Week 9 (Addendum): A Sign

.: November 28 :.

We attended the Cottage Life Show at Toronto's International Centre this afternoon and had a great time. We bought some tools and got numerous ideas on expanding the premises at Twin Ponds.

Our sign

But the coolest part of the day was getting a sign saying "TWIN PONDS" which we intend to hang in the cabin above the entrance to the kitchen. And getting the sign itself was a bit of a humorous ordeal. After ordering it initially we were told to return in 15 minutes or so and it would be done. So we did, and it was. As we walked away from the little booth enjoying how great it was going to be to have this perfect little accessory to our precious sanctuary, we both stopped, simultaneously looked at each other, and asked each other aloud, "TWINS PONDS?"

Spencer immediately returned to the booth and pointed out to the craftsman the mistake and was told that the sign would be redone. Again, we were instructed to return in 15 minutes, during which time we wandered among the various exhibits. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we actually forgot about the sign until Spencer remembered and suggested that we head back there to avoid forgetting altogether. So we did. And there it was, the sign was ready for pickup. Yep, it sure looked good - if it were for someone else!

This time the sign said, 'TWIN PINES."

When Spencer pointed out the second mistake the craftsman became all flustered and with a definite tone of embarrassment excused himself and said, "I've done hundreds of these this weekend without any mistakes - until this one!"

It was fine though. In the end we explored more areas of the show (which was monstrously large) and returned to see the sign which read, "TWIN PONDS." Whew!

Week 9: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

.: November 27 :.

This week's trip to the cabin wasn't planned until Thursday when Luke imparted the bad news about having lost his job. Although his former employer is a jerk, it gave us the perfect excuse to go to Twin Ponds because we were eager to share with him how good it now looks with the new floor. We therefore planned to leave around 8:00 Saturday morning so that Sim and Spencer could get back to Toronto in time for a friend's birthday party.

The three amigos

Despite the best of intentions we did not leave until 9:33. That was okay, since it gave Spencer a bit of additional time figuring out how to get a certain weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.

By 9:35 we were on the road to Burger King with Luke and Bandet in the back seat (and unfortunately sans Jasmine, for whom we did not have enough carspace). We got there and ordered our typical breakfast item in addition to what Luke wanted (which for some reason Spencer could not comprehend).

By the time we were westbound on the 401 it was obvious that the weather was turning bad. The sun had virtually disappeared and before long there was a fair amount of snow coming down. It wasn't enough to discourage us from forging onward, but it was enough to slow traffic a little and make us wonder what the remainder of the trip there and the trip back would be like.

Bubs!

The farther into the Guelph area we travelled the worse the weather became. By the time we stopped at the Home Depot the snow was coming down so hard that the windshield wipers were having difficulty keeping up and there must have been at least 5 inches of snow on the ground. We went in and procured a few items we'd be needing, including a big sheet of plastic and some caulk-type glue for patching the hole in the floor in the closet as well as a caulk gun.

We then stopped at the neighbouring Walmart because Sim wanted to get some slippers for inside the cabin. She initially considered getting some pink, fuzzy ones but decided against it when she realized that once their funniness wore off, she'd be stuck with them. So she got a pair of gray ones for her and one for Spencer (even though he didn't really think he wanted them at the time).

Winter wonderland

Soon thereafter we were back on the slippery road heading towards Twin Ponds. The snow was so horrible that Spencer had wondered aloud whether we should head back. However, we were looking forward to what we'd planned, so we pressed on. As luck would have it the snow finally stopped and for the remainder of the trip there the roads were in pretty good, if not even excellent, condition.

Upon our arrival Luke was clearly impressed by the quality of the gate. We proceeded down the path to the cabin and were amazed by how peaceful and beautiful the landscape appeared, the trees and ground having been laced with pure white snow. It was a glorious sight to behold. The cabin itself stood in the familiar clearing, the contrast between its wood and the covering snow making the structure appear to be an accessory to the surroundings rather than an integral part of them.

After admiring the view for a moment we entered the cabin and once again admired the impressive difference the new floor made. Spencer quickly plugged in and started the space heater and fired up the wood stove and it wasn't long before he and Luke headed out to cut some logs in the forest, which was the first in our list of tasks so as to ensure sufficient heat for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately that did not turn out well. Spencer tried for 5 minutes to start it and then realized it might be out of gas, which it was.

Lofty goal attained!

Easy fix? No. Spencer had for the first time forgotten the chainsaw gas/oil mix back in Toronto. And although he and Luke spent some time trying to cut some wood the old fashioned way, it hardly seemed worth the effort. They reluctantly bundled up what they had managed to cut and brought it back to the wood shed. And that, as they say, was that.

Which was just as well because there were things to be done inside. Our actual goals for the day included removing the mite and other creepy-crawly infested rug from the loft (what a NASTY job that was), discarding the carpet in the bedroom, and putting down tiles therein. We got the first two done (thanks in large part to Luke, who also completely cleaned the loft), but we didn't manage the third.

In the process of taking the disgusting, aged carpet out we noticed that there were two very large water patches covering the floor boards in the bedroom. This posed a couple of problems. First, we could not lay tiles on a wet floor. Second, we had to find the source of the leakage. Indeed, upon inspection we noticed water streaks along the wall boards beneath each of the back and front bedroom windows. We thus decided to go to the hardware store in town to get some sealant for the windows and some bleach for the floors (which seemed rather mouldy). Of course there's no guarantee the bleach will work, but for the price we figured we might was well try. Sim was ready for a break as well since she'd been cleaning and assembling furniture.

No rest for the wicked

In town we stopped at the hardware store (for the sealant and a shoe mat for the cabin's entrance), the supermarket (for bleach and a mop and bucket), and then Tim Horton's (for hot chocolate and donuts). It was a pleasant break. Luke observed that he recognized a number of people whom he had seen while staying with Amanda at the estate during a week in late October. No surprise there, given the size of the town. Spencer recognized the trainee serving them as the one who had served them the previous week. She'd been polite and eager, as well as a little tentative, while this week she seemed to have a little more confidence.

Chairs for all

After returning to Twin Ponds we set about restoring the fire in the stove and cleaning up while Sim assembled the remaining three of the four Ikea chairs we'd bought in September. Luke and Spencer did their best to prepare the bedroom floor so it would be ready for tiles on our next visit. Luke did a fantastic job of sealing the wood around the windows. Hopefully there won't be anymore water. They also patched up the hole in the floor so no more rodents or other creatures could get in as temperatures plummet and they start seeking refuge from the elements.

It finally came time to clean up, pack our stuff, and head out.

The weather during the trip home was absolutely horrific at one point. We could barely see in front of the car. Luckily, though, the snowstorm subsided (coincidentally with Spencer stopping for a Red Bull? We think not!). At one point we stopped at A&W so Sim could get a Mama Burger (their Spicy Mama Burgers were no longer available, to her chagrin) and we spent the rest of the relaxing trip listening to a part of the audiobook version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.

Overall while we were disappointed by our inability to get the floor tiles down in the bedroom, we were very enthused by our accomplishments.

Week 8: Apocalypse Now

.: November 20 & 21, 2010 :.

Cabin face is built! Staining to come.

As some of you may know, Spencer is an avid Fallout fan. He played Fallout 3 until its timely demise, which was brought about only when it was supplanted by Fallout: New Vegas. For those who aren't familiar with the Fallout series its central theme is the survival of mankind in your run of the mill post-apocalyptic world.

The apocalypse in this case was the drastic change wrought by the cumulative effects of the recent renovations and, more importantly, what we accomplished this weekend.

Despite the weather forecast Spencer felt it was going to be very cold. Be that as it may we decided to spend the weekend, because it could very well be the last opportunity for doing so this season. November is after all a potentially stormy and unquestionably unpredictable month when it comes to weather in ever-so-slightly northern Ontario. There were a few things we wanted to accomplish:

As Luke said: measure once, cut twice.

(a) prepare the cabin for the winter;

(b) get a lock on the outer gate;

(c) meet with our contractor to pay him and discuss future projects;

(d) install blinds on all the windows; and

(e) install the floor in the front room of the cabin.

Progress!

So Saturday morning we packed our stuff consisting of a couple of sleeping bags, toothbrushes, nightware, etc. (remember, we're minimalists) and headed to our sanctuary. The trip there this time took longer than it typically does, since we stopped no fewer than four times on the way. Probably the most important stop was going to Burger King for breakfast, which is becoming another tradition. The croissanwiches there are terrific. The other stop of significance was at a place that sells electronics and coffee. That's right. You can buy a monitor or computer and a bag of coffee while you're at it. How convenient. In our case we picked up an iPod dock with speakers so we would have music to work by. Regrettably (and to Sim's chagrin) it did not come with a coffee brewer attachment, so we were forced to forego the little tin of espresso on the neighbouring shelf.

We were scheduled to meet our contractor, Al, at 1:00 p.m. and by the time we got there we had only 10 minutes to spare. Al had always previously arrived on time and we had no reason to think he wouldn't again, so it was important that we weren't late.

Supervising

We unloaded the car and ushered the dogs into the cabin. It was SO cold. The first thing Spencer did was turn on the space heater we'd previously brought. He then started our very first fire in our newly serviced wood stove. It was so cold that it took a while before it started to make any difference inside, but before too long it became cozy and delightful.

By about 2:00 Al hadn't arrived yet so we started installing the blinds on the windows adjacent to the front door. Regrettably our hand held drill hadn't been charged and Spencer had to install by hand the screws that held the brackets. That was a bit of a chore.

Right after getting the first one installed Al arrived. He apologized for his tardiness but it was truly no big deal. We then sat down to settle what was due for his services up to that point and talked turkey (or was it turducken?) about the projects we'd been contemplating for the spring (more on that in future posts).

Following Al's departure we swept and vacuumed with our new shop vac and started the weekend's main event: installing the new floor. What you should appreciate is that neither of us has ever done this before, so we were not exactly brimming with confidence as we started. Sure, we had done a minimal amount of due diligence when we bought the laminate floor tiles by asking the Home Depot guy about how to do it. Spencer had nodded in faux appreciation at his instructions. Luckily Sim had understood what he was saying, so we had nothing to worry about.

New blinds and an amazing find

At first we fumbled a little through the proper steps, but after a little while we got the hang of it. However, regardless of how adept at this stuff someone is, it's bloody hard work. You're constantly bending over, kneeling down, laying the tiles, measuring space, measuring pieces, standing up, cutting pieces, kneeling down, re-laying the tiles, forcing them in, standing up, feeding the wood stove, and repeat. Heilige Scheisse it's tough on the body and neither of us expected how fatiguing it would be.

About halfway through the afternoon Spencer was digging through the wood basket container thingy and came across some old Toronto Star newspapers. He pulled them out and Sim asked him to check the date. The first one was dated sometime in July, 1989. He then looked at the one beneath it - that one was dated October 7, 1989. It was so cool to unexpectedly go back in history. Coincidentally the first page of the October issue's entertainment section contained a review of John Goodman's role as Dan Conner in Roseanne - one of Sim's favorite TV shows. We flipped through the rest of the section and got a chuckle out of some of the movies playing, including Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors. We naturally spared the papers from the fire and in fact intend to preserve them as an interesting tidbit in the history of Twin Ponds.

It was just after five when we decided that we needed a break to get some lights from the local Home Hardware as well as supper. We headed into town, got an indoor and outdoor light, went to Tim Horton's for soup and a sandwich, and were back at the cabin by 6:30.

It was around 10:00 p.m. when the new floor had reached the half-way point in the room and we were totally wiped out. So we decided to do something less stressful, like hang more blinds.

Ahhhh, so nice!

By this time our handheld drill had been sufficiently charged so the process was relatively straightforward. First we did the second one next to the front door. Then we moved to the kitchen. After a brief bad-shoulder incident we moved to the bedroom to finish the two there. The first blind right next to the bed wasn't too bad. Unfortunately though the fifth and last blind couldn't be installed until we did a bit of a mini-major remediation of the area around it. We had already tossed the hideous and aged blue and pink curtains, but the rods were still there and on closer inspection there were numerous cob webs and other crap hanging or dangling from the walls and ceiling around the window. By the time we had taken care of the surrounding grime and gotten the blinds up it was about eleven o'clock, so we got ready for and went to bed.

At half past two Spencer woke up. It was pretty cold outside the sleeping bags. We had closed the bedroom door and turned on the space heater so that neither we nor the dogs would freeze to death, but although we were warm enough the dogs weren't, so in his semi-comatose state Spencer turned up the heat on the space heater. That was a fail since he didn't turn it up all the way. For the rest of the night Jasmine continued her fitful sleep which kept waking us up. At 8:00 we both got up and we felt terrible that Jazzle had had such a bad night. We decided that it would be faster for the car to warm up so instead of starting a fire in the wood stove straightaway we decided to go for breakfast at the nearby inn (it was inexpensive and good!).

By the time we got back we still weren't quite ready to resume work on the floor. The cabin was still very cold and Spencer fired up the stove. Again it took a while to heat up the interior of the main room, so in the meantime we found little things to do which weren't directly related to installing the floor. The rest of the day was spent just getting the floor in. Intermittently we would step back, gauge our progress, and tell ourselves how awesome it was looking.

Completed! Well, almost.

Incidentally, this weekend we decided to count the number of times Spencer hit his head on the overhead lights in the main room. He reached 15. That's right. And every time it happened there was a cute little bell type of chime when the bulb hit the fixture which his head had struck. Ding...

Anyway, by the time we had expended as much sweat as we could (about 87.2%), the room really did look awesome. In fact, a few of the other adjectives we used to describe it were "fantastic," "astonishing," and "unbelievable." Those are all words which (justifiably) expressed our feelings for the difference this new floor makes to not just the appearance, but also our desire to spend time there making additional improvements. The possibilities now really do seem endless.

Thus it was with tremendous satisfaction that as we closed (and locked!) the gate for possibly the last time this season we enjoyed the beginning of Twin Ponds's post-apocalyptic era.

Week 7: Big Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

.: November 13, 2010 :.

Spencer got into the office early Friday morning since he thought it was going to be a busy day. It turned out that the whole morning was a write off due to computer problems. However, none of that really mattered. The first thing Spencer had done was check his voicemail and lo and behold there was a message from the contractor who was installing the new doors and windows. The news was that except for the bedroom window everything was pretty well done.

Gate-a-licious

Spencer had to contain his excitement and hold off calling Sim until he knew she would be up and getting ready for work, but the time finally came and the news made Sim's morning.

So it was that Saturday morning we headed up to Twin Ponds. On the way we stopped at Home Depot (they call it *The* Home Depot, but the use of the definite article just seems wrong) and we bought a shop-vac for future use.

We drove the whole way pondering what the renovations would be like. We'd be able to lock the cabin. We'd be able to open the door without it catching on the floor boards. We'd have light from real windows. And we'd have a real gate.

A locking door, you say?

When we pulled up to the laneway the gate was immediately visible. It completely exceeded our expectations. It was at least as high as we'd wanted and the bars were not only not made out of cheap, light metal, but they were finely welded and polished with a nice finish. Plus there was an unexpected added bonus: each of the two gates had a wheel on it to stabilize its weight and help it open. Bingo!

After admiring the gatework we entered the estate and drove along the lane and just as we turned the corner to catch our first glimpse of the cabin Spencer asked Sim, "Are you ready?"

No more broken window?! Hooray!

Ready indeed! The face of the cabin had been completely revitalized - the new metal door was centered with a shiny new window on each side. Spencer inserted the key, unlocked the door, and listened for the unmistakable sound of a new door opening as we both entered.

It was a moment akin to the one on Week 3 when we opened the cabin to find it completely empty. Inside there was more light in the front room than we'd ever seen! Overall it was an incredibly significant change for the better. It is noteworthy that our contractor impressed us so much by his attitude and by making good on his promise (not only about the work itself, but the timing thereof) that we intend to reward him with immediate payment and more work in the spring!

While comparing the inside of the cabin to how it used to be Sim noticed that the wood stove appeared to have been moved. Not only had it been moved, but it had been completely serviced and repaired. This was another very pleasant surprise because although we had commissioned the work in September, we hadn't heard anything from the chimney contractor for several weeks. The stove is now presumably ready for action and we can hardly wait for the moment that we load it with wood and fire it up! How sweet that will be.

A beautiful stove

We subsequently spent the next couple of hours discussing possibilities for future improvements while wandering around the grounds with the dogs.

This week's trip wasn't really meant to be anything other than a look-see, so after a while of simply enjoying the environment we headed back to Toronto with enthusiasm and optimism about the future of Twin Ponds.

Addendum: On Sunday Spencer went to Twin Ponds alone for the sole purpose of transporting the remaining bundles of laminate flooring, a shelf, and a steel brush broom.

He admired how great the place is coming along and then went home, stopping only to pick up a couple bacon cheeseburgers at McDonald's (which was a bit of a mistake, since he washed them down with Red Bull).

In any event he got home just in time for the Jets-Browns game. Browns lost. Yes!!

Week 6: Blame it on the Rain

Chainsaw time!

Our trip up north on week 6 was like most others: a stop at Burger King for some Croissan'Wiches followed by a casual drive to the cabin. One thing that varied from the norm was that Luke accompanied us. As Twin Ponds is quickly becoming one of our favourite places, being able to share it with family and friends is one of the few things that makes spending time there even better. We were glad to have him along, not only because of his work ethic, but also because, well, he's entertaining.

Upon reaching the end of our familiar, worn drive we all hopped out of the car and got to work.

The first order of business was cutting down what was left of a tree that had perished at some undetermined point in the recent past. It had inconveniently taken root immediately on the other side of the kitchen wall so its early demise was not unwelcome. Spencer and Luke took this opportunity to start a much needed wood pile (which no doubt will come in handy as cooler temperatures arrive). After cutting down the tree initially, they spent the next half hour chopping it up into small pieces. Spencer grinned as he wielded his chainsaw while Luke made quick work of the logs by chopping them into smaller pieces with his trusty axe.  In fact, he actually managed to crack not only the wood, but the rock he was using as a base! Before we knew it a nice pile had formed inside the metal shed that sits beside the cabin.

And, of course, a little axe time

While the guys worked outside Sim decided to assemble a recently purchased coffee table. Although it's certainly too early to start furnishing the cabin (what with the lack of floor, water, and insulation...), we had previously decided that a coffee table would be a welcome early addition to serve as a place to store the various stuff we bring with us each week -- be it bags, snacks, or, most importantly, beer.

With the table completed and wood chopped it was time for a hike. Although it had been raining most of the day, we decided we didn't care. The allure of exploring the unexplored was simply too much. One small problem though: Luke had no rubber boots. His white running shoes were surely the wrong choice for the rainy day we'd faced so far, so we decided to make a quick trip into town to acquire the crucial articles.

One of the many advantages of the cabin's bucolic setting is the distinct lack of traffic. A trip into town always takes the same amount of time regardless of the hour. It's small point of interest for locals (if it's even noticed at all), but for us it's a dream come true.

Forty minutes later the three of us were walking down the main path that leads to the ponds and river. Much to our surprise (and pleasure!) the rain decided to let up for the first time that day. Indeed, the sun even greeted us at one point! The next two hours were spent exploring the various main paths and trying to understand where the property lines are. We never did get an answer to the latter question and therefore decided a survey may be in our near future.

Climbing high... or not

Luke spent our hike exploring various hidden treasures along the path: a huge old tree stump, enjoying some fresh, cold stream water, even making friends with a dragonfly which landed on his shirt (which stayed there for at least 15 minutes to enjoy the trip). At one point we approached the western boundary of the property and came across the tree fort Sim and Spencer had previously seen. Spencer was tempted to remove the ladder, since he was convinced that hunters use it, but elected to leave it be due to an obscure (but discernible) fear of evoking retribution by the locals who had probably lived in the neighbourhood for decades and who had come to consider using it as their inalienable right. We'll figure out how to deal with these issues over time.

Eventually we came across the cute little stream Sim and Spencer had seen on their first exploration through the forest. There it was - trickling crisp, cold, and clear water along the slight grade of the hill. At the point it met the trail it was obvious that someone had installed a culvert to ensure its survival and indeed, the water emerging out of the other end of the ridged pipe continued its flow easily downhill. Unfortunately the soil around the entrance to the culvert had disintegrated and the water was beginning to eddy around it. Luke and Spencer therefore dug a diverting channel so that the excess flow could rejoin the stream below the culvert exit. On the way back to the cabin a little while later we were gratified to see that our method had taken. The Stream was safe.

A new table and some beer

Jasmine, in turn, had a very different experience on the hike. Having consumed some wild mushrooms before any of us could intervene, she spent the journey back teetering between stumbling around as if drunk and experiencing an uncomfortable combination of projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea. Being the tough trooper that she is, though, she refused to lag behind and we encouraged her to drink the water of life from the Stream we'd visited earlier on our little sojourn. She made it back to the cabin under her own power at which point she promptly laid down for the rest of the afternoon.

As we crossed the bridge to return to the cabin Luke decided it was time for a swim. Sure, it was cold out and the water was even colder, but hey, we're here, right? In the interest of doing the experience justice, we've embedded a video of the event below. Check it out - it speaks for itself.  Did we mention it was cold?

A bon fire was next. Even though the wood was wet, Spencer and Luke wasted no time getting the flames going. Before long a fire blazed between Pond Superior and Peanut Pond. Quietly enjoying the heat, sights, and sounds of the fire we watched as fog gradually grew over Pond Superior and deliberately swirled above the surface of the water. A perfect afternoon.

Before too long we found ourselves back in the car heading home. Our traditional A&W stop, during which Luke ate more food than we thought possible, was once again the highlight of an otherwise uneventful ride home.

Week 5: Anticlimactic

This week's visit to Twin Ponds was short since the agenda was fairly simple.

No more tile

We arrived late morning having arranged another meeting with Al the contractor who was bringing a plumbing expert to discuss plumbing options. He was also bringing his son who does metalworking.

Since we arrived a little early Spencer spent some time fixing the chainsaw. We also had time to remove the worn vinyl floor tiles from the front room and unload the laminate flooring we had brought with us to store in the cabin. It will stay there until we're ready to re-floor the floor (which at this point is looking like a spring project). The new floor is something we're particularly excited about.

Health food

The sky had been overcast all morning and as the day wore on it threatened to open up at any second. Luckily it held off long enough for Al and company to show up and talk business. Al's son had some ideas for the gate we envisioned and the plumber had a few suggestions for getting running water into the cabin, even if only as a temporary measure until we knew precisely what we'd need in the long run. In addition we added some work to Al's load by asking him to replace the window in the bedroom when he does the door and front windows.

Anyway our meeting did not take very long. After they left it started to rain so we didn't do much other than feed the fish a breakfast burrito from McDonald's (we'd forgotten to bring anything else to give them).

By early afternoon Spencer was feeling increasingly sick so we headed home. It was a difficult trip due to his deteriorating health, but we finally made it and took it easy for the rest of the weekend.

Week 4: A Helping Hand

The weather this week was variable and by that we mean cloudy, threatening, unpleasant, et cetera. Nonetheless Spencer had been in touch with a few contacts given to us by our real estate broker. The purpose: serious renovations.

When we met with Peter he told us of how vandals had been at work at Twin Ponds in the previous season. Evidence of their malfeasance was abundant that first trip we took their and lingering traces of the handiwork remain still. The most pronounced damage is that the front door is split from top to bottom and barely closes and the front windows are all broken (and now boarded up).

So it was that we decided that some remediation was in order not only to restore Twin Ponds to its previous glory but also to discourage and, to the extent possible, prevent further intrusion. To that end we developed some preliminary ideas.

In the weeks before this week's visit we made arrangements with one of a few contacts given to us by Ed the Broker. It took several hit-and-miss calls to finally get in touch with someone. Finally, though, one of the contacts called back and after some discussion with him about the nature of the problems that had been had, it was clear that he was the guy.

Our not-yet-usable wood stove

We therefore made plans with him to meet him at 11:30 a.m. (relieving the pressure to be there earlier than we might have wanted to be given the weather). We actually arrived at around 10 and puttered around for a bit. Al arrived as scheduled and we were impressed by his punctuality.

After speaking with him for a few minutes it became abundantly clear that Al is not just your run of the mill handyman. He's an actual contractor. Plus he's a really nice, down to earth kind of guy. Plus he's knowledgeable and he seems to know everyone who he needs to know to get any type of home improvement done.

This was the plan we developed with Al during this week's visit:

1. New front door: It has to be metal to prevent the type of damage to which a wood door is susceptible. The door we're getting will be internally reinforced.

2. New front windows: A necessity given the state of the current ones. But the wrinkle is that we've decided on a whole new plan for the face of the cabin.

3. New Cabin Face: Al is going to reconstruct the face of the cabin by moving the door to the center and installing windows on either side of the door. Although this will involve ripping out what's there, we see it as a true improvement on the aesthetic plan, both internal and external. We're crossing our fingers that it will turn out to be a good decision.

4. New Front Bedroom Window: We want light and fresh air in the bedroom to avoid it becoming too stuffy, so we're getting an entirely new sliding window. Another aesthetic and function improvement.

5. Metal Driveway Gate: Al's son does welding and metalworking so Al told us he'd put us in touch to discuss options. This is actually a quite important part of our plan, because we feel that having a large, imposing, and properly locked gate will discourage potential bandits from trespassing. Neighbours notice things out there and if someone parks their vehicle at the side of the road to trudge into the property on foot, that's fairly conspicuous. Sure, interlopers can always find ways onto the grounds, but we are not going to make their job easy by having merely a chain in their way.

At the conclusion of our visit with Al he promised to get us a quote, which he subsequently did. We both speculated on the price, which as luck would have it was quite reasonable.

After Al left we turned out attention to getting a small refrigerator. We were considering a bar fridge kind of thing. The problem was that we didn't know who in the area sold appliances. We went to a Home Hardware (who didn't have any), but who recommended a local, family-owned vendor nearby.

The vendor ("Mr. M") was a very nice and old-fashioned appliance salesman. When we told him what we sought he showed us a unit which was what we first thought was just what we'd wanted. However, after thinking about it further we decided to get a proper upright fridge (albeit small). It's actually best to think of it as a bar fridge with a freezer connected on top. It was cute how Mr. M pointed out, in a quaint anachronistic way that, "the unit even comes with ice cube trays." Overall our experience there was delightful, particularly because (unlike in the big city) they delivered. Free of charge and when we needed/wanted them to be there (which was, oh, about 45 minutes later). It was incredible. We actually stared at each other momentarily in disbelief.

The reason it was 45 minutes later rather than 30 minutes was because we wanted to go into town (i.e., the town near Twin Ponds) to check a few things out. By the time we got back to the cabin we were not waiting long before Big M and an associate arrived bearing said fridge. They offloaded it, carried it into the kitchen, and installed it. And voilá - we had a brand spanking new fridge!

Fish and chips!

As a bit of a digression we point out that one of the side benefits to this little foray was that Mr. M's associate figured out how to turn the lights on in the kitchen. Another voilá to be sure, since we thought we had to get an electrician in!

After a few minutes of polite chit-chat they departed (and it completely eluded us that we should tip them, d'oh!!). Who's Alex now?

After they left we did this and that.

Eventually we decided to grab supper in town so we headed out. During our earlier reconnaissance of the town we'd noticed a fish 'n' chips joint so we went there to check it out. At some point on our we couldn't help but notice that Jazzle decidedly stank and that we as co-occupants of the vehicle were forced to enjoy her odeur. Looking at her it became clear that she'd rolled around in some animal's crap (maybe her own, for all we knew). Regrettably we had no way of dealing with it right then. Luckily it didn't completely ruin our appetites.

At the fish 'n' chips joint Sim ordered a single fish dinner while Spencer ordered a double. His order turned out to be a slight miscalculation since each single was fairly large. But it was exceeding tasty and certainly hit the spot after the excitement we'd had.

After supper we went back to the cabin to hang around for a while. We did some cleaning (including cleaning Jasmine), cut wood, and even had a bit of a fire in the evening. Regrettably, though, the weather wasn't that great and although we'd brought sleeping gear with us, it was cold and raining so we decided to head back to T.O.

Week 3, Day 2: Sunrise

Morning fog

We woke up fairly early on Sunday morning. The air was cold. We had both slept somewhat fitfully; the ground was harder than our sleeping bags were soft and neither of us was used to the spartan padding. Spencer hadn't really suffered from the crisp temperature, but Sim's feet and toes were cold which made sleeping for her difficult.

Spencer arose before Sim and went to the ponds to prepare the morning fire. Sim joined him shortly thereafter and they enjoyed the warmth of the fledgling fire while watching the mist over the water under the morning sky, whose sun hadn't risen over the ridge to the west of Pond Superior yet. A little while later Luke joined them after having a less than comforting sleep himself. Although he typically has an unusually high metabolism and body heat, the cold dampness of the night seized on him unexpectedly. Perhaps he should have slept with more than just a single sheet...

We all enjoyed the morning and after a while went back to Tim Horton's for breakfast.

Our very own Dr. Doolittle

Returning to the estate we had no specific agenda. Instead we attended to one thing or another as our mood saw fit, including more sanding and staining and general cleaning around the cabin. Luke and Spencer spent more time in the river under the warm sky playing with the fish and other marine life.

Over the course of the day, and in fact the whole weekend, Luke had been busy channeling Dr. Doolittle. That is to say that he was at one with the animal kingdom. In short, he had befriended four fishes, two crayfish, one baby monarch butterfly, a little frog, and a snake. Quite impressive actually!

By late afternoon we were all pretty much done so we decided to pack it up once again and head out. It should be noted here that on our way home we stopped at A&W to enjoy their epicurean delights. One of many stops there to be sure - it's quickly becoming a family favourite.

Another satisfying stay under our belts. Twin Ponds was slowly changing a posse ad esse.

Week 3, Day 1: First Visitors

The distance between our condo and Twin Ponds from driveway to driveway is about 180 kms. The trip typically takes approximately two and a half hours. So far every trip has been with anticipation as to what experiences that day will bring.

Week 3 was particularly remarkable because it was the first day we invited guests to Twin Ponds to share with them the beauty of the environment there.

And then there was light

Luke drove up with us and Jasmine. It was a bright shiny morning as we arrived in the clearing before the cabin and it was obvious immediately after getting out of the car how much Luke liked the place.

Of course the first thing we did was open the front door - we had already expected the place to be clean, but the question was "how clean?" We were not disappointed. In fact, the removal of Peter's belongings had been done so thoroughly that we experienced an unexpected sense of elation. We first checked out each space in the cabin, then went outside and scanned the area around it, and then opened the metal and wood sheds. Everything was gone and we were delighted. Moreover, there was electricity! We had light in the living room and power in the outside outlet. It almost felt like day one - the first day we would be able to make some real progress. We wanted to waste no time doing so, but first we gave Luke a tour of the estate. Then we discussed the need for a few supplies from town, including a shovel and a rake.

This posed a bit of a problem since we were expecting Julie and we did not want her to arrive with no one home. Sim agreed to remain, so Spencer and Luke popped into town and procured what they needed. By the time they got back Sim had already had a bit of a freaky incident (she heard manic laughing emanating from the forest behind the cabin) and Julie hadn't arrived yet.

Building bridges

So we got to work. The small area to the left of the cabin was encompassed with overgrowth and had to be cleared, but it wasn't anyone's specific task to do it. At one point Sim was making preparations for sanding the adirondack chairs and Spencer was doing something else and when they turned to look to their surprise they saw that Luke had cleared the overgrowth. There was a nice little area next to the cabin that could be used for a variety of things (we are thinking of laying stone there and using it as a barbecue pad or something). To give the little area some definition Luke and Spencer pulled some large rocks out of the surrounding ground and lined them up neatly giving it a nice little boundary.

Over the next little while you could find us either relaxing on the deck or taking turns with the sander. After a bit we heard a car coming along the lane towards the cabin and Julie arrived. As we'd done with Luke, we showed her the highlights of the property and then just hung out for a while. After a while Luke and Spencer took the chainsaw to the trail beyond the river to build a couple of makeshift "bridges" over particularly boggy parts of the path. Meanwhile Julie and Sim worked on sanding the adirondack chairs.

After the hot and sweaty work of cutting down (already dead) trees and building bridges Luke decided to brave the frigid waters of the river. He stripped down and jumped into the water with much exclamation!

A little elbow grease

The chairs were of special interest because despite their apparently rundown condition they worth worth salvaging. To replace them would be expensive (and unnecessary, if some time and energy were invested in them). Thanks to Luke and particularly Julie (who relentlessly endured the vagaries of the dust), we managed to sand and stain three of the six over the course of the weekend. Not too shabby at all.

By early evening we were getting hungry and Julie had to leave. So by car we all headed out and when we reached the main highway Julie headed south towards Toronto and we headed north towards town. We ended up having supper at Tim Horton's, which we note from all our trips there seems to consistently be the most popular spot in town.

Unfortunately Sim wasn't feeling well, so when we got back to the cabin she rested for a while. It is appropriate to mention at this juncture that this was the first weekend we were spending overnight. The cabin hadn't yet been fully cleaned, so the plan was for Luke to sleep in the bedroom and for us to spend the night in sleeping bags inside our new tent (which Julie and Luke had graciously helped erect earlier that day). Thus, Sim went to the tent, snuggled into one of the sleeping bags, and tried to get some rest.

On duty

As dusk fell Luke and Spencer busied themselves with this and that and then sat on the deck and chatted about possible plans for the cabin and the property. Meanwhile Jasmine was meandering about as she is wont to do. Then Luke and Spencer heard a sound in the forest which seemed to come from just a few yards past the tent. It was as if a hush suddenly blanketed Twin Ponds. Jasmine stopped in her tracks and stared intently, ears up, in the direction of the sound. Something was there and it was not just a bird. We heard the sound of movement again. From Jasmine's unflinching attention it was sure that mere meters away there was some kind of animal which we could not see.

Jasmine then started circling around the tent where Sim was sleeping. Every few feet she would stop and mark the spot thereby fashioning a sort of territorial, protective boundary around the tent. It was very remarkable to see such a domesticated creature return to her animalistic instincts. It was also incredibly touching to see that kind of loyalty in a pet. There is no doubt that if whatever was in the woods had emerged as a threat, Jasmine would have defended us with her life. We never did find out what it was. Probably better that way.

First moon

About an hour later Luke and Spencer decided to prepare what would be the first campfire and after Sim had arisen from her recuperative nap we ceremoniously lit that puppy up. It should be noted that we aren't predisposed to building campfires boy scout style. What's the point of starting with little kindling and nurturing a fire into a blazing conflagration over the course of say, 45 minutes to an hour, when all you really need is some relatively dry pieces of wood of varying sizes, a lighter, and a container of gasoline. Need we say more?

That first campfire was a tremendous success. We had a fresh bag of marshmallows, the night was clear and beautiful, and the moon shone brightly over Pond Superior. As the hour became late and the fire died we ultimately retired to our respective sleeping arrangements and enjoyed falling asleep to the sounds of nature and the cool, crisp air.

Week 2: The Journey of 1000 Miles

Our driveway

Although we certainly cannot be considered advocates of communism, we have to admit that Mao was right: the longest journey does begin with one step. It then continues with many more.

On our second trip to Twin Ponds we had already arranged to meet with its former owner - a gentleman named Peter. We had been notified the week after closing that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was starting chemo treatments. Accordingly, we had decided to say nothing about his belongings still being in the cabin and elsewhere on the property until we knew exactly what was going to happen. Given his condition, it's particularly extraordinary that he took the time to pay us a visit.

A slight digression is necessary here. On our way up north on Saturday morning we stopped at the Home Depot in Guelph and sought out a few tools and other items, not the least of which was a power sander which we wanted for the adirondack chairs since they really needed to be spruced up (they're made out of pine). More on the sanding later.

We were also shopping for a chainsaw and chainsaw accessories. This was no small event. Spencer had made it known to Sim that for as long as he could remember he'd always wanted a reason to have a chainsaw. So, knowing we intended to buy one (we'd previously seen some at Canadian Tire but had decided to wait) Sim had done sufficient consumer research to help us decide on the make and model. Luckily for us Home Depot had our target model in stock and we took no time in pulling the last one they had out from under a shelf (and it is noteworthy that to get it we had to cut across a store-long line of people waiting, all of whom were purchasing toilets on special for $39 - never seen anything like it).

Now some of you who know Spencer are probably saying to yourselves, "Spencer and a chainsaw. Not a great combination." All we can say is we'll see. We'll see.

So what has that got to do with Peter? Well, Spencer was busily trying to assemble the chainsaw (remember, it was his first, so he was being gentle/careful) when Peter and his companion Carol arrived. Sim was at the ponds at that moment so Spencer left his task to go greet them and called Sim over. Peter excused himself for not being able to speak very well due to his cancer, but he needn't have bothered. He was kind and polite and we were eagerly awaiting the morsels of background on Twin Ponds without any concern about the quality of his voice, so long as we could understand him.

Out standing in his field

Peter was a sweetheart. It quickly became clear from talking with him that he loved Twin Ponds (which, in case it isn't clear, is the moniker we chose) and the surroundings. He had plenty of tidbits of advice for us as well. The most interesting was his austere warning to always remember that although we might be owners in the community, we "would never be one of them."

He told us about the various wildlife on the property and that we could expect to see wild turkeys, coyotes, bears, white-tailed deer, beavers, muskrats, grouse, and especially rabbits. We learned of the conservation plan affecting the property and that it was actually good for the forest to cut down trees intermittently. Also, in Field of Dreams fashion Carol imparted to Sim some advice about tending the fish: if you feed them, they will come.

One thing which dismayed us was the vandalism that Peter described. He showed us how vandals had broken some of the front window panes and had kicked in (and split) the front door. Hunters had also shot holes in his paddle boat. We thus decided that we would take measures to minimize such wanton destruction - a subject on which we will have some discourse in due course.

Be that as it may, it was a very pleasant visit. Peter promised to have his forces remove his decades of collected miscellany, except of course the bed and the adirondack chairs. There were some parting pleasantries, among which was Peter's kind words of gratitude for buying the property "for the right reasons." He and Carol had disclosed how they had had many family activities at Twin Ponds and wished us many happy memories too. They drove away slowly down the lane, almost as if they were asking themselves whether this would be the last time they would see the place, and then were gone.

Sim had intended to work on the sanding, but alas there was no electricity (more on that in another post perhaps), so her plans were foiled. Meanwhile Spencer returned to his chainsaw. Seeing as how he had assembled it just prior to Peter and Carol's arrival, the only thing left to be done was to fill it with 2-stroke gas/oil mix, don protective eyewear and earmuffs and let 'er rip, which is exactly what he did.

Once again, for those of you who know Spencer, you're probably asking yourselves (and if you're not, you should be), "What can go wrong?" To most of you the answer would seem obvious: he's going to maim himself or cut off his {insert name of body part here}. Well, nothing quite that dramatic happened. Instead, while triumphantly wielding the chainsaw in true "watch me conquer the world" fashion for Sim to see...

...the chain fell off...

and Spencer was standing there holding a chainless chainsaw against a dead tree limb watching it bounce back and forth as uselessly as a screen door on a submarine.

Thinking about sanding while watching the chainsaw show

After assessing the problem and determining its cause it became clear that the chainguard had not been properly secured. You see, that was what Spencer had been in the process of doing when Peter and Carol had arrived. And that was what Spencer had forgotten he'd been doing by the time Peter and Carol left.

Several minutes later (after having successfully become intimate friends with the forest floor while scouring it for a missing bolt), the chain was back on and ready for action. Spencer once again wields the chainsaw, brings it down against the tree limb, and desperately holds on to the chainsaw when it bounces off. Again.

In his frustration Spencer had installed the chain assembly upside down, which meant that the chain was backwards and was once again as useful as a bandaid on a corpse. Luckily, the situation was remedied quickly and after only a few more minutes there were copious amounts of sweat, cut lumber, and sawdust everywhere. How glorious it was (finally)!

No doubt much more could be said (including how Spencer ignored Sim's advice about what to do with the tree clippings and then paid the price), but you probably get the picture.

After watching the fish for a while and (Spencer) taking a quick dip in the river to clean off the sawdust and sweat, we packed up our stuff and, feeling rather accomplished, headed back to the Big Smoke for yet another week. We shouldn't fail to mention, however, that on the way back to the cabin from the river we stopped to see the fish in Pond Superior. It was then that Spencer suffered his injury. Walking towards the pond he jammed his right shin into a tree root sticking out of the ground. Congratulations - you can wield a chainsaw but you can't walk. Time to go home.

Take that, Mao. Two steps forward, and only one step back. Ha!

Week 1: Intimidation

You know how sometimes when you have a big project at work you look at it and feel like you don't know where to start?

We went to Twin Ponds the day after closing, prior to which we'd come to an agreement with the former owner that he would make sure all his stuff was removed (with a few specific exceptions). This was no small issue for us - when we saw the place on day 1 it looked like the owner was a bit of a collector. There were all kinds of things in each and every corner of not only the cabin, but the yard, the metal shed, and the wood shed. The stuff was mostly ancient and dustbound, although it could be said that it was transgenerational (read: originating from various times between the Korean war era and today). Perhaps what was so imposing was the quantity. Very overwhelming.

So it was with a slight amount of trepidation that we opened the front door of the cabin that first day after closing, not knowing whether the place would truly be ours or whether there would be lingering traces of previous occupation and ownership. And there it was. Almost exactly the same as it had been when we first saw it.

The thing is that while we harbored no ill-will for this regrettable turn of events (after all, the seller was very patient with us and even agreed to close with a week's notice once we finally secured funding), we did not feel like Twin Ponds truly was ours. Instead there was some unspecific discomfiture. Part of it was doubtlessly related to the fact that while the other guy's stuff was still there we couldn't make any progress. We were in neutral with no stickshift.

It wasn't a complete wash though. We had a couple of minor but remarkable experiences that first day.

First, on our way to the cabin we stopped at Canadian Tire for some supplies, the most important of which were the rubber boots, the hatchet, and the axe.

Second, to quell our curiosity about the property we went exploring. It was a great little outing: in our rubber boots we started out by following what seemed more or less to be a path and on our return kinda got lost. There were a few moments there where it was touch and go, but we had a general idea about our geography and, being two relatively intelligent people (ha!), we figured it out before dark set in. Jasmine wasn't lost at any point - she just put up with us and rolled her eyes. Spencer had fun with his hatchet, even though he tried cutting a branch off a tree lying on the ground and the blade of the hatchet struck a rock instead.

Having crossed the bridge over the river we headed back to the cabin. To our delight Sim noticed fish in Pond Superior. And they looked like koi! Both ponds have them and in good numbers. What a bonus.

Thus, our first visit to our cabin was a little short-lived. Having nothing more to really do, we went back to Toronto.

In the Face of Adversity

So within an hour of seeing Twin Ponds for the first time we were in Ed's office making an offer to purchase the property. Little did we know that the certainty we had about this acquisition would in short order become anxiety thanks to the unreliability of a certain financial institution which shall remain nameless (we're looking at you, ING) and other factors beyond our control.

Luckily for us the stars were properly aligned and everything that we needed to fall into place for the financial arrangements to work out did indeed come together. It took a little longer than expected, however. We had to delay our closing for over a month and, to our chagrin, had to agree to let the seller sell it to someone else if the seller found another buyer in the meantime.

Fortunately that didn't happen. Our arrangements came together and then faster than you could shake a stick, Twin Ponds was ours.

Birth of an Adventure

It started with the seed of an idea and grew into a big reality. One hundred (that's right - 100!) acres of reality. To put it into perspective that is equal to 100 football fields. Just thinking about that now is a bit mind boggling. What the hell are we going to do with that much land?

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's go back to the real beginning.

Last spring Sim was serving as a bridesmaid for a friend's wedding. One of the pre-nuptial celebratory events was a weekend bachelorette held in a rural setting, which corresponded to the "cowboy/cowgirl" theme the other bridesmaids had thought up. Sim was so impressed by the peaceful environment that when the weekend was over she decided to delve into the properties in the area that were available.

Sim found a number of promising prospects, but only one really stood out as a great looking place with great value for the money. Plus it had twin ponds and a river. So she showed it to Spencer and it was an immediate hit.

By the following weekend we had already arranged for a broker, Ed, to show us the place. He was very nice and in fact agreed to take time out of his Father's Day to do so. So we got up early that morning and drove north to see what this place was really like.

We had arranged to meet Ed at a place called the Varney Inn. We arrived a little early so we hung out and let Jasmine run around while we waited for Ed to show up. Once he did, we were on our way. In just a few minutes we turned off the main highway onto a gravelly and bumpy local road in keen anticipation of seeing what could possibly be our first cottage property.

Upon our arrival we drove slowly down a long, tree-covered lane which brought us into the heart of the property. We stopped and just to our right in a small clearing in the impressive forest stood the A-frame cabin, beckoning us to come, take a look, and fall in love.

And fall in love we did.