Moving into fall

Rob pretty much summed up the last 2 weeks or so when he lamented that all he wanted to do was get building, and he hadn’t done a single bit of it this last while.

Just one of those times I guess, that sees us with a never ending list of tasks that require attention; filing taxes, dentist appointments, bills and banking,  trips to Ottawa, more trips to Ottawa.

We had promised our landlord that we would get the last of our business odds and ends out of our former warehouse space by September. Now in July, September seemed pretty far away, but here we are in late September and our remaining stuff is still piled there.  So Rob has been back and forth, bringing it all here, to this little 800 sq. foot cabin. Well, most of it.  There are still a few things that our former landlord has kindly allowed us to leave there a little while yet.  There are a lot of items that will be useful when we have the new house (like the ‘fridge from our store) but right now we have little or no space for it.

Earlier this week though, Rob was finally able to get back to the task at hand, which is closing in the shed.  The concrete is curing nicely, so he is now able to get the walls up and a door in. On nice days when I go up to visit, I usually bring a couple of tart crisp apples from a local apple farm, and we sit out on the concrete pad, munch on our apples and admire his handiwork.  He is anxious to be up there working on timbers for the new house, but it will be a little while yet.

It's easy to forget how far we've come with this shed. Just a few months ago you could barely see it for trees, and it was full of old stuff and had a dirt floor.  It's becoming a lovely space. 

Although the weather forecast called for rain this week, we have been lucky to have mostly sunny days, and warmer temperatures than anticipated at times. I try to take advantage of the nice weather and hang out at the river for a little while in the afternoons. The river is so low that I can edge my way out a little further on the rocks than normal, and find myself with a good view both up and downstream. Hoping to see that eagle again! This week though, there was a rustling in the bushes back at the edge (and yes, I was a bit nervous, wondering what was coming out!) when out popped what I think is a mink. I had to come back and search on the web and refer to my photos, but near as I can tell, that's what it was. Apparently weasels have white underbellies, martens are more buff coloured underneath, and a mink has a telltale white chin.
So here are a few photos of this little guy/gal.  The click of my camera had it pretty interested, but I had the idea it couldn't really see me.  It swam underneath the roots of a big maple tree, but would keep coming out to have a look in my direction. What a treat. I have never seen one before.

 

The last shot is my favourite. I was back on the river yesterday and there was no sign of it. Apparently they are usually more nocturnal. So I really was fortunate to see one!

It's sunny and crisp out this morning.  A good time to get some laundry out on the line. I am hoping this afternoon to clean up some branches that are around the cabin; some of them will be large enough to use in the wood stove, and the smaller ones will go into the chipper and we can use the chips for our pathways and trails. We are hoping to do a lot more wood gathering and branch clean up as October approaches.

Each day as we walk through the woods we notice the gradual change in the colours of the leaves.  There is a more golden hue in the woods, with not as much of the vibrant red and orange that we are used to. But there are some maples that have turned that lovely orange/red, and I love this one that hangs over the river.