August 21, 2023 August Turns Golden

It’s hard for me to remember this kind of August. I left Grand Rapids at age seven. We moved from our small house to the second story of a duplex in NE Minneapolis. I don’t know what month it was but I think it was August. My mom always called August the Dog Days. Hot, still, oppressive and all the lake covered with green vegetation that made them only safe for a dog. I recall a night so hot it was unsleepable. I don’t think air conditioning had been invented yet. But if so, we couldn’t have afforded it.

In Ely leaves are turning yellow. It’s drizzling. It’s down vest weather. I’m not thinking September yet even if the sun angle bespeaks it. This is the order of life here on a day I’ve found time to write.

We drove Dominic to the MPS airport last Tuesday and stayed at Brenda and Greg’s house. The four of us were waiting for Thursday’s Hot Air Balloon Ride in Stillwater. We had rescheduled it from last year’s cancellation owing to wind. On Thursday at noon, we learned again it was too windy. So we returned to Ely on Friday.

We were confident that on Monday everything was lined up to resume progress on the building of our cabin. I gave the guy who was going to remove the large sheds from our building site a deadline of having the removal finalized this week. He met the deadline of letting us know, he could not line-up a crane, a huge carrier and permits to haul these sheds away. But, what he could do, is demolish the sheds and haul them away.

This felt weird to us. He loved the shed because it was the bar that his grandmother owned. He was going to make sure it was in one piece. On the app, What’s up Ely, he had discussions about re-opening the bar. Yet now he wanted to demolish it and charge us money. Of course, why would he do work for nothing? We debated the situation and decided this could be our best option. With each day, we’re feeling more pressure to get things on the way. So on Saturday, we stood in the shed wondering how the two of us could do all this demolition? It’s massive. Plus everyone says that you can’t get help in Ely.

With reservation, we hired him to demolish and remove the sheds. He said he would be out here on Monday. It’s Monday. I’m sitting at the table writing. Terry is removing parts of the shed that he can use. I asked for an ETA from the guy and he did not reply. this doesn’t look promising. I guess I should YouTube demolition for women.

Terry was supposed to be digging a trench for the electric cable that needs to go to the pump to be installed on the well. But the trencher that he had rented was the wrong one. And so it goes. Here’s a bit of good news. The pump guy who’s coming out tomorrow will bring a generator. So we will have our water ready to be hooked up to wires that will go in the trench when it’s dug.

Meanwhile, we’re getting used to our hygiene-situation. I ran both Saturday and Sunday which produces a lot of sweat and discomfort. I’ve had no shower since Friday morning and there isn’t one in my future until maybe Wednesday. When my grandmother was my age, I don’t believe she had a shower or a tub. I’m getting used to it as I think about how much water we’ve saved.

Terry goes swimming in his clothes and he gets a bath and a clothes wash at the same time. I help out by paddling our canoe near him on his long swims. On Saturday, we went to the nearest lake, Little Long Lake. Terry pulled the canoe on the trailer he made from bicycle wheels.

Last evening we went to Minor’s Lake for the first time. We decided just to paddle, no swimming needed. The lake is the remnant of a mine. The water is very clear and you can see that you’re paddling over trees. At the far end, they were many eerie looking stumps. Actually it was beautiful as was the evening. Terry looked at all the fishers with envy. If we must do this demo ourselves, his fishing license will be for naught. Despite this, I see the look of satisfaction as he stacks up all the valuable pieces of wood he is harvesting from the shed.

This is our August. It’s an August to remember. A time when we realized that indoor plumbing is a comfort, not a necessity. This is an August with yellow leaves, lowering sun, the Perseid meteor shower, unbelievable clouds standing beautiful above the blue lakes and at the end of August the blue moon.