John, Tricia, and I were just out in the dining room talking about new tile. We've gone through several renditions on our plan: starting with tile, moving through cork and marmoleum, and ending up back at tile. It'll be really nice, and I'm excited to do an improvement that is actually something fun when it's done. Or at least, visible.

Over the past few years, we've ended up spending hundreds of thousands on some really, really, unbelievably boring improvement projects. New septic (sewage) system, (Eeww, but you really don't want that stuff coming back...) New underground electrical infrastructure. Woo Hoo. That one sure gets a lot of compliments from our guests. Not! Of course, again, people like electricity in their cabins. A new roof on the lodge. There is a fun one! OK, I guess the added insulation helps, and no leaks is a good thing. A new stove in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the one that we had to replace a couple years ago because of the electrical re-do was the newer one. Something about three phase and single phase power, whatever that means. A new well pump. Gotta have water, right? Heater for the pool, compressor for the walk-in...

They're all sort of like getting new brakes in your car. I hate spending money on new brakes, or new tires. Obviously, the alternative is not so pretty, either. But it ranks right up there with a root canal. Or the time the dogs got into some rat poison. Let's just throw some c-notes out the window while we're driving. At least then, someone would find them and be excited.

Enough rant. We do have some fun things going on. We've cut a hole for a door in Meadowview cabin, from the living room of room 1 into room 3. This makes a nice two bedroom with a living room. Room 2 is still not connected, although we'd like to figure that one out, too. We're replacing beds and some furniture out there, getting rid of a couple of queens and twins and putting in new king beds.

The old stove in the kitchen died, I think that one was circa 1940. It's pretty amazing it lasted as long as it did. When maintenance pulled it out, they disassembled it. It looked like a nightmare inside there. The old wires and grease that had made it through the seams in the metal - gross. Thank God it never caught on fire. And, another fabulous money pit!

John finished the new recycling center project, finally. For as much flack as he got over that one, it did turn out very nicely. You'd think there was nothing cool about a new place for the trash and cardboard dumpsters, recycling bins, and bottle sorting space, and really, there isn't. Except that the dishwasher sorting the stuff can stand under a roof and the trash guy does not have to blow an artery when the wheel of the dumpster breaks through the old plywood floor. But, moving it opens up the whole south end of the lodge. We can put a couple of picnic tables in the shade there, and you can see the pond and the rocks now as you drive in the driveway. And best of all, no more walking past the dumpster on your way to lunch on a hot summer day, either! (Yes, it was screened, so you couldn't see it, but the garbage company will only switch it out for a clean one once a month or so... nicely.)

Steven is working on putting together a better dining area down by the fire pit. He'd like to serve a dinner down there, which would be super fun. We'd set it up a lot like the breakfast ride site. Tricia and Heather are working on new bedding for the rooms. They have new sheets in the rooms already, which are very nice, and are working on the rest of it.

Otherwise, at this point, we just have a little more re-landscaping to do; where the dumpster and recycling used to be, by Meadowview, and by cabins 5 & 6. If any other major projects come up, I'll keep you posted here. Some really fun stuff, like a new furnace or something...