December 2005 Notes

December 2005 Journal

Uncle Buck, as we affectionately have named him, stands guard in the pantry area. He was a gift from Matt Ziemba and looks very dashing in his holiday attire much to Matt's consternation.

We used old fashioned screen doors to enclose the pantry area and inserted pine cone fabric to hide the evidence, and disarray.

This view facing west shows the island with green granite counter top that is actually a river bottom complete with stones and algae. The natural curve of the wood is easily visible on the upper cabinets.

We used some old fashioned type glass in the north cabinet doors. It provides a place for glassware and gives a lighter appearance with the diffused reflections.

When I asked Matt for some open shelves he used sections of maple burl for the sides and black walnut for the shelves. For now it holds various pitchers and teapots.

Looking south from the kitchen the living room area is filled with light from the seven windows. We were given some fine handcrafted tables and rocking chairs; an eight foot square rug is on order to warm the area and eventually there will be a small sofa or loveseat.

Early in 2005 we were able to complete the fireplace wall and the hearth that supports the gas-fired fireplace. Sitting near it, or on Bruno the black bear rug, is a favorite spot on a chilly evening.

With Bruce's help the stair bannister was fashioned from pine logs and installed in spite of the previous evening's partying. Later the stair treads were nailed in place and sealed.

When we arrived one weekend we were greeted with this bird impression on a south window. Apparently a mourning dove hit the glass and left the dusty impression. We referred to it as "the Holy Ghost" and left it there for a couple of weeks.

During the holiday week Kern, Kathy and Matthew visited us and in spite of any fresh snowfall we were able to do some cross country skiing. It was a first experience for Matthew and he once was heard to say "this is fun!"

Matthew, with Kern and Kathy in the background, is by now fully indoctrinated into the cross country skiing routine, including how to fall, and then how to get back up.

We were happy to get out and do some skiing with our family. Last year we spent too much time working inside.

In early December we received a fine snowfall of 15 to 18 inches and decided to trim our little "wedding tree" with some Christmas lights.

Over several weekends I worked on a jigsaw puzzle and just before taking it apart Paul insisted on immortalizing it.

December 2005 Journal

Having finally received our certificate of occupancy we'd like to give you a tour of the Grasshopper Ranch cabin, starting with the mudroom entry. A colorful picture of grasshoppers is the first welcoming sign, and the watchful jackalope is nearby to amaze you.	Uncle Buck, as we affectionately have named him, stands guard in the pantry area. He was a gift from Matt Ziemba and looks very dashing in his holiday attire much to Matt's consternation.

We used old fashioned screen doors to enclose the pantry area and inserted pine cone fabric to hide the evidence, and disarray.	A view of our new kitchen cabinets, hand crafted by Matt of maple and black walnut. The edges are just as Mother Nature fashioned them and all are finished in a clear satin polyurethane..

This view facing west shows the island with green granite counter top that is actually a river bottom complete with stones and algae. The natural curve of the wood is easily visible on the upper cabinets.	We used some old fashioned type glass in the north cabinet doors. It provides a place for glassware and gives a lighter appearance with the diffused reflections.

When I asked Matt for some open shelves he used sections of maple burl for the sides and black walnut for the shelves. For now it holds various pitchers and teapots.	Looking south from the kitchen the living room area is filled with light from the seven windows. We were given some fine handcrafted tables and rocking chairs; an eight foot square rug is on order to warm the area and eventually there will be a small sofa or loveseat.

Early in 2005 we were able to complete the fireplace wall and the hearth that supports the gas-fired fireplace. Sitting near it, or on Bruno the black bear rug, is a favorite spot on a chilly evening.	With Bruce's help the stair bannister was fashioned from pine logs and installed in spite of the previous evening's partying. Later the stair treads were nailed in place and sealed.

Our bedroom has an extra wide window that we refer to as "the fat fireman's window". On full moon nights we can see the shadows of the pine trees on the snow. The quilt was a year long project depicting the pine trees, stars and with an insert of a log cabin.	The south facing potting shed was a wedding gift from Neil. The windows and roof have been re-inforced as a hedge against future snowfall. We have big plans for gardening come spring. For now, wouldn't it make a great spot for sun bathing?

We have all the modern conveniences at the Ranch. Here are the satellite dishes for Internet and TV reception.	When we arrived one weekend we were greeted with this bird impression on a south window. Apparently a mourning dove hit the glass and left the dusty impression. We referred to it as "the Holy Ghost" and left it there for a couple of weeks.

During the holiday week Kern, Kathy and Matthew visited us and in spite of any fresh snowfall we were able to do some cross country skiing. It was a first experience for Matthew and he once was heard to say "this is fun!"	On the icy snow we all experienced several tumbles, but this one by Kathy got 10 votes as the most spectacular!

Matthew, with Kern and Kathy in the background, is by now fully indoctrinated into the cross country skiing routine, including how to fall, and then how to get back up.	We were happy to get out and do some skiing with our family. Last year we spent too much time working inside.

In early December we received a fine snowfall of 15 to 18 inches and decided to trim our little "wedding tree" with some Christmas lights.	Over several weekends I worked on a jigsaw puzzle and just before taking it apart Paul insisted on immortalizing it.

During a Michigan winter you sometimes have to look for creative ways to pass the time and have a little fun. When our snowman friend stopped by for a beer and card game, we were happy to oblige. We still wonder if he was playing fair!	Harlene inspects one of the prospective granite slabs that was eventually used for the kitchen counters.

The big purchase, or Big Boy's Toy, was this John Deere tractor, complete with snowblower, front loader and mower. Wayne was generous enough to loan us his car hauler, and Amy's SUV to haul it to Grasshopper Ranch.	Even if there hadn't been any snow on the ground we would have used the tractor. Blowing the snow is fun, so far, and will make getting into our cabin so much easier in the winter.

This fall we put a second coat of stain on the outside of all of the structures. It was hard to believe that it had been 2 years since we had put the first coats on. Hopefully, we won't have to do this again for five more years.