For those that are just tuning in, our Dovetail Lodge is a mere memory. Save for the 3,500 square feet of her basement foot print - THAT part is very much present, presenting us with issues and opportunities. After the house was demolished, the hole in our hearts was replaced by two (OSHA standardized) holes in the ground. One of which tends to resemble Shrek’s swamp after every big rain storm. After the third or fourth go at literally draining the swamp — we’ve opted for moving some dirt around so as to encourage run off in a more sustainable way until we can split and then sell one of the lots. This latest round of DIY adventures is best summed up as oh dear, oh deere, oh deer:
OH DEAR(S)
Once again we are incredibly lucky to have the best daughters. We are even luckier that our dear daughters don’t mind coming to our rescue. For my contribution, teaching them to enjoy playing in the mud when they were little has paid off big time in their willingness to play in the mud pit now that they are grown. Renting the trash pump has become a bit of a routine as these strong capable women take turns helping their father get the machine and hoses into the miniature swamp, setting it up, priming, pumping, draining said hoses, getting them and the pump out of the swamp, back to the house, cleaning off all the mud and then returning it to Home Depot. Though there are amusing antics that happen every time, we don’t want our dear ones to feel swamped by this chore. Hence, this holiday weekend we’re embarking on a different solution since we’ve no clue how long it will take to get things squared away to divide the lots, etc.
OH DEERE
Truth told, I think R is enjoying puttering around on the John Deere tractor with back hoe AND a digger. He would probably be having even more fun if the storm clouds hadn’t decided to continually let loose during the timeframe of this rental. Hopefully things will dry out enough so that he can rearrange enough dirt for the rainwater to run off as nature intended. From draining the swamp to salvaging what is left of our heap of river stones, my dear husband’s abilities to maneuver this John Deere tractor is most impressive — and helpful. While he putters around on the tractor, I am having a blast sifting through the pile of rocks and ancient mortar. While sorting through granite, quartz, shale and fossilized limestone, I’m reminded that at one point in my childhood I thought about becoming a geologist. While it is a strange definition of fun, at this juncture I am more driven by my artistic vision for what I want to do with these rocks should we ever get the opportunity to build a new home.
OH DEER
Speaking of new homes, I do have a note to whomever our new neighbors might be. I think all of us will be the squatters as the deer have truly claimed this site as their own. The springtime sighting was of a mamma sitting sentry having bedded down her wee ones for the night. In summertime there are young bucks passing through to lounge and forage. This land, where the original homestead of the neighborhood once stood, is a beacon to them all. Now I know there are issues surrounding the deer population in our neck of the woods, but still — it is their woods in which we have encroached. We are looking forward to sharing this rare bit of urban forest with them. There will be very large picture windows in the NEW Dovetail Lodge so that we might glimpse these creatures as we each go about our lives. For what it is worth, in Native American symbolism, deer represent gentleness, something I think the world could use a lot more of at the moment. Just imagine waking up to this vista every day. If you are someone who shares our love for woodland creatures in your backyard, this is a gentle invitation to reach out to djnral2.0@dovetaillodge.com to learn more about the lot which will be hitting the market soon.
