Backpacking

Silas and Drew went on their father/son backpacking trip and had a great time! They did a 12 mile portion of the trail in 2 days. We knew what time we were supposed to pick them up so we got a meal together and met them at their campsite. It was such a beautiful Fall day. Drew and I sat in the sun together while the boys played at the pond.

Silas found these HUGE puffballs. It was too bad they were over the hill. I'm sure they would've loved to have made them into puffball "steaks" for lunch.

This is Silas on the trail with his 20lb. pack! Drew said he did really well.

The end of Day seven

The roof is ready for the shingles. We're not sure when that will happen, but hopefully soon! As you can see, the gable ends still need put on and some finish work needs done before it can be stained. In time, a few windows will go in as well. What a week!

Day seven - Monday

By the end of the day, the whole roof was on and the tar paper was down. It is so nice to see them working together like this. :)

Doesn't he look happy? :) He has enjoyed this so much. I will post more pictures of the progress they made today. They were also able to get the sides on his cabin. It still needs more work but Drew is off this project for a time and on to backpacking with Silas. They leave tomorrow!

Day Six - Sunday

Roof rafters!! What a difference this step has made.

A view from the front. Ukiah has chosen where he wants to place bird feeders and a salt block so he can watch the birds, deer and other wildlife. I can already visualize him sitting on his front porch when this cabin is completed. :)

My Great-Grandma's Clematis

I want to tell you the story of this clematis. When I was a little girl, my Great-Grandma had a clematis so huge it covered one quarter of the garage behind her house in Pennsylvania. Now the garage wasn't that big but when the clematis was in bloom it was stunning! Masses of purple flowers cascading from the roof and down the sides. I wish you could have seen it.

She passed away when I was 15 and her husband remained in the house until he also passed away quite a few years later. I was now married and my great-uncle asked me if I would like to come and dig up the bulbs and any other plants in her yard. The house was going to be sold. Without hesitation, I said yes. Drew and I went and dug up literally hundreds of bulbs and many plants. The one thing I wanted most was a start from her clematis. Someday I would have a sea of purple all my own.

We took the bulbs and plants back to our home and found a special place for all of them. The clematis went in at the corner of our potting shed. Years passed and it did not do very well. A few blossoms here and there but not much more. I always hoped that one day it would just take off and grow right up over the top like hers did.

The time came when we decided to move to Idaho. As much as I wanted to take them along, I just couldn't do it this time. After three wonderful years in Idaho, we found ourselves on our way to Pennsylvania then Missouri to another new home. This time, Drew would be coming along behind us in another week. We had all been staying in PA until our MO home was ready. He needed to finish up some work. While there, my beloved husband was thinking of me and my Grandma's flowers. One day, he went to visit the people who had purchased our PA home and asked if they would mind if he dug up a few starts. They said "Take as much as you want!" When he arrived in Missouri he had a special surprise for me. As I remember that moment, tears are flowing. I opened boxes and containers filled with bulbs and yes, a start from my Great-Grandma's clematis. What you see in the photo above is the first bloom from that start, here in Missouri.
It bloomed this week! One single bloom. Earlier this spring we had rows of her daffodils blooming. I'm thankful that I have flowers to remind me of this special woman.

My husband's thoughtfulness and love amazes me. Yet I know that God loves us even more!

Day Five - Friday

This is SO exciting to watch. I told Ukiah that I want a cabin too!

Right now they are building the rafters. All four walls are up and it is really taking shape. When the siding goes on it's going to make a HUGE difference. I'm afraid I have "building cabin fever". This is just too much fun.

Day Four continued

Day Four - Thursday

We all joined them down at the building site in the morning. I arrived as they were finishing up breakfast by the fire.

Day Three - Wednesday - the floor!

Last evening, they stoked the fire and made up beds on the deck for their first night "at the cabin".

Day Two- surveying the progress

This is Ukiah and Drew at the end of the day on Tuesday. The foundation is complete and the joists are in. It is hard for them to quit! They are having such a good time. I tilted the camera so that is why it looks lopsided - really, it is level. ;)