©Ian Coristine/1000IslandsPhotoArt.comThe magnificence of the Thousand Islands
What’s not to love?
How can anyone possibly not love a place with names like “Molly’s Gut”, “Lover’s Lane”, “Lost Channel”, “Devil’s Oven”, “Fiddler’s Elbow”, “Smuggler’s Cove” or “Needle’s Eye” to say nothing of the world renowned “Honey Bee Island”? With shipwrecks in waters shallow enough to be visible to the naked eye, the area never lacks a sense of adventure and wonder.
North America certainly falls short of Europe in the history department but many important historical dramas played themselves out in the region. People in the area are very protective of what they feel they are merely stewards of, which is the whole river and Island scene. There is a sense of community here unlike anything I have ever experienced anywhere else.
Daughter # 4
Project update
This was a very good month for our moving forward. After quickly building closets for each bedroom, we managed to get the carpet installed, allowing us at long last to move into our master bedroom. We had been sleeping in the guest bedroom, as the master was where all our building supplies were stored and where the “work” was done. It seems incredible that while we bought the property in 2000, this was the first time we slept in our own room. “Ridiculous” some have said. Well, we are nothing if not determined, focused and patient. “Keep your eye on the prize” we are fond of telling our kids. Ours is slowly revealing itself every day.
Carpet delivery, island style
We were pleased to begin finally tossing a few pieces of furniture out the 2nd floor window (1st floor for Europeans) and smash them up for firewood. Virtually all of our furniture here are tacky hand me downs, castoffs and rejects that we started off with and brought from our home in California. In some cases they were the first set of furniture we had for our younger kids. Can you say ‘dated’? It was the kind of stuff that you would expect to find in any self-respecting homeless shelter. Little by little, it is being replaced with appropriate ‘cabin’ styled upgrades. We have a long way to go.
The first order of business was to build a custom Maple office desk. I had to build it due to the limited space and specific configuration I wanted for our room. This resulted in yet another celebratory furniture smashing frenzy and bonfire event as we could finally get rid of the sorry excuse for a computer desk we have been using since we first set foot on the Island.
Next, we set out to begin wrapping up the endless little details that finish work entails. Completing little bits of trim here and there, hanging our storage area doors, connecting lighting and decorating the rooms; it all needs to be done. Then we put in vanity cabinets with sinks in both bedrooms to lighten the load on our lone tiny bathroom. This is awful important when you have a house full of women visiting as we did recently.
I don't mean to whine but building this place ('remodeling' would be an understatement) has been quite a challenge. In California, I have a 24 X 30 foot workshop with all the tools I could ever need. Here, I work like a caveman. I have no workshop so I work in whatever part of the house (or outdoors) has enough space to spread out my materials.This creates a much bigger mess for Janice to clean in all parts of the house.
I have no work bench so I pile up wood pallets and lay an old door on the top for a flat surface. I have some tools but frankly they are inadequate to the task so I am forever "making do" and improvising to get the job done. Besides, I would not have a place to store larger tools even if I had them.
The end result is that getting anything done is slower, harder and often an exercise in frustration. It is one thing to do general construction like framing, electrical or plumbing this way but building furniture? Gimme a break. It is like trying to cook for a banquet with only a child's cook set to work with. Still, I am grateful for the oportunity and think...."what a problem to have"
Here they come!
Our first ‘official’ overnight visitors arrived for a 4-day visit recently. My mother, sister and two nieces joined us for a spell on their way to Montreal. As small as our abode is, we could actually sleep 10 people in beds (3 doubles, 4 singles) although I doubt we will need to too often. We BBQ’d up a storm and boated all over the area with perfect island weather.
Uh-Oh.....
Being a 10 year cancer survivor, Janice naturally thought the worse but resolved to get all the re-testing done and see where she stood. The possibilities were all over the map and ranged from Hepetitus C (usualy fatal) to Liver Cancer (you're toast!) We told the kids what we knew and worried together. Blood work, ultrasounds and the like followed and after the usual interminable waiting the results came in. The news was not good, but could have been much worse.
Janice will need gallbladder surgery and will likely be scheduled in September.
Whew..
