Deck Project #3

Done!*

And introducing 'Cosmo', Anna and Ethan's kitten, who serenaded us on more than one occasion as he explored all surfaces in the house. 

*well, not quite: the rain spout now empties on our heads as we walk down the stairs. We're in process of getting that fixed...

Deck Project #2

Here are some of the pictures Vicky and Paul took this weekend. The deck is progressing! The driveway is too curvy and tree covered for dumpster truck driver to get up, so the contractor will have to haul the demolition and construction debris out by trailer. Unfortunately, we'll have to come up with another plan to throw our stuff away.

Chase is checking it out. Notice the late evening sun coloring: beautiful picture.

This looks like the old deck wood, and you can see the new deck extension beyond the corner of the house that will become the head of the stairs.

This is the new flooring. Hopefully we still like the color once it's on the deck :)

Lily season and a monarch

 There's a reason I didn't pull up the milkweed this year: a monarch butterfly flitted around for the better part of an afternoon to the various plants!

 I wish Dad/Poppa could see the daisies. I moved the yellow cosmos from the deck area this trip, we'll see if they take and come back next year.

And the other 'monarch' of the pond with the paddle he made last winter to go with the painted canoe.
On our late evening paddle we saw a huge! snapping turtle in the pond, swimming on the bottom halfway to Wiley Park beach, along the shore.
The Deck work starts Monday! Paul and Vicky hopefully will send pictures of progress with their upcoming visit.

Deck Project #1

We have moved forward with plans for replacing the old deck with a new 'up to code' version. The proposed plans keep it much the same. Changes include having it 10 feet wide instead of 8, and the flooring will be a composite material that should last longer and be easier to maintain. Work should begin after approval by the Conservation Commission (we're within 100' to the pond, hopefully 'grandfathered in' due to existing deck) and getting a town building permit. We've hired a local contractor to do it. To chronicle the changes, here are pictures of the deck as it has been. 

This first one is from June 2006, note that the rope 'railing' is on the other side of the railroad ties coming down the hill. Did you move ALL the ties, Paul, or just the top? I've always wondered. And there's Poppa's yellow rope/netting on the deck to keep the grandchildren from falling through! When did that actually go on?

This picture is from summer 2011. The netting is still along the deck!

The rest of these are from early spring 2017.

We're planning to change the direction of the stairs... have to wait to see how that ends up.

I also moved the 2 azaleas and 2 remaining small roses from one end of the fence to the other so they wouldn't get trampled while the deck's being worked on. I hope they survive the transplanting! Luckily, I found some old peat moss and potting soil in the garage to add to the (very) sandy soil, and watered them heavily. We'll see how they fared the next time we visit!

PS The location of the EXTRA KEY has changed with the planned deck construction. Let us know when you're going out and we'll let you know where to find it.

Introduction

Welcome to our old-new family retreat and a blog that hopes to let you in on what is going on at Keewaydin.
The quote is from the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Song of Hiawatha, the very last stanza.
I'm not sure if Dad and Mom gave it the name, or if it came with it. But after reading a lot of the poem, I think it is fitting to continue to call it Keewaydin. The wind comes across the pond from the northwest a lot of the time; it is a place where one is outside more than inside; it is a place for exploring, growing up, resting. When I investigated the word, keewaydin, I found that it comes from the Ojibwe, a Native American people, who lived in an area not far from Duluth, Minnesota,
where Poppa and Nanny lived for a number of years - another reason to continue calling it Keewaydin! So welcome to Keewaydin and enjoy the view.