More Cabin Pictures

Friend Heather had asked to see photos of the cabin, so here goes. Please note that I did NOT paint the exterior that amazing green. The former owner, Norm, got it in his head to do so just prior to putting the place up for sale. I guess he thought it would be a selling point!






And here are a few of the shed that is also on the property. It's full of just about everything you'd need to build another cabin, if you had a mind to: flooring, shingles, windows, lumber, lots of nails, curtain rods, molding, a toilet, chairs, a table, and a bath tub.

Work on the Cabin

Though I have had a lot of time to explore and read and generally goof around during my stay in Nova Scotia, I still accomplished some work on the cabin--something that makes me feel really good.

One project that I have wanted to do for five years now is decorate one of the walls in the porch with items I brought with me from California or collected along my way to Nova Scotia during my grand solo camping-back roads adventure of the summer of 2005. Though the task is not completed, and will not be completed this time, it is started for God's sake! Last Monday Aaron painted the wall blue, or as the color is appropriately named "giggles." The next day, Aaron, Helene, and I plastered pebbles, earrings, statues, chipped pottery, shells, state pins, and so many other treasures onto the wall. A lot of it fell off, being too bulky or not flat enough. A few days ago, I added a few more items, including green, yellow, and purple pull rings from my dialysis bags and the plastic ends of the dialysis tubing. One thing did not go according to plan: Though the paint lady added the right amount of color to both the primer paint and the plaster, on the wall, the two are not quite a match, perhaps because the plaster on its own is not a true white. So, next time I will carefully edge each item on the wall with the primer. A big job. But as it is now, I am so happy that I have finally put these items up. As I said to Aaron, now for sure we aren't selling this cabin. Who else would appreciate this!





Embedded in the wall are items that friends gave me in 2005 to include in this grand art project: a moon-and-stars tile from Jamie, bottles of green abundance powder and red love powder from Georgette, and a half-dollar-sized basket woven by Robin.

The other big project was windows for the porch. Back in the summer of 2005, I drywalled the porch, but planned to put in windows the next year. That never happened. Finally, I've got windows, put in by Wayne, a carpenter who works for my general contractor-neighbor Merwin. Wayne used three windows that were in my shed. So happy with my new windows!



Other projects accomplished:
* While Wayne was working, he let me borrow his ladder. I used this to clean out the gutters, which were filled with old leaves and dirt, even little trees.
* Wayne also let me use his power saw to down some trees that were growing too close to the cabin. I thought this was a good deal of fun.
* I replaced a hasp on the front door. Later Wayne redid this, saying that I should have mounted it the other way so that the screws are hidden under the arm when it's locked. Otherwise, someone could just come by with a screwdriver and get into the cabin. I said, "But someone could use a crowbar if they really wanted in." But that was awfully nice of Wayne to redo it because it had taken me about an hour to do it with my manual screwdriver.
* Though Helene had put two coats of paint on the floors of the bedroom and the porch, I had to touch up both because of my cleaning solutions for dialysis hygiene and Wayne's carpentry, respectively.
* I took a broom to the inside of the shed and recycled a bunch of empty plastic containers.

So, I'm happy with the work I accomplished. Next year I'll finish the porch wall, and I'm sure they'll be many more tasks to check off.

Rasputin's Going to Miss This Place

Since his arrival in Nova Scotia almost three weeks ago, Rasputin has become more and more adventuresome. At first he was underfoot when we went for walks in the woods, and I often accidentally stepped on or kicked him. Then he began poking his head into the ferns and grasses at the side of the dirt road near my cabin. And then about a week ago, he took the plunge and went into the wild woods. Many times he has raced off, and I have not known where he is for up to 10 minutes. This is a bit disconcerting, as bears and packs of coyotes abound in this area, and little Rasputin would be an easy meal.

His hunting skills, however, leave much to be desired. His basic strategy is to attempt to scare his victim to death, lunging at a toad or a bug and then jumping back when they move. The only prey he has secured have been several live flies (he makes the most puzzled face as he downs them) and a dessicated gopher, or perhaps a squirrel, shown here.



He does a happy dance whenever I get ready to go outside. He absolutely loves the freedom of being leash-less. He's really going to miss his woodsy adventures when we get back to Long Beach and his outside excursions will be on pavement and concrete--with a leash.

Though the first two weeks of my visit were full of events with people--first with Helene and her friends and last week with Aaron--this week it's been Rasputin and me all the way. Aaron left last Wednesday, and Helene has been at a family reunion in Montreal. I really enjoyed seeing and doing things with other humans, but this week alone with Rasputin has been wonderful too. We've taken a lot of long walks, explored a few of the provinicial parks, and returned to Hampton Beach, where Helene and I had gathered surf-tumbled pebbles during my first week.

I will be leaving my cabin very early Wednesday morning to catch a 9:30 a.m. flight from Halifax, a two-hour drive away. I will miss these woods and the stream, lake, and river near my cabin. So many times during these walks, my mind has been completely clear, devoid of any thoughts, at peace.

I could very easily live for many months like this, taking walks with Rasputin, exploring Nova Scotia's natural beauty, making light conversation with people when I see them, and having a social engagement now and again. This had been my plan only a year ago. I had planned on leaving Cal State, driving to Nova Scotia, living here for six months of the year, and spending the other six camping and traveling throughout the U.S. I would live on writing and editing jobs, with no rent to pay. Well, this had been the plan, but dialysis has changed all that.