It's Been a Wonderful Summer

thank you.

Wordless Wednesday...

sunset sail...

...we were having a late dinner with family on our deck at the lake as the sun was setting last evening when this beautiful boat sailed by... it was so pretty I ran for my camera!

ahhhhhhh...it's still summer!

We Have Walls!

We have walls! The weather has been sunny and dry this week with everyone working like busy bees...some of the interior wall are up as well so we are beginning to see what everything will really look like. After a couple of years of pouring over plans and computer models, it's so exciting to see it in reality. I hope the weather holds!

groundbreaking

"Good things come to those who wait is an English phrase propounding the virtue of patience. "

~Wikipedia

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Weekends on the lake bring sailboats from all around southern New Brunswick. They sail up the Saint John River to race or just to linger in the harbors, soaking up the summer sun. This pretty boat anchored in the center of the lake in front of our place on Sunday afternoon ~ a tranquil spot on a lazy August afternoon. We spent the day poking around, barbequed and did a little stargazing after dark...a really nice day.

And then, on Monday, all the crews arrived, the machines moved in and the digging began...FINALLY!

What an amazing sight ~ the old cottage loaded on a flatbed trailer!
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The first scoop :)

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The end of Day 1 ~ the old foundation cleared away, new septic system installed and the hole for the new foundation is started ~ yay!

Abracadabra! well, not quite...

For the last several weeks, I've been wishing I could wave a magic wand or wiggle my nose or cast a spell that would begin 'The Move'... and yet all things happen in their own good time. Ah, yes. The Snuff and his band of merry men have been here for several days and have made great progress as you can see. They carried in a rather monstrous pneumatic -new word for me meaning air pressure :)- jack and raised each corner a bit at a time. It soon became clear to all that the addition on the far side of the cottage would have to be separated to facilitate the move and that they did ~ just sliced it off! Now, I'm telling you, this group of men had patience beyond measure (it took TWO full days!) as they inched the main building around by 90 degrees and tucked it in beside our garage (where we are presently residing!). These photos show the before, during and after ~

The flatbed trailer is arriving to today to carry it all up the road to its new home.

Looks like there's room for a new cottage! Stay tuned!

The Elusive Snuffleupagus...

Have you met Snuffy? You know, Big Bird's friend, rarely seen by adults or anyone, really?

We have dubbed the contractor hired by our cottage buyers, as 'The Snuff', rarely seen by adults, especially those with plans to build a new cottage...hehehe.

We are all certain, however, that he DOES exisit and will one day soon, show his rusty, fuzzy face...I'll let you know.

Moving Day...

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." ~unknown

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Our 'summer home' with one of the new flower beds...we really must stop calling it the garage! We've spent most of this week packing up (and purging!) all the 'stuff' in our old cottage and creating a little spot in our garage where we can spend time enjoying the summer during the construction of the new place...we've been planning our new cottage for a few years and it's finally going to happen. As with any major change, I have some mixed feelings...the old place is filled with 22 years of happy memories ~ friends and family, our first home, where my husband proposed...and yet, I know we are leaving none of that behind and am VERY excited to be building our new place! It looks like moving day is early next week...they are going to jack up the old cottage, slide some beams (?) under, place it on a flatbed truck and drive it down the road to it's new home. I know it will make a great cottage for the young family who are the new owners! We're headed there today to finish up the packing and enjoy one more weekend there...stay tuned!

What's Blooming Today? Forsythia!

Forsythia is pure joy. There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia. Pure, undiluted, untouched joy.

Anne Lindbergh (1906 - )

When this little forsythia blooms I know that spring had finally settled! We've had several days of sunshine and warmth which has literally popped tiny leaves, green grass and baby lilac blooms peeking out from their protective leaf buds...purple ones so far! The birds are singing for all their worth ~ I can hear them with the windows CLOSED! A plump red robin drew me to the window this morning with her happy song. She was perched at the top of our maple tree surveying the neighborhood...looking for a man, I think! Two little finches have set up housekeeping in a birdhouse I have sitting on the porch railing. It was never intended to be a permanent home (very wobbly in the wind) and now I'm afraid to move it in the event they are quite settled in...I'll have to keep an eye on them and secure it when they go out to eat!

Also blooming are my little, frilly anemones, starflowers, bluebells and the first daffodil!

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I spent a fair bit of time in my cottage garden this weekend and made lots of progress! We cleared and planted two new large beds last fall and there are bits of green poking out of the ground, telling me they survived the winter...We are planning some big projects there this summer, including building a new cottage. I'll keep you posted! :)