business. It took a while, but eventually there it was. By this point we were both very tired and sitting on it for the first time there was an audible "aaaahhhhh" as we relaxed and enjoyed the fruits of our labours. That was a sweet moment.

By this point it was fairly late and we had not assembled the table. We had discussed going into town for supper, but procrastinated that as well until we both finally just decided that we should just relax. Before going to bed we wanted to experience the new TV, so we plugged in a memory key (the only one with any media on it) and watched one of Spencer's favourites - Three Days of the Condor. We gradually approached unconsciousness, so before the movie ended we wrapped it up, brushed our teeth, snuggled up in our sleeping bags on the futon, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning we got up relatively early, went to Tim Horton's for breakfast, and drove back to the cabin to get down to business putting the table together. Before long ... and then it was time to pack up and head out.

Table-y goodness
This week's trip was a bit of a watershed event, because we decided to try a new route on the way home. We had been aware since last September that there was a route other than our regular one. We had not, however, counted on the new one being so much better. Not only was it far more interesting, but it shaved a good 30 to 40 minutes off the time we spent on the road.

It was also significant because we met the neighbour to the north of us (across the concession road). He is a nice older gentleman and it was a pleasant encounter, which bodes well for future interactions.

Overall we were quite satisfied with our accomplishments. Despite not getting the barbeque put together, the progress we made was substantial. This place is really starting to feel like home.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Week 12: Twin Pines


.: April 22, 2011 :.

On Good Friday the weather was chilly. We decided to take a one-day trip to meet our contractor. Despite it being a holiday he had kindly agreed to see us at his place. This was our first trip to the town he called home. We took our regular route and as we approached what would have normally been our turn, decided to go see him first before checking out Twin Ponds. So we continued up the highway, through "our" town, and proceeded along the road towards our goal. Al had given Spencer the address and as luck would have it, it was simple and easy to remember. It took about 20 minutes to get there and we concluded that Twin Ponds was equidistant to both Al's town and the other "major" town along what up to that point had been our traditional route.

About to come back to life 
It is worthy of note that the route to see Al meant driving through our town. We hadn't actually driven that way at all, so imagine our surprise when, as we were almost leaving the town that Sim saw an apartment building bearing the name Twin Pines! We got a good laugh out of the fact that they had obviously known for quite a while that one day we would be coming.

In any event as we entered Al's town we were pleased to see that the town had a wide selection of big box stores and most importantly, an A&W. We know what you're thinking, but beggars can't be choosers and given that we have nothing at Twin Ponds so far, those are exactly the stores we need. We found Al's place without any problem and as we pulled up he was working in his workshop. We chatted for a few minutes about the things we wanted to accomplish and a little of his family's history in the neighbourhood. It was actually quite interesting. We didn't want to take too much of his time, so we got ready to go, gave him the keys to the gate and the front door of the cabin (which was the real reason we went), and headed back to Twin Ponds.

Unlike our previous expedition this week's visit to the property was uneventful. The snow was all but gone and we had no problem driving along the path to the cabin. We let the dogs run around for a bit and while Spencer checked out the state of the chalet Sim visited the ponds. We only stayed about 40 minutes in light of the weather. It was nice to see that everything was in order. Having concluded the purpose of the visit we loaded the dogs in the back of the Subaru and headed back to Toronto.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Week 11: A Brief Hello


Tough walkin'
.: March 12, 2011 :.

Our next visit to Twin Ponds took place in mid-March. Having learned our lesson about trying to drive to the gate, upon our arrival we parked on the snow-covered concession road. The sky was overcast, but luckily it wasn't snowing. There was, after all, enough snow on the ground already. It was quiet and undisturbed.

Spencer was the first to head towards the gate from the road. He still had the rubber boots from the last tribulation here. As he took his first step in the snow his leg sunk so deep that he was thigh-deep in snow. It wasn't exactly what we had expected, but undaunted he waded through making a pathway for Sim and the pups. In contrast to Jazzle, who bounced gleefully and intrepidly over the difficult terrain, Bubs lagged and whined the whole way. Poor guy - the snow was just so difficult for him to overcome.

Once again we trudged the entire length of the path to the cabin. Spencer noticed traces of deer and rabbits and other animals along the way. After a while, and Sim constantly having to coax Bubs to keep up (or even move at times), we made it to the chalet. The snow was still incredibly deep - so deep in fact that standing on the heap of it on the deck Spencer was at least as high as the "Another World" sign gracing the entrance to the cabin.

Spencer was the only one who made it into the cabin. He checked things out and was satisfied that everything was as it should be.

Our actual stay this week lasted only minutes given the cold air, but it was good to be there (as always) and to see that the gate was doing its job in deterring vandals. We slowly made our way back to the car and departed as uneventfully as we had arrived.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Week 10: Winter Wonderland

.: December 19, 2010 :.

After work one evening early in December Spencer came out to the parking lot, got into the car, turned the key in the ignition, and muttered under his breath while the starter ground away without success. This was only the second time in almost nine years that the car hadn't started. Aside from the fact that it was cold and rainy this incident was particularly annoying, since it had come following what seemed to have been a series of small to medium to large repairs.

Forester to the rescue?
After Spencer took public transit home we started thinking about a replacement vehicle. Over the course of the next few days we considered a variety of makes and models and finally settled on the Subaru Forester. There were many reasons for our decision, not the least of which was its safety rating and all-wheel drive.

Fast forward about nine days: we indeed purchased the Forester and were delighted by how almost elegant the ride is. Of course that's measured in comparison to the old bucket of bolts, so perhaps we're overstating it. Regardless, we love it.

In the first week or so of having the car we were still undoubtedly looking through rose-coloured glasses. So when our region had its first real snow storm of the season, we were unphased. We even triumphantly declared that we were going to visit Twin Ponds, because our car could drive anywhere.

A beautiful sight
The drive there was a bit slow for the first half of the trip, but then traffic diminished and the weather cleared allowing us to reach the concession road in much better time than we had anticipated. On the way we remarked at the amount of snow that had fallen in the area, although we really had no idea what to expect at the property.

The concession road had been plowed in the morning and in the intervening hours more snow had accumulated making the roads a little unpredictable. Luckily for us the Forester handled the white-packed surface very well. After the familiar 8.2 km drive we arrived to see the driveway and the new gate decorated with snow. Lots and lots of snow. But that didn't matter, because we were driving a Forester!

SNOOOOOOOW
Spencer cautiously turned off the concession road into the driveway and immediately stopped the car. He was concerned that the slope on the driveway presented a potential hazard - he didn't want the vehicle to slip into the newly installed gate. That was when we discovered that short of a Sherman tank it didn't matter what you were driving, you were going to get stuck.

The small detail Spencer had forgotten was that the snow plowed off the road had settled in the depression in the driveway causing an abnormally deep well of the white stuff. In short the Forester was (almost inextricably) stuck. And in true Urbanite fashion neither of us was wearing proper winter gear. In his high-top leather Converse Allstars and leather jacket Spencer trekked to the chalet to get the shovel we had (luckily) bought in September.

Peaceful ponds
Until this predicament he had never really appreciated how long the drive from the gate to the cabin is. That became readily apparent while trudging through 2-foot deep snow in running shoes, particularly at that moment when, while coming around the corner of the clearing, Spencer realized he'd left his keys in the car. Fortunately the shovel had been stored in the metal shed (we'd been too lazy to take it into the cabin), so after another long walk back Spencer spent the next 45 minutes digging the car out of the snow. It was also fortunate because Sim wanted to get a picture of the chalet under the unspoiled new snow.

Once that had been taken care of we and the dogs all trudged through the deep snow and made it to the cabin. Spencer (who had already seen it) waited for Sim to catch up. He wanted to see the look on her face as she experienced that virginal glimpse of the cabin under such pristine whiteness.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Bubbles!
Actually getting across the deck and through the front door was a bit of a challenge, especially for Bubbles, who had some difficulty navigating through the accumulated snow on the deck. Once inside we didn't stay long. It was cold and Spencer's feet were all wet from the walks to and from the cabin and working to free the Forester. We did, however, have the opportunity to show Jasmine and Bandet the gorgeous snow on the ponds and get some pictures.

After a few minutes we locked the place up and headed through the deep snow back to the car, which we had left on the street side of the gate (we weren't about to risk getting stuck again).

Glad to be back in the car's coziness, we headed home yet again.