I will prefice this post by first saying that this has nothing to do with cottage construction/planning or the outdoors for that matter. Sorry to all the true cattagers that may be disappointed with this post. I've decided to create a new label to this blog entitled "on my mind" for posts that are unrelated to cottage planning and the outdoors.
Being a new mum, I feel compelled to blog about David Ferrer firing a warning shot towards a crying baby! Are you kidding me David? While I can sympathize with the frustration of having a crying baby at a tennis match, firing a warning shot into the audience is ridiculous! Although the ball did not come close to the baby, lobbing a ball in the direction of the crying baby was immature and unsportsmanlike. With that said, I am not suggesting that babies be brought to quarter final tennis matches, where silence is an expectation. There are some places that babies do not belong. All things considered, I'm glad he lost the match and hopefully for future matches, the dad will get a babysitter.
Thoughts?
This blog documents stories, perspectives, and reflections of our adventures at Rice Lake at our boat access only island property with our newest little cottager. Our goal is to build a 800-900 square foot, open concept cabin for $50 000 and have this complete in the next 5 years. The blog details our DIY ideas and pre-construction planning.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Art of Stone Balancing
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Show and Tell: Letters From Side Lake by Peter Leschak
In this book, Peter Leschak chronicles his adventure of building a log cabin with his wife in the North Woods of Minnesota. He writes about his everyday experiences: watching the Northern Lights, clearing stumps, skating on the lake in the dead of winter, a wild canoe ride, meeting some locals at a nearby tavern, winter temperatures dipping to -50F, and a late night fire with the local volunteer fire department. His writing captures beautifully the simplicities of small town life and the isolation of life in the North Woods. A great cottage read!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Show and Tell: Levon Helm Live in Concert
My husband and brother saw Levon Helm, longtime drummer for the Band, live in concert at Massey Hall this past weekend. His daughter, Amy Helm, and others accompanied him on stage. While Helm's voice was a little rough and he appeared to be fighting a cold, Helm lived up to his legendary status. What impressed them most about the concert was that everyone seemed to truly enjoy what they were doing. He captivated the audience, young and old. If you get the opportunity, see this master storyteller in concert.
Top 10 Cottage Tunes
10- Up on Cripple Creek- The Band
9- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay- Otis Redding
8- Stay or Leave- Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
7- Down by The River- Neil Young
6- Jolene- Ray LaMontagne
5- Oh, The Boss is Coming- Arkells
4- Have You Ever Seen the Rain- Creedence Clearwater Revival
3- Grace, Too- The Tragically Hip
2- Loretta- Steve Earle
1- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down- The Band
9- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay- Otis Redding
8- Stay or Leave- Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
7- Down by The River- Neil Young
6- Jolene- Ray LaMontagne
5- Oh, The Boss is Coming- Arkells
4- Have You Ever Seen the Rain- Creedence Clearwater Revival
3- Grace, Too- The Tragically Hip
2- Loretta- Steve Earle
1- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down- The Band
Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Cottage Season
10- I don't need to worry about laundry. Everyone is wearing their cleanest dirty shirt!
9- Campfire is the new eau de toilette... long lasting and everyone's wearing it!
8- I get to blame any new found blemish on a bug bite.
7- My biggest concern is how to position my muskoka chair to optimize sun.
6- It's the only time of year I'll eat a hotdog.
5- We get to listen to "The Wolf" radio station all day long.
4- I swap my workout with a paddleboat ride.
3- A great excuse to buy new sunglasses.
2- S'mores..... need I say more.
1- Singing around the camfire with family, friends, and other cottagers.
9- Campfire is the new eau de toilette... long lasting and everyone's wearing it!
8- I get to blame any new found blemish on a bug bite.
7- My biggest concern is how to position my muskoka chair to optimize sun.
6- It's the only time of year I'll eat a hotdog.
5- We get to listen to "The Wolf" radio station all day long.
4- I swap my workout with a paddleboat ride.
3- A great excuse to buy new sunglasses.
2- S'mores..... need I say more.
1- Singing around the camfire with family, friends, and other cottagers.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
DIY- Atti Cat Blown In Insulation
We're sleeping warmer upstairs and anticipate being $650 richer after this DIY project (not taking into consideration any energy savings!). We added 14 inches blown insulation to our attic, bringing it from an R12 to an R50. Highly recommend you take advantage of these rebates!!!
Materials
- AttiCat Insulation (10 bags required for free rental of blowing machine at Home Depot)
- AttiCat Insulation Blowing Machine (a free rental with 10 bags, even if bags are returned)
- Rigid Polystyrene Attic Rafter Vents (for soffits)
- N95 Mask
- Safety Glasses
- An extra set of hands (this is a two person job- 1 person loading blower, 1 person blowing)
- Walkie Talkie (Helpful for communication. We left the blower outside on the deck as it makes a bit of a mess and ran the hose through the upstairs window. We used a one way baby monitor to communicate when to "start" and "stop" the machine... worked great).
- Rigid Polystyrene Attic Rafter Vents (for soffits)
- N95 Mask
- Safety Glasses
- An extra set of hands (this is a two person job- 1 person loading blower, 1 person blowing)
- Walkie Talkie (Helpful for communication. We left the blower outside on the deck as it makes a bit of a mess and ran the hose through the upstairs window. We used a one way baby monitor to communicate when to "start" and "stop" the machine... worked great).
Time:
Prep time: we set aside a full morning to clear the attic and add the rafter vents
2 hours blowing time
Total Cost (Cost -$300 + $950 Rebates = $650 in your pocket!)
Total Cost (Cost -$300 + $950 Rebates = $650 in your pocket!)
AttiCat Expanding Blown Insulation (7 bags x $31.74) = $251
AttiCat Insulation Blowing Machine (free with purchase of 10 bags, we returned 3 unused)
Extra labour (a few beers)
Total Rebate ($950)
Ontario Home Energy Savings Rebate: $750
HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Toronto) Rebate: $200
Helpful links
Atti Cat
http://insulation.owenscorning.ca/professionals/residential-insulation/atticat.aspx
Ontario Home Energy Rebate
http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/conservation/ohesp/
Toronto HEAT Rebate
http://www.toronto.ca/livegreen/greenlife_saveenergy_rebates_heat.htm
AttiCat Insulation Blowing Machine (free with purchase of 10 bags, we returned 3 unused)
Extra labour (a few beers)
Total Rebate ($950)
Ontario Home Energy Savings Rebate: $750
HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Toronto) Rebate: $200
Helpful links
Atti Cat
http://insulation.owenscorning.ca/professionals/residential-insulation/atticat.aspx
Ontario Home Energy Rebate
http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/conservation/ohesp/
Toronto HEAT Rebate
http://www.toronto.ca/livegreen/greenlife_saveenergy_rebates_heat.htm
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