After the last snow of the first week of March the weather continued to improve. It would be a summer of record heat and we'd endure like everyone else. Once the days turned warm I started to change the landscape. I had cut lots of trees during February and a few in March. I spent lots of hours burning brush and doing a general clean up of the area. A family friend came down with his stump grinder and spent the entire day grinding stumps. The contour of the landscape had changed. I had 50 loads of fill hauled in and I went to work spreading it out and filling in the low spots. Once that was done I set about sowing grass seeds and hoping for rain
Wanting to keep with the rustic feel and pioneer scenery of the area, we added bears. I discovered a young artist near Maggie Valley, NC. He had a small wood cutting shop and was carving figures with a chainsaw. Commonly referred to as "Chainsaw Art". I ask him to carve me two bears, 3 to 4 ft in height. What I got was more than I could have hoped for. Each bear cut from a large log and weighing about 350 to 400 pounds each. They were bulky and hard for three men to load on the back of my dually. Unloading was another problem but I somehow managed with a dolly and help of a new friend
We placed the bears at the entrance to our driveway and added pole lamps to illuminate during the darkness. I think they are a nice touch and look great at their locations. Hopefully they won't go into hibernation come winter.
Later during the summer we again asked him to make us another bear. This one would be walking on all fours. Again he surprised us with a great looking bear cut from a log with a chainsaw
This bear would find it's resting place on the bank overlooking the cat fish pond. I never tire of walking out the front door of the cabin and seeing that bear. I must admit it did startle me at first.
The grass was slow to take root. I think I sowed it a couple of times and laid down grass mats to prevent washouts in some areas. After it started to grow with all the rain of summer I wished I had never planted it. I spent many hours cutting and trimming. Still I'm happy with the turn out and the over all look of the new and improved landscape. I spent many an hour in the seat of that old Ford tractor. All I had for an attachment was a box blade and with that I leveled and pushed 50 loads of dirt into place and dragged it smooth and level. From the tractor seat to the seat of the 0-turn mower, running back and forth over that ground I feel like a gerbil on a wheel.
During the landscape improvements we moved items from one location to another. A small bridge relocated and rebuilt to became a small fishing pier. Rocks scattered all about the yard gathered and stacked to became rock walls and a water fall. The play set given to a family member and a chain link fence removed to open up another part of the yard. We moved plants from every corner of the yard to make new flower gardens. We bought some antique farm equipment to enhance the over all look we were seeking. We continue to strive to make it as log cabinly as possible.
Last but certainly not last or the least, a "She Shed" was added. Kathie loves to do crafts and with our small two bedroom, 2 bath cabin there isn't a lot of room. So I came across a good deal and it followed me home on the back of a roll back. I had to add flooring, door and windows. It's still a work in progress. Plans are to add a deck and give Kathie one heck of a private domain for her crafts or moods, for whatever she needs at the time.
As much as we have already done, there is still lots more we'd like to do. Most likely we won't get much more done this year but there will always be next year. At least we remain hopeful that we will still be able to do all those things we have planned. There has been a lot of changes inside as well. That I will leave for our next blog update.
The cabin and landscape has kept us busy this summer. We have had few travel adventures, a week or so back to Georgia to visit family and friends. The Gnome has returned back to the garden where he wiles away the days quietly watching the growth and bloom of the many plants. The Moose has ventured into the woods and grazes on the sweet grasses and wild nuts and berries. Me! I've gotten fat and looking for a clothing design that will hide it all. Kathie remains the beauty she has always been and I always remind myself how lucky I am to have her in my life.
Our life at Serenity Springs is rightly named. What a quiet and peaceful place it is. We enjoy the convenience of fishing off the front porch, sharing all with family and friends. The pond is stocked with good size Bluegill, Stripped Bass and those whopper Catfish. At the end of a hard day relax with a fishing pole and cool beverage. If you get bored just saddle up one of the more larger of the catfish and go for a ride.
The summer of 2015 has passed quickly. Soon the winds will blow and the snow will fly. We will have to make a decision as to where we need to go for winter. We still have a few nice weeks before the bitter cold. Our hopes are to get more work done and gone before the first snow flakes fall.
Until our next blog.
Dutch and Kathie Lane, working to make life better somewhere in the wilds of Rogersville, TN.
********To enlarge photo's, click on any one of them to enlarge*********
During the landscape improvements we moved items from one location to another. A small bridge relocated and rebuilt to became a small fishing pier. Rocks scattered all about the yard gathered and stacked to became rock walls and a water fall. The play set given to a family member and a chain link fence removed to open up another part of the yard. We moved plants from every corner of the yard to make new flower gardens. We bought some antique farm equipment to enhance the over all look we were seeking. We continue to strive to make it as log cabinly as possible.
Last but certainly not last or the least, a "She Shed" was added. Kathie loves to do crafts and with our small two bedroom, 2 bath cabin there isn't a lot of room. So I came across a good deal and it followed me home on the back of a roll back. I had to add flooring, door and windows. It's still a work in progress. Plans are to add a deck and give Kathie one heck of a private domain for her crafts or moods, for whatever she needs at the time.
As much as we have already done, there is still lots more we'd like to do. Most likely we won't get much more done this year but there will always be next year. At least we remain hopeful that we will still be able to do all those things we have planned. There has been a lot of changes inside as well. That I will leave for our next blog update.
The cabin and landscape has kept us busy this summer. We have had few travel adventures, a week or so back to Georgia to visit family and friends. The Gnome has returned back to the garden where he wiles away the days quietly watching the growth and bloom of the many plants. The Moose has ventured into the woods and grazes on the sweet grasses and wild nuts and berries. Me! I've gotten fat and looking for a clothing design that will hide it all. Kathie remains the beauty she has always been and I always remind myself how lucky I am to have her in my life.
Our life at Serenity Springs is rightly named. What a quiet and peaceful place it is. We enjoy the convenience of fishing off the front porch, sharing all with family and friends. The pond is stocked with good size Bluegill, Stripped Bass and those whopper Catfish. At the end of a hard day relax with a fishing pole and cool beverage. If you get bored just saddle up one of the more larger of the catfish and go for a ride.
The summer of 2015 has passed quickly. Soon the winds will blow and the snow will fly. We will have to make a decision as to where we need to go for winter. We still have a few nice weeks before the bitter cold. Our hopes are to get more work done and gone before the first snow flakes fall.
Until our next blog.
Dutch and Kathie Lane, working to make life better somewhere in the wilds of Rogersville, TN.
