At last, the recent snow we got melted away here around the homestead and the sun came out. Now true, along with the sun was a very brisk and chilly wind.... but never mind, it seemed like a good day to go out and explore a project I started two years ago and ended up not following through on it at all.
My 'hideout' spot on the other side of the ice pond.
I tried to make a shade shelter there and dragged a piece of old carpet over there to sit on. Oh... here's an entry about it :
I ended up not using it really at all. There were the summers of horrid fires and smoke and being outdoors was not only miserable, but bad for your health. I was totally discouraged about the entire idea and just left it to the elements.
Today I walked over there and decided to tidy up. Which I did.
That piece of fabric is a pretty heavyweight ducking that is actually a shower curtain. I am stunned that it is still in one piece AND hasn't even really faded or anything. I decided that was worth saving so I draped it over a bush to dry out. The poles were the beginnings of the idea of a sort of rudimentary teepee that I couldn't really commit to as I would need a much bigger tarp that I can't really afford because I don't want a noisy plastic one. Canvas tarps are very dear.
I re-stacked the broken bricks that I had gathered two years ago from the other side of the meadow. My idea is to make myself a little hearth to build fires in. I would have done that today except that the ground is saturated with water and has some standing puddles too. Not very friendly for sitting on at the moment. But it's on my mind now. AND if I do get it constructed, I would not be nervous about setting things on fire since it would literally be built on a soaking wet sponge!
Here's the long view. If I'm serious about spending any time here this Spring and Summer, I will have to bring the lawn mower over and keep the grass down. I did mow it one year and it worked pretty good. My only real challenge is making a trail down into the ice pond that is not completely treacherous for my vulnerable to breakage ankle. Mr. P. said he would be willing to help me with that since he has some experience with trail building. I'll float the idea to him sometime this week.
It felt good to be out of doors and to have a plan to get out there more. Though I hear that snow may be in our forecast again soon. But that's okay, Spring always arrives eventually and we will see if I have what it takes to make something a little more respectable in the way of a hideout for a grownup.
(Don't EVEN get me started.....)
Okay! I won't!
