The Winter Wind 2005

Island Cottage
As usual I spent what time I could on the island ... mostly working on THE COTTAGE. Last year I finished the base platform on which to build the actual building. Weather and other responsibilities kept me from starting until after the 4th of July. But then I worked as weather allowed. I built the frame in the picture to the right entirely by myself ...

Erecting Bents

but got needed excellent help from Jason to sheath the structure ... and more help bringing lumber out and from other friends.

Sheathing going on

I did not have time to work on the bedroom "el" ... but that will be next year. Come help.

Looking up at the wood

View from inside

Its a wrap for this season

Again the site has a 270 degree view with great sunrises / sunsets.
Click here to see the view from the deck only if you have a FAST internet connection pic= 665 KB.

Other links:
shed 2003
cottage 2004
cottage 2005
Island visitor information

Sam the dog
Sam (Magn's dog), unfortunately, cannot live at the Nursing Home, but he can visit often. He especially looks forward to such visits since the old folks drop a lot of food on the floor ... and Sam is only too happy to help clean up. Sam has lost his constant companion (Magn) but I take him to the island all the time and other places as I can. He remains a good though still somewhat independent companion ... and warm when he crawls into bed (rarely).

Sam with Winter coat on

Merry Christmas
Happy New Year

(click on any picture to enlarge -- then use the back button to return. Resolution has been reduced to facilitate download.)

partial cottage frame ...
with diminutive carpenter

prehensile marigolds

Magn is 97 Years Old -- But in a Nursing Home

Paula and Magn

Magn is now in a Nursing Home in Bath. She went in after she fell and dislocated her shoulder in April. In November she fell and broke her hip (3 screws needed to repair it). She needs some help all the time. In discussing our options with Magn, I told her that I could not take care of her 24 hours a day ... she replied, "You could for 12 hours a day"! She still has a lot of spunk.

Steve and Magn
(Note Swedish horse on shirt)

When someone mentioned that she had lost some weight, Magn said "That's easy here"! -- evidently referring to the cooking at the nursing home. Actually her favorites are milk, cookies, and big cinnamon rolls ... the cooking is not bad, its just Magn is particular and only eats what she likes ... (sounds like a kid, right? ... well she has paid her dues.)

Magn likes meat, too

Magn reading at the Nursing Home

Overall, Magn is doing OK healthwise (she has mostly recovered from her broken hip)... it is just that Nursing Home living gets sadder as one gets more debilitated (at least for visitors). Perhaps it gets less distressing to the resident as their mind ebbs. Magn is often at least somewhat confused. I visit almost every day. There ought to be a better way ... just don't know what.

Paula
is keeping active: skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, kayaking, rowing, traveling ....

Paula rowing by the Point

Paula and I made an annual pilgrimage to The Balsams resort in Dixville Notch, NH for a little xc, snowshoeing, and mild tele skiing for a couple of days.

Snowshoeing at the Balsams

View of the Notch & Balsams

Paula in Iceland
This trip was disquised as a Physical Therapy Conference -- Hah!

She has to collapse sometime

Paula's dad died at 102 in March. He was still doing surgery at 80. He was endeared to generations of patients that he treated in Waynesburg, PA. ... and to his very large family (9 kids, 3 foster kids, only 1 wife). May his spirit rest in peace -- his body won't since medical students got it.

The Winter Wind 2004

Page 2

The Price to Poop III

Grass over new Sewer System
Thankfully the grass grew

     I remain bemused by my $150,000 sewer system (the state of Maine required me to replace it AND paid for 90% of it -- a long story). My musings yield the following observation:
If I had paid the full cost for the system with a mortgage (assuming a 20 year life of the system and 6% interest), my monthly payment would be $1074 or ~ $35 per day ... .
     So the price to poop is $35 per day at full cost and thankfully only $3.50 per day at the subsidized cost.
     Now you know why a bear just shits in the woods ...and why Maine taxes are about the highest state taxes in the nation.

P.S. Last year I mentioned that I wanted to put some granite blocks where Paula planted a lot of bulbs and we would just wait and see what would happen -- suffice it to say (as you could have told me) that Paula still has her bulbs and the granite blocks will not be on top of them.

Other Pictures:

Sunset from the Island with Mt. Washington and the Presidentials on the horizon (those little 5000-6288' bumps are 80 straight-line miles away)

New leaves and new grass over the sewer system

That's all Folks, take care ...

Previous editions: Winter Wind 2000 Winter Wind 2001 Winter Wind 2002 Winter Wind 2003 Winter Wind 2004

Thanks for your visit if you made it this year,
If you didn't make it this year, come visit next year :
directions: http://www.greatmaine.com/steve/stevedirections1.html

Don't forget to enjoy! Send me your email address!
P.S. If you didn't receive email notification of this new version and saw it by just typing the obvious progression in the address, I likely have lost your email address -- just send me an email, I would like to hear from you.

Steve Winter 207-443-3623
845 Foster Point Road
West Bath, Maine 04530

email: swinter@blazenetme.net or steve@greatmaine.com