Building The Love Shack

When I joking said this Summer was going to be called the Summer of the Deck, I think the only one who thought I was kidding was me because so far it seems between work and the deck it has become our lives.

Let me get you caught up on the last two weeks.

I just finished doing a work run of working seven out of the eight days. My work has been feast or famine, so I have been forced to do these crazy shifts.  Husband has been called back to work also but it is also going day by day. This makes planning and building both a day by day event.

We were happy to have had Fathers Day weekend off and were able to have the family up at the Love Shack and yes we put them to work on the deck. This added a new Warrior to our collection Emilio, as my father-in-law, along with the kids were out working on the deck with Husband while got I dinner ready.

 

 

So we are pleased to add Emilo to our Warrior collection.

 

Our son was surprised to hear that I have become a great apprentice to Husband who has now taught me how to dig and level foundation holes, mix and pour concrete, pour and level stone, cut wood, and screw in a deck base.

Additionally, in the past two weeks, Husband and I decided to do another addition to the deck planning, another thing I haven’t shared with the gang, but we did tell them secret number one.  On the left side of the deck, we are making it a covered porch.

Our old house before we downsized, had a covered front porch, and when there were thunderstorms we used to sit out and watch them. This house we live in lacks this precious piece of real estate.

With that piece of enjoyment removed from our lives, we decided with the lovely view in the front of the cottage, to add this enjoyment back to our lives. I must say, that everyone was pleased with this new plan.

The front deck will now have an open area to enjoy the sunset and see the stars at night and also a covered area to watch the storms. It will also provide a shaded area for days like we are having now.

Speaking of weather, we are under a heatwave that has lasted the past two weeks and is planned to last for a while longer.

Husband and I have been out building the deck in this weather and have had to keep the furbabies in the cottage with two air conditioners and a fan going to keep them comfortable. This weekend we are looking at the same.

We didn’t invite anyone up last weekend or this one coming because of the weather. So it will be him and I again working in this heat.

I’m hoping this weather breaks soon and gets back to normal as now that Social Distancing has been allowed to have more contact, we have booked all my full weekends off of work for the rest of the Summer with the Warriors.

Most of them never got up last year with doing the front room, but now that the cottage is a fully functional home, it will be nice to spend some time with them and for them to see each other. But also to let them see and enjoy the work they put into it.

We are still hanging on to the hope that the border will open in the Fall and our friends from Minnesota, Julie and Gary, who you were introduced to last Summer, will be coming up to spend time at the cottage now that our trip for our Twentieth Wedding Anniversary in Italy had been canceled.  We had planned to spend it with them in Italy, so those weekends in September have been put on hold or hope.

We won’t get to see Italy this year, but we can always cook pasta, drink some good wine and enjoy a different view and maybe next year we will get to go to Italy.

Over the past two weeks, we have also had our first mishap from construction at the cottage.

We were just finishing up for the day and about to pack up when we had only two more cuts of wood to do and wouldn’t you know, a small piece of wood, 2 inches by 2 inches board went flying off the saw.

I went to see where it went and to pick it up and to my shock and horror, it flew across our lawn and over to our neighbors’ lawn and hit the glass on the front screen door. It never made a sound when it hit, but it still managed to break the glass.

 

 

I quickly called our neighbor and he had luckily been on the way up. Once he arrived, we cleaned up the glass and removed the frame for him and brought it home to be repaired.

Thankfully he is a good friend and his only response was “shit happens”.

We never told him when we brought it up the next weekend and put the glass back in how hard that repair was to do.

It took several phone calls to find a place in the eighth-largest city in Canada, that actually has glass. Apparently, because of the Pandemic, glass is another thing on backorder and the glass repair shops hardly have any in stock. So we pulled off a miracle and had it repaired and installed in five days.

They must be happy as he still mowed our lawn for us with his new riding lawnmower. Oh, I forgot to mention this, our lovely neighbor bought a riding lawn mower and has done the lawn for us the past few weeks while we have been busy building. You know, I’m going to buy that man a case of beer. And again it’s nice to have good neighbors who have become friends.

Which brings us to neighbors. We have been at the Love Shack for five years now and had gotten to know some of the neighbors. This year with us working out front, we have gotten to know other neighbors from around the area.

While they have been driving around in their golf carts, we have had many drive-by visits and have had a chance to meet and visit with neighbors from around the area. We are expecting some stop by for a glass of wine visits when the deck is done.

Our relationship at the cottage is growing which includes getting to know all the suppliers in the area, more neighbors, and includes being on a first-name basis with the staff at the local hardware store.  As the years are passing, the cottage is becoming more than a cottage, but becoming our second home.

So here is where we are at with the deck.  The base is officially finished with all the supporters in place including, the holes filled with concrete and stonework is done. The framing is completed with all the boards and hangers put it. The framing for the stairs is in and we are now ready to add the post for the stairs and the railings.

 

 

 

Well, it’s time to start packing for the weekend.  Up to the cottage we go, so we can wake up in the morning and get back to work. No rest for the wicked…