Time to Move On

Summer is still officially ON, at least until later this week, but hints of fall have already begun.  Here and there the leaves are beginning to turn colorful and the ferns along the roadside are already brown.  We have been feeding hummingbirds all summer long, but there are fewer of them lately.

Big changes are coming our way next year.  While a part of the Benson family for more than fifty years now, the cabin has always been primitive, with no sewer or water.  Carrying fresh water here at 5 gallons per tank and using an outhouse for relief has kept some potential visitors away.  We also had our own sauna in place of showers, where sweat and soap got us clean, and lake water rinsed us off.  As we said, changes are coming: a well will be drilled and cased this fall, with a pump and water main brought to the cabin next spring.  A licensed On Site Sewage Designer has been contracted to go through the county permit process for us, and to install a high-capacity holding tank next spring.  Our lot is too low to allow any kind of mound-based septic system, so we will have a sewer truck pump out our tank at least once per year.  That is how the outhouse works but this will give us a lot more capacity.  Trees have been removed for access to both systems.  Last weekend we took down 3 of them for the well driller to have access and last Wednesday the power company took down 4 more where the holding tank will go, plus a standing dead pine, plus 2 more birch which will die next year when the trenches to and from the cabin will be dug.  While we are contracting for this work, Brett is looking into expanding the cabin’s floor plan to add a shower and toilet and likely expand the living room.  It will be messy around here next year.

While all of that was taking place last week, we were also packing up to leave.  Yesterday (Saturday) we pulled out early in the morning to get to the Twin Cities area in time to take Olivia to a soccer match in the early afternoon.  Today (Sunday) we went to Pam’s place to watch the Vikings tie with the Packers and to pick up some items we will deliver to Arizona for them.  Tomorrow we will finish our annual water system disinfecting and flushing, then meet with David and LeJoy and family for dinner.  On Tuesday we have appointments in place for the motorcycle and our finances.  Then we will leave MN on Wednesday for Winnebago in Iowa.  That should be a quick stop, then we are off to Memphis for a week at the Nomads’ Annual Meeting where we will catch up with about 1,000 of our best friends.

After Memphis, we will head to Paula’s place in Glendale, AZ once again to help her for awhile as she just had knee surgery – again! 

We have scheduled 4 volunteer work projects during the winter, 2 in Arizona and one each in Texas and Missouri before returning next spring.