I Will Take Two Tylenol and a Heating Pad Please

This 4-day we ended up at the lake working on the cottage... again. No, it is still not done. Our vacation project has turned into the most drawn out event- I can't wait for it to be done so we can enjoy the place again. And after a day of up and down the ladder and painting, I am going to need the Tylenol and heating pad so I'm not sore tomorrow. So as promised, here are some pics of our project so far. We still have plenty to do but it is coming along nicely, if I do say so myself. I can't wait for dad to see it when he comes back from Canada.


So, here is the before. We had already power washed the front- that's why there is some paint missing.


And this is what it looks like now (at least the back):

Bobby did a great job painting and replacing a lot of rotten boards- I mean A LOT! Then today he put down the rock in the back and put up the new shutters- they look GREAT! We still have some painting to do and more rock to put down but I think it looks great so far! We are excited about the progress but ready to be done!

On a sad note: This summer I began feeding the birds at the lake. I had about 8 feeders around the cottage and Bobby finally put up mom's Martin house- a little late in the season to get Martins but we did have some Sparrows nest in it. When we got up to the lake on Wednesday, I filled my feeders like I always do. But apparently the time has come and most of my birds have flown away. Bobby and I noticed a few weeks ago that we didn't see any Blue Herons and the arrival of the Sea Gulls always notes the end of summer- and they're here, landing on the raft with their dinners and leaving a huge mess! It seems a bit early in the season for the birds to leave the area but, maybe they know something we don't. I wonder if this means we are going to have an early winter or a cold/snowy one. Just have to wait and see. I really miss seeing my birds this weekend and I know the cats we disappointed too. So now I am on a mission to make my "aviary" (as Pam calls it) better next year.

Also this morning another first- Bobby and I saw a juvenile Muskie under the pier. This is a hybrid fish that is stocked in the lake. It was about 8 inches long, brown with spotted fins and more square than a bass. This is interesting because it was thought that the only ones left in the lake were between 45-60 inches long- yep, no joke. It's a big fish. Someone must have stocked the lake recently since this fish does not breed and this one is the smallest I have ever seen. - At least I thought it was neat.

So back to work we go. I got a text from one of the other Medic 12 lieutenants letting me know our brand NEW truck was in service. However, during a call this morning, someone went to move the truck and didn't realize the side door was open- BIG SCRATCH! At least I wasn't driving, considering my reputation for wrecking trucks!