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Boat Buddies Bookshelf

 

Back around Christmas,  a bunch of the guys in the sailing group started asking about making a delivery from Philly, Delaware, and Jersey – “a major award” they called it, and promised it was neither a leg lamp nor Brandi, the  rubber mermaid fender. This week they showed up for a tour, with the goods in tow.

 

 

Most of us sailors are also readers. There was much relief that the boats were safe, but it hurt them to hear that my library had burned. So they banded together and brought me a new handmade bookshelf and four crates of books to fill it. Totally blew me away.

 

 

Apparently, this has been in the works for some time. I may not have this exactly right, but apparently Paul S., a teacher, salvaged some clear Douglas Fir from the old bleachers during a gym renovation. He delivered it to Kevin B. at the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival  in St. Michaels, who then drove it back to DC to build the shelves. Meanwhile, over a dozen of the guys pitched in and put together a collection of books. Emily says they contacted her to see if she could suss out what I needed.

Many of the titles they sent were those I had before the fire and were on my list to find again and replace if I could. Many I have not heard of, but now look forward to reading. Add these to the books from Doug L. and Dave G., and I’m well on the way to restarting the library again.

Pete P. even tossed in a framed print of me sailing in Caesura with the tops’l up, taken on one of my last trips with the crew.

 

 

Thanks guys!

All of the above, including just seeing good friends again, made me realize how much I’ve missed it. By the time warm weather returns I should be ready to get on the water again. Even Steve E. has been prodding with a standing invitation, so it’s long overdue.

 

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Turkey, Tools, and Sawdust

 

We made dinner and took it over to the house to have a Thanksgiving picnic amid the tools and fresh paint and sawdust. We’ve got lights and heat and flushing toilets. Everything else is gravy, so to speak.

Thankful for so many things this year, but especially all the friends and family who helped us through some really tough times. We fell in love with our little town all over again.

Things are surely looking up.

May you all be as blessed as we have been.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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House Progress

 

We’re coming down the wire, approaching the one year anniversary of the fire. A lot is happening fast. Crews work Saturdays, while we’re there doing projects of our own, trying to get us moved back in by Christmas.

A week ago the good folks at Albemarle Countertop Company did us a super solid job. They replaced the stone we used in the kitchen renovation, which we had finished just before the fire. We were only able to save one piece of the original stone. It’s out in the yard, still covered with soot. We may use it in another project. They finished the vanities, too, so we have partially functioning bathrooms.

 

 

 

 

Last week the porch ceilings that took me four weekends to finish were in a few hours painted a lovely traditional southern pale blue. “Clear Skies” from of Benjamin Moore.

 

 

Wednesday we finished the window and door trim upstairs.

Thursday we got running water and two out of three flushing toilets.

Saturday, Dennis helped me rebuild the custom stove hood. While we worked, the electricians wired up some lights that turn on and off with switches, and sockets you can plug things into.

Wonders never cease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Trees I Planted

Weeping Willow

 

 

These are trees I planted around the house 25, 20, and 10 years ago, the first when the girls were starting elementary school. Some, like the willow, were rooted from branches. Some were transplanted from the woods as saplings. None were more than an inch around or six feet tall.

Now the tallest one is over thirty feet high.

Most will outlive me.

 

I think we’ll plant a Sycamore where the Silver Maple used to be. I’m still thinking long term, apparently.

 

Eastern Hemlock

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Beech

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Beech

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Oak

 

 

 

 

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Wood is Beautiful

 

Almost done. Scraper to smooth, followed by one last finish coat.

Then design the bases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scottsville, Virginia

postcards from the road

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Buy or Build?

 

The way insurance works, to replace some of our old with new we need to save cost elsewhere. Fortunately, we like to make things.

I’ve saved these spalted maple rounds since the tree fell down next to the house 20 years ago.

It appears after all this time they want to be end tables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scottsville, Virginia

 

postcards from the road

 

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Fireflies and Starlight

 

We’ll be leaving this little two room cottage soon, moving to a larger rental next week. It’s been a place for us to retreat and regroup, heal our wounds these last six months. We’ll miss it.

There’s a small pond through the woods. The bullfrogs chuckle and moan all night. We’ve had a lot of rain this year, good for frogs.

And fireflies. i’ve never seen so many. They rise from the grass at twighlight, a living net of liminal phosphorescent green. By full dark they’ve clustered in the trees, stitching them with Christmas lights. On a night like tonight, before the full moon appears, the whole world sparkles with stars, above and below.

 

– postcards from the road