From the inside

Here's a view of the microwave vent from the inside:

Stuffed with insulation to keep the critters out, of course.  Note, too, the electrical outlets which will be in the backsplash of the counter. 

And let us have a moment of silence for the poor logs we're covering up there in the kitchen. 

*Amen*

"And they call it a MINE!"

We went on an adventure this weekend to get me a bridesmaid dress.  Okay, that wasn't the adventure part --  going to a former mine to hunt for cool rocks was the adventure.

And being at Ruggles Mine in Grafton, NH inspired much quoting of Gimli the Dwarf.  And, despite the rainy day and general dreariness, we never actually got rained on, and had a great day with my soon-to-be-wed sister Thuthannah and her Mr. T.

We also, despite her obsession with rocks large and small, left Baby M at home with grandma, rather than cart her 4 1/2 hours to New Hampshire... when she is perfectly content playing with the rocks in grandma's backyard.  That, and she wouldn't have made it past the gravel parking lot. 

Incidentally, since I know you're waiting with bated breath, I *did* find a bridesmaid dress.  Okay, technically, my other sister in PA found it first, and suggested it as one we might wear.  But after 2 hrs in the bridal shop, we had a winner and marveled at our own low-maintenance quick decision-making abilities.  Until we reunited with the boys and discovered they'd been in the menswear store all of 30 minutes and had their suits all decided upon.  Now THAT'S quick work.   

But did they have to have someone else zip them up?  No, I don't think so.  So they shouldn't be that smug. 

But they are. *sigh* Boys.

Our Father's Day

Before church squirrel-watching:

Cook-out at The Lake with Bob's parents:

Picked wildflowers:

Canoe ride:

Dinner and campfire at my parents' house:

As we drove home after this very wonderful, very full day, The Husband and I mused that we are blessed beyond measure to have both sets of parents so close that we can visit both in a day, with such enjoyment and no hesitation that such a day as this would bring anything but unmitigated happiness.  It is one of the main reasons we have not regretted for one day our moving from the Maryland suburbs back "home" to Northern NY.  There are things....  well, mostly people, honestly... that we miss about the other places we have lived, and especially MD, but we don't regret our life here and the changes we have made to make this possible.  I reflect on this a lot, because I am a glass-half-empty person (frankly, I'm often surprised there's a glass at all, let alone with anything in it... but I digress), and often expect to find myself regretting the move, or pining for something in our old life.   So I'm surprised at my own contentment. 

Because I am content. 

I'm as shocked as you are.  Trust me. 

So, Happy Father's Day!  Here's to the men who do what is right and best for their families whether it's easy or popular or bone-crushingly, self-denyingly hard.   To my husband, the bedrock upon which our family can build.  To my father-in-law, who cares for me like his own daughter.  To my father, whose constant, steady love and example gave me the confidence and foundation on which I have built this life. 

Cart before the horse?

Sunflowerakb is right!  The new hole on the outside of the house is indeed a vent -- for this handy-dandy new over-the-range microwave. 

It does seem a bit premature to have the microwave already, when we don't have anything else in the kitchen.... 

But before the counters and cupboards and large appliances go in, the wiring, ductwork, plumbing, etc needs to be installed.  And that includes microwave vent holes.  Which you need to have the microwave for. 

Stay tuned for other excitement around here at At Home in Logs, like...  me mopping the floor.   Actually, I did contribute my wee little bit last week, but there are no pictures to prove it, so you just have to take my bloggy word for it. 

You remember Bob sanded the upstairs floor a few weeks ago?  After the dust settled, he vacuumed.  And then blew the dust off of the walls and ceiling... and vacuumed again.   And then I came in and vacuumed the floor AGAIN, and then mopped it in preparation for finishing.  So now I tapped in The Hubs and he will wipe it down with a tack-cloth and seal that lovely floor.   Of that I do hope to have pictures for you soon. 

If only people on The Lake would just quit asking for their camps to be opened and docks repaired, I might have a log house!  *sigh* 

{You do recognize sarcasm, don't you?  Of course I'm grateful that the family business is flourishing.  If it could just flourish a *bit* more so The Hubs could build the house....  }

Another hole in the log wall!

Can you guess what this one is for? 

More firepit stones

Some more shots of the firepit, with its additional walkway stones:

We had another bonfire last night, and I'd like to tell you that those sitting boulders are pretty comfy.  Unfortunately, the mosquitos and blackflies have discovered the gathering place for tasty humans and descended on us as well. 

Building a fire pit

I'd love to say that the fire pit that Bob, my sister Thuthannah and soon-to-be brother-in-law Terry (woo-hoo!) built last weekend was for me at The Lake...  but, alas.  This Fire Pit of Epic Proportions is at my parents' house.   On the other hand, I'll have every excuse to sit by it when I'm out there swiping veggies this summer from my father's massive garden. 

The Husband has been digging up and carting boulders over to my mom's place for a couple of years, just because she loves big rocks and is always on the lookout for the perfect "sitting rock."   Then, last week, they went out to a local quarry and bought a ton of flat rocks.  No, really:  a ton.  The pile of rock in the foreground is a ton:

A ton sounds like it should be a bigger pile, eh?

The previous homeowners had an above-ground swimming pool, so there's a handy-dandy flat sandy spot in the yard which is just *perfect* for a Fire Pit of Epic Proportions.  Thuthie and B-I-L-T dug the pit and Bob created a metal ring on Saturday, (and on Sunday we had a 40th Annniversary dinner for my parents), and then on Monday they fetched Alice (Allis) the tractor and commenced the Big Boulder Move of 2011.   

While the boys maneuvered the giant sitting rocks into place at the perimeter and leveled them, etc., Aunt Thuthie and Baby M placed the fire brick around the lip of the fire pit:

Really, we made the 4 year old do all the work; my sister's just posing for the camera.  Get to work, baby!

Then, just as the full heat of the day arrived, they laid the first ring of flat stones.

And then they died:

The Fire Pit is of such Epic Proportions that.... it's not even done.  My mother says they placed some more stone for the walkway tonight, but now they have to go get another ton of the stuff to finish it off.  Wowza.

I'll revisit the issue when it's completed and we can all appreciate a good burn.