Inside

It got cold and rainy this week, so I shifted my focus to inside the greenhouse. Kind of bummed the windows weren't in yet! That should happen this week. Made good progress on the wood stove, the table, and the fans. Nothing is quite there, but at least the roof is done. Nervous that it shrunk in the cold, so now there is tension on the membrane, but we shall see what happens. Looks great for now anyway. 

The girls had a more normal week for a change. Fun to have Grammie here on Thursday & Friday. Took a nice walk or two. Naomi is still super busy and is working all weekend. What a bummer. Glad she has such a nice office though! 

Had another cookout last night with some neighbors. It was fun. They are immigration lawyers and explained that the big 100k price tag on a certain type of visa is meant to force companies to use AI instead of people. They still have no shortage of clients, though. 

Lots of strawberries and weeds.

Another sunrise at Meijer with Amélie!

Visit from Alaska

We had a lot of fun with Kalia, Joshua, Evi, and Willa. It was great that they could spend a couple days up here along with my parents, lining up with the Monday the girls had off from school, and we even got to see them on Wednesday for a bit of bonus time. The girls had a half day of school and we went down to Escanaba for some apple picking and birch bark hunting. 

Our girls are starting to hang out with some friends in the neighborhood and they take their bikes to the park and such. Lots of fun for them and a big adjustment for us! Quickly turning into teenagers. Amélie is really excited about getting an aquarium for Christmas. We were checking them out at the pet store and the one she wanted is, of course, one of the most expensive ones. Not sure how, but two days ago she was biking to the park, and spotted that exact same aquarium next to the road that someone was giving away! What are the chances. Naomi happened to be driving behind them with the car, so she picked it up. Now we can pick up any needed parts that aren't working and focus on getting more fish and plants for her!

Naturally, I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to knock out the brick work for the entryway of the greenhouse. Managed to get it done this week. Just a bit more grading to do and the outside earthworks will be done enough for winter. Now my back needs a break. Most of the landscaping is for the spring. The stovepipe is in and sealed up! Ready for organic material. Got the southern facing green roofs in too. Amélie helped with that and we planted a bunch of spring bulbs. It was fun. 

Dead River hike.

Ice cream at Jilbert's

Stove pipe is sealed.

Apple picking in Escanaba.

Backside of the wall.

Green roof guts.

Got some mint and strawberry in too!

Should be solid.

Cheese Roll

Apparently the cheese roll is a thing in the UK. A group of racers chases a wheel of cheese down a mountain and the first one to get to it gets the cheese. Lots of broken bones. They are starting up the tradition here in Marquette, and we went to the ski hill to check it out. It was a lot of fun! I'm definitely happy in the spectator role. After that we went out to our land for a fall cookout with some friends and family. My parents, sister, and her family came up to stay with us for a couple days. Lots of fun!

It's good to take a little break from the greenhouse. I have been pushing really hard this week as I had the tractor for a couple days and wanted to make the most of it. Then the rain was coming, so I wanted to get the roof on the north side. Sure am grateful for that tractor! Got two months of manual labor done in two days. 

The girls had another cooking class and it was a lot of fun. Naomi's Zumba class got canceled, so we walked out to the Presque Isle lighthouse instead. It's a lot farther than it looks! Amélie and I also had a lot of fun thinking about an aquarium for her room. She volunteered to cook dinner for me when I wasn't able to finish my greenhouse work on time! It was delicious and much appreciated. 

Southside roof finished up!

Got a table built too for some structural support. 

Unwrapping a giant present!

Way out into the lake.

Moonrise.

Getting the insulation in.

Working on some drainage.

Extending the performance envelope invisibly.

Fun at the mountain.

It was a great cookout!

August in October

Not really sure what is going on with the weather - but it is unsettling! A month ago it was cold, rainy, and we lit the fireplace. Yesterday we were at the beach and one peach tree still has peaches that are ripening up! Last night it barely dropped below 70 and the wind kicked up. The days are shorter, but the temperatures don't agree.

Forgot to water the garden yesterday - it has been so dry and the tomatoes are still going strong! Also forgot to take a picture of the greenhouse. Mom helped again with the final round of woodcrete. Managed to get the lower roof on as well. Sure looks different now! Also got the southern structural supports done on the inside. Just need to get the plastic and insulation installed, then I can take the tent down. We shall see how bad the wind is today. Grateful it has stayed so dry, but once the tent comes down, need another stretch of dry weather to get the upper roof on and the earth filled in. 

The girls had a great cross country meet nearby our house, and Grammie and Grampie were here for it! Hard to believe that just a week ago we were heading down to Escanaba to pick up the girls. Naomi continues to work too hard and it is starting to catch up with her. Unfortunately, not much of a break in sight, and I am feeling slammed with the fact that it is actually October and there is a lot left to do before the snow comes, so I am not much help for her. Probably rain tonight for the first time in a long time, so that adds another wrinkle. 

Naomi and I got to enjoy a great lunch with just the two of us!

Sealed up!

Using the bricks we made in June.

Making the air intake.

Great running at Forestville!

Caught a mouse. 

Amélie and I got to see a beautiful sunrise from Meijer's parking lot!

Apple Cider

We got a last minute invite to help make some apple cider yesterday. The girls are in Escanaba, so they didn't get to come. Very disappointing for them! This was the farm where they got to ride a horse last time, so it would have been fun. Naomi and I had a good time although I am still feeling sick. Weather was great. Sure is nice to have a quiet house for a couple days! Naomi even made us some dessert to enjoy.

Didn't get very far on the greenhouse as I have felt sick for most of the week, but my mom did help to get some woodcrete done. One more woodcrete day and we can check that off the list! Worked on some finishing touches around the windows and above the door. Fun to do that stuff!

The girls had their second cross country meet. What a fiasco. Bad organization - they ended up running more than an extra kilometer due to confusing signage. Both girls still did really well. It was also tricky as they were racing against 7th and 8th graders, unlike last time when the 6th grade had their own group. Fun that Grammie got to be there, and we went out to a new place to celebrate with a bit of dinner afterwards. 

Making cider.

Lining up for the big race.

The cork will get lighter, but it looks great.

Tricky high spots.

Could barely reach!

Time for a treat.

Two for One

It's another one of those weeks where I think back to something that happened on Tuesday and it feels like two weeks ago. Definitely packed a lot in. On Tuesday I went out with Neighbor Rick to meet one of his former clients about a ceiling repair job. This is the second cabin on Middle Island Point that I have been to. It's an association that owns the land, although the individuals own the structures, and they even have a private island! 

After talking to a number of people (with the notable exception of Rick) the consensus is that my hourly rate is way too low, so I will raise it. Should be lined up with the work that I do, and my schedule is so full, that time has become more valuable to me than it was a year or two ago. I have also gained a lot of knowledge and skill in that time. 

On Monday I took Abigail to the dermatologist and she got some creme for the spots on her hands. Wednesday was an early release day at the girl's first cross country meet! They had a lot of fun, and Amélie ended up in the top ten, which is something new for their school, so the coach was excited too. 

On Thursday my parents came up. We had a really nice lunch and then my Dad and I worked on some woodcrete. We made some great progress, but I think the overhead work messed up my back. Still sore. Also got a call from the mechanic saying our car would need an extra day and a few hundred extra dollars, but it ended up working out just in time for our dinner with a different client on Middle Island Point on Friday. We had a wonderful time out there! Amélie even went for a swim in her undies.

Yesterday we picked up a couch from one of Naomi's acquaintances, a cardiac doctor who is leaving town. Another French speaker bailing, so Naomi is bummed. He is getting older and doesn't think highly of the health care here in town, so Chicago is the place for him now. Now the basement needs to be rearranged again so we can get the new couch out of the living room!

The porch needs some work!

The last cabin on the end of the peninsula.

Finally getting some produce from the garden!

Installed the solar water heater.

The crumbling ceiling job.

The association has their own island.

Much better than last time!

Got some of the high stuff in too.

It was a lovely dinner.

President's Box

Naomi managed to get some free tickets to the football game yesterday. It was fun to meet her colleagues and watch the game from a more comfortable spot. The team looks better this year, although they still lost. After the game Naomi and Amélie went to help French Claire in the food truck for the last time. This was her final event. 

On Thursday Grammie and Grampie came up, and Dad helped with getting some roof sheathing on. Goes so much faster with two people! The next day Aunt Sara and Uncle Pat spent the night. It was nice to see them again. Finally got the guest room finished. That project was started over a year and a half ago!

Started working on the water based earth battery system for the greenhouse which is fun. Got the holes drilled and the trim up. Today I should be able to run the hoses. Neighbor Rick referred one of his former clients to me for some finish carpentry, but I really don't have time for the job, so I told her I could do it in the spring, but it seems unpleasant, so I gave her an 'I don't want to do it price' which she gladly accepted. I start to understand why everything is so expensive here! I'll go out on Tuesday to see it in person. Finally back to some nice September weather! Should have peaches soon. 

All done!

Should be sturdy enough for the green roof.

Sure changes the look inside.

From the President's Box.

Making a solar oven to heat up water.

From the front.

The hard part of the wood stove is done.