The kids got very excited to build a “tree-ish house.” They started by extending a small treehouse that the built last year. This was cool, but took up a lot of prime real estate and interfered with the view from the cabin. After some discussion, they chose a new plot in heretofore unexplored territory. (It’s only about 30 feet west of the prior spot, but it’s screened by trees.) They enlisted Sarah’s professional help, removed the old structure and built a new, improved one. The sounds of hammers and saws filled the woods today.
The first picture below shows them beginning to deconstruct the first draft house. The rest show the new one. (And Piper, of course!)
We made it up to the cabin for a long weekend. The weather is perfect: highs near 70 and lows just below 50. It’s dog heaven for Piper. The kids are engaged in a construction project. We saw the comet from the dock last night. A jigsaw puzzle is underway and we played a shockingly close game of Farkle. Not a bad way to recharge in the midst of a very busy autumn.
Note that while “GO MOM HQ” sounds like a worthy homage to Sarah, it actually stands for “Griffin, Oliver, Maggie, Olive, and Murray.” (Olive and Murray are two of the kids’ best friends who regularly come up to the cabin with us.)
This weekend we joined our friends Ellie and Kelsey and two of their kids at Wild River State Park about an hour from Saint Paul. It was our first time tent camping in years and Piper’s first trip. She was amazingly well-behaved—nervous when we bumped into some horses on the trail, but she never barked.
Piper finished her final class of “Foundational Skills” last night at The Canine Coach. Sarah and I have been taking her to weekly classes for the past seven weeks. As always with dog training classes, it’s more about training us to be consistent with our commands, expectations, and rewards than it is about truly training Piper. The main job for us is to continue to practice with her at home in the coming months.
Still, there were some areas where Piper excelled. The “stay” command was one of those. Check out her self-control below as Sarah laid out treats in front of her.
Piper waits patiently after receiving the “stay” command while Sarah spells her name in delicious treats.
When the cone doesn’t work, you bring out the old Spanx. I think they are serving a better purpose on the dog than they ever did on me. (She is doing fine, btw: she just got spayed on Tuesday and we’re trying to give her a good chance at healing quickly and well.)
Piper and I went on a lovely walk along the trails across the street from our house. Highlights included wildflowers and some wild turkeys.
Only two miles, but it was hot and the hills had me winded. I need to make this a daily routine.
Turkey parent on the left. You can just see one of the youngsters on the right. (Baby turkeys, I just found out, are known as “poults.”)
In the following video clip, you can see two poults fly up into a tree just as we come around the bend. Then a third one struggles to get aloft and follows the first two.
Poults taking flight.
Massive bumble bee on one of our flowers when we got home.
Griffin and Sarah returned this evening from their separate adventures up north. Sarah was preparing for trail crews at three different forest service sites (as part of her job with Mobilize Green). Griffin was backpacking on Isle Royale where he had a ton of fun and apparently fed every bloodsucker on the island (by the look of his legs).
We’ll add more details in the coming days. I’m just glad we managed to locate pillows and sheets for everybody.
Today was mixed. I felt like I spent much of it looking for items that I couldn’t find (hidden in boxes I have yet to locate). Vegetable peelers, lotion, kitchen knives, sugar, etc. All minor things, but it is frustrating to reach for something simple and then realize that you have no idea where it is.
On the other hand, Maggie was a magnificent helper today. She tackled mowing the lawn, pumping up the pool, and using the central vacuum.
Lawn mowing champion.
Pumping up the pool.
Central vac is pretty cool.
Too muggy to eat on the porch and the table is still covered with boxes, so we improvised. Astute observers will note the gourmet ravioli by Chef Boyardee. We spare no expense when it comes to our children’s nutrition.
And the obligatory wet dog. (This was a big upgrade from the cramped water table!)
Grandma Pam spent the day with us in the new house today. She was a godsend, bringing us some delicious food, helping to unpack boxes in the kitchen, and spending hours rehabilitating our mangy couch.
This might not look like much, but the back of the couch previously featured a large original art piece by Oliver (“Untitled,” Sharpie on Upholstery).
Ok, it’s a work-in-progress, but you can walk to the door now. (You can slide the slider back and forth between yesterday’s picture and today’s.)We’re spending more time than expected on the front porch; it’s lovely in the morning and evening. (Alas, the green couch in the background doesn’t fit where we were hoping it would go.)Ice cream brings the smiles.The water table wasn’t a one-time thing. Piper generally hops up into it anytime I play ball with her and she gets hot.
Maggie is getting rather clever. Conversation this evening, starting with my question:
“Should we go exploring after dinner?” “No!” “We can walk down the sidewalk and see where it goes. There are some trails in the park up there.” “That sounds long.” “Not too long!” “What about ticks?” “The ticks won’t get us.” “Hmm. But don’t you think mama would want to be with us for our very first hike at the new house? I think we should wait until she gets back on Friday.”
Our first full day in the new house was focused on our movers. They unloaded our 13 crates of stuff and hauled away a moldy piano left by the previous owner. Our spacious, spartan new home has become a cardboard labyrinth. It’s a bit overwhelming.
In the midst of the moving chaos, I found many moments of joy today playing with Piper and the kids in the back yard.
Sunrise over the house. Enjoying the piles emerging from the truck. The garage begins to overflow.Piper doesn’t know what to make of everything. Somehow we will find a place for everything. Grandma Pam’s stupendous pasties for dinner. We began decorating while Sarah is out of town. 😋After some awesome sprinting, Piper decided to curl up in the water table, happy as can be.
