Greg's been busy

In case you thought Greg just lazes around the house in the winter, think again. This guy has been very busy. I think I mentioned back when I wrote about the island cabin being built, that Greg and Lauri ended up acquiring milling equipment at their place in Kasilof. In other words, they have a kick-ass shop. Well, it gets put to extremely good use.

His most recent project is a birch table for the Hesketh Island cabin and, of course, chairs. Lauri writes:
"Greg has been keeping busy in his workshop the past 2 months. He made a picnic table and benches for the guest cabin. Then, a new door for our cabin to replace the drafty one. Now he has started on a birchwood dining set for our cabin--- this is the prototype chair. Wowee!"

He's finished the table and has cut all the pieces for the chairs. He'll have them done in no time, I'm sure, and then he'll pick another project. Hmmm, wonder what's next?

Glorious sunset

As if the rest of the world had caught fire.

The sewing room

Lauri sent me this picture this morning and mentioned that the sewing room door is kept closed at night -- helps keep the heat in the rest of the house. The temperature in the sewing room this morning was -15 degrees. (Turns out it was -15 outside, 32 degrees in the sewing room.) She said she'd wait an hour or so before getting to "work." It's not work for her, it's fun.

A few weeks ago she was thinking about Valentine's gifts and had a bit of a romp in the sewing room making these. I actually received one the other day. It's beautiful.

Lauri writes:
"The birds of paradise wall hanging was a seriously difficult piece and I have it here in this room, so I get to look at it 100 times a day, and you will too, when you come and stay with us!"

Yes, Lauri is an extremely gifted quilter.

She writes: "I really do have more fun with sewing projects than anyone I know!! This was started last week, and now is in the 5 inch block stage. Now to put them all together, and some borders! Yippee. (Greg caught me, climbing on anything within reach.....)"

This is the very special Hearts quilt she made in memory of her father. She spent a year working on it, comforting herself and healing from the deep grief and loss.

Lauri writes:
"My favorite is Stars in my Eyes, the one that finally won me the Grand Champion ribbon at the state fair, after years and years and years of red and blue ribbons; not putting them down, mind you, just always strove for the purple one!"

Ahh, a good day's work. Time for a cup of tea and maybe a catnap.

Daybreak on Hesketh Island

Many different days, always the morning.

Sandpipers on Kasilof beach

You're not going to believe this

How fun would it be to go exploring along this shore line? Wow, the things you could find. Seastars, shells, maybe a crab, beautiful rocks and bull kelp. Excuse me? Yup, you heard correctly, bull kelp. Bull kelp is found along protected and open coastlines of the Pacific from Alaska to California. Bull kelp forests offer protective shelter for young fishes and many invertebrates, such as sea urchins, sea stars, snails and crabs. Sea otters thrive in kelp forests too. They can find their favorite foods on the forest floor, then take an after-lunch nap in the forest’s golden canopy—often wrapped in a flexible stem or two to keep from drifting away.

And when the bull kelp washes ashore, the locals go about picking it up and...and...hmmm, looks like they're...no, they couldn't be...could they? Are they tooting them like horns?

Looks like Greg's got the hang of it. I can just hear the deep, melodic rumble of the Alaskan bull kelp tenor pipe, can't you?

Lauri writes:
"I wish you would come to the island this summer and HEAR the kelp horns for yourself! Better yet, see if you can make music with one! I will send you a photo of what I do with kelp tomorrow. Other than play it, we also make all of our pickles with it, and last year made a gigantic vat of salsa with it, that I canned ( jarred ) and we have 2 cases of it. Yummo."

This is the promised photo -- long strands of bull kelp hung up to dry. I'm sure I don't have the complete picture here, there must be so much more to this. I'll just have to go to Hesketh Island and see. I'm partial to an alto horn myself.

Get 'er done

Greg is sitting on the joists that will hold the roof boards. You realize I'm just making this up as I go along. I got these pictures and a slight, brief description of what was going on, but not anything real in-depth. I suppose I could just show you the pictures and let you imagine what's going on. How about it? You up for that? Here we go:

Looks like the inside is getting done. It's so beautiful, isn't it? Really inviting. I can't wait to spend my first night in this guest house.


These two worked so hard. I have no idea how they do it, they just keep on keeping on. But Alaska's like that: you work hard to live there.

And when you wake up in the morning, get your coffee and go out on the porch. Make yourself comfortable in the rocker and this is what's waiting for you.

Wow.

The guest house grows

We left off last time with the pilings in the ground and the first joists being attached. Now the floor is nailed down and then walls can happen.

Like this. They make it look so simple, don't they? Maybe it is, after you've built 3 or 4 of them. And the whole reason for this one is so you and I will be comfortable when we go for a visit.

Greg and his dad work hard together, getting the house closer to being done. Here they're bolting the pieces of wood together. Imagine doing all of this with non-power tools. Speaking of which, where do you suppose those extension cords go? Hmmm.

So now we're at the roof stage. I'll be back with more tomorrow.

Until then, I leave you with this:

The Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all...

One is Evil. It is anger, fear, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

The guest house on Hesketh Island

When you arrive at Hesketh Island as Lauri and Greg's guest, you will see this beautiful cabin on the cliff above their house. The story of this guest house is pretty unbelievable and entirely amazing.

I don't know diddly about building a house from scratch. I've torn apart an existing structure and renovated it. So that means I know a little about dry wall and paint, but absolutely nothing about cutting down trees and making lumber from them. When Greg and Lauri decided they needed a place for company to stay, they invited family and friends to join in the fun, much like the Quakers (for us city dwellers, think Witness, the movie with Harrison Ford). Obviously, an area had to be cleared.


And obviously, the trees were then turned into lumber. With a chain saw? Yup. Greg spent 2 years, cutting trees and milling them to get enough lumber to build the guest house.

Lauri tells me this is one year's worth of chain saw milling. Eventually they got themselves some milling equipment at their place in Kasilof for cutting up firewood and that helped.

The pilings go in the ground and the floor is started. I remember this part from my short stint as a helper when Lauri's house was being built -- her house in Kasilof, which was a cute cabin to begin with, before all the rooms got added. You must understand that you do not build any ol' time you please in Alaska. You have a few months in the summer and you get your tushy in gear. Of course, you have 20 hours of daylight, so that helps.

This is the first installment of the story of the island guest house. I will be back to tell you more tomorrow.

I leave you with this:

Take, and welcome joy within you:
Showers, flowers, powers,
Hatfulls, capfulls, lapfulls,
Treasures, measures, pleasures,
All be yours to enjoy!
~ Caitlin Matthews

Beautiful, silvery trees

Tidepooling around the island

Lauri's lovin' it!

The brittle sea stars

A beautiful and rare blood sea star