If anyone asked me what I did in my spare time I would probably say work...as there is always something to do at the cottage. This past week my wife and I tore apart the old stairs and porch and
with my limited carpenter skills matched with much
enthusiasm began to rebuild. I guess I did learn something from Max, the master carpenter who helped build our cottage from the ground up.

Still easy to measure wrong, end up with material
sometimes that just does not quite work. And that
is frustrating. That is when my good wife reminds me that perhaps I need a rest, a cup of tea and get
back to the project once I am refreshed. Her wisdom
always gets my attention.  So, rest up a little and
suddenly the direction of the project is clear, to make sure the base is solid, construct a sort of box
frame, with a landing and railings. How can this be
so difficult? Well, I never claimed to be a carpenter
and at best, Max would describe me as a type of
Flinstone Constuction. I don't think that was intended as a compliment. But at least 16 years have passed since we built our little cottage and yes, things start to need replacing....

Sandy, our loyal doggie is about the age of the cottage but in doggie years probably puts her around 72 in human years. And she watches carefully, looking up at the chain saw I placed on the sawhorse. I can almost hear the little doggie say in
doggie language...well the old man has done it again...put that darn lumber in my way...he will never learn...well, that is probably true. I do not confess to being the most neat and proficient construction general...more like a poor soul trying to figure out what he was trying to do in the first place.

So I take another break, throw a few chunks of wood into the outdoor fireplace and try to breathe in some of that fresh air that is many times better than what we seem to find in the city...maybe one day...we will make the big leap to become tried and true
country folks....