Wow... a whole lot has been accomplished....

 Annnnnd... the work on the ceiling continues and it looks amazing.  This blog edition notes changes taking place over six days....  Here goes....

First, the plastic has to go up and the insulation has to be topped off before more tongue and groove is put into place - county rules...

And, then the planks go up... This picture shows the different colours in the individual planks... some look yellow and others have the blue or red streaks and others just have knots.... re:  Notty pine! - or maybe it's "Naughty pine".  You never know what those planks are doing when we're not there...

Here's another shot from a different angle.

The guys got the planks almost to the ridge beam and framed in the wood burning stove pipes.  It looks fabulous!

Here's another picture from down below.

This shot is in the loft.  Jim had wanted to finish off the one side of the ceiling in the loft this trip, but, had too much to do.  Next time he'll get there.

This is a close up of putting up the pine in the loft.  How do I know this is the loft.... from the light fixture.  Giggle.

...more ceiling pictures.

Here's a close up of the work done around the stove pipe... Jim does amazing, meticulous work... 

This is the main level bathroom.  This is the experiment we had going on with a roller.  I like the effect.  I had asked Jim to paint it a light brown colour and when he sent me a picture, I hated it.  It just didn't work.  So, he repainted it in white and I like it a lot more.  I am considering painting it again in an off white, but, it's still up for discussion.

I had purchased a couple of these Mexican sun/moon yard art pieces a few weeks back, and one of them broke when I got home... It was unfixable, so we pitched it.  I contacted the seller to purchase one more, and ended up with three... She had a friend's husband load them into the back of my car, and I was blabbing to the friend while they were being loaded...  We said our goodbyes and I walked to the side of the house to leave, and realized they had loaded a large chiminea into my car also.  So, I called the lady I bought the sun pieces from and told her... and, she said that she told her friend to take one of her chimineas and put it in my car because I was so nice and so polite and friendly, she wanted me to have a chiminea at my cabin... Um...Ok... We already have one chiminea at the cabin, but I'll figure it out.  The biggest problem was telling Jim what happened...And, it's not like I would hide it for a while - the thing is huge and there is no way I could pick it up by myself... So, I decided to just come clean and tell Jim... he actually wasn't upset - he kind of likes the one at the cabin - so, now, it has a friend... So, I was feeling better about the situation.  It was a Saturday evening and I get a call from Ben, who helps Jim building.  He said he was sending his son and his son in law over to our house to help take the chiminea out of the back of my car... I was like... WHAT?  They live in Eagle Mountain and Cedar Hills respectively. We pretty much are on our own here in Provo, and I had already taken a couple of quilts out of the house and packed them around the base of the chiminea because it was moving all over the place in the back of the car.  About 30 minutes later, these two amazing guys showed up, and they got the two pieces out of my car and put them next to the house... How amazing is that? I couldn't appreciate it more - such kindness starting with Ben and ending with his son and his son in law.  

Something about these I really like... I don't know why.. I just do.  Jim told me that between the two chimineas and the sun/moon art, we should start calling the cabin... Casa Manzanita.  I kinda like it... Giggle.

My friend from Toronto, Lori, gave us a "cabin warming" gift.  She thought this mirror would go perfectly in our cabin and I agree.  It's rustic and charming, and I love it.  Such a thoughtful friend, and a perfect gift.  Not quite sure where it's going to go right now - when you have a home full of scaffolding, placement of a mirror is not one of the immediate choices.  But, I'm seriously thinking about it.  I'll let you know.  Thank you to Lori!

... very rustic... very beautiful.

We bought a window well covers for the back of the cabin.  I am so afraid that some day we are going to have a deer, or a snake or some creature fall into the window well and die because they can't get out.  So, here ya go.... protection from baby deers!  When I lived on the south bench of Provo, we had snakes get into the window wells... so, I know it can happen!

And, we've been having anonymous people making themselves known around our cabin when we aren't there.  We have seen a few things go missing, but it's not the "stuff" and disappears, it's the people peeking through the windows that bothers me.  So, along with the film that I put on the front door last visit, Jim put this film on the kitchen window this visit.  I think this will stop the peeking in the windows.... at least a little bit.

And, we have been having problems with our security system at the front of the house - the lights wouldn't go on.  Jim, at first, thought it was light bulbs that were burned out.  He went over to replace the bulbs and found they are just but, but some "nice" person, smashed the sensor between the two lights.  I guess they didn't like the fact that we wanted the property protected...  nuff said.

I didn't want the antlers to put over the mantle... I wanted these antlers as a centerpiece for the large table in the dining room.  This is kind of what I was thinking about...  I put the glass bowl over top the antlers and I love the look.  Different, but nice.  The table seats 12 people, so I needed something large to take up some space and I think these antlers fit the bill.,  We are going to sand them down and put a finish on them to make them look pretty... but, that's in the future.

I have two maple trees that I have been growing since last fall... they lost all their leaves by December, but this small tree is feeling the spring love and has decided to sprout leaves.  Gives me hope for the future.  The other tree, is tall and lanky... and, he's just thinking about leaves at this point.  (We had to bring the plants in the house because we had a cold snap with below freezing temperatures...  sigh... no snow, but below freezing...)

And, Jim bought a what we farm kids used to call a "cow catcher" for the front of his Silverado.  We've been going to the cabin for 10+ years now, and not once have we hit a deer... Lots of other people have hit deer, but we have luckily been exempt.. I am afraid the window is closing.  There are always dead deer on the road, or deer jumping across the road just waiting to be hit.  So, he bought a "deer catcher" to protect us.  He's already built the mounts for this installation and it will be totally ready this week.

And, all work and no play makes the two of us very sad.. so... I took Jim to a candlelight concert featuring the music of the Beatles.  We went to see a performance of Louis Armstrong a couple of months ago, so this one sounded interesting... I think I was more impressed with the building than the four musicians, but it was a nice night out.  The building, however, is impressive.  It was built in 1903 for the Salt Lake Ladies Literacy Club.  This was a club that would write poetry and read books of all sorts - not just fiction.  It was their way of educating themselves in a time when women we were not allowed in universities.  It's in the heart for downtown Salt Lake and is such an impressive building.  There are stained glass windows all through this place and we were told that the gentleman who designed the windows apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright.  The club was the oldest women's club west of the Mississippi and it was know to be for the literary elite and also for women who were "learners"...  

With that, this edition is complete - the adventure continues....

Love, Jim and Cheri

Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning. Bruce Lee

New edition

 A new week has started along with new adventures... Let's start out small...  I found this bookend in my travels, and even though it is a little on the old side of life, I love the simplicity and beauty.... and, I still love mooses!! 

We're still downsizing at the house in Provo, and I keep coming across my moose dinnerware... I've packed what I've found so far, and sent it to the cabin with Jim.  He unpacked it and we discovered, we now have 30 sets of dinner plates/bowls and cups...  Giggle... I told Jim that I thought he should maybe secure the cupboard a little bit more before the weight of all the dishes make is come crashing down...

And, Jim christened the dishes by having a bowl of clam chowder - one of his favourites!  This clam chowder came from Market Street Grill in Salt Lake... I don't even attempt to rival this one... it's wonderful.

And, the work on the ceiling continues and you can really start to see all the different colours of the pine.  Jim found out that the blue pine comes only from Idaho and Montana.  He tells me that there are pine boards with the blue streaks, but also red streaks and green streaks.. I did not know this.

Brea's birthday is coming up and she wanted to go to a concert in Seattle - bbno$... uhuh.. I don't even know how to pronounce this one and didn't have a clue who the performer was... I had to google this one... This is a Canadian rapper apparently... But, they jumped on a plane in Anchorage and flew for one day to Seattle!  Apparently, they had a blast!  Happy Birthday sweet Brea! 

After working last week on the ceiling, they were running out of finished wood. So, one evening, Jim got more wood ready to start all over again... Here's the different colours of pine wood that he is using.  I love it.

I love the different colours and all the knots!

These pieces don't have much colour, but are just as beautiful.

Some of those knots are really big....  

The pieces in the middle with the darker colours are considered the blue.

And, you can see a streak of red in the plank to the left.

And, up it goes.  I use these pictures as a reference point.  In this picture, they are putting up the plastic near the stovepipe.

Here's we're showing off a little more colour.

And, we found out that Home Depot will deliver to the cabin.  We don't have USPS mail service here - we have a PO box in Hatch, and Fed Ex will only deliver to certain parts of the subdivision... BUT, Home Depot will deliver to the front door.  Jim saw a UPS truck up on the mountain, so we decided to try Home Depot and they delivered no problem!  They charge a delivery fee, but, the closest Home Depot is Cedar City which is about 1.5 hours away. So, we gave them a little test, and they passed!

When Jim goes to the cabin, he usually buys supplies in Panguitch, but I find the store is super expensive and at times, the freshness of the produce is questionable. So, this time, I got up early in the morning, and went shopping and packed everything in a cooler.  He cooked his own breakfast and I was absolutely thrilled with his choices!  Good Job, Jim!  (Ham and egg omelette, bacon, strawberries and wheat bread and marmalade.)

And, when I was at the cabin last, I painted my gourds with a finish that was supposed to protect them... Well, apparently, I didn't read the can and it said to paint the stuff on... leave it overnight, and then wipe it down and put a varnish finish on it... They sat for a couple of weeks, and when Jim went back to the cabin, he said the finish was still wet... Well, it's an oil finish....  uhuh... my bad.  So, he wiped them down and put the varithane on them...  just a little booboo...

And, we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary this past week... It's been quite the trip and the adventure of a lifetime... the adventure still continues...  I was reading a little blurb this past week, and is said to marry a man that has tools...  Well, I married an amazing man with tools and skills and imagination plus! And, he's a dreamer... sometimes he's caused nightmares for me, but I really don't think I would change anything...ok, let's leave it at.. not much.. (I love people who dream, and Jim is definitely one of my favourites....) ... Here's to the next 19... 

(ps - I was thinking about things that were my absolute favourites at our wedding....  the first that came to mind was the morning of the wedding - my brother Eldon and I were making a side dish for the reception.  We made country style ribs with peach and strawberry preserves and garlic - they were amazing.  Everybody wanted the recipe. The dish was snapped up quickly, and the only person that didn't get a taste was... Jim.  Poor thing.  Next, I was thrilled that 3 of my brothers and their families came.  It was amazing.  I made little gift bags for all the kids filled with treats to eat and crayons and a few little toys... just to keep them occupied... the favourite part of the bag was the little rubber duckies.  Giggle. Also, my bestest friend, Lynn and her husband came - an amazing treat for me... one memorable moment... The Bishop who performed the ceremony was reasonably long winded... actually, his comments went on and on and on to the point, I kicked off my shoes.  He asked me if he was taking too long. and I was honest and said "yes".  He then went through 3 - 4 pages and cut to the chase and pronounced us husband and wife.  Saying "yes" was the best choice in my life.  Jim is amazing.)

Destiny is when you meet someone you weren't looking for, only to realize you've never wanted anything more.

With that, this edition is officially closed.  The adventure continues.

Love, Jim and Cheri

Beautiful weather... NO SNOW!

It's been such crazy weather this year... Usually, we can't get into the cabin until the end of May - and then, it's really super cold... But, this year, we have had very, very little snow, and we have had days that the furnace has been off... interesting story... Before we drive to the cabin, we always call our neighbour Ben and ask him to turn the heat up so it's not so chilly in the cabin when we get there.  We did this with the most recent visit.  When we got there, the temperature inside was in the low 60's.  Jim went downstairs to check the furnace - he said it tries to start and then shuts off. We waited until the next morning to call Garkane Propane.  The first thing they said was to check the tank and let them know how much propane was left.  Jim checks it, and for the first time in years, we were completely at zero!  We have a 500 gallon tank!  When the tank was being installed, we asked for a 1000 gallon tank, but they didn't have one and the last time our tank was filled was last September!  I always make sure we have money on our account, because we never know when they are going to show up - but, the company made a quick trip up the mountain, and, $1200.00 later, the tank was filled. We asked for a larger tank, and they said they would get our tank switched out.  Empty tank - it was a milestone.

I am always looking for interesting things for the cabin, and I have been looking for an antique chiminea for years.  I finally found one!  If you don't know what a chiminea is, here's a description:

A (British English: chimenea)[1] or chiminea (US English)[2] (/ˌtʃɪmɪˈneɪ.ə/ CHIM-in-AY-ə; from Spanish chimenea [tʃimeˈnea], in turn derived from French cheminée, "chimney") is a freestanding front-loading fireplace or oven with a bulbous body and usually a vertical smoke vent or chimney.

I wanted a terra cotta chimenea because of all the red earth around the cabin.  We have the antique brick around the jacuzzi, and I think this with the lizards around it, is perfect.  I don't know if we are going to use it as a heat source, but it looks really cool...  When I told Jim that I had bought for the cabin, he had his "what the hell did you buy now" look, complete with the pursed lips and tense jaw... But, when he saw it, he agreed that it was pretty cool looking.  When I bought it, I got the top part out of the car, but had to get the neighbours to get it from the car to the carport.... it's super heavy.  Jim is now a fan... and, I think he still loves me. 

Brea played her final hockey game of the season... although they didn't win the tournament, but played really well, and we are proud of their game.  It is live streamed, and of course, we had to watch it.  Brea is a solid little player... she's also the smallest player... with the biggest heart!  She earned the A on her uniform.

We, rather I, decided to change the wall covering in the main floor bedroom.  It originally was just going to be painted, but I liked this look, so the change was made.  Poor Jim - it takes a little convincing, but, I am always glad he is open to change.  I love this look.  This is not our place, just an example of what it's going to look like.  We are going to pain the wall a chocolate brown behind the oak slats.

And, this is the product all ready for installation.

And, this is preparing the wall.  My job this past week, was to mud over all the nail holes before painting it.  My question is:  If planks for the floor is called "flooring", why aren't planks for the walls called, "walling"?  I asked this question of Jim, and he just kind of looked at me.  I think I still had the after effects of anesthetic.

Jim had me on limited work projects - I had a little surgery on Thursday, and it kind of took me out of the game for a couple of days.  I do not bounce back from general anesthetic, so while the guys were working, I was sleeping.  Feeling a whole lot better this week.  

And, I found some more glass chickens... This is another one of those moments that Jim just shakes his head and doesn't say anything..  Giggle.

Poor Jim... sometimes, the hard work gets to him and he just has to sit down and take a rest.  I know the feeling.

The work on the tongue and groove ceiling in the great room continues...  The guys ran out of finished wood to install, so they had to set up the system on the deck and start plaining, (I think I spelled that wrong) and cutting and varnishing.  This is the first step in the process....

.. it's a two man job...

And, here's more of the installation... it's looking amazing.

And, here's Jim showing off a piece of "blue" pine.  I love the different colours of the planks and the knots here and there are great!

Ben usually stayed up on the scaffolding, he tells Jim the length of the individual pieces that are needed, Jim goes outside, cuts the piece and then hands it off to Ben who tacks it into place.

Soooo pretty!

Here's a different angle.

While they are doing actual work, I am doing "nonsense" work. (Jim read this paragraph and told me he didn't like that I called my work "nonsense".  He says I should change it to meaningful and told me that what I do is, as he says, "a representation of what is to come".  He says what I do gives him a view into the future.)  I guess I will stop calling it nonsense work and start calling it "meaningful".  While I appreciate his sentiments, and love him for trying to make me feel better, I will respect his feelings and change my wording.  

I dried these birdhouse gourds last fall, hollowed them out, and Jim drilled the holes for me.  The last step is to lacquer them so they don't totally fall apart in the weather...  The bigger gourd will be a bird house, and the smaller ones will be filled with seeds... Hopefully, the stupid squirrels and chipmunks won't eat all the food!

I just think they look so cool..  Weird, but very cool.

We had this one beam in the main level bathroom that I wanted some texture on it... So, we've been playing around and finally got our technique to the point that it looks good.  This is the first step in the application... put plastic around the perimeter so the mud doesn't splatter everywhere...

Here's my mighty husband making sure his wife is happy... I'm totally happy...

And, here's the application... it's still super wet... I'll have to dry before we can paint it.

Here's the wall a little dryer... but, still not ready to paint!  I have a warm light brown to go on this part and I think it will harmonize with the walls and floor in this room perfectly.  I am so stoked with this!

I purchased the chiminea from a lady in south Provo, and while I was there, she asked me where it was going to end up, and I told her about our cabin.  She said she had some decorating that she thought would look amazing, and she gave me a couple of these brass pieces.  I actually really like them.  Jim says he would like to put them on the front of the cabin.  I agree!

Here's a smaller piece...  Jim wants to put the pieces clustered together.

And, Jim actually found this piece for me.  I put it next to the door so you can see the size - I'm not quite sure where I'm going to put this pot, but, I really think it's cool looking.  So, thanks Jim - you've got the vision!

And, our front door has this amazing stained glass... that you can see right through into the cabin.  That makes me a little nervous because every once in a while, we have people breaking into cabins... so, I wanted something to cover up the clear glass.  This covering is just a film that sticks up with water.  So, I applied it, and it looks great - stops anyone from looking in, and makes me feel a little more protected.  We just had a sheet of paper on this door for years, and it was getting a little ratty. So, this was a quick and easy and inexpensive fix.

This past week, Jim and I went to see the rock opera "Tommy".  I had always wanted to see the rock operas when I was considerably younger, but never went.  I wanted to see Godspell, and Jesus Christ Superstar for example.  My parents were not in favour to say the least.  But, the 50th anniversary was this year and I dragged Jim to it.  Saying it's one of the weirdest shows I've ever seen is an understatement.  Jim and I agreed that The Who must have been on some really heavy stimulants when the music was written and even when the play was written... Very strange... we do not recommend.  But, it was an experience, and my parents were absolutely right for not wanting their impressionable daughter to see it!

 I got a little blurb from facebook AI analyzing my writing style...  I am always nervous about writing the blog because I know I probably break all the rules.  I have a sweet friend who is an English teacher and I particularly freak when she reads my blog - but, she has always been upbeat and affirming - even though I am sure she uses part of my blog to show her students what NOT to do... (love you, Lori)  Giggle. I also have a brother who is a published writer, and I am sure he doesn't read my blog - probably would give him heart failure (he's on best seller lists etc...)... Anyways, AI says my style is "using a casual tone that feels conversational; has a strong personal relationship with her audience; uses humour; has an engaging tone, is relaxed and friendly, informal, treats the audience as family and overall, the writing style is engaging, personal, sarcastic and conversational, which suits her audience and Facebook platform"... (talk about a run on sentence!) And, my content is relatable and diverse.  Ok... they're being nice!  It made me laugh.

With that, the adventure continued - take life with a smile, and talk to you soon!

Love, Jim and Cheri

"If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you.  If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you."