Raised by Hand on Granite

YEAR 06 - 2012

YEAR 07 - 2013

YEAR 08 - 2014

This spring, Larry, Dennis and I installed the kitchen & bath cabinets we brough up last fall - inside starting to look complete. Also brought beds to camp, installed the shower & water heater, and Dennis single-handedly installed the insulation in the main living area. Fall saw JR, Pat, Jen and Janalee up the first week to fish around. JR, Larry, Dennis and I then built the storage building and the dock crib, finished the interior siding, and installed the marine base station.

Cabinets, Communications & Cribs

Dents, Decks, Floors & Fire

Spring saw Janalee and I come up first to find our new storage building door with a dozen or so dents in it. Someone did their best, but failed, to get in. Discouraging. Anyway, the kids came up for week two and much fun as had. They were followed by Dennis and Larry - we built the deck connecting cabin to the storage bidg., built the ramp from the crib to the dock, got the hardwood floor and bedroom carpeting installed and began work on the stairs up from the dock. But what was to come when we went home was nothing less than heart-stopping with Janalee's cancer diagnosis. Larry and Dennis came up in the fall and torched the cutting pile (glad I wasn't there!), replaced the incinerating toilet, cut up a tree that had fallen, and closed camp for the year.

After major cancer surgery and 6 months of chemo, Janalee was declared cancer-free! Off to the cabin. And yes, yet another storage building break n attempt! A few tables and lamps came up with us. Pat & Jen came for week two of fishing, and Dennis and Larry came for week three. Spring project was primarily building the staircase up from the dock to the deck. New dining table/chairs/bedroom furniture was on store for the fall, and Dennis was up with me to finish the staircase. I believe JR was up with us in the fall and he built the propane shed. A good friend from the church made a hat rack for me from deer antlers. Thanks Gordon!

Whew! OK, Back to Reality

YEAR 09 - 2015

YEAR 10 - 2016

YEAR 11 - 2017

The beginning of this year saw a number of issues with friends around the lake. See the "Tribute" page in the pix gallery below. Anyway, Janalee and I made it to camp, JR/Meredith/Jennifer/Pat all did too. Now this is one of the best reasons for building this place...the whole family relaxing, fishing, laughing. Larry & Dennis came up later and together we cleared the ravine of left-over building materials, split a bunch of wood and installed security cams around the property. The fall trip saw Jen, Pat, Janalee & I up to do some serious fishing and also a trek to the old gold mine. An old boat, fenced areas around the shafts and quite a bit of rock tailings greeted us. In light of the events of our friends around the lake in the spring, Larry, Dennis and I installed handrails around the length of the staircase before we closed for the year.

There is a very long story about the start of this year's trip. I'll put it as the first selection in the PIX gallery below. This spring, Larry and I installed a new septic system after trying unsuccessfully (twice) to make the incinerating toilet work. The system collects "it" in a tank and shoots it 250' up in the woods. Pretty slick system! And of course the whole fam was up for some good times and good fishing. Fall came and saw Larry, Sean (his nephew) and long-time friend Rusty Garber arrive in camp. The water system failed us so a new deep-well pump was installed, a smoker that the kids bought for me was brought to camp. We also brought two skylights to install in the storage building later. Also this year, Janalee made and installed some really nice window treatments throughout.

So we lost a huge tree behind the rear fire pit over the winter that created a bit of water flow under the cabin, which in turn cause some heaving at the front of the cabin. Some E-Z-Drain, a little digging and locating a bunch of debris into the low area near the tree cured the water issue within several years. We re-built a couple of supports under the cabin Oh...and we had a bear in camp that wanted it's picture taken. So out I went clad only in my undershorts, met it near the rear deck upon which the bear raised onto its rear legs, slapped the ground and growled at me. I beat a hasty retreat into the cabin! Rusty, JR, Dennis, Larry and I worked to double the size of the storage building in the fall - much room for more "stuff. Janalee and I stayed on in the fall to close camp and head south for the winter.

The Ebbs & Flows of Life at the Lake

Bow Up...Keep Wife IN the Boat

It "Bears" Repeating

YEAR 12 - 2018

YEAR 13 - 2019

YEAR 14 - 2020

More time for...EVERYTHING!

A Better Way to "Go!"

"Let Me In"

I'm RETIRED! Been looking forward to this for some time now, More time to be in camp for sure. Pat, Jen, Janalee and I headed to camp and actually did some panning for gold, taking some gravel from the old mine and working it in our gold pans. Eh, maybe a few flakes among the copper came to the surface. But we're richer for the experience! Dennis, Larry and JR followed and the cabin got a new skirt. Some shelves were installed behind the bedroom doors for added storage, wiring was put in place for a floor pocket to take power to the center of the living space and eliminate an extension cord, and planning began for the installation of a track system up the hill in the fall. In the fall, a lifesaver! We built what we call "the ski jump." A track system to haul supplies and gear up the hill. No more trips up and down the steps to do it! The cart is pulled by a battery-operated winch. Also installed the solar panels and batteries to power the water pump/a few lights/the marine base station. More firewood split, deck chairs/table added, converted the propane system to two - 3 tank banks, two cabin supports reinforced, and it was goodbye to camp for another year.

Fishing was wonderful for Janalee and I the entire four weeks of spring that camp was open...plenty to eat and our limit came home with us. Dennis & Larry helped with work on the foundation of the cabin and other projects that kept us busy. The "ski jump"...the track system that will allow us to haul our gear and food up the hill...worked like a charm! Sure makes life easier for us old farts! We also made a trip to camp in July to begin the construction of the long-awaited outhouse. No more "squatting" up in the woods! And fall saw Larry, Dennis, Rusty & JR up to help, plus we built a ramp from the cabin down to the top of the ski jump - make it easier to get supplies from the jump up to the cabin. Of course, Janalee was up in the fall and our fishing time was great!

For the first time in recorded history (as defined by my 66 years of existence) the border was closed in March to help control the spread of the Corona Virus...Covid-19. There have been two extensions of that closure since March, now set to expire June 21. For the first time since we bought the property, we won't be in camp for the walleye opening weekend which begins tomorrow.

Dang Corona Virus!

Planning for this spring's trip started the day we left camp last October. All of that planning and anticipation is now on hold for a little while. And if our governmental leadership is permitting the re-opening of our states too soon...well, it may be 2021 before we, and many others, get to see our camps, our lakes, the land we so enjoy. So, over the course of the year, friend Kirk Mousseau went to check the camp and snapped a few photos, ,plus our cams caught the MNR officer checking it, along with a bear and the back end of a very cold moose!

YEAR 15 - 2021

YEAR 16 - 2022

YEAR 17 - 2023

"Let Me In - Part II"

Clean Clothes, Internet & Air

Settling In

The day finally came...August 9th. And yet another "going north" experience presented itself after the border had been closed for about 18 months.
Larry and I headed north on Sunday the 8th, staying in Evelyth, MN so that we would be in position to hit the border around 10:00 am the next day. Turning the corner just before the border, it became apparent that this was going to take just a little bit of time...the line of cars was fully two miles long, backed up well east of International Falls and, as we shortly learned, we would move about 4 car lengths every 15 minutes!
7:10 later, we approached the border guard's position and, 10 minutes after that, we were through. But remember...we still have 5 hours to go, plus time to get our groceries! We hit the Sturgeon Lake landing around10:30 pm, hoping that the cloud cover would lift and that there was enough star light to navigate by. THERE WASN'T, of course! so, the Yukon was our bedroom for the night. With the break of dawn the next morning, we launched the boat and headed to camp where all was well! A couple of trees behind the cabin did not survive the previous winter so we went about cutting them up...there's enough wood there to heat most of Ontario for a winter!! Larry took some time to install several outdoor electrical outlets on the deck, and we also installed some honkin' powerful lights for the dock and for the area behind the cabin. (no photos) Also put up the SECOND satellite dish for internet service...this system sucks! But the best project might have been the extension of the ski jump all the way down to the dock with a drawbridge. Now grab the gear, take a few steps out of the boat and drop it on the sled. After a few weeks, Larry departed for home from TBay and JR and the Fer-ball flew in (after some Covid-related air crew delays.) That last week was some great fishing and just 'laxin with the kids.

My 2022 posting to this site happened after the entire year ended so my memory of it all is a tad scant. But, the fam had some great fishing in the spring plus Larry and I tore down that horrible satellite dish in favor of Starlink. Mounted "dishy" on the roof and the difference was remarkable! Over the winter I made a clothes washer for camp and we installed a gas clothes dryer complete with an old fashioned clothes wringer. It's quite an operation for sure! In the fall, Janalee's cousin Steve and his buddy Bob were up for a week of VERY slow fishing. After they headed out, JR, Larry and Rusty were up and we installed a new attic ventilation system...pretty slick. They all headed home and I had a week to myself. Built a new and improved fire wood rack just outside the back door, cleaned up around camp, did some laundry and even have a "talk" with a mink that visited the dock one warm afternoon. I worked most all day of every day at something, but now and then I would stop and take in the absolute quiet of the area. Unless there was wind blowing through the pines, there was NOTHING!

Gotta tell you how much my spiritual life was improved that last week. Plenty of time to talk to the Maker with much gratitude for the past, and with much hope for the years to come.

A bunch of tasks were completed...tasks that are hard to do when anyone else is in camp. I always feel sort of "on " when others are there even though everyone is willing to lend a hand with whatever is needed. Guess that's the host in me. But when it was just me...it was steady work through the day. Me thinks a week by myself will be included in all trips north from now on...at least as long as my health permits.

So I'm finding that most of the large tasks associated with building the camp are done, I'd still like to build a bunk house on the other side of the south ravine, but maybe some day. Smaller projects have started taking hold giving more time for fishing, enjoying the surroundings and just chilling. But, one of the things I enjoy most is the activity so I'll always be doing something...and there's always SOMETHING to be done. A tree did not survive the winter so the first task was to cut it up. Several winter ago I made a self-cleaning fish cleaning table that I had taken up and stored. Time to get it installed and that we did. Just turn on the blue handle and the top is flooded with spray from the many nozzles. I also made some under-bed storage drawers and Larry and I get those installed under the single beds...the bunks are just too close to the floor. JR was up with Janalee and our oldest grandson Luke. What a treat to watch him catch his first fish! And we all enjoyed a shore lunch with him. JR had expressed an interest in having a fire pit area in front of the cabin so that was my fall project, along with a wonderful shore lunch with good friends Dennis and Evelyn Mousseau. Had a chance to take Janalee Lake Trout fishing and she got her FIRST one in "the shoot" just out front he cabin. Again, I had a week to myself and some of it was spent by the fire pit, taking it all in with hot dogs on the side!