MAKING A DENT

After yesterday, everything aches!
TAKEN: MAY 31st, 2025

Well, we were back at it yesterday, with our dueling chainsaw in action at the cottage. 

We landed at about 10am and put the bad boys away at about 2pm. All in the hope of cleaning up from the ice storm before Labour Day!

We would have worked on today, but my travel buddy hubby left his medications at the house in town, so we spent the night at the cottage and headed home first thing. By doing so, sipping my coffee this morn produced a reality check that I hadn’t considered.

Though we are privileged enough to own two properties fifteen minutes apart, the amount of effort to support the maintenance of both is a balancing act. Previously, we would be lucky enough to have one afternoon of rest (each weekend) for the entire summer.

This year, I don’t think there will be any weekend rest. Except for an exciting long weekend, I have planned in July to celebrate my husband’s milestone birthday; the summer of 2025 will be the summer of sweat. Hard core labour sweat.

Like anything we are faced with, there is a give and take. Yesterday the ‘give’ was that neither of us had any energy or desire to deal with the task at hand. The ‘take’ was that the weather his a balmy 4C, which meant the mosquitoes and blackflies did not impede our efforts.

As you can see from the pic I am sharing, yesterday I tackled the start of clearing the stairs. I took this on because there were three steps to complete here and hubby has an issue bending over for hours at a time.

With the fire hazard surrounding us, I took clippers to the small limbs, then my electric chainsaw to anything that I could quickly process for the woodstove. Then, for tree trunks that had to be cut and would need to be split with an axe – out came my Husqvarna.

Though that might seem all organized and well thought out, there is always one large hiccup that presents itself when I bring this slick beauty out.... I have no ability to start it with the pull cord.  

I have to seek out my hubby, have him get ‘er going, then head back to my task at hand. Not gonna lie, I always try, then fold like a lawn chair and give up.

Glass half full? 

At least I always try!

PS: Can you do me a favour? PRAY for a ton of rain in June!!

WOODEN YA KNOW!

The only good thing to report?
We've opened up our view!
TAKEN: MAY 17th, 2025

When the ice storm of the century hit Muskoka the final weekend in March, the damage around town was brutal. Fortunately, at the house, we escaped with a couple of days of cleanup and a handful of well organized burn piles for the fall.

Because we were leaving for Aruba the weekend following that storm, and with my getting pneumonia shortly after we returned, this past weekend was the first time we landed at the cottage to turn the water on and assess possible carnage.

When we pulled in the driveway, I had to hop out to move limbs so my travel buddy hubby to get up the lane. Once loaded up and headed to the top of the hill, nothing prepared us for the level of damage we would see. There was so many downed trees, we had a hard time navigating to the bottom.

We immediately focused on getting the water on (our lake intake was damaged by felled trees) and then I focused on a deep clean and getting beds made. Late in the afternoon I began cutting and moving the smaller brush (from the firepit area below) with my chainsaw; but it seemed hopeless.

Hubby assessing the damaged plumbing
stack and fascia damage.
TAKEN: MAY 17th, 2025

Pink arrow shows how healthy
trees just snapped off from the weight.
TAKEN: MAY 17th, 2025

Clotheslines gone and our more than 50 stairs are pretty much a write off. The only thing that seemed to survive was 'the shed that won't die', left to us more than 20 years ago - from the previous owners. 

The red graphic below is where I would like us to built the new stairs and electric 'Grocery Bulter'. 

A fancy name for a 4'x4' powered winch system to move items up and down the hill. Not all cottagers will want to climb that hill, like we have for the past 20+ years. 

The shed that won't die.
(The tin boat remained all these years
so I can reach my clotheslines.)

By mid-day Sunday, we managed to clean the top drive, the ATV trail, the firepit landing, and removed the large trees off the roof. 

We spent about six hours, with two chainsaws going, and never argued once. Just effectively communicated on how to untangle this serious puzzle Mother Nature left us.

Wouldn't you know it. The one year we don't check in, is the one year we are gifted with a good month of yardwork that will leave us with a bonfire wood pile fit for a King.

Hope the King can spare some Rub A535.... Because every single muscle in my body is yelling at me today to "HIRE SOMEONE TO CLEAN THIS CRAP UP," which is simply not an option for us. 

Not because we can't afford it. But because we want to prove to each other that we've got this.... No matter how painful and totally delusional that statement may really be! 

#yagottalaughaboutit

...A REFLECTIVE RHONDI

Like I do every Sunday, I loaded up the car and went and spent my standard hour and a half with my buddy Rod. As he handed me the bottle of water I’d asked for, I noticed an old newspaper article faded in its frame. Though I struggled to read the fine print, I could see the headline. It read... “The Hardest Working Man in Bracebridge.”

My personal motto? Work hard & PLAY harder
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 22nd, 2015

When I read it aloud and then commented that I’d never noticed it before, he very casually said “that was written when I was nineteen”. To give that some perspective, we are the very same age... 29!

As we chatted about our busy week, I couldn't help but think of the sign I had at home that Goob had given me this past Christmas (that's it on the right, keeping my snowshoes warm).

It's conversations like the one I had today, that remind how differently we've raised our children in comparison to how we were raised.

I will admit that I know I work too much. Yet, I will also admit that I don't know how to live any other way. I'm not entirely sure how it's been construed that I work so much that I don't have a life, because that's simply not true. I have a life. Exactly the life I want. One with a solid balance. One that is fulfilling and always evolving. One that is constantly ushering out the old and welcoming in the new. One that proves I'll never stop pushing and I'll never stop learning.

Afterall, life is all about finding a proper balance... right?

Okay, so who wants have lunch & play hooky with me next Friday? You're frickin' ON!

HONEY, I'M HOME!

It's not closed... More emptied.
How perfect was it that the sun came out to greet me as I left?
TAKEN: OCTOBER 11th, 2014

Well, when my husband and I awoke to pouring rain this past Saturday morning; we immediately cut our spooning/catch up session short, to bite the bullet and officially move me home.

You know what? 

Even though I had started packing the week previous, I had no idea the amount of crap that still had to go up the hill. I've always steadfastly held the ground that I am not a pack rat but more than eight trips after the fact, I was still finding stuff that I didn’t want to leave behind.  Don't tell anyone... but it was a little embarrassing. All I kept saying to him was “HOLY SHIT... I honestly had no idea!”

Not because I thought he was mad but because I knew it was something he didn’t want to be doing on his Saturday morning off. So, to help curb the volume of potential whining, I offered he to do the packing of the kitchen while I did the crappy lugging up the fifty five steps. It's mornings like last Saturday that make me realize we really are a pretty amazing Team. 

No one can ever accuse me of making my husband do anything he didn't want to. He’s always been his own person, and over the years I have learned to become mine. After twenty eight years together, we have finally discovered, that even though we have different interests and varying circles of friends, communicating to one and other the wants and needs we both have, make our quality time together pretty amazing.

He really didn’t want me to move to the cottage this summer but I know he’s glad I did. It not only helped us evolve to the next level as a married couple…. But as a the great Team and best of friends we'd somehow lost track of being thanks to everyday life.

Funny how those light bulb moments sneak up on us isn't it?

The 400th Time's A Charm

My newest business associate was telling me last week that he'd finally gotten around to reading some of my Blog. As expected, there were questions: as always, I was honest. What started out as a simple coping mechanism has taken on a life of it's own.

Here's to the Muskoka summer that was never meant to be.
TAKEN: JULY 27th, 2014

Truth of the matter is that tonight is my 400th offering. 

Yes-sir-ree, I  have written about & processed four hundred different life events, stories, not to mention varying emotions. 

The part that really tugs at my heart strings is that this is only my 347th actual post. The others sit in limbo for only my eyes and heart to ever see and feel. I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit that because every single one's contributed to how I've arrived at today. Few know how truly cryptic they are and I suspect no one else cares. Makes no matter, all are an extension of me, kind of like children.

Early on, my cousin Nancy asked "Why is your husband never really mentioned in your Blog?" 

My response was immediate. "Because it isn't his Blog!"

Why does he appear today? Well, yesterday was an exceptionally memorable day. Mid way through the afternoon we were having so much fun I picked up the camera. Because I totally suck at taking selfies it took us a number of tries. We had a blast taking them and for the very first time in four hundred attempts I am going to share a blooper reel.

Thanks to each and everyone of you for staying in touch. For whatever reason, I enjoy this somewhat unconventional process of keeping an electronic journal. I am pleased to report that not only did I survive last winter - but that I am witnessing, first hand, the Muskoka summer that was never meant to be. 

Oh, that is except for... yesterday. From about two until five o'clock to be exact!

Cheers...