MOOSE AND SQUIRREL.... WELL, SQUIRREL AT LEAST!!

Well, to start out with, The Count has disappeared... we don't know where he went to, or how he got out, but, he's gone...There are other battles that are being fought, but, having a one on one with a bat, is not one of them... Jim was prepared for battle this weekend - he took his .22  with some shot shells with him for a shoot out... bat vs engineer.... But, I think the bat realized what he was up against, and he bowed out gracefully... I was just hoping that Jim didn't create a new skylight, so I am glad the bat left... But, in his place, we now have....  Squirrel!!!  Jim was talking to me over the phone, and all of a sudden he says, "I gotta go"... I asked him if there was a problem, and all he said was, "There's a squirrel"...  Apparently, this little critter was gathering leaves and taking them into his den for winter...and, apparently, taking a picture of a squirrel gathering leaves is more important than... TALKING TO YOUR WIFE......  probably cuter too..  Jim says that all we need now is "Moose" and we will have Moose and Squirrel.. although, I have never seen a moose up at the cabin... I thought we needed to complete the picture with "Moose and Squirrel" and "Boris and Natasha"...  Giggle...

Jim informed me that this little guy's nest is exactly where our retaining wall is going to go under the bridge... so, he might be making a move before long...

So, here's a quick shot of the black PVC drain pipe under test.  It is three stories high, filled with water and not leaking out anywhere!  Mission accomplished after lugging 75 gallons of water up to the loft.

And we had hail early Sunday morning.  This was on the deck at 7:30 in the morning.  Brrrr . . .Jim spent the night in the cabin, and on Saturday night, it got down to 17 degrees... he had a sleeping bag and a blanket, but that didn't cut it...  We usually have an electric blanket at the cabin, but we took it to California and it's in the 5th wheel right now.. so, the poor baby just about froze to death.. He came home on Monday night, so sick with the flu.. After a couple of days, he's finally beginning to feel better..

A new sign has appeared in Bryce Woodlands.  Are we supposed to celebrate? Jim said that he and the plumber were intrigued by the sign and decided to follow it, and get a little info... But, after driving around a bit, they still don't know why the signs were put up..

The remains after stabbing oneself with a razor blade knife.  Blood smears were accidental also. Jim sent me this picture and I just about screamed..... first of all, he stabbed himself and it was bleeding... all over the table where I do my glass work...These papers are the back of a pattern for stained glass...  Um, I think I'll have them reprinted...

The leaves are beginning to turn.  It's a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon has thousands of visitors every fall from all over the world, just to see the mountains and the colours of the leaves.. It really is beautiful.

Stubs for the sink and toilet in the main level bathroom. Do you know what this means to me.. Absolutely nothing... I know it has something to do with plumbing and water, but that's about it!

100 PSI pressure test of the Pecks water lines.  Tested for two days with no pressure loss.  High fives all around... again, means nadda to me...I guess I'll appreciate it when I can get into a hot shower...  But, until then, it's plastic pipe and a little pressure thing a ma jigger..

In the basement, everything plugged off for the standing pressure test of the drains.  I guess this was important also... Jim is telling me what these pictures are... still drawing a blank...

Basement kitchen drain under test.... took a test and passed...

This is the water main into the cabin.  Don't worry, there will be a wall between the electric main and the water main.  I guess if the water main broke and hit the electric panel, it would be a shocking moment... But, the electric main is in the hallway, water main in the bathroom behind the door.

Artistry in Pecks.  Well that's what Jim thinks.  Red, blue, white, whatever it takes. . . Just make sure it's hot when I turn the hot water tap on.  No cold showers for this girl. Actually, just having a hot shower and a flushing toilet would be amazing...  The pecks could be purple and orange for all I care, but I believe the county wants the blue to represent cold water, and the red to represent hot water...  they're so picky!

Again, here's the beautiful changing of the colours... It seems that it has started to change earlier and earlier every year.. still is beautiful, but earlier all the time.. Maybe I'm just getting old.

So beautiful this time of year.

My outdoor shower connections. Don't judge... until you're taken a shower outside, with the sunshine on your back, and listening to birds singing, you can't imagine how amazing it is... Can't wait to install the lines under the deck and out to the Jacuzzi. The Jacuzzi will be absolutely amazing at night... it's so dark outside and the stars seem so close, sitting in a Jacuzzi would be heaven.

After it hailed and melted someone was walking over the bridge with muddy shoes.... and being that there were only two people at the cabin, we have a 50/50 chance of figuring out who's muddy footprints these are! Notice that no one went near the edge!  I don't blame anyone... if you fall off that bridge, you fall 10 feet down into Galt's Gulch!  Chickens.

And when we were waiting for the county building inspector, Jim installed the front door latch plate so we don't have to lock the deadbolt in order to keep the door closed now.  I know, just one step at a time.  But this was really needed.

It has been a great few weeks, we are tired, but happy to see forward movement... Jim has spent the last three weekends working on the plumbing and it's been a brutal event.. He works all week at his regular job, and then drives 3.5 hours to the cabin, and works long and hard for 2 or 3 days...  He's exhausted.  I am hoping he takes this next weekend off..  I kinda miss him and look forward to sleeping in with him on Saturday morning...

We have the building structure and the plumbing approved.  Now on to the electric and heating...

The adventure continues.  

Jim & Cheri.