Successful Maine Trip

Well, the trip to Maine was a success.  We took a long weekend and opened the cabin for the summer.  Opening the cabin requires a bit of work, but it's pretty fun.  And we had plenty of time left over for relaxation.

First of all, we had to de-winterize everything.  The well pump started right up, which was great.  The pipes, toilets, dishwasher, and washing machine are all winterized using non-toxic RV antifreeze.  Getting it out of the pipes and toilets is simple - just add water.  The dishwasher and washing machine have to be run once with nothing in them to get all the antifreeze out.

Next, there was plenty of cleaning to do just to make things shine.

Afterward, we took care of the outside.  We put a new tarp on the carport.  It looks a lot better than the old one, which was getting ratty.  We also put the dock in the water.  That requires the most heavy lifting out of any of the jobs, but we managed with a little teamwork.  Finally, we put out all of the lawn furniture.

That was enough for one day, so we made our way over to Suds Pub for some drinks and a nice dinner.

Suds!  Our favorite place.

The next day we wrapped up the cleaning and a few little jobs, then got the kayaks out for some fun on the water.  It was a little windy and choppy, but still a blast.

Finally, we settled down with a couple of (very full) glasses of wine.

To a job well done!

Oh, and we also found that we have a new neighbor - a muskrat.  Given that the pond has had a lot more lily pads over the past few years, and muskrats eat water lilies and cattails, I'm happy to see the little guy (or gal).

Anyway, now that we're back from the trip, I'll be back on schedule and get some more posts flowing.  Until next time!