The start of something new...

We-uns noticed that we had some new neighbors moving into town just down the road from us. We noticed because the other day out of our window looking across the lake, we saw someone drop in on the other shore and swim diagonal towards the west end of the lake.

It seems there is a home being built just down the road from us on the lake. So David, Delta, and I decided to be neighborly and go greet them. We got dressed in our yooper best and headed out.

(Oh my gosh we are so goofy.)

Back to our path to the new neighbors house...

Delta thought she would take a host / hostess gift and found something oddly appropriate along the way. It took her a couple times to choose something she liked... she wanted to find just the right one.

Hmmm.. not this one... it's too small....

THAT ONE!
Just perfect but a bit hard to carry.

She brought it back to me to get my opinion.

Unfortunately, Delta's gift went unaccepted. When we got there, no one was home.

We can see they have recently been doing a little fixing up of the place and settling in. They have just started on their home as you can see because it is rather modest in size. I hope they have enough time before winter sets in to strengthen it up a bit.

Hmm... I wonder if the fact the house is so small at this time of year... and that they are even starting to build a house this time of year is some kind 'old injun' sign. Dunno. Need to find me an 'old injun'.

Dad, any thoughts?

Heh heh.

As of yet, we have been unable to make their acquaintance. They seem to be rather shy folk. Delta found where they were taking down some maples and pines and dragging them off the bank and into the water... where they tow it across the water to their home. It is probably ok for her to be sniffing around there at the bank... but from what I hear even though she is 90+ lbs... a dog does not want to try to go after a beaver IN the water.

Beaver

Type: Mammal

Diet: Herbivore

Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 24 years

Size: Head and body, 23 to 39 in;
Tail, 7.75 to 12 in;
Weight: 60 lbs

Did you know? Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to manipulate and change their environment. Beavers can swim at speeds of up to five miles an hour. They can remain underwater for 15 minutes without surfacing, and have a set of transparent eyelids that function much like goggles. Their fur is naturally oily and waterproof. Hmm... interesting. Thanks National Geographic!

Now for a bit of tragic excitement.

In the past year I have mentioned a couple times the only drinking establishment here in town called the "Trail's End". It is the local bar and I mentioned it in my posting about the grand tour of Sidnaw and then again when I posted about the arrival of exotic dancers during one of the most popular local hunting seasons... which is just about to start again.

Well the Sidnaw landmark has fallen... not really fallen...
more like burnt to the ground.

What you saw on the corner here:

turned into this the other night:

I don't have pictures of what was left after the blaze yet but it took 2 hours for that place to burn literally to the ground. It included an explosion or two thanks to something most folks are attributing to propane... the alcohol, and soda tanks, and grease etc from the grill probably did not help much either.

As we do not live in town we knew nothing of the blaze until the next morning when I was going to work at the Post Office. All that I saw that was remaining of the building was two brick chimneys, and a small portion of a burnt block wall. The rest lay in smoldering heaps pushed and collapsed into the basement. The smoke still lingered in the air and it had permeated everything around it. The post office smelled of house fire all day. Additionally, throughout the day flames would lick out from the piles of debris, and small cinders would fall like snowflakes.

It was quite the attraction... I don't remember seeing that many people in town and they came all day. Heck, the local channel 6 sent the news team out from Marquette.

A pretty little gal in a magenta blazer / pea coat kinda thing came in and asked where the fire department was. I just kinda chuckled and directed her to the aluminum shed where the volunteer trucks are kept. Hmmm... she must like magenta. Have to admit that color does look good on her.

One of our local gals here Lonnie Collins even gave her a quick interview before they went and set the cameras up on the smoking ruins of the bar. I wish we got channel 6 local news... we could watch it and tell Lonnie how famous she is but the TV reception does not come in so well out this far from Marquette.

The fire happened around midnight and the bar owner who lived upstairs got out safely. Thanks to the volunteer fire department his truck was saved as it was in the garage. I heard the plastic and rubber trim was melted around the windows, and he was unable to wash some of the soot off the windows either but got it clear enough to drive... at least he had his vehicle and was able to drive out of town after he finished up with the Fire Chief.

No one will know where or how it started until the local Fire Marshall investigator comes out. At least no one was really hurt other than some smoke inhalation problem with one of the volunteer firemen. He is ok now also by the way.

The hunters, ATV-ers, and snowmobile people will miss one of their watering holes BUT it looks like someone has bought the restaurant in town! Maybe there will at least be somewhere for people to get a cuppa jo or even breakfast in the morning. Rumor is the folks who bought it have another restaurant up near Calumet and they are trying to get this one up and running before all the hunters come in... which is already happening in droves. The old deserted camps that are hidden away around every corner out in nearly every section of the woods have suddenly been filled with testosterone soaked life again.... Trucks, smoke, wood, boots, Carhartts, meat, beer, camo, booze, knives, ATVs, neon orange, guns, and outhouses. scratch scratch.

And now to catch you up on our exciting news... while we are very lucky and the snow that fell mid-October melted... Winter is still on her way. There is no snow or ice on the ground right now so moving around is still relatively easy if not chilly. So... we have decided to make like the snowbirds this year and pack up our knapsack and go in search of greener pastures! Literally. GREENER PASTURES... or maybe I should say greener greens.

I will post more later on our upcoming escape... but here is a hint.
We are movin' on up just like the Jeffersons:


Good-by old friend Palomino... you were a very trusty ride. Just what we needed... BUT

HELLO NEW FRIEND!

Fireplaces, Fishers, Fishermen, Ferociousness, Fire-King, and Finds

Ok... lets get it started... today is sponsored by the letter "F". First... the Fireplace. The fireplace is completed! Jerry and David finished it and it looks great... or should I say it looks Fabulous, and Fantastic!

The woodstove will sit in front of the chimney on a slate tile looking hearth. Here is a picture of the stove.. in fact if you look closely at it this is just about what we are going to have.

The brick wall background, with a tile floor hearth that is flush with the wood floor. We like it. The bricks that make up that wall came from the old Watton School, and from a neighboring hunting camp chimney that was built in the 20's I think. We really like the look of the older brick!

Once they finished up they decided to.... guess what... go Fishing. I managed to get this picture of these two die hard Fisherman from our yard up near the house. Thats why it is so blurry it is zoomed as much as my little camera can zoom.

I almost forgot to share... while fishing the other day they saw a Fisher on the bank. A Fisher is a marten type creature. They can weigh up to 15 lbs and be about 3 feet long. He just one of the Ferocious creatures I will mention in the post today. They kill lots of stuff but interestingly along with mountain lions, they are one of the porcupines few predators. Fishers kill porcupines by jumping over the top of them back and forth... again and again making the porcupine dizzy. Meanwhile they scratch the crap out of the porcupines face so that eventually the porcupine is confused, exhausted, dizzy, and bleeds to death... then the fisher flips him over and feasts starting on the belly.
Looks kinda cute huh?

The other Ferocious creatures being discussed today are my watch Frog, who I moved to a more permanent place in the garden against the fence. Look! The grass is filling in between the rows... must have a blend with fescue in it...

**smirk**
(Having a bit too much frivolous fun with this theme today...)

Anyway.. the other is my guard dog Cosmo the Magnificent. Delta had gone fishing with all the guys while I was working in the garden. When Cosmo the Magnificent saw them going out in the boat he ran down to the launch and then out on one of the grass islets... oh man.. poor little guy!!! He will get to go next time. Anyway... the bears are around supposedly and it does not hurt to have one of the dogs hanging out with me while I am in the yard. Bears don't like dogs...

HAH!

Ya right.. like one would not make a snack out of Cosmo.. anyway.. the dogs can not come in the garden because they walk in the beds and the veggies are too small right now. Banned once again he had to sit outside the gate. He found a sunny spot and took up his post, and tried to strike a most ferocious pose. Well.. it was just so sunny ... and it felt so good... and **yawn** he thought he would lay down for just a second. Hmmm... I was able to sneak right up on my watchbeast. Good thing I was not a bear.

After I shook him awake we walked up to go look at an old window at a neighboring camp. The owners are going to tear it down so that opened it up for salvage. I am collecting windows for a greenhouse one day. I envision walls or at least one wall made of old windows and the rest a kind of small garden shed. Smaller but kind of like this:

I am very excited about it to I might add. That is a later project though, we need somewhere to live first!!! Anyway.. as I was walking along the forest path... one I had walked many times... I noticed a metal box all rusted out between a couple trees. I almost ignored it, but then curiousity got the best of me so I thought I would check it out. I went over, tipped it, and voila' !

What a find! Inside the metal box was a perfect vintage Fire-King Jadeite coffee cup. Score! Now how do you suppose it ended up in there... in that spot... with that metal box bent around it?

And then when I saw the window leaning on the old camp for my inspection... well, lets just say it is now leaning against our shed with the other finds.