Cornfield

After two days off it was good to get out on my bicycle today. Yeah, I had to put on several layers to be warm enough, and yes, I had to pedal harder than I would have liked in order to ride north and west from here. But the sun was out, it did not rain, and there were no tornadoes anywhere nearby today.

There hasn't been much field work going on here yet.  The cornfield along 152nd is still full of weeds, for example.  I did see a big machine in a blueberry field further north, giving the bushes their annual spring haircut, but it was too far away and hidden too deep in the field for a photo opportunity.

My goals for April biking were twofold-- one, to ride as often as I could, and two, to ride far enough or hard enough each time I was out there to be at least a little bit tired when I got home.  Minimal goals, I know, but they seem to be working out okay for me so far.  I included the Idlewood loop in today's ride, and took the photo above from a different spot than usual.  Stairs are now in, and we got a chance today to see the view from the second floor.  We were not disappointed.

Some video and a photo

Mother Nature

I overdid it on my ride on Sunday, as you may recall. Not as much as some people ... I did not, for example, do two days worth of exercise in one day. But I did ride 23.7%  further than I had on any ride so far year, and I can't do that any more. Well, I can, apparently, but there is a price to pay for it when I do. (And yes, I did the math.)

Rain was predicted for Monday, but it cleared a bit around lunch time. In spite of a case of rubber legs, I decided a recovery ride was in order, and I rode around the woods areas on the north side of Lake Mac for an hour or so. This morning I could still feel the burn in my quads and -- of course -- it was still raining.  I saw (or imagined) some blue sky around noon, so I decided to risk another try.  I rode out towards the beach, keeping an eye to the sky.  It began to look ominous as I got close to Idlewood, where I climbed the hill and went inside to check the weather radar before heading home.  (The telephone, electricity and cable TV all work.  The heat, water and septic do not.)  Our builders were there, having had a frustrating morning.  When they arrived at the job site, also known as my house, they discovered that rain water had gotten beneath all of their tarps and had entered the cottage, soaking the carpet in TJ's room.  (Also known as Wireless' and PP's room.)  Apparently the carpet in that room had been laid over old tile, and the water dissolved the glue holding the tile to the floor.  There was no option other than to trash out the carpet and pad.

 Water also entered Nikki's room (Also known as GZ's and Mrs. Smith's room), but to a lesser degree.  It is likely that we will be recarpeting that room also, before we are done.  Anybody got a favorite color?

In addition to the water damage to the cottage, the continuing rain and high winds have kept the construction crew from installing the trusses on the roof of the new addition.  Our builder declared that they will be installed tomorrow, come heck or high water. (Heck is where people go who do not believe in gosh.)  Once the trusses are up, things can be closed in more securely, apparently.  Henry was visibly frustrated -- he says that he's never had a house get wet, and he's done a lot of re-models, including two in our neighborhood.  Anyway.... to bring this sad tale to a close,  the radar showed showers approaching Holland, but no thunderstorms, so I hopped on my trusty steed and high tailed it for home.

Not the ride I'd planned.

My much loved gene pool is spending Easter Sunday with other members of their family, so JB and I are having our holiday dinner at our normal supper time. That opened up the afternoon for a bike ride, and the weather looked good for me to be able to (finally) stretch out my ride a little. Early this month I put together a list of rides that I wanted to take in April -- and very few of them have been checked off. Partly the weather, and partly because most of my rides this month have involved riding around in circles and visiting the beach house.

I decided that at least I'd check Pigeon Lake off my list, and if I felt strong when I got there, maybe I'd ride as far as "Hill."

I'd passed a runner before I reached the PSPS who was maintaining a brisk pace, and who -- once I passed him -- seemed to be using me as a "carrot" -- so I had to kick up the pace a bit.  It's not that hard to drop someone who doesn't have wheels and gears, but this guy was pretty persistent.  By the time I got to Pigeon Lake, he was just a dim memory.  Imagine my surprise when, as I left the parking lot of the boat launch, there he was -- running north on Lakeshore.  And laughing.  Needless to say, I headed north as well, passed him again, and dropped him like a hot potato.  It's not nice to laugh at senior cyclists.  I was now approaching "Hill," but was faced with a dilemma.  If I turned around, I'd meet the runner again, and he'd win.  But doing the north of Pigeon River loop wasn't on my bucket list for April.  It's a couple of miles further than what I thought I wanted to ride.  Then, lo and behold, at the base of Hill, a new trail has been put in that headed off towards.....

Yup.  The WOOS.  The power company has put in a trail linking Lakeshore to Croswell that goes through their property and .... by-passes Hill!  Needless to say, I had to try the new trail, and ended up checking off Pigeon Lake, Hill, the West Olive One Stop (formerly the PPS), and Hemlock Crossing Park, all in one Easter Sunday ride.  Woo and Hoo.  When I got home, I ate an entire banana.  So it wasn't the ride that I'd planned, but it was the ride that I took.  Bicycling as a metaphor for life.

Second Story

It was cold, windy and rainy pretty much all day yesterday.  I did not ride.  I did have a cup of tea with Lynne in her upstairs sitting room, though.  It was a good vantage point to watch the construction of the second story of the new addition to the beach house.

Today was a better biking day, and I got in a good hour and a half ride before OSLO and the COTU arrived to spend Easter Saturday afternoon with us.  Naturally, we headed out to the beach.

The stairs to the second floor are not in yet, so I am still waiting for the chance to see what the view will be like from our room.  The builder assures me that I will not be disappointed.  Stay tuned.

Art Show

Thursday's highlight was definitely the high school art show.  Our favorite artist had done a portrait in acrylics of the family dog in her art class.  She soooo caught the essence of Razz.  Those eyes!

Her painting was lined up along the wall, where they showcased the best of the best.  Ceramics and various other projects were on tables, some art work was pinned to free standing room dividers, and some poor artists had their work displayed on the gym floor.  (????) 

There was an impressive amount of talent displayed, and I enjoyed browsing through the young artists' works.

The artist herself, with her other Grandma.  Aunts, great aunts, uncles, cousins, Mom and 'step-dad' all arrived to support the girl, and state -- just in case you didn't know -- that she gets her artistic talent from her Dad's side of the family. 

 It's true, of course.

Framing Begins

After four days off my bike, yesterday afternoon I thought I saw a small window of opportunity for a ride. I was wrong, and even though I was dressed for wet weather, my bike and I got drenched. Today, after cleaning my bike and lubing its chain, I tried again. My bike log says it was 40 degrees when I left, with a WNW wind at 10. It was 41 with a WNW wind at 17, gusting to 25 when I returned. So it was, in reality, colder when I returned than when I left.

I rode out to the beach to check on progress out there.  Some cement got poured on Monday, but nothing much happened yesterday.  Framing was due to start today, and indeed it did.  The photo above was what it looked like early this afternoon -- the first wall is up, on the north side of the garage. 

JB and I went out again later in the afternoon, and the garage was beginning to take shape.  The door and windows are framed in, and plywood is beginning to close in the ground floor level.  Mostly garage space, plus a furnace room.

The roofline on the garage will change, but that isn't obvious yet, until the second story goes on. There is a door opening behind the orange ladder -- I have been given the responsibility of choosing the appropriate door for that location.  I have a book to look through, and everything.  Heavy responsibility.

Henry and JB held a meeting among the trusses, while I tried to capture the scene on my camera.  Stay tuned.

Aggravating, ain't it?

Driver's Training

One advantage of the cruddy weather we have had the last few days is that it gives novice drivers a chance to practice driving in adverse conditions.

Yesterday was 'puddle' lesson day, and a chance to get familiar with where the windshield wipers are located, and how to operate them. A valuable skill.

Today there was a high wind advisory here, and the girl learned that she doesn't like driving a high profile vehicle (The Beast) in a strong crosswind. 

We also ventured out onto some roads with a bit more traffic on them.  Until now we've been sticking mostly to my bike routes -- low traffic country roads.  Today we threw Lakeshore, Lakewood and 152nd street into the mix.  She's doing fine with the driving, and puts up with having her Grandmother as her co-pilot with good grace, though she's still working a bit on 'the concept of GO.' She needs 50 hours of supervised driving before she can move on to driving on her own.

Happy Birthday, Beach House

Yesterday it rained. Today the wind has been blowing all day in the 'knock you over' range. I'm taking this as a message from the universe that I should take a break from bicycling.  So this post is only about the progress being made on the construction project at the beach.  14 years ago today (April 15th, 1997)  JB and I signed the closing papers on the purchase of the beach house and 'took possession' of it that day.  It was also the day that the old wood seawall broke, leading to a summer of seawall construction.

This will be the location of a door -- at the end of the hallway there will be a laundry room.  This is at the same level as the original cottage, so that people who enjoy doing laundry (you know who you are) will find it more convenient to do so.

Sand compacting is pretty much done, and the plumbing has been roughed in.  The new garage will handle two cars, though currently it has a piece of construction equipment sitting in it.  The sand slows down the process of curing the concrete, I have been told.  This is apparently a good thing.  Framing cannot begin until the concrete is fully cured.

It is beginning to take on the shape that has been in my head since we began the planning process. A two car garage below with living space above.  There will be no funky stairs into the laundry room anymore, either.

Sand requires compacting before pouring a garage floor

The sand that will be beneath the new garage floor requires compacting, apparently. That's what was going on when I swung by the beach house at about the 2/3 point of my bike ride today. Since OSLO likes videos, here's what that process looks like.

I don't think I've posted a photo of the front of the cottage lately.  As you may be able to tell from the reflection in the window, it hasn't warmed up enough for bare legs here, yet.  It was a pretty day for a bike ride, though.  Upper 50's and calm winds felt good. 

The sand is slowly being back filled on the inside and outside of the newly poured foundation.

The well people (as in a hole in the ground from which you get water, not to be confused with the unsick people) were arriving just as I was leaving.  I'm not sure exactly what they were going to do -- but I am sure it was important.  The builders discovered that the water lines from our well into the house were a smaller diameter than they had expected, and they thought that they could improve the water pressure in the house with larger diameter water lines.  That would be a good thing.

Saturday, Tuesday, same deal.

Saturday I rode up to the PSPS, for the express purpose of taking a photo of it and posting it on this blog.  Most years I make a big deal out of my first trip up there, and it is a landmark that many of my readers are familiar with.  I did post a picture of the Elite in front of the PSPS a couple of weeks ago, but failed to mention where it was taken.  Anyway, when  I took out my camera and turned it on, I got the dreaded "no memory card" message. Argh.

So here, finally,  is the PSPS, on my third trip there this spring.  Except for the color of my helmet, it is pretty much the same picture as the one I was looking for on Saturday.  No construction news to report -- the concrete is curing. That takes a while.

Gray Monday

There are some pretty purple wildflowers blooming in the woods along 160th Avenue.  I do not know what they are called.

I've just recently gotten a new computer for Ruby, and it is nice to be back riding my 'good' bike.  It just feels faster than the Elite.

 The foundation was poured for the new addition to the cottage today. 

It is beginning to take shape.  I'm glad we got started early in the year -- I can't imagine trying to do this with all the summer beach traffic in our neighborhood.  We're still hoping that it will be done in early July, though the builder got a later start that he had originally hoped.

Cooler near the beach.

It was 82 degrees at Best Buy on the highway when we left their parking lot. It was 74 on Lakeshore, and 70 when we got to the end of our driveway.

The temperature dropped another 15 degrees, IMHO, between the street and the deck. 30 mph winds off of the water, which is currently in the low 40's, will do that.

TJ was the only one brave enough to head down the stairs into what felt like an outdoor refrigerator.

Nikki was wearing new boots, so she had a good excuse for staying off the sand.  As for me, it was just too cold.  It was really pretty though.

Rebuilding begins slowly.

There hasn't been much biking going on this past week here. It seemed that every day it didn't rain, I had something else going on. Yesterday I got to spend the day with the COTU. We spent some time at the mall in Grand Rapids, just for fun, then went out to the beach so that they could see for themselves what things look like at this point in time. They seemed to find it interesting.

Today I got a chance to try out the new fender on my bicycle -- it rained until about 10 this morning, and I headed out about noon.  (It worked great.  I came back clean.)  Most rides these days involve a loop through Idlewood to check on the progress of our little project.  Today there were workmen pouring the concrete footings that will anchor the new addition into the sand dune.  The footings are good and deep -- something that seems like a good idea to me.  (The old Sunday School song about "the wise man built his house upon the rock" comes to mind.)

Here are a couple of short videos from today of the concrete footings being poured.  I have an odd sense of humor, but I think the first one is kind of funny.

www.youtube.com/user/60santini?feature=mhum#p/a/u/1/bxL_1yXNb_k

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XT6OPqE4Q  (more concrete being poured)

Okay, that's enough of that. Concrete has to cure, and the weekend is upon us, so I'll take a break from the construction videos for a while.

Demolition day

By the time we arrived at 9 am, the old garage was gone. (click on the link to view a video of the demolition on YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oYPRyVJtEE

Here's a fact.  These things come down faster than they go up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLLLFz7YwIY

In spite of a steady cold rain, people gathered to watch.  Jason and Joe among them.  (Jason is one of our builders.  He and his Dad are VosHomes, LLC.)

By the time I left, there was just one wall standing of what was to be demolished.

 It wasn't quite noon.  Henry (Jason's Dad) says that footings for the new construction will be poured on Friday.  There are a few more photos on Flickr.  www.flickr.com/photos/20407600@N05/sets/72157626317907423

Where did the years go?

Not even flowers from her "step-dad" and chocolate cake could keep this teenager from her natural activity -- texting.

A lot of laughter, and a big hairy dog.

A nice grandaughter/grandfather moment.  She chose the flavor of her cake and the frosting with him in mind.  Chocolate is in her DNA.  "Cawk-lat" was one of her first words.  He trained her love of chocolate with Cadbury's Dairy Milk, made in New Zealand and carried back to Michigan in his briefcase.

The birthday girl with her Mom, OSLO. 

14 years ago this month we bought the beach house, at least in part because there was a 2 year old with sparkling eyes in our lives.  Where did the years go?

A brick short of a full load.

I had a brief thought back during our "warm spell" that it was time to kick it up a notch -- starting by stretching out my usual 1.5 hour rides. With that in mind, today I brought Ruby up from the basement, pumped the tires and headed out. Two things were obvious immediately. My bicycle computer wasn't working, and it was too dang cold to ride more than 1.5 hours.

I rode Ruby anyway, and used Map My Ride to figure out my mileage when I got home.  I'll need to buy a new battery for it before I ride it again.  Still, it was fun to be riding my 'nice' bike.

The tree cutters have done their job at the beach -- the bushes surrounding the beech tree are gone, making way for the new septic system.

A maple tree is gone, too.  There will be a two car garage in the new iteration of the beach house.

Progress is being made -- the part of the cottage that will remain is being prepped for new siding.  The current thinking is that demolition of the old garage will take place on Wednesday, after the spring weight restrictions have been lifted on our local roads.  Heavy equipment will be used.  Stay tuned.