Last Friday was truly a beautiful, warm,September day....
After the usual chores...
We retired to the beach deck...
To watch the goings on...
On the Lake...
And around the property...
The Miscanthus are truly spectacular this year...
Must have been all the rain we got this past Summer...
I left a few tomatoes behind...by mistake...hopefully they will be still be there, if we get out there this weekend...
And....perhaps some more sweet yellow ones to pick...
I am always amazed at what a good looking building the cottage really is...
My boyfriend always wipes down the siding...to get all the spider "poop" and unwelcome webs...especially when you open the kitchen door, and a web hugs you in the face!!
We have changed the exterior a few times since we bought it...
It was originally a wooden building...with old wooden windows..
You know the kind...with the ropes and pulleys?!
We left the wooden windows inside, but added new white aluminum storm windows, with screens...to give it a cleaner look...and much nicer from the inside...
The roof was reshingled and the same company made me the blue aluminum shutters...my design...to match the blue roof...I am a sucker for blue!
They also built our Shunda...shed...to my specifications...and it has been fabulous...no more lugging everything down to the creepy basement!!
We also added the 2 side windows you can see beside the big picture window...there was no ventilation in there at all...this window did not open...fixed window...and the extra light is always welcome...they are cantilever windows...open top and bottom...to let the Lake breezes in...
The upper railing was changed out...it used to be white...picket style...
Very hard to keep clean...and we had already had a few posts replaced...so... after painting it 3-4 times...we gave Lloyd the job of replacing it...with a vertical design...mine again...and stained it with a blue wash...much better...and much cleaner...I don't go out there very often...
The railing was always shorter than it looked...and a very narrow path..
But...it certainly adds to the romance of the exterior...
We also added a new window...cut out from nothing...in the back bedroom with the twin beds...
It was always very dark back there...and this allowed the sun from the west at the end of the day...Will look for a photo of that...the difference is incredible...
I guess I should have looked up a few more photos to add to my story...but I never planned to go in this direction...
I always get misty-eyed at the end of the season...when I know we wil have to close up soon...
I think I will crawl thru my pictures and try and find some to show the other improvements we have made during the years..
Of course....nothing can replace the original charm of this place...
Which is what drew us to it in the beginning...:o)
As my regulars know...
We had to have the sunporch all redone last winter...
The ceiling went in a few weeks ago..which I love...
The floor is still up for ideas...it is a high grade wolmanized plywood...not sure if I should just varathane and bring out the knots...or add a coloured stain and then varathane...
I can think about that all winter...no rush right now...
You see the window to the left..that is the tiny kitchen...there was no window there!!! I "salvaged" an old wooden set of windows from an old building...and my daughters boyfriend at the time, cut a hole in the wall...and built in the windows...it was one of the best things we did...it is like a serving window...and opens up the kitchen to the Lake, garden and breezes..AWESOME!!!
Below is the view from inside the kitchen...as the sun is setting...
Keep in mind...this was last weekend...so the sun is quite low already...
I have shots of the summer...where the sun is streaming in...gorgeous!!
You can see in the distance, we got the Martin house down, and cleaned out, and tucked away for the winter...
In June, July and August, the sun streams in there until late at night..
We always eat out there....at every opportunity...
There is a drop leaf table...with wheels...one of the original cottage pieces...which sits to the left...holds candles etc...and can be moved into place very quickly when we have guests and family...
Some of my fondest memories of the cottage...were on this porch...
Listening to music...chatting...laughing...eating a wonderful meal...watching a lightning storm across the lake, as well as fireworks!!
And of course...dancing with my boyfriend...:o)
Above...I added this shelf in the kitchen...to house a few of my kitchen essentials...storage is sparse in here...I must do a post on the interior...
I will start working on that!!!
This picture was taken from the porch, as we were eating dinner last Friday night...the sunsets never disappoint...even if we do face South...the colours always float across the sky....right into our view...:o)
After dinner....as there was a North wind...we ventured out, and set the Bonfire ablaze....lovely warmth...and crackling sounds...
Hopefully not the last of the year......
Above is the view the next morning...unfortunately we froze all night, as the air was very cold and damp...even with flannel sheets and the electric blanket...I guess we should have worn toques to bed!!! hahaha!
There is no ceiling upstairs...other than the roof...it is open above all the walls between the 3 bedrooms...no insulaton...chilly!!!
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So.....that was the last September weekend at the cottage for this year...
I hope you enjoyed the brief history, and I will work on more...
Like the time the gas company shut the gas off...and like the time the septic leaked into the basement...and the time the kitchen sink backed up...and over!!! Like the time I put my whole leg thru the floor on the sunporch!!!Or like the time the squirrel got in and tried to chew his way out...thru the wooden windows!!! OR the raccoon who came down the chimney...walked over everything...pulled everything down from the cupboards...and the left thru the chimney...thank god he left!!!
I got a million of them!! hahaha!
We got the roofing problem sorted...new roof going up mid October...after the guy gets back from his Moose hunting trip!
Just another day at the Lake..you never know what will happen.....
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Hope you are all having a great day...
Another glorious sunny day here...
Feeling much better...gotta love those drugs, eh??!! hahaha!
Planning on scooping up Miss V later...and hopefully get out for a walk to the swings with her...I will take my camera for sure...
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On the menu tonight....
Grilled pork tenderloin medallions....which are marinated in worcheshire sauce and plenty of cracked black pepper...
Potatoes of some sort...and grilled zucchini...
Tomatoes with goats cheese and fresh basil...
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I also want to welcome my new followers, and thank you for your kind comments....coming up to 2 years at this...and I must say...that you bunch of gals have been wonderful to get to know...some of you better than others...but...I do enjoy this blogging..for sure...
My friend Tammy...at "Peanut on the Table"...has had a bit of bad news lately...and I want everyone to think good thoughts for her..She has lead an extraordinarily multi-faceted life...and is a dear person...she calls me her CCgirl...Californian Canadian Girl...and....I love that!!!
Enjoy the rest of your day...I have certainly rambled on long enough...
Hope you enjoyed The Last September Day at the Cottage...along with us...
Cheers! :o)
linda
