I’ve been AWOL again.  As a follow-up; it took a month but my mouth is finally healed and I can eat anything again.  Sadly, even a month of liquid diet followed by soft food didn’t lead to any weight loss.  Retirement and writing aren’t exactly working like I had planned.  My creative writing streaks seem to be few and far between.  Usually, my time on Lake Superior sets the creative juices flowing but this time we were too busy for that.    

As I have written, the property in Canada is a treasured investment made by Scott’s grandfather nearly 100 years ago.  While the heirs, ourselves included, have all concentrated our lives around caring for our families and maintaining our own personal properties, the cabins have been aging; patiently awaiting the day we would have time to show them some love.  Some years, such as the COVID years when Americans were not allowed to enter Canada, the critters have been the only ones to vacation there; leaving their mark like a bunch of unruly children.  As Scott and I entered full retirement, we were looking forward to spending an extended amount of time there getting the place cleaned up and tackling some of the long-needed projects.    After all, when you only had a week there for vacation, who wanted to spend it working or cleaning?

As excited as we were to get this party started, it wasn’t without sadness.  It was only last fall, that Scott and I had the opportunity to spend time with his cousin Jeff A and his wife.  The property allows you to live more like neighbors; enjoying morning coffee or meals as you wish but still having your own private space.  Successful career people; they too had just retired.  Jeff actually having the same blood disorder that had led to Scott’s stem cell transplant; essential thrombosis.  Luckily his was still successfully controlled by medication.  We had a great time with them and had plans for doing much more of it in the coming years.  Unfortunately, life took a turn in April and Jeff was killed in a skid loader accident at his home.  Leaving a huge hole in not only the heart of his high school sweetheart bride but his friends and family as well.  Taking out the chief operating officer of the family cabin.  Rest assured; Scott and I are committed to seeing his work continued.  Not a day went by that we didn’t silently look for his guidance or ask ourselves, what would Jeff have done? Gone but not forgotten for sure.      

Going into this year, priority one was the kitchen in the original cabin.  After obtaining a practically new kitchen for the other cabin a couple years ago for free, expectations were high.  That new kitchen clearly outshined the old cabin’s kitchen, leading people to decide that a facelift was due for the old cabin kitchen.  Change is never easy and gaining “authorization” to tear out the old kitchen didn’t come without its challenges.  Looking like something that Aunt Jemima, herself would have cooked in, the kitchen held many memories of baking bread on the old wood stove, baking pies and frying up bacon and Batchawana fries in one of the ten cast iron frying pans proudly displayed on the cabin walls.  But it was time. 

Scott, frequently surprising me with what I consider his off the wall ideas, phoned the local home improvement store with a question.  When you tear out old kitchens, what do you do with the old ones?  The gentleman responded that they typically just end up in the dumpster.  So, Scott, asked – what would it take to get one of them for our family cabin?  “Paul” indicated that actually they were tearing out a fairly nice kitchen in a couple weeks and if we wanted to, we could come look at it.  If we liked it, we could have it.  For free.  Again?  Well; I was sure that was too good to be true.  I had a wait and see attitude. 

Sure enough, on the exact date, Scott’s phone rang and next thing I knew we were hooking up the enclosed trailer; on our way to look at this kitchen.  Peering into the fully loaded box truck, it seemed that this kitchen was slightly worn but certainly still had a few good years left on it.  We unloaded the entire truck complete with sink and countertops.  Lesson learned; it never hurts to ask!

May 19th, we headed North, loaded for bear, you might say.  I would say that Scott had everything but the kitchen sink in our truck and trailer but we literally did have the kitchen sink with us.  Armed with tools and supplies we were both excited to tackle this much-awaited kitchen project, among many others.  Arrangements were made with our amazing neighbors to keep the lawn mown and the birds fed, heading out for our first extended period North.  Friends and family members were scheduled to join us over the allotted time span. 

When we weren’t working, we were “entertaining”.  Fishing with our guests, playing cards and eating.  The fishing wasn’t that great but since we basically only do catch and release, I’m not sure it matters.  It’s all about taking in the scenery and spending time with people we either know and love or in some cases don’t know as well as maybe we should and getting to know them better.  We relaxed and laughed over cocktails; bonfires on the river bank after a hard day’s work.  Good thing food service is my passion. Scott was good for a few breakfasts and cousin Jeff O provided a mean chili but for the most part I was in charge of meals.   Oh, and brother Dan’s pea meal bacon breakfast was yummy too. 

For three weeks, we were in heaven.  The views were perfect and the weather was perfect; other than the pesky mosquitos and black flies, it couldn’t have been much better.  Not only were we loving our location, we had purpose.  As two people working through early retirement, we found great pleasure in having something to do.  Sure, retirement sounds great and is envied by most, in reality, it can leave you feeling a little unproductive most times.  Lacking purpose.  We worked like dogs and it was invigorating.  I don’t think I took Melatonin once while we were there.  No better sleep aid than just working and being tired at the end of the day. 

It took a couple days for us to figure out that if I was working alongside the guys on projects, that we couldn’t just stop working and expect a hot delicious meal to be waiting for us when we arrived “home” at the other cabin.  Eventually I figured out how to do both.  In hindsight, I found great joy in providing sustenance for our guests, but I would have appreciated a little more help with the dishes.  For the most part, once Bonnie left, I was pretty much on my own.  We might need to add a dishwasher to the wish list.  It’s hard to complain about washing dishes while gazing out at Lake Superior but one might argue that being out there would be even better.       

While it might be true that you can’t teach an old dog a new trick, you can learn new things after sixty if you are open to it.  After Cousin Bill appeared a little bored with his job of chinking the cabin walls, I decided that learning a new skill might be more pleasurable than spending the rest of the day pulling nails out of the hardwood floor.  Like Tom Sawyer and fence painting; he graciously agreed to let me apprentice him.  For the unknowing, mortar chinking is the “art” of applying a layer of mortar between the rounded logs with the purpose of keeping the elements and critters out.  It takes effort to not make a mess on the logs and get it looking nice.  Crazy as it seems, I found it rather enjoyable and I think I have a future in the trade as it seems as a never-ending process in the life of a log cabin.  After mixing 240# of concrete mix and applying, we have only just begun.      

Returning home, I think we were both a little saddened to have our productivity come to an end.  Somehow sewing and practicing Spanish isn’t quite as rewarding as physical work.  It’s good for the heart and soul and a lot healthier than sitting on the couch writing.  Luckily, I have time for both.  I just have to commit to making it happen.