Working

We're going out to breakfast and running errands in Houghton today, then packing up the Traverse and heading. . .

to the new house until Saturday evening; because. . .

I have things to do at the property - cleaning tape residue from shower walls and appliances, washing out cupboards and unpacking bathroom and kitchen items, etc. (I also have to set aside some time to stare out the windows!) I will probably stay at the new house through Saturday evening (unless I run out of things to do & go back to Calumet to help Mom unpack more of her kitchen things). Thus, you will probably NOT have a Sneak Peek Friday this week. Plus, I won't be able to access my email until Saturday evening (haven't made a decision about our new internet service yet). If you need to get in touch with us, we'll have our cell phone.

So. . .

All is wonderful in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sneak Peek Friday - Master Bedroom

Remember when I spent my first night at the new house last week? I wasn't expecting to do that when my day began that Monday, so I quickly grabbed a few things to take with me. Along with an overnight bag, I packed bedding and our old quilt, several lamps and cleaning supplies. I made the bed as soon as I got there, and Steve moved the nightstands into the room for us. The mattress and box spring are sitting on simple bed rails. Our bed frame is still in storage, since it was too large to use in our Calumet bedroom. I'll break out the new bedding after we get our bed out of storage and assembled.

Anyway, here's a peek into the master bedroom - three shots from that evening and the next morning. Steve hadn't yet finished the window trim on the bed wall, and you can see the master closet door in this first shot.

Please excuse the extra pillowcases I threw on the nightstands the night before. The dresser scarves are packed somewhere.

I just noticed the bedroom set looks black, but the pieces are actually a dark mahogany.

The house is beginning to look like a home now.

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Today's Image

MODIS - March 26, 2015

Mild March temps = ice melting on Lake Superior = more lake effect snow in the Keweenaw!

We had about 5 new inches by 11:00 p.m. last night with more coming down today. Oh well. The fat fresh fluffy flakes falling frequently are fantastically fabulous and fascinating! (Try to say that 5 times quickly.)

All is well in the Keweenaw.

We almost hit a. . .

We returned last night from a quick trip to Saginaw. We left Calumet last Thursday morning and accomplished everything on our to-do list while we were downstate. We always watch the Keweenaw forecast carefully when we're away during snow season, so we knew that we needed to make it home yesterday in order to avoid bad weather beginning after dark. Of course, hitting a deer, elk or moose is also a concern, so Steve really wanted to get the Traverse into the new garage before nightfall.

Speaking of the Traverse, while we were down in Saginaw, it was out with the old. . .

and in with the new.

I guess we like red! Do you understand why Steve was being especially careful? We were rejoicing much of the way home that we had dry roads and we were going to make it home before dark. We got through all the traffic in the Saginaw area and traffic was pretty light the rest of the way. 

Then, about 35 miles before we reached Calumet. . . 

we almost. . . 

hit. . . 

a. . . 

HORSE!

Actually - 2 HUGE HORSES!

Can you believe it? What were the odds? 2 huge horses - one brown and one white - had just made their big escape down their driveway and were about to enter the road as we came over the crest of a hill. There they were! If they had bolted into the road, we definitely would have hit them. Thankfully, they decided to turn, slow down and trot along the shoulder a short distance until we could make it past them. Almost immediately after we got by, they ran into the road and were running down the middle of it as long as Steve could see them in our rearview mirror. I suggested we might want to go back and tell the owner his horses were loose, but there was no way Steve was getting anywhere near those horses again. I checked the local news today to see if there were any car/horse accidents last evening and was relieved that nothing had been reported.

I'm happy to report that Steve did get the new Traverse into the new garage before any snowflakes fell. We've had about 5 inches today, and more lake effect will fall tonight and into tomorrow (Thursday). I'll update the snowfall chart when the official totals are posted.

I'll try to write more before Sunday about what we did in Saginaw - including the time we spent with this little cutie.

Max Hamilton

We had plans to empty our 2 remaining storage units on Friday, but we decided we had better postpone that for better weather. I'm in Calumet, and we still plan to move me out to the new house next week, so I'm not sure I'll have a Sneak Peek Friday for you this week. I'll keep you posted!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sneak Peek Friday - 4 Letters

 Just 4 letters  - 4 letters with so much meaning:

It doesn't matter that all the trim isn't on yet. It doesn't matter that the Amish bench is in the great room right now and not the laundry room. It doesn't matter that the armoire is sitting where the gas fireplace will be one day. Those 4 little letters still apply!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

I've Lost Track

OK, I've officially lost track of how many times I've talked to AT&T in the last 6 months. I know I talked to them twice today. I was disconnected the first time (not the first time that has happened!). I talked to "Bill" the second time I called - after waiting on hold for another 11 minutes. He assured me that he was there to see to it that I was completely satisfied before our call ended today, but I've heard that song and dance before. He said he applied the proper credit to our account and took my $5 payment for this month's bill. He ended the call by saying, "Have yourself a wonderful day, and don't text and drive." Total phone time today = 37 minutes.

Well, I hate to tell ya, Bill, but I'm still not completely satisfied, because I can't get back all the hours that I've wasted on you people in the last 6 months.

Despite having to deal with AT&T, it was another beautiful, sunny, blue-skied day in the Keweenaw!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Night #1

We finally got HOT water early yesterday morning. After that, Steve had the guys help him move our bed, sofa and a few other large pieces of furniture up to the main floor. Then, he called me and asked me if I wanted to come out and spend the night. 

HOT WATER + BED + SOFA = 1st Night at the new house!

It was so wonderful and exciting to wake up there this morning! Here was my view when I was having my morning coffee on the sofa.

The rest of our furniture and possessions will be moved out of storage on Friday, March 27. Can't wait!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Snack Attack

Steve was suffering from severe mouth pain last week with what appeared to be an abscessed tooth. The dentist made an incision in the gum, drained the infection and gave him a prescription for an antibiotic. After finishing the medication and feeling much better, Steve returned to the dentist on Wednesday.

The tooth that appeared to be causing the problem is capped, but everything looked fine in the x-rays. The dentist felt that there was probably something lodged in the gum that caused the infection, and they got it out when they cleaned out the infected area the week before. Bingo! Steve remembered the night he was attacked by his favorite bedtime snack.

We've all been there. The dreaded popcorn hull lodged in between our teeth or along the gum line. That's exactly what happened to Steve a week or so earlier. He vividly remembered the incident, but he thought he got it out. Guess not.

I guess he was fortunate. Eating popcorn often results in a:

Thankfully, he has recovered nicely and he's brushing normally again now. Not sure when he'll eat popcorn again, though.

In other news, guess what arrived this week? 

Our latest AT&T bill for the new house.

That's right, folks. It's still not correct! 

The telephone service is installed, but it's suspended (vacation mode) until we tell them otherwise. The bill is supposed to be about $5, but the bill that arrived is over $70 for full service. They even added on an additional $5 for the payment I made over the phone last month - even though José from Customer Support in Arizona promised me that I wouldn't be charged that additional fee that day. Thanks a lot, José. I take back anything nice I said about you.

None of us really thought they could get it right this month, did we?

Just when my hair was starting to grow back.

All else is well in the Keweenaw.

Sneak Peek Friday - Flooring

Our ultimate plan is to install black walnut flooring on the first floor of the new house, and we brought the black walnut with us from our Saginaw trees. We haven't made the wood into flooring yet, and the installation and finishing process will take a lot of time, so we made the decision to put carpeting on the first floor for now. We'll live with the carpeting for a couple of years, then install the walnut and move the carpeting to our basement. Your sneak peek today is. . . the carpeting. . . and it begins with a peek into our master bedroom.

Here's a shot from our bedroom into the great room/foyer and the master bath.

Steve took the next photo while standing in the great room. You can see the front door in the background, and the master bedroom door is on the right.

Next, a look at the sliding doors in the great room.

Although it's difficult to tell from these shots, the carpeting actually has a lot of gray in it - very neutral.

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

 All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sneak Peek Friday - H2O

We hit a milestone last week. . . running water!

We installed 3 of these:

That's the throne in the guest bath. (Again, the brown protective strips are still on the guest shower. Steve's saving them for me to remove.) Here's the throne in the master bath.

Steve held the phone up to that one and flushed so I could hear it. I should have asked him to tape it for you to hear, too.

The water was also running in the powder room.

My little pump faucet works great!

On a side note:  The antibiotics seem to be helping Steve's abscessed tooth, and the pain isn't quite as severe now. Praise the Lord.

All is well in the Keweenaw.

234 on 34

We had 224" of snow on 2-24-15. Now, we've had 234" of snow on 3-4-15. That's 19.5 feet. On this date last year we had 276.30" (over 23 feet). To illustrate the difference, I have some photos for you.

I took this photo last month on February 19.

The next photo was taken on February 2, 2014.

The clothesline pole says it all.

This front-of-the-house shot was taken 2 days ago on Monday, March 2.

Compare that with one I took last year on February 27, 2014.

No wonder the house was so dark last winter. The front window was completely blocked for quite a while! 

We had snow yesterday, and it has been cold again but we've also been enjoying some bright sunshine and beautiful Keweenaw Blue skies on many days lately. It's currently 5° and it feels like -28°, but it looks much warmer out there!

Unfortunately, one of Steve's molars decided to develop an abscess this week. We got him into the dentist this morning, and he's on an antibiotic now, but he's still having quite a bit of pain. I knew he was in pain when I was actually able to convince him to come back to Calumet to stay last night. He has to go back to the dentist next Wednesday, so please pray with us that his pain level decreases as the antibiotic begins to take effect tonight. He had a rough night last night. I keep telling him that it really doesn't matter if he takes a few days off the house project. What's another little wrinkle in the schedule at this point, right?

All else is well in the Keweenaw.

P.S. It's now 10:18 p.m. Let's change that to a lot of pain. Why does pain always seem to get worse at night? My sweetheart is very uncomfortable. I wish I was the one with the abscess instead.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.