This summer may be a good opportunity to coordinate some donations of our extra stuff to the Keywaybeek cause. The following are just some ideas of things you guys may have laying around at home that could be useful up at the cottage:
1. Ice cube trays. There are only a few up there now, which is OK for 1, 2, or 3 people at a time. I'd be nice to have more for larger groups, overlaps & coolers. The freezer has plenty of room. UPDATE: Graham has 4 or 5 to spare.
2. Bathrobes. I took one up there last year, and it's great when getting out of the lake, especially when it's windy or buggy. Pre-dawn Biffy runs would also be a good use. One per bedroom would be perfect.
3. Pillows. Those thin foam pillows are awful, or am I the only one who's ever woke up with a sore neck at Keywaybeek? If I know there are some pillows on the way, I'll bring some of my extra pillowcases. (WARNING: They may be ugly.) Please, no "throw pillows". Those are useless regardless of their location.
4. Hair Dryer (hand-held only). Along with electric toothbrushes, these seem to get left behind up there in the rush to get on the road. It'd be nice not to have to bring one. It could hang on a hook or in a small basket under the kitchen mirror. If nobody has an extra, I'm sure I could land a good one for no more than $15 on eBay. (Disclosure: It's usually so dry here in LA, I don't need or own a hair dryer.) UPDATE: A well-reviewed hair dryer is on its way to Dad's house. It was $12.
5. Oil- Based Paint. The dresser in the middle bedroom could use painting, and there's always some general spiffing afoot. The Home Hardware in Sundridge can handle any tinting we might need. Don't transport paint thinner, it's too flammable & cheap. I'm not sure about varnish & stains, but they should be welcome contributions. Latex paint wouldn't be useful at all.
6. Tools. Please, anything you can spare that isn't already up there. Dad's tool collection is terrible, and I try to avoid borrowing Toni's. We're OK on hammers. A small toolbox or toolbag would also be good. I've got a tiny toolbox I could bring, but I'm not sure it will fit into my bag. If anybody has an old outdoor extension cord with damaged ends, I could fix it and put it to good use up there. Please see the "Wish List" in my previous post.
7. Screws, hinges, bolts, nuts, washers, etc. Emptying the bottom of a junk drawer may potentially save a trip to the hardware store. Lumber isn't something that's really necessary to bring. It tends to be pretty cheap in Canada, and takes up a lot of storage space when it isn't used right away. (The exception would be boards and plywood scraps suitable for shelves in the toolsheds, a this-year project.)
8. Unwanted Camping Gear. I've already left a tent, sleeping bag & some other camping stuff there for general use (Please put 'em back dry & cleanish, where you found 'em). There's plenty of room at the edges of the attic for more. Small tarps, ground pads and large backpacks would be great, as would more tents and old sleeping bags with working zippers (UPDATE: Or not. I recently taught myself how to fix most zipper problems.) No propane stoves or lanterns in the attic please, and no propane canister storage in the cottage! I built the flammables shed for that stuff -- including the above mentioned oil-based paint.
I'm sure I've left some pretty obvious stuff off of this list. These are just suggestions. I've got a small pile of stuff that I might bring up there, including a caulk-gun, a manual ice cream maker and some specialty Tupperware, but I won't know what's going until I pack.
My project plan for this year is mostly electrical; a four-way 15 Amp GFCI plug in the kitchen next to the fridge, and an overhead light in the indoor porch. I'll also work on organizing the sheds, and maybe the attic. I might even get all John Henry and bust off the top of that big driveway rock. I'll maybe also see if this thing (see picture) can be refurbished -- it's a push-style carpet sweeper that may be as old as the cottage. It's more dust than rust in the picture. UPDATE: I got it shined up and working, but it's way better on shaggier carpets like mine, than it is on short carpets like up at the cottage. I think it's a keeper.
I've been doing electrical work @ Keywaybeek for the last few years because it's pretty easy and requires the fewest tools, but I'm almost out of ideas for more lights & fans & stuff. What's next? A fake cannon next to the flagpole? A sundial?
I didn't put most of my pictures from last year on here because my main computer was acting up, and finally sort of went into a coma -- not dead, but not worth fixing. It was a Mac Pro that was $2300 in 2003. I replaced it in May with a 2008 version of the same computer for $275, including shipping. (Thanx, eBay!) I figure I'll do last year's & this year's pictures at the same time once I get back home.
The jukebox library will exceed 35,400 tunes once I load 'em up.
I didn't put most of my pictures from last year on here because my main computer was acting up, and finally sort of went into a coma -- not dead, but not worth fixing. It was a Mac Pro that was $2300 in 2003. I replaced it in May with a 2008 version of the same computer for $275, including shipping. (Thanx, eBay!) I figure I'll do last year's & this year's pictures at the same time once I get back home.
The jukebox library will exceed 35,400 tunes once I load 'em up.
-¥eem
PS: I've opened up the Comments on this blog, so anyone can add to it by clicking the "Comments" link below. Before, commenters had to first log into a GMail account. If you want to write a new post, that's still the case. Hopefully, the internet a-holes will leave it alone.
If that doesn't work, I can always be emailed at yeemøutwest@yahøø - døt - cøm. I don't dare put my real phone number on here - ask Dad if you don't have it.
Don't try to contact me on Facebook. I gave up on it a while back, but haven't figured out how to get rid of it. UPDATE: I'm out! Almost all I ever saw on Facebook was an increasing number of ads, and massive oversharing from a few people I barely remember from high school.
PS: I've opened up the Comments on this blog, so anyone can add to it by clicking the "Comments" link below. Before, commenters had to first log into a GMail account. If you want to write a new post, that's still the case. Hopefully, the internet a-holes will leave it alone.
If that doesn't work, I can always be emailed at yeemøutwest@yahøø - døt - cøm. I don't dare put my real phone number on here - ask Dad if you don't have it.
Don't try to contact me on Facebook. I gave up on it a while back, but haven't figured out how to get rid of it. UPDATE: I'm out! Almost all I ever saw on Facebook was an increasing number of ads, and massive oversharing from a few people I barely remember from high school.
If anybody cares, here's Doug & I's emails from the last year. It's in reverse chronological order and a bit repetitive due to the quotes:
ReplyDeleteHi Jim,
Sorry for the delay in responding but after our trip and doing income tax, I am just catching up to the FILO emails now. Sorry to hear about your back. Yes, take it easy this year, there must be younger able-bodies around to pass the axe on to.
We just got back from opening up on the May 17th/18th wknd. Winter has been a long cold up there and according to Toni the ice just went out a couple of weeks ago. The lake water is very high of course. All was well with the cottage though and the big woodpile was dry behind its plastic tarp and was much appreciated on the nights when it got down to freezing.
Thanks for your replies to my fall comments. For clarity I have answered some of your questions and made a few follow-up remarks/updates in red within your email below.
The canyon was awesome as was the hiking in the Sedona red rocks. Not a climate we would want to live in all year though. You probably have lots of good parks that are closer to visit in California. The desert was unique for us though, and the operators in the parks are top notch for preserving them yet letting you get the feeling of being/staying right in them, like walking along the dark canyon rim at night coming back to your room from the old log cabin inn restaurant. Maybe not for you and your flashlights though.
Looks like there will be a medical marijuana grow-op going in just down N. Horn Lake Road, a legal one. Your Dad was curious about the by-laws on that but it seems the local Mag council steamrollered it through or at least saw no problems unlike quite a few local residents and the cottage association.
Hope you and Graham have a good summer.
Doug
Ps. I’m not sending out copies to your Dad or uncles because I don’t think they are interested in this level of detail.
From: Jim McIntyre [mailto:yeemoutwest@yahoo.com]
DeleteSent: March-25-14 7:33 PM
To: greendoug@sympatico.ca
Cc: Dad 'n Eileen ; Scott & Jean McIntyre; Neil "Butch" McIntyre; Dunc & Elaine McIntyre
Subject: Re: Fall 2013 Cottage Close-up Update
Blistered hands? Hah, I wish! My hands were fine from wood splitting, but my back was screwed up 'til October. It eventually resulted in sciatica, which at it's worst kept me from sleeping for four days straight. It's better now, but I don't think I'll be splitting nearly that much wood again in a single summer.
I didn't think the concrete patch would work on the rock. I'm a confirmed night owl, and sometimes I rely too much on the superior night vision I get from being colourblind. I also tend to buy shitty flashlights. Knowing the puddle is there won't always keep me out of it.
I don't know if I put it in my notes, but there was also some discussion of knocking the top off of the rock in the middle of the driveway, between the two farthest parking spots. I bet Toni's got a drill capable of getting some starter holes into it. Also, if it's not gone already, there's a small stump next to one of the parking spots that needs to be removed. One of Ray's kids messed up their plastic fender last August while pulling out. - Carrol showed me the stump which she thought was the culprit for Johnny and it was in the bush almost 2 feet away from the parking slot. If that was it, then I say let him deal with it (if he is going to drive into the bush). As for the rock, there are old black and white pictures of a multi day, multi-person event to remove a rock from roadway.
With the sheds, I was thinking of adding and widening some shelves, and adding hooks & other organizational doo-dads, and figured on putting in the motor bar as long as I was at it. Long term, would the bar be necessary or useful? - a motor bar is not needed for my motor. It would mean lifting up the motor onto a bar unnecessarily when it rests fine on the floor in the corner. Noticed that there are no studs in the cottage shed walls to support a bar with heavy motor.
Would it get in the way of the swim ladder fitting into the shed? - the swim ladder in the cottage shed needs a fairly deep space (between the door and the cottage wall), almost all but 3-4” that is there now which means the shelves at the back could be deepened a bit but they are just one basket/ box/item deep now so you easily see what is there. (if not used annually, could the big coil of green hose be stored somewhere more out of the way (fuel shed, under the middle bedroom bed?). There are some things in both sheds that could probably be retired. (An old Ovaltine jar full of rusty drapery hooks comes to mind.- yes, I can pitch that one. Like the old kitchen utensils maybe should we create at box of possible shed/cottage discards and anything in it at the end of summer can be put in attic or taken to dump? ) I cleaned out my Dad's barn last summer, and was in organizational overdrive at the time I wrote that post.. A better spot to store the big pieces of scrap wood might be inside the roof of the flammables shed; or I could build some slots into the roof of the woodshed; or under the cottage inside a plastic kid's-size sled... Most of my recent ventures into the biffy shed began and ended with moving the scraps around to get at, then put away, the stuff behind it. – The cottage shed has undergone years of organizing and I pretty well know where to look for things. The biffy shed, though, is more ripe for organizing since it was empty to start and has more or less randomly accumulated items in the last few years. Getting the fish tackle boxes off the floor will be a start and maybe the saw horse can be kept outside in the summer, the wood pile maybe. One might actually be able to stand in there then.
(continued) Since there's no longer a boat able to make them useful, how about we move the waterskis up to the attic? Do Holly & Kip ever use them with their big boat? Or would Dana? - good idea; there are some tow ropes that could probably go with them.
DeleteIf I'll be getting organizational, I could also take a quick shot at the attic. It's a weird space that could be made into a more readily used sleeping area. Some storage could be built into the rafters that aren't visible from below. If I do the porch light, the wiring would go through the attic and I could easily add and outlet up there for a lamp or whatever. The old breadbox could be the nightstand. – an outlet would be good. Has anyone slept up there recently? If you are storing things in the attic, it might be a good idea to keep a running inventory list on the bureau in case people looking for something would know if it was up there or not.
Is the woodshed shelf sturdy enough to be repositioned? When I cut the rotten birch stump away, it seemed pretty flimsy until I nailed that crazy branch on the end so it wouldn't move. I kinda prefer it with the insert. How 'bout I stain the insert green, and we wait 'til the branch rots or cracks? Or is there some activity that happens on that shelf where the old refrigerator grates are less than ideal? - yes, it was built as and used as a work bench. Screws and small objects sliding to the back is not good and the open grate is not that helpful. Toni said he could probably get it as level as it was originally and still keep the current support.
(continued) I had a flush-mount inverted dome light in mind for the porch, something with a sturdy shade that could survive being accidentally whacked with a paddle once or twice. It'd hang down no more than six or seven inches. I scoped some out on eBay a while back, but don't remember any specifics. I don't want to create another headbanger for anyone. A brother of mine who never goes there is 6'4". Is there anyone taller to consider? - a light in the centre of the porch would be great. Kevin, Amber (my niece’s) husband, is a bit over 6’4” so flusher, with the least dome is better. A light bulb is only 2 1/2”, so I would think that there should be 4-5” deep fixtures available. I was in the Sundridge Home Hardware and they had inexpensive ceiling light that was 13” wide and 5” deep. It took two 60w light bulbs so that should provide enough light. It looked like this (sku# 3698-145) . There is only one light in a box for 17.99. (ps. I just looked at your blog and this looks very close to what you had suggested.) A fancier metal rim (pewter, nickel etc.) doubles the price. Getting it locally provides a lot of convenience for both not having to travel with it and for returns if there was a problem. I can pick one up if you want and leave it for you or you can go and check it out along with alternatives when you get there. A low-sheen brass rim would match the ceiling wood better but from my experience the ceiling light fixture itself is not noticed much. The cheaper models held only one 60w which would be too dim.
ReplyDeleteThe four-way Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting (GFCI) plug in the kitchen shouldn't be a problem. It's the kind that has it's own circuit breaker. However many amps that particular circuit has, we'd get a plug that shuts off at fewer amps. I think I recall 20 amp fuses laying around. If that's what the circuit is, we'd get a 15 amp plug, and if that ever overloads, we'd just have to hit the reset button on the plug instead of changing the fuse. The newer appliances probably don't draw as much juice as the old fuse-poppers, but we'd still want to refrain from using everything at once. It would also reduce the possibility of an electrocution if there was ever a big water spill on that side of the kitchen. – 15 amp sounds good
Birch bark storage: It's the shapelessness and tendency to fall or blow off of the wood pile I found so exasperating about the older cardboard boxes, especially having to re-gather bark with my messed up back. The newer ones that stood tall were OK. - will look for more of that type; we try to avoid more plastic. If we could get some more of those plastic recycle bins, holes could be drilled...
I'd like to add the old sports and sports digest books I've been bringing to the un-tossables book list. Kids of all ages may get a kick out of those. I've been bringing a book or two up every year, and so far none are crap as far as I can recall, except maybe the ones in the biffy. I have plenty of giveaway books here that are crap, but why would I haul any across three time zones? There are two more bedroom doors with shelf space over them to use for paperbacks if we need them, so there's no need for more bookshelves...unless we want get all fancy about it and segregate the hardcovers. I was 9 or 10 when I first read one of my all-time favourites up there from a book somebody left, probably in the 50's or 60's, so let's not go too nuts with the culling. - or nuts with additions. It would be great to see kids reading hardcopy though.
New Question: Is that a speaker/sub-woofer in the big box on the attic platform over the entrance to the kitchen? If yes, does the base boom out very far past the cottage?
ReplyDeleteThe rain we got out here a while back wasn't gentle, but it wasn't bad either. The local news made it sound ark-worthy. I usually heat with wood here. It's just a fireplace, but if I get the fans going just right, the place warms up pretty well. My winter gas bills rarely get above $20. This is the warmest winter I can remember here. I think I've only had 4 or 5 fires this season. I burn mostly silver maple, sycamore, and a weird kind of birch that grows locally. Mulberry is a surprisingly good firewood for something that has squishy, useless fruit.. The silver maple doubles as BBQ wood. I added your firewood BTU page to the blog as "Firewood Evaluator" under Links on the right side of the page.
Happy Canyoning! Never been, but I've seen it from planes frequently.
-¥eem
From: Doug Green
To: Scott McIntyre ; Jim McIntyre
Sent: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5:09 PM
Subject: Fall 2013 Cottage Close-up Update
Hi Scott and Jim, Feb 21, 2014
These are some notes/news that I meant to get off after last fall’s close up, but you both know how retirement time works. We are making a foray south of the border this spring to see the Grand Canyon at the end of March so thought I had better get this done.
First, a big thank you for such a fully stacked woodpile. Jim mentioned blistered hands and one can certainly appreciate that with all the chopping that you must have done. We burnt some of the old maple and it was great. I don’t know if this quote by Harrison Ford is a negative or positive but it sounds sage, “Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself.”
I was looking up the relative firewood BTU count of various tress and this site has a good separation within the maple and birch species as I guess they are the not all the same hardness: http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm Maybe not what you wanted to hear but, Tony said that he was going to take down one, maybe two birches that were either too close to the cottage or too far over a power line. I strongly invited him to take as much of the big parts of the trunks that he wanted. He said he would leave us some of the small diameter stuff, just to keep our cutting and chopping up to snuff I guess.
Thanks Jim for all your updates, “Jim’s 2013 Cottage Notes”, which I have copied at the bottom of this email and added some highlighting. The following items then are responses to some of underlined topics highlighted in the red. These numbered updates come mainly from information I got from Tony when he was out visiting at the October close. I am writing to both of you so Scott will be aware of this information as well.
They are somewhat in order of importance.
I will also sign off here and wish you a good spring, any spring just bring it on eh. And gentle rain for California too. Heard a guy from further up north talking about this long cold winter and said that some people up there were out looking for Wiarton Willie (the local ground hog that predicted 6 more weeks of winter) and they’ve had ropes.
Cheers, Doug
* 1* There's some leftover concrete and mortar mix in the biffy tool shed. If nobody objects, I could fill in the low spot on the rock that fills up with water every time it rains. It didn't get me this year, but I bet I average about 1 soaker a year from that puddle. What we'd need is some nice looking flat rocks to go on top. I'm not sure how it would hold up to the freeze & thaw dynamics of the winters here, but it might be worth a shot.
ReplyDelete1. Re the possibility of using cement mix to patch the dip in the front rock: As Jim suspected, Tony confirmed that this would not hold. Believe he said that water would seep in under the cement, freeze and then crack it. Nothing works he says to bind to granite. We’ve been using an old broom to sweep out water. After a few more soakers jim you may automatically walk around it out of habit. Good luck.
* 2* The sheds are getting very crowded. How about a big reorganization next year? I could update the shelves and put in a 2x6 outboard storage bar, now that we're storing two motors. Some of the wood scraps may need to be banished somewhere, or donated to Toni.
2. There will not likely be two motors in the shed at the back of the cottage (as opposed to the biffy shed). Tony helped Ray with the docks and boats at this year’s close-up and reported that Ray used his old boat and motor at the fall close-up and will probably use it in the spring opening as well. It turns out the 20Hp outboard on their new runabout is just too heavy to handle by hand and they will be leaving it on the boat for Black to pick up and store along with their big boat. They therefore will probably be using the old boat and motor before and after the other boat arrives. I haven’t seen Ray yet to confirm this but it sounded logical and Tony was forthcoming in telling me this. If this is how it will be done, then for now that would mean their old boat, that you used last August, will be at the back dock with motor on when you arrive and you would leave it winched up on the skids when you left.
So, for now then, we do not need a 2 motor storage bar. My motor can still stay tucked in the corner of the ctg. shed which is fairly open in the summer because it holds the big swim ladder in the winter. I agree with Jim that the biffy shed could use some space organizing. I wondered about a couple of shelves on the back left wall for all the fish tackle boxes. This would free up some good floor space. Banishing the lovingly preserved wood scraps Jim, horrors. We’d never make that TV hoarding show. I’ll see if it can be tucked in against the wall or up higher, more out of the way.
* 3 *Speaking (or typing) of the woodshed, I saw Doug's note about the shelf not being level.
3. Tony had another look at that tilted shelf and he thinks he might have a way to level up the whole shed/bench structure and thus the shelf itself. If that works it would be easier to use and keep clean without Jim’s open frame insert that does the trick for now. We’ll have to see.
(continued) The rest are my miscellaneous comments.
ReplyDeletea) A centre porch light would be great if it is the covered and flat type low to ceiling, i.e. a ceiling light I guess they call it where the light bulbs are horizontal. That ceiling is fairly low so it would be good to avoid anything bulb like hanging down very far. The light on the wall is OK but with the computer and other appliances it is often not plugged in. I think there is may be a multi-plug adaptor in one of the sockets so that may be OK now.
b) A wiring reminder, we only have a 60 amp service. As for a 4-way plug next to the fridge, that would certainly be convenient but could it be too much temptation for having the hotplate and toaster on at the same time? That had always been a fuse blowing problem with the toaster and kettle together so am just asking.
c) Birch bark storage (last item on Wish List): This fall the various old cardboard boxes in the woodpile were reduced and the bark stored in only a couple of fairly sturdy cardboard boxes. A covered plastic pail might look neater but I don’t think it would allow the bark to dry as well. The cardboard boxes have breathing holes along the sides and an open top, the bark is easily accessible from the top, they can be easily moved to different spots as the wood pile is used and old boxes are easily replaced at the grocery store. Plus when one is empty it can be stored inside another to reduce space. I’ll try though to keep the boxes dry and in good shape.
d) Extra books (#8 under Donations list): We bring up any books with us that we intend to read and I imagine most visitors do the same. Useful donations are always welcome but I am leery of accumulating libraries of old books. If not used much, it doesn’t seem like a good use of tight space. Having said that, I/we are certainly not blameless in bringing up Items that ‘might’ get used at the cottage, including books. I will cull some of the ones we brought up a while ago and try to make a notes inside ones we think might have a general summer/northern Cdn/good read appeal. Others like the bird, flower, fern, and tree reference books are definitely keepers as would be the old ‘cottage classics’ such Hoyle’s rules for card games and maybe some of Herb’s westerns. I noticed some serious literary bound paperbacks that Elaine may have brought but was never sure whether they were recommended reads so was never tempted. As Jim said there are a some old paperbacks in the CQ on shelf above the bed but I would be reluctant to build any new book shelves because as they say, if you build it, they will come.
We went through a good clean out of old kitchen and before that other items when Elaine or someone got going some time ago. I try to keep an eye toward reducing but realize this is difficult when the main users are not there together to have a way of consulting on what belongs to or is used by who. Maybe we could go back to a general tentative discard box and/or list for larger items for questionable items and visitors could either remove from the box or list. If not removed or crossed off by the next spring or some agreed upon time, the old items could go to the dump or be recycled.
That’s it, comments, suggestion welcome.
Jim's 2013 Cottage Notes September 3, 2013
Test comment from Doug.
ReplyDelete