Hapity Birthday Margriet!

September 3, 2007 (5:07am)

43º F, Clear, Calm Wind, 0 mph.

Good morning,

So .... We celebrated Margriet’s birthday in raucous and rambunctious style - for us. We started out by going to church, going to a quilt and craft show at the Iron County Museum, and finally going to dinner at the Depot in Iron River. Not bad for a couple of old folks. Well .... we did need to take a nap in between too.

We almost were late to church. Since we were assistants for the service today, we should have been there earlier than normal. However, I discovered I had forgotten to take my Bible, with the lessons marked, along so returned home to retrieve it. Most folks were already there and seated when we finally arrived. We were able to seat the last half-dozen or so families that came though. It has been a fairly long time since I have read the lessons, but it went off OK. Better next time I think. Coffee after church (since it was the first Sunday of the month) was really nice. Had a chance to sit down and chat with some of the folks. All are interesting. Wish it were every Sunday though. After church, since it was so early, 10:00 A. M., we came home and I took a nap.

About noon-ish, we headed for the county museum for the quilt/crafts show. It was really nice and they also had a family of four playing and entertaining. Mostly they play “old-time” instruments and were rather good. The crafts show was rather small, but interesting. Then it was time for the free sundae, which was also good. We also wandered around the museum grounds, which had much more than we anticipated. Lots of mining and logging displays, mixed in with some of the homesteading. Much of the museum is outdoors, so did a lot of walking. The site is an old iron mine and one of the lifts is still there, but not working. At one time there were three lifts, but there was a cave in during the late 20's, into which two of the lifts were completely swallowed up! Each was well over 100' tall and they simply disappeared. No one was killed, but several railroad cars filled with ore were suspended over the huge hole in the ground, sitting on the tracks. They eventually were retrieved and their loads salvaged. There were a number of authors and poets in this area. Much of their work was also on display. Sure didn’t know that before. Will need to check into that more. Afterwards we came home and it was Margriet’s turn to take a nap!

Suppertime found us on the way to Iron River for a really good steak dinner in a railroad passenger car. The steak sizes have gotten smaller, but the price has stayed close to the same, and was very good. Haven’t had steak in some time, so was especially good. We had a treat of a hot fudge cream-puff for dessert, filled with ice-cream and topped with nuts. Very good, but Margriet could not finish her’s so I had to come to her rescue. Really didn’t need that, but what is a guy to do but be courteous? See .... chivalry really isn’t dead in the Northwoods!

Saturday, I managed to get the second ceiling light in the eating kitchen wired and working. The old surface wiring is now history and it looks much better now. I still have the connections on the other end of the wiring to complete and put into the wall/ceiling. When I strung the lighting wires through, I also left a pull-line there so I and pull the power line for the outlets and bedroom through the same space, hence things are not closed up yet. That may wait a bit while if finish up with the stove and cabinets first. Margriet is happy with the lighting results though. It was rather hard to sting the light wire as everything was done overhead and my shoulder complained a lot, especially the one I messed up a few years ago with a tree knocking me around.

Also on Saturday, I got the new chainsaw cranked up and started to drop some trees. The chainsaw I bought in March or April when it was on sale and didn’t even have gas in it until now. The big saw I bought at Dale’s, was intended for the sawmill, but I needed a saw for other cutting as well. It serves the purpose for sure, but sure is heavy to do limbing with. When this saw came on sale, we could afford to buy it, so did. Haven’t done and felling since it’s purchase though. It really works well and sure is a lot lighter/smaller than the other one. Hope it lasts a long time. I bought it for less than Dale could to resell it.

I did drop 4-5 medium sized trees and about an equal number of what I would call poles or saplings. I need to drop a lot more soon too. I limbed them off and cut them into manageable sizes. Now I need to pick up the branches and pile the logs. I have a start at least on the winter’s heating. All I cut down around and near the Hobbit Hus, so do need to do clean up. In the woods, I just leave the branches where they lay, or pile them to get them out of the way, for the critters to chew on or live under. One tree I cut too close to the Hobbit Hus was a pine. I will use that for lumber, but need the truck or something to drag it to the log pile. Don’t want to cut it into smaller logs.

Margriet is having a really good time going through all of Mom’s patterns and putting them in an order she can eventually find them again. I know Mom had them organized too, but that got messed up when we emptied out the house. There sure is a stack of them! I don’t think Margriet will ever complete them all, but she is making all kinds of plans. One thing she wants to make are some window quilts. That will be nice in the winter I think. Much warmer than shades, which we don’t have or need. She is accumulating materials for making them from the supply from Mom’s house. I think there will be enough for at least some of them. If not - the Ben Franklin store is just down the road.

Time to get a-going.

In Christ My Saviour,

Chris <><