How does my grass grow?

July 12 -  no lawn :-(

Some pictures of the septic tank being installed are here.

July 21: I spent a day raking, smoothing out the earth and marking where the tank is.

July 22 - Darcy helped me pick up rocks that could eventually damage the lawnmower. I also pulled the fire pit base back over where it belongs and put the wheelbarrow straight. I even filled it with earth and planted flowers in it. I was lucky to get a 35$ bag of grass seed for $7 ealier Darcy and I each grabbed some seeds off we went.

A week later there are some shoots!!

August 1: Some work is finally being done to fix the broken drain. Of course the toilet had to break, so now we have to wait so we can go get a new toilet. 

August 4 - can really see it growing in now.

August 9 - it's green!!

September 9: View from the other side- starting to look like a real lawn again.

Summer 2017

We had many lakeside bonfires this summer and they were all great. Some had guitars and singing, some had meteor showers, some had camp coffee; they all had good company.

 

Some more about July here and here.

Having fun with shapes:

I volunteered at the fair gates one night to help get a donation to the Girl Guides. Kevin watched the tractor pull, Darcy slept over at Nannas's and Cam had some freedom to roam around the fair grounds.

The view from the Boathouse Inn

Mom made this delicious pie when Pat came to visit.

Some of my feathered friends. Hummingbird, Goldfinches, Red-breasted nuthatch, Hairy woodpecker, grosbeak and a chickadee.

Great Blue Heron

I also spent the summer doing three gardening contracts and coaching Darcy's baseball team.

 GEN!!! OMG!!! It had been at least 10 years since we last saw each other in person. It was like time never passed. I don't have a lot of pictures, but I will have wonderful memories. I wish the day could have stretched on much longer, but alas Gen is popular woman and had other visits to make on her short stay in Canada. 

Our daughters hit it off immediately. Darcy still talks about her and has become pen pals with her. Genevieve and her family live in Burkina Faso.

WOW! Those eyes!

Sometimes it looks like a marina here!

We all participated in the regatta.

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Kevin and I have been helping his mom redo her patio. She had the backyard sodded and all the patio stones were removed and left in stacks in her driveway.

Of course, we can't work on the patio when it's wet and when we are available to go work on it, it has to be one of the hottest days of the summer.

Almost done.

Evidence of fun!

Kevin saw the Snowbirds fly by when he was working on a rooftop one day.

How many men does it take to beach a boat?

Closing the cottage Fall 2016

Starting to put things away for the winter (Sept 25)

Just a wee bit of laundry to do:

This is the second load like this and there's still about one more load up there to go get.

The wharf is secured for the winter, the chairs, kayaks and BBQ's are all stored and the water is drained and closed...sad time of year despite the beauty.

Fall Foliage

My handrangea

The colors are stunning this year.

Putting away Mom's Tiki Bar, too.

Cottage makeovers

Rearranged and deep cleaned the whole kitchen to this sign (which Mom gave me for my birthday) would be the first thing you see when you come in the kitchen door.

Hallway:

Yowza!

Kids room:

Voila! 

Lisa gave me some decorations after her wedding and I made this princess throne canopy for Darcy's bed. 

His and hers closets with a common area in between. 

Master Bedroom:

It's pink before and pink after, but believe me in person there is a big difference. 

Gallery before

Small gallery wall #1 after

Gallery wall before

Small gallery wall #2 after

The view from my bedroom window. I have a weird window that actually opens onto the porch, but the porch is basically all windows, so I still get natural light and a great view of my hydrangeas and the lake. Although you can't tell here, my window is freshly painted white! 

Opening the cottage 2016

 April 25, 2016: First time in the cottage this year. Ice still on lake. 

Dead mouse in the toilet...2 dead mice, actually!

May 9, 2016: Made the beds.

Master bedroom

Lakeside stairs...some damage from shifting posts under the house.

You can see the slant to the posts. Hhmmm...no wonder we call the cottage the Slanty Shanty.

The floating wharf is not in yet. The solid wharf is looking a little wonky.

The bunk house all set up for Cam (or guests)