The Good Month of September

Well, my apologies for not getting on the computer sooner to update the blog. The proverbial candle has been burning at both ends with a couple of fast-burning wicks stuck in along the sides. In short, when we've been home, we're exhausted. But, the last two days have provided me, at least (maybe not Tom), with a little respite, and so I think I have enough wits about me tonight to try to make a little sense and catch you up.

September started out on a very positive note: our garage carpenter called at 7:30 a.m. on the 1st to say that the lumber was being delivered and that he would start the garage the next day! FINALLY! And, for the most part (ah-hem), the first 10 days of the month have continued to be profitable. However, let me travel down a short tangent first . . . .

Experience is proving that building a home is ________ (insert emotion and/or experience here). Frustrating, exhausting, all-of-your-time-consuming, rewarding, exciting, expensive, satisfying, I'm-going-to-kill-one-of-these-subcontractors-aggravating, etc. You name it, you experience it. Number One complaint is that contractors simply DON'T show up when they've promised to. I don't get it. If anyone wanted to compete with them, all you'd have to do is hang out your shingle, show up when you say you will, and you'd have it made! But, anyway, now that I've digressed, back to the month of September.

We celebrated a dear friend's fourth 49th birthday (can you figure that one out?) on the 2nd, and other good friends celebrated their 10th anniversary that same day. Congratulations, you two, and I still can't believe I forgot it! Whoops.

Possible or potential parking spots along the roads leading to our place were crammed with bear hunters last weekend - opener for bear hunting season. But, I'm happy to report that only 3 were registered out here in our neck of the woods, and they were all male. Since opener, the number of folks out has dropped down to almost nothing.

The colors are continuing to evolve. More yellows are turning in the birch trees, but we've had another spate of warm weather (unseasonably warm, I think) which has slowed down the turning. Scientists say that the reason the leaves turn in the fall is related only to the length of / light during the days, but just about everyone I've ever spoken to believes that weather (dry, wet, hot, cold) HAS to make some difference, too. Meanwhile, as the maples begin to turn and are more noticeable, Tom and I have been marking select Sugar Maples to tap in the spring for our first go at maple syrup! We can only hope and wish that there will be small bottles of Swamp River Ridge Maple Syrup in Christmas packages next year!