Is it Woody?
Well it’s opening day 2010… not baseball, but the cabin. This year, the prognosis is…. Good! No real problems (knock wood), and everything is up and running well. As you may recall, over the last 4 years or so, there have appeared on the water line, weird little punctures each spring. At first I thought it might be something stepping on the line, like an elk or snowshoer. But the pipe is never crushed, just a clean hole punched inward… like someone poked it with an awl. Then I started to suspect woodpeckers… looking for bugs in the “hollow log” of our water pipe. So, last fall I laid boards on top of the line all the way down, figuring if they woodpeckers can’t get to it… no holes. So, the verdict is… it worked sort of. There was only one hole — UNDER a board. Hmmm. Does that rule out woodpeckers?
Something I need to add to the “closing list”: Fill the gas tank. It’s very low, and I hope it holds out for the weekend. If we can get some showers tomorrow… we’ll be happy.
Once upon a time....
Erin and I hiked the short way back to Horse Creek, just below where Keith’s water plant is. Boy is it torn up back there. Like they’ve been running equipment back to his water treatment area or something… lots of dirt torn up, little trees down, and general mess. If I were the folks who have the cabin just across the creek, where there are little waterfalls, I’d be bummed. I remember going up there with dad and grandpa to put the coffee can sized filter at the end of our water pipe in. That was low tech, but nobody ever got sick off the water. It was nice up there… splashing creek with grass and flowers. Ah well.
Reminds me of a recurring dream I have every so often: We come up to the cabin and it’s all Vail-ized up here. Paved road, condos, trees removed…. yikes! Wake up in a cold sweat!
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A nice photo of RMNP I “borrowed” from somebody online.
Well, it’s May 14th, 2010, a short TWO WEEKS from cabin opening. I can hardly believe how quick summer comes around each year, but I’m glad for it. As I approach a half-century old, I find winter just ain’t as much fun as it used to be. Anyway, I’ll post here about how everything goes this year. Hoping for no squirrels in the place, no broken pipes. I covered the water pipe that goes down the hill with a bunch of boards at the end of last summer, so hopefully no “mystery holes” this year (I suspect woodpeckers!). If there are punctures in that line, I’ll really be mystified
I’m so glad Nancy and Steve will be coming, and Hales here for softball and a visit.
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The third of my posts for today — Sept 6, 2009. I thought it would be useful to put up a list of the things that need to be done, maintenance and improvement - wise. So here we go… if you want to add, subtract etc, post your comments.
- Shall we set up a Cabin Bank Account? Say $100 each for starters? Maybe Nancy can use her banking expertise to make an account accessible by all…?
- Furnace - a.k.a. the Squirrel House. This thing needs a good cleaning and a safety check. Probably a job for a professional.
- Deck/Window trim painting - paint’s getting a bit worn.
- The rotten log ’round back. Wondering if it can be “injected” with epoxy or some such.
- Move propane tank 40′ from cabin per insurance co. request
- Clean up the carnage on back corner of lot - ie. trees that were “murdered” by… who knows who.
- Front screen door - re-do screen (a quick and easy)
- Fix broken rain gutter on NE corner of front porch. Need to work it around the tree somehow.
Here’s my “wish/long-term” list. I’d be interested to know what you all think of these ideas:
- Improve bathroom - new sink/vanity, enclose ceiling rafters (I thought it would be cool to wallboard between the little beams, but leave them showing) - a nicer shower stall or, dare we… a tub?
- New kitchen lighting
- New kitchen countertop
- Paint kitchen cabinets
- Some better mattresses upstairs
- I have always thought it would be way cool to put a sleeping cabin/gazebo type thing back on the land. Something screened in (say 10′ x 10′), to sit in. It’s quiet and “secluded” back there. Nothing fancy, and never any food or anything bears would want. A fun place for kids (and grownups) to “camp out”.
- We don’t need TV up here. But… admittedly, it’s kinda nice sometimes. Fun in the evenings etc. Well, with the new digital TV protocol, there is no reception here. But, I believe Dish Networks has a pay-by-the-day setup you can get thru Radio Shack. A dish and box… you buy a number of days, and are only charged when you use it. Probably not an issue for you out of staters… we’ll think about it.
That’s all I can think of now… anyone?
~D
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After 40+ years of coming up here, it’s really fun to notice something new. This summer, I noticed… THE MYSTERY WIRE! Now I’d seen it before, but never really thought about it. This wire starts by the green desk, inside the cabin with a little flat piece of metal with a hook…
It’s covered in leather. From there, it goes outside…
(It’s not the black wire) You’ll note it goes from the flat metal, through the ceramic insulator… and up….
Up the wall it goes… all the way to the peak of the cabin. Then back down…
Around the corner… across the front porch, right over the door, and to the southeast corner of the cabin, where it ends.
What could this mysterious wire be….?
- A tiny lightning rod?
- An alien reception beacon?
- A government wire tap?
Well… no one knows for sure, but I suspect it’s a radio antenna. Left from the pre-TV days, and most likely constructed by Grandpa. Looks like his handiwork. So hook the old RCA up to it and listen to Denver! ~D
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Greetings all! I’m sitting on the cabin porch. It’s September 6th, so almost the last day of the cabin for the summer. Tomorrow we’ll get things closed up… and that’s it. I always want more time! The early fall is one of the nicest times here. Just a few aspens starting to turn. I have some pictures from the summer…
New this weekend! Bear sign at the bottom of the road. Trouble 2 weeks ago at Baker's cabin - a bear broke the window and reached in to steal cookies - while John was there! Apparently broke into the Teagues cabin off the highway, and around the lodge. Sad to hear they shot the main culprit 2 weeks ago. Still a sign though... maybe more? Hope they don't shoot 'em.
Erin and her best pal Anna in Copeland Lake. Ever notice how that rock echoes the mountain shape almost exactly!?
4th of July parade in Allenspark
Bought a little tripod so I could take charming self portraits like this one. Trying to look cool with tangled line.
This is the kind of monster trout I often catch.
In the RMNP. There was a 1/2 hour long traffic jam because of these critters on the upper Hidden Valley bend.
Low clouds and a scenic view on Trail Ridge
Our pal Mt. Meeker
If you have any photos, post them here… or send to me if you don’t know how!
~D
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