Hi everybody. Here's the preliminary list of stuff I plan to get done at the cottage this year:
1) I'd like to organize the tackle boxes in the biffy shed. They seem to be kind of a mess. Does anyone have claim to all the stuff in any particular tackle box? They haven't changed much in about a decade. I'm not much of an expert on fishing stuff -- just the basics, which is what I think we've got out there. If anyone has any tips on what's needed in each tacklebox, please let me know before August. I may have a few items to donate among my own fishing crap. I'll have to take a look. UPDATE: I checked, and anything I could spare would be redundant to what's already at the cottage. I've got a nice Penn reel that would be good for going after pike and big lake trout, but may end up on eBay. I think it's intended for ocean fishing.
I'd also like to convert one of the tackleboxes into a larger toolbox than we have now. There are a few screwdrivers and a hammer that don't fit. If there's a tacklebox without pop-up trays, I'll pick that one, since that's not as handy for toolboxes. Or I could just pick up one of these tool bags at Harbor Freight instead. I've got a coupon that'd make it $5.
2) I think a hanging pot & pan organizer would work well in the kitchen. Here's one on eBay. It would hang from a rafter over the woodbox and/or the right side of the stove. If we could get the large pots out of the cabinets, the toaster oven might be able to fit down there. The heavy cast iron skillets would want to stay where they are on the wall behind the woodbox. The trick would be hang it low enough that the shortest cooks could reach the pots and pans, but high enough that filling the woodbox wouldn't become a head-banging activity. I have a similar setup in my kitchen. It's a great space saver, and spares my back from a little wear & tear*. Being Dishwasher-in-Chief, Dad also votes yes on this one.
We'd maybe need to get a few feet of chain to hang it with, so the total would be around $20. The organizer could easily be put away if not needed or wanted. UPDATE: This has been bought ($17.74) and hopefully delivered to Okemos by now. I won't know exactly what it will hang from until I get there, either from an existing rafter, or something spanning two rafters. The chains at Home Hardware in Sundridge are pretty cheap if we don't have an appropriate chain at the cottage already.
Doug says the toaster oven has found a home on top of the microwave.
Doug says the toaster oven has found a home on top of the microwave.
3) I could fix up the semi-useless ceiling light in the biffy shed, either with a switch or a new pull-chain fixture. As it is now, the light in the toilet area has to be unplugged to plug the shed light in. There's no switch. I'd also add one of these to protect the bulb from the oars and saws and whatnot. The cost would depend on whether it's done with a switch or a pull-chain fixture. I guess it'd be under $20 either way. UPDATE: It'll be closer to $10, if not under. All the biffy electrical stuff will only be active when the kitchen switch for outdoor lighting is on. The biffy shed switch will be on the left, inside the door.
4) Attic inventory. I ran out of time to do this last year when the overhead porch light turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. Should it be posted somewhere (like the bulletin board), or put in the Cottage Notes folder? UPDATE: It'll be in the folder. A copy, tucked away at the top of the ladder wouldn't be a bad idea.
5) Dad suggested that I come up with a way to make it easier for him to get into and out of the boat on his iffy hips. My initial idea is to make some skids like Ray & Carol have on the other side of the dock in the bay, making the boat less tippy, and to add a short grab bar or hand rail to the wooden dock. It should be do-able. Any objections to drilling a few holes in the dock to mount it? Here's the expensive version:
It's 36" tall and 16" wide, about $90, and made in China, so I wouldn't necessarily trust the welds. I may be able to come up with a homemade version, but would need a bit of help with cutting and threading some pipes. We'd install it as needed, and put it away before close-up. It may also be possible to use the existing vertical in-the-water poles as a starting point, or make some moveable concrete-and-post things that sit in the water under the dock. I won't know 'til I get there, so that might be a 2016 project.
6) I'll finish wiring & installing the overhead porch light (see last year's notes).
Besides staining the back porch steps & new sawhorse wood, and refinishing some of the oars (weather permitting), that's about all I can think of. As always, we could use more tools that aren't up there already if you've got any to spare. An electric drill would be a nice addition. (Please, no cordless drills with dead batteries.) If anyone has a suggestion, objection or obfuscation, you can email me or put it in the comments below (no password needed).
The links on the upper right side of this page have all been updated. Check out the cool maps in the "Wind Forecast" link. Also check out the new link for a satellite close-up photo.
I'm not sure if I told everyone about it, but it's now possible to get to the Keywaybeek Kalendar and add your own expected in and out dates at the cottage. (For out days, please use your travel day, not your last full day.) Go to Gmail and log in using keywaybeek@gmail.com, and use the password above in the Fix-It Idea List. Or, if I have your email on my Keywaybeekians list, you may be able to get in just by being logged into that in another window or tab.
Doug: I usually let a few of the plants in my veggie garden go to seed, and end up with more than I need. Currently I have snow pea, poblano pepper, mystery pepper** and butter lettuce seeds. I could leave some for you to plant at the cottage open next May, for July or August harvest, or would that just be feeding the local bugs and other critters? UPDATE: The critters win this round.
-Jim
*It also functions as an indicator for small earthquakes that I'm not sure I felt. If the pots and pans are swinging, an earthquake just happened.
**I saved the seeds from some great peppers, but didn't label them. Pepper seeds pretty much all look the same.
