Ok... it's only October! NO MORE SNOW!

 We start this week not with hockey players, but with a hockey player's birthday party!  It was our Ben's 6th birthday!!  And, I've posted one of my favourite pictures of Jim and I and Ben!  It shows the pride and joy that grandparents have at the birth of a grandchild!

And, here's my 2nd favourite Ben picture... Ben and his daddy... with, of course, a Toronto Maple Leaf's jersey in the picture also!  

And, even though we were not at the party, we did get a few pictures to show all the events.  Ben is on the left of the picture, beside Brad.  Ben will be starting with the Ice Mice this coming Tuesday.  I am so freakin' excited!

And, here's our Coy.  Coy had this first game on Saturday and even though his team lost 10 - 7, it was a nicely matched game, and all the kids had fun..  Coy went to hockey camp in the summer and learned a whole lot... He's doing amazingly well.

And, after seeing such cute pictures of grandkids, let's turn our thoughts to... snow... lots of snow.. in October... groan...  I had checked the weather forecast to see how cold it was going to be over the weekend, and it said that Saturday was going to be cold, but a reasonably nice day... BUT, Sunday was going to have snow flurries first thing in the morning... and, boy, were they correct!  This first picture is the road going into the property.

..and, this is going up the hill to the cabin...

And, this one shows the mud just underneath the 4 inches of snow...  

...pulling into our driveway...  It's like it gets worse every picture, I swear...

...and, our back deck... with my beautiful railings covered in freakin' snow... This is really a beautiful picture of the deck view, however...

...and my beautiful jacuzzi covered in the same freakin' snow...  You know, I always feel that I am a really crappy Canadian because I really detest snow... I hate the cold, and the wet and the heavy clothes and everything about it.. But, I really love hockey...  I think there's something seriously wrong inside my head...

Snow... I hate snow... But, I love this stove!  We are still working on getting it set up and working.  Jim says that when it will be turned on, it will generate enough heat to heat the cabin.  I can hardly wait... This layout is going to change a little bit.  Instead of the four foot silver pipe with the curve at the top, it's going to be a three foot black pipe with the curve at the top.  I feel the pipe is too close to the stained glass acorn at the top of the stairs.  I would like a little more room between the stove pipes and the light fixture...  Jim agrees.

Jim has also been working on getting the furnace installed... He worked downstairs on the furnace, but also put the thermostat in... And, as you can see, it's a whopping 44 degrees...

I was out running around on Saturday, and found these drawer pulls that I think are going to look beautiful in the sink cabinet in the main floor bathroom... I am in the process of trying to find a couple more.  I knew that the cabin had three drawers, but didn't think about a 2nd set of cabinets on the other side of the room... So, the hunt is on.  But, these pulls are really interesting.  I love them.

And, with the plethora of snow over the weekend, we decided to pull the Skidoos home to get them ready for the winter.  Our cabin is in a really strange position.  The road going in from Hwy 89 going up to the development, is in Garfield County.  BUT, the road in the development, that's in Kane County.  So, there are no taxes going to Garfield County for snow removal.  They have been really nice about plowing that road for years and years and years... But, they have now decided that they have no responsibility to plow the road, so, we don't have a way to get up to our road this winter.  At first, we were told that they would plow for one more year until we get a special services package put together, but that was not correct... So, the Skidoos came home, to be prepped for winter, and running in tip top shape, so we can park just off Hwy 89, and then Skidoo in...  It's about 5 miles from Hwy 89 to our cabin, so, this is really imperative to get this job done.

Always another adventure...  I am glad that I've been working on this blog for so many years... Otherwise, nobody would believe this story as true!

Love as always,

Jim and Cheri

It's getting a little on the frosty side of life....

 With the trees changing their makeup, comes a major change in the weather, and this past weekend was... frigid...  low 70's during the day, and mid 30's at night...  Thank goodness we have an electric blanket on the bed... And, thank goodness, Jim doesn't mind me snuggling up to him.. to keep warm!!

Well, you can tell it's hockey season... Our blog always starts with hockey pictures!!!

  This one is of our Ben who is starting with the team, "Ice Mice"...  He's so excited.  My son sent me this picture and it has a little bit of sentimental significance.  This jersey that Ben is wearing, was worn about 60+ years ago by a little boy in Mimico, Ontario, Canada.. Yep, this was Jim's jersey when he was just a little "mouse" himself.  Made us smile...

And, here's our Brea (pronounced Bray-ya)... Just got her jersey and is so proud.... as are we.  This is about the happiest child on the face of the earth... always smiling, always looking at the positive side of life - and is an amazing example for a lot of adults..  

This year, Brea is wearing her first ever mouth guard... I didn't realize a mouth guard was a rite of passage for hockey players - she is sure proud of hers!

Our Coy has started playing hockey and he has his first game on Saturday... But, I didn't get a current picture this week, so just use your imagination.  His game is at 6:50 on a Saturday, in Davis County, which is in northern Utah...  6:50 AM???  Seriously.  I like to go to the games, but, I'm not even breathing at that time.... But, I did buy Coy a water bottle.. Brianne asked me if I had a water bottle that Coy could use, and this is what I came up with.... Giggle.  He actually likes it!  

The siding project is continuing  This is the front left side of the cabin.. I am thrilled that it's getting done.  We had to replace a lot of the tyvek on the cabin this year, so getting the siding on is fantastic.  it's a slow project, but Jim does an amazing job.  Here's the first couple of rows....

...and a couple more...

...almost to the top....

...and done!  The soffit and facia will attach to this part of the siding and finish it off.

Jim and I have been driving to the cabin on Thursday nights the last couple of weeks.. Thank goodness we can remote in, and get work/work done from that location.  This is the first time that Jim has set his laptop next to mine... We both got work done!  It was a little cold working outside first thing in the morning.. BUT, we realized that it was colder INSIDE the cabin than outside....  We're still working on getting the stove on the hearth functional (we have to put a hole through the roof for it to vent first) and the furnace duct work is not done yet... Two big jobs, but until that happens, this cowgirl will be staying in Provo...

Here's the first piece of piping to get the stove working.  We've been trying to figure out exactly what code is for Kane County, and are having a little problem connecting with the inspector who knows all about this stuff.  I think it's hunting season and he's... busy...In the meantime, we wait.

But, here's another piece that goes on the stove installation.  This piece goes on the top of the cabin.  I think it blows the smoke from the stove to whatever direction is opposite from how the wind blows.

And, remember how I said we had to replace tyvek...?  Well, when we showed up on Thursday night, we could see the Tyvek that was replaced just a couple of days before, had to be replaced again because the wind tore it to pieces...grrrrr.

And, this item will amuse my kids.. You know that every parent has things they cook really, really well, and a few that are complete washouts?  Well, pancakes are my washout...I can't make pancakes to save my life.  The kids used to tell me that my pancakes could be used as doorstops - so incredibly dry.  So, this past weekend, I tried just buying  a Bisquick Shake and Pour... easy, right?  Wrong...  With the elevation, I needed to add extra milk - of which I didn't know how much... Jim to the rescue... He added milk, and I think it was a little too much... Again, pancake fail. On a side note, Jim makes incredible pancakes.. some recipe he has used for years has sour cream in them, and they are absolutely delicious.  The kids used to ask him to make pancakes on Saturday or Sunday morning.  Let's just say, they NEVER asked me to make pancakes.. .I guess, they weren't that desperate.

To complete the siding on the prow side of the cabin, we had to erect scaffolding.  Well, first of all, we needed to complete enough of the deck, so that the scaffolding can be set up.  Even though we ran out of screws for the deck, there was enough to start building the scaffolding.  The scaffolding was down below the deck, so the boys used the bucket truck to hoist the pieces onto the deck.

And, here it is all ready to be built..

And, the first part is built, just ready for some poor soul to climb up and start putting the siding on.  Jim doesn't like heights, so I don't know if this job is going to go to Jim or Ben...  Ben does that mountain climbing stuff - so, I think he is less concerned than Jim is.

And, Jim installed a light fixture downstairs at the bottom of the stairs..  Going down there in the daytime isn't an issue.  It's darkER, but not pitch black.. But, at night, it gets pretty dark and maneuvering around in the dark is a bit of a challenge.  So, this was amazingly helpful.  Little by little, it's getting done.

With a little more of the deck completed, Ben and Jim put a wood protectant on the redwood, to protect it from the harsh weather that is just around the corner... One guy sprays the wood....

..and, the other smooths it out.  The redwood looks so pretty when it's wet.. It still looks pretty when it dries, but the red isn't as vivid, and that's what I like about it.

AND, we had another chipmunk caught in one of the traps this past week.  We don't have a clue where they are getting in, but apparently, we aren't the only ones - our area is having an issue and  Duck Creek is having a rodent issue also.... We've heard that chipmunks are contortionists, and can get in almost any small crack... So, Sunday, Jim was spray foaming in every single little crack and crevice he could see.  There still are some, but a lot are gone.   This picture is from the loft...

Ben and I were sitting in the livingroom, and at the top of the prow, we saw a bird poke his head through and stare at us...  He didn't come in, but was just checking out the scenery...  I guess that's another spot that needs to be foamed in.  I think all these critters are looking for a warm place to park for the winter...  Um... the "No Vacancy" sign has been put up, guys..

In lieu of Queen Elizabeth's passing, I have been reading a lot about her life and accomplishments... even though I don't like Prince Charles and his wife, I really admired the Queen.. I remember my father always sitting in front of the tv listening to her Christmas message....  I don't know if I was fascinated with her accent or her message - I guess it really doesn't matter.. But, I read this quote and I thought it was appropriate when talking about our cabin building project.  So, I leave you, this week, with a message from Queen Elizabeth II.....

"Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best ..."

And, with that, we start another amazing adventure...

Love, Jim and Cheri

Happy Thanksgiving from Bryce Canyon, Utah!!

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!  Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving, and even though Jim and I both had to work, we were thinking in terms of roast turkey, REAL mashed potato, and no pumpkin pie...  Giggle..  (Can you tell I think pumpkin pie is vile...Jim, however, loves it...)

Well, the chipmunk has been recovered.... and removed......  Um... Ben and Kelly went over to the cabin to do a little work, and they found the little beast, quite cold and not moving... in a trap that we had set weeks and weeks ago..  It's a live trap so we were planning on relocating him somewhere else... like Martha's Vineyard... But, he expired before we could release him... On the upside, I don't have to go looking for a little beast somewhere in the cabin...  sigh..

Many years ago, my brother Duane and I were walking the property where my parent's house used to be, and I came across a piece of the aluminum siding that was on the house...  I knew I wanted to do something with it, but wasn't sure, so it's hung around my house in Provo for years.  This past Christmas, Jim put together a collage of pictures from my childhood... a picture of my parents, the burn pit, the well, the house, tomato plants... and, Jim put the whole thing together.  I absolutely love it.  We don't have walls in the cabin, but this picture was hung on the main level bedroom wall beside the bed.  

I sent the picture to my younger brother, Duane, and he said that as soon as he saw the picture, his mind was flooded with "smells"... and, initially, when I saw the pictures, I did the same thing...  The smokey smell from the fire pit, the garden, family meals.. an amazing walk down memory lane.  As Duane says, in my mind, Family Is Everything... I am so thankful that Jim understands this part of my personality.

And, our trees around Bryce are continuing to show their beauty and splendor in the fall, displaying such beautiful artwork.  The colours are spectacular.

Coy and Brea are now playing hockey... Coy in Provo, Utah, and Brea in Wasilla, Alaska. Coy and Brea have been in either skating or hockey since they are 3 years old!  I always tell people that it's little Canadian maple leafs running through their veins that makes them love hockey... AND, this year, we have Ben starting hockey with the Ice Mice, in Alaska.  We are totally excited!

Coy and his family went to the Peak Ice Arena in Provo to watch a game and  Coy had his picture taken with the Mascot!  What is interesting is the Provo team was playing a team from Ogden, Utah... which is the team that Brea used to play on before her family moved!  (Provo got beat... sad face...)

Brea, on the other hand, has early morning practices... Um...  I don't know if I would be totally excited about driving to practices at zero-dark-hundred hours on a Saturday morning...

But, her family is supportive and off she goes...  Here she is on the ice, just raring to go!!!  You rock, Brea!  I'm just waiting for some pictures of Ben...  

And, I added to my collection of interesting rocks that will be filler pieces between the big stone on the walls of the outside shower.  I really thought these were interesting.  First up, rose quartz.  I love the delicate pink colour...

Next, Zebra stone.  I have never heard of this, but really like it... very different..

The guy I bought this from said it was honey onyx, but I don't think so.  Jim and I both think it's some kind of quartz - who knows.  I like the yellowy colour and think it will be amazing..

The work on the siding continues.. He got all the lower level of siding completed and, I believe, now, he has to put up scaffolding to get the upper levels...  Makes me nervous.  As Ben tells me, just don't look down and you're ok.. 

When we installed the shower downstairs, we couldn't find the shower rod - looked all over the place and it was no where to be found.  I was almost positive that I had bought one, so I was thinking I was losing it, so I bought a new one. I was so desperate for the shower curtain to go up, that we used a regular flimsy curtain rod at first...hey - it worked!  A couple of weeks later, yep, found the original shower rod that I had bought.. now I have two.. But, I was then assured I wasn't totally losing it.  Ben installed it this past week, and it's absolutely amazing... It's not a particularly pretty bathroom, being that there are no walls, but, everything works perfectly.

And, we had Ben do a little fix-it work on the roof on the covered deck.  The original builders (Jim and Lowell), didn't finish the job, and the particle board has been disintegrating little by little.  So, Ben replaced a piece of board and covered it with plastic.. Now, it just needs the metal roofing to be put on, and it's a done deal..  

...Ben had to use the boom truck to get to that part of the roof!

And, you know that piece of particle board that was put on the overhang... well, it has been stored in front of this main level bedroom window for several years..  When it was cut and put on the covered roof, it exposed the window behind it... and, after one morning without that amazing dark cover, I told Jim that I know why the deer are eating all my plants... Because, the sun comes up too freakin' early, and the deer are bored with no television or radio, so all they do is eat...  uhuh... But, Jim and I decided that we have those conveniences, and we don't want to get up at zero-dark hundred, so we had to put blinds up so we could get a little more cuddly time... without the sun GLARING through the window...  The first morning without the blinds was pretty bleak... All we had on the window to cover things up was a Barbie bed sheet obtained from the local thrift store and not much light was stopped by that light pink sheet... This is MUCH better... On top of that, we put light blocking curtains up on a real curtain rod also..  Much better...

Every morning at the cabin, Jim gets up and has a little private time on the deck... He always looks so calm and serene... maybe it's because I haven't got out of bed yet to complicate his life, or maybe it's the scenery...  I'm going with the scenery on this one...  He had one of those pesky chipmunks run right up next to him on Sunday... took one look at Jim, and ran away.. I guess Jim didn't look like he wanted to make friends...But, I love this picture of my love......

And, this is what he was looking at...

With that, another amazing adventure for the week has closed and we move forward.  Life is pretty good...

Love, Jim and Cheri