The utter collapse of the school year norms (classes online) and the closure of any regular social interaction had things “gloomy” in May, to say the least. I was ripe for a project to make better use of my time. For several years I’d been considering an addition to the camp, so onward to find a recipe for making lemonade with the recent lemons all Nova Scotians had been dealt.
We broke ground at the side of the cottage facing the path and excavated an 9’X16’ area to expand the camp and build an enclosed screen porch. The benefits of early spring work were cool temperatures and bug free conditions. Janie, Peter and I did great, both in emptying the area and utilizing the sod, soil and rocks to construct a handsome stone wall in the yard’s perimeter. It was several weekends and lots of toughing it out with hand tools, but well worth the effort!
In addition to the excavation, several complementary projects designed to improve the property settled alongside the work. In particular, we set up a drainage system for water (More noticeable in early spring) that gathers along that side of the camp. The pit, and area adjacent underneath the building has been dry since installation. Great install!
Other projects included some TLC with cleaning brush and scrubbing the well crocks, new “sleepers” for the wood bin and much needed leveling / sill work under the camp. These tasks were accompanied by forays in cooking, including my first “brisket” cook on the smoker and experimenting in cast iron pan pizza (Yum)! Best May since University days for spring camp improvements.