What We’re Up To Around the Yard and Cabin

Chapter One

The place we hoped might help us breathe again

In some ways, this story began in July of 2022.

In other ways, it started earlier than that, after cancer had already changed the shape of our lives.

Vanessa had made it through breast cancer after rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. By the time we bought the property, she was done with treatment, but that does not mean life had simply snapped back to normal. We were both still shaken. Still stressed. Still carrying around the heaviness that comes after something like that. Cancer is not subtle. It is not poetic. It is hard, direct, exhausting, and life-changing. And after all of it, we knew we needed something quieter and more peaceful.

That was one of the biggest reasons this place mattered to us.

I found the property online sometime around April of 2022, and I felt like I needed to go see it immediately. Something about it grabbed me before I could explain why.

When we pulled in with our realtor, it was a mess.

There was junk everywhere. Old broke-down cars. Trailers. An RV or something sitting there. The whole place looked like it had been abandoned in stages. As we walked the property, we kept finding half-finished projects and rough little setups that looked like somebody had started building a dream and then stopped somewhere in the middle.

Vanessa thought I was crazy.

And honestly, she had good reason.

But I have always been the kind of person who can see the forest through the trees. Under all the junk, under the unfinished work, under the strange layout and the rough edges, I could feel something peaceful there. The place had a calming feeling to it, even in the shape it was in. I could see what it might become.

That same day, we put in an offer.

We offered a little less than asking, and we added a condition that the junk had to be removed or the sellers would lose a retainer. We were serious about the place, but we were not trying to buy the mess with it.

Even after the offer was accepted, it was not smooth sailing.

Getting the loan closed turned into its own ordeal. The property did not have a furnace with a thermostat, and because of that, we kept running into problems finding insurance. That was one of those things we had never really thought about before, how strange and picky insurance companies can be about the smallest details. We searched around, made calls, worked with the credit union that was handling the loan, and kept pushing forward until we finally found a company willing to insure the property.

Then came the waiting.

And more waiting.

And more waiting.

Finally, in July of 2022, we got the call and closed on the property.

It was not a polished retreat. It was not finished. It was not easy. It was a rough little place with strange buildings, half-started projects, and a lot of work ahead of it.

But to us, it felt like the beginning of something quieter.

A place to breathe. A place to work with our hands. A place to heal a little. A place to step back from the city and slowly build something that felt more like peace.

Not perfect. Not fancy. Just ours.

Chapter Two

The first weekend it was finally ours

We closed on the property over Fourth of July weekend and headed up there that same weekend.

Technically, the previous owner was still allowed on the property for another couple of days to finish up, but by the following morning he was gone. Before he left, he spent a little time with us, talking, showing us around, and helping us understand the place a little better. Then he was off, and for the next couple of days before we had to return to the city, the property was finally ours.

Just ours.

Those first days were not polished or comfortable in any fancy sense, but they were important.

We slept on the floor that first weekend, using blankets and pillows we had brought from home in the city. At that point, the cabin was still extremely rough. We did not really have a proper way to cook food or refrigerate anything beyond what would fit in a cooler, so we went into the nearby town and ate at local places. Between those trips and the quiet time back at the property, we started making notes about everything we would need to bring up next time.

And that list grew fast.

The place had limited power, really just an extension cord. There was no running water. Some insulation was in place, but there was nothing in the ceiling. It was rustic in the real sense, not the polished decorative version of rustic, but the kind where you are constantly aware of what is unfinished, missing, or improvised.

The wood stove was already there and hooked up, though being July, we did not need it yet. That would matter more later, when the nights and mornings turned colder. But even then, just seeing it there made the cabin feel like it had the bones of something. Like it might one day be warm, usable, and lived in the way we hoped.

While we were enjoying those first peaceful days, we also started doing something else. We started imagining.

There was already more to work with than you might have guessed at first glance. The property already had about a dozen young fruit trees, around a year old at the time, including cherry, apple, pear, and peach. There were also about a dozen young blueberry bushes and the beginnings of a grape trellis. None of it looked mature yet, but it was enough to spark something in us. It gave us a glimpse of what this place might one day provide.

One of the biggest dreams was the garden. There was already a huge garden area, roughly thirty feet by thirty feet, surrounded by seven-foot deer fencing. Even in its rough state, we could see it becoming something special, a dream garden full of fresh healthy food. After everything cancer had put us through, fresh fruit and vegetables had started meaning a lot more to us. Food was no longer just food. It had become part of how we were trying to live better and take better care of ourselves.

Around that same time, we got to know our neighbor Randy, and we clicked with him right away. He was one of those people who made the place feel easier from the beginning. Randy told us stories about the previous owner, and we laughed and got along from the start, something that has stayed true right up to the present. Before long, Randy and his wife Tina were pointing us toward places to eat, where to find things locally, and helping us get our bearings in a place that still felt new to us.

We were also starting to piece together the logic, or maybe the lack of logic, behind what had already been built there. That tiny weird structure next to the giant pine tree turned out to be basically a mud room the previous owner had built to connect to his fifth-wheel camper. Once we learned that, it explained a lot, but it still felt like such a strange place to put it. There was already a concrete pad on the property, down by the area where I later cut the walking path, and to me that would have been the far more natural place for a structure like that.

So during those early days, Vanessa and I started putting together a game plan. We were trying to understand the crazy layout of the land, what made sense, what did not, what could stay, what had to change, and what we wanted this place to become over time.

By the time the end of that first weekend rolled around and we had to head back to the city, we were carrying two feelings at once. One was peace. The other was being damn near scared to death.

We had already felt what the place could give us, the quiet, the breathing room, and the sense that this rough little property might really become something healing and meaningful in our lives. But we also knew just how much had to happen before it could become a place where you could spend a full week and actually live.

Not just visit. Live.

We are talking about all the basic things people need and usually take for granted, a shower, a bathroom, a way to cook, a way to wash dishes, a way to store food, a way to move through the day without feeling like you were on a rough camping trip every single time you came up.

That was the part that felt overwhelming.

Because for all the promise the place had, it was still missing so much of what makes life work. We did not want this to feel like rustic camping forever. We wanted it to become a real getaway, a place where you could settle in, stay awhile, breathe, cook a meal, wash up, sleep well, and actually live in the peace it offered.

So by the time we packed up and headed back to the city, the dream had grown bigger, but so had the reality.

We had found the peace.

Now we had to figure out how to build the rest.

Chapter Three

Now it was time to make a plan and get to work

We were still enjoying life back in the city, but we could not wait to get back to the peaceful cabin.

That was part of what made this season feel so different. We were not trying to escape every part of our regular life, but something about the cabin kept pulling us back. Yes, there was a lot of work ahead. We knew that. But it was work we could do together, and somehow it felt different from the kind of work that drains you. It felt peaceful. Purposeful. Like the kind of work that might actually give something back.

Because of our work schedules, we started falling into a rhythm of going up about every two weeks and spending the weekend there. That first year, I think we kept doing that into September, maybe even October for one last overnight, before the cold in Michigan really started taking over.

On that second trip back, we came better prepared.

We brought some comfort items with us, an air mattress, a hot plate cooktop, a bigger cooler, and more food. It was still far from luxury, and we were definitely not cooking gourmet meals on a single-burner hot plate, but it was progress. Little by little, we were trying to make the place feel less like survival camping and more like somewhere we could actually settle into for a few days.

This was also the trip when my sister and brother-in-law came up with their riding lawn mower and helped us tackle the shaggy-looking property. It had gone a couple of months without much attention and was starting to look a little wild, maybe even a little intimidating. My brother-in-law mowed the whole place, which took him a good two or three hours. The rest of us worked on cleanup, picking up fallen branches and debris, and I remember using the weed whacker too.

Once the grass was cut and things started getting cleaned up, the whole property felt different.

You could finally see it.

That was a bigger moment than it might sound like. Sometimes cleanup is not just cleanup. Sometimes it is the first step in being able to imagine a place properly. Once it was mowed and cleared, the layout started making more sense. We could walk around and really begin thinking about what belonged where, what needed to change, and how the place might come together over time.

We also had a couple of nighttime bonfires, just the two of us, and those simple evenings started helping us settle into the place in a different way. It was still rustic. Still rough around the edges. But it was no longer quite as primitive as that first weekend. We were slowly moving out of straight-up rough camping mode and into something more like a step above tent camping.

Not easy yet. Not finished. But better.

Mostly, this trip was about yard work and getting a feel for the land once it had been mowed and cleaned up. We walked the property, talked about what made sense, and kept dreaming out loud. At that point, a lot of it was still imagination. A lot of it was still us trying to understand the land by spending time in it.

And like all the best weekends seem to, this one went by fast.

But when we left, it felt different.

Still tired. Still a lot of work ahead. Still far from finished.

But better. And more peaceful.

Chapter Four

We bought a RIDING LAWN MOWER, BABY!

At some point, reality set in.

If we were really going to manage this place ourselves, there was no way we were push mowing nearly two acres of property. The thought of it scared the hell out of me. After all, it had taken my brother-in-law two or three hours just to mow the place on a riding mower, and that was enough proof for me.

So we bought a riding lawn mower. A Cub Cadet with a 46-inch deck. And yes, that felt like a pretty big deal.

Now we could tackle this almost two-acre property ourselves. That mower gave us something bigger than convenience. It gave us confidence. It made the place feel more possible, more manageable, and a little less intimidating. It was one of those purchases that immediately changed the way we looked at the property.

Of course, it also took a decent bite out of our already shrinking budget.

Closing costs had already hit. Insurance had been its own headache. And now the fancy new mower had joined the list. So Chapter 4 was not really the season of fixing everything up or upgrading the whole place in some dramatic way. We were still very much in the season of making it work.

That meant a lot of the progress came through smaller comfort items and practical little upgrades. We kept bringing things that made life easier, not glamorous, just easier.

By now we had the cooktop and the crock-pot-style pan setup, which meant we were at least moving beyond cooler food and town meals every time. We were not exactly making gourmet meals, but we were slowly building a setup that felt more livable.

The rest of that first year, which really was only a handful of trips, was mostly spent staying a night or two at a time and enjoying the place as a kind of better-than-tent-camping experience. It was still primitive, still rough, still very much a work in progress, but it was ours, and it was getting easier to settle into.

This was also the season when we started realizing just how important water was going to be.

Because our well sucked.

That became clearer and clearer the more time we spent there. At first, we were mostly thinking about comfort and convenience, but before long we started understanding that water was going to be one of the biggest keys to making the place functional. In the city, you take that for granted. You turn a faucet, and there it is. At the cabin, we were starting to understand that water is life.

That realization pushed us into planning mode.

By then, we were already starting to think about how we could catch rainwater. The problem was, the cabin did not even have eavestroughs yet, so the bigger version of that plan was going to have to wait until the next spring, when hopefully the wallet had loaded back up a little. The long-term vision was already starting to take shape, get the metal roof situation sorted out, have seamless gutters installed, and figure out how to get this place plumbed into something that actually worked.

But in the meantime, I started doing what people do when money is tight and the need is immediate. I rigged up a first crude system. I hooked a barrel up outside the bathroom and plumbed in a rough valve so we had at least some kind of way to wash our hands and faces and do the little everyday things people need to do. It was not pretty. It was not elegant. But it was a step.

Around that same time, we also had to start measuring for the metal roof the previous owner never finished. That was another one of those constant reminders that this property had been left full of half-done ideas and unfinished projects. It felt like every time we turned around, there was another job waiting for us that somebody else had started and walked away from.

Still, even with all that, there was energy in it.

A lot of this chapter was not about huge visible change. It was about motivation. Planning. Saving money. Figuring out next spring before next spring got here. Get the metal roofing material. Have a company install seamless gutters. Get this sucker plumbed. Start turning rough systems into real ones.

Because by then, we were learning something the hard way: water is life.

And when you have been raised in the city, you do not always realize how much you take it for granted until you do not have it the way you need it.

Chapter Five

The long winter made it feel like spring would never get here

Spring finally got here, and when it did, we were off to the races with excitement and enthusiasm.

Honestly, maybe a little too much enthusiasm.

We were so ready to get back to the cabin and start moving things forward that I forgot to take photos of some of the biggest upgrades. We installed the metal roof ourselves, and the gutter guy later came out to put up the seamless gutters, both major steps forward, especially after all the talking and planning we had already done around water, roofing, and making the place more livable.

I still wish I had gotten pictures of all that happening.

But I did manage to get a photo of the new 500-gallon tank that was going to catch our newly acquired clean water system, which was probably around May or June. And that felt huge. It was a whole lot better than relying on that salty well water that seemed to rust everything it touched.

But before all of that, it is worth stepping back for a minute to April of 2023.

Getting back up there for the first time that year felt awesome.

After the long Michigan winter, the cabin almost felt new again. The air still had that cool spring edge to it, and we were burning fallen tree branches from winter in the fire pit, just enjoying being back. It was one of those simple spring moments that probably would not look dramatic to anyone else, but to us it felt like the season was finally opening back up.

By now, we were bringing more of the little comfort items with us too, the kind of things that slowly make a place easier to live in, even if it is still far from finished.

This whole season became such a whirlwind that I did not stop nearly often enough to take pictures.

That seems to happen when you are actually in the middle of building a life. You are too busy figuring things out, carrying things, planning the next step, solving problems, and trying to keep momentum going.

And once we had a better system for collecting water, it was time to figure out how to make it functional.

That part turned out to be harder than it looked.

It is one thing to say you are going to catch rainwater. It is another thing to actually make that water useful in everyday life. By that point we were realizing, again, that every improvement led to another decision, another system, another problem to solve.

So now it was time for another plan.

And another learning curve.

Because next came wiring and plumbing, and I was not an electrician and I was not a plumber.

Apparently, I was just going to become a student of both over the next few weeks.

Thanks, YouTube.

Chapter Six

It was time to put my newly acquired skills to the test

By this point, it was time to stop just talking about systems and actually build them.

I had some basic wiring and plumbing knowledge already, so it was not like I was starting completely from scratch. But if we were going to have the basic necessities of life at the cabin, then I was going to have to get better and learn fast.

So over the next couple of trips, that is exactly what we did.

We wired. We plumbed. We started putting the systems in place.

And yes, there were a lot of videos involved. A whole lot of videos.

I still needed to install breakers, run wiring, and set up separate lines for the soon-to-be-installed pressure tank and pump system. This was not just a barrel and a hose anymore. This was the point where the place had to start acting more like a livable cabin and less like a rough camping setup.

At the same time, I also routed the water from the eavestrough into the tank. I had raised the tank up off the ground onto a platform, partly because I was already thinking ahead about freezing and how this whole setup would need to work in the real world, not just in theory. I also installed a shutoff valve on the tank. That way I could at least start catching water while still working through the rest of the electrical and plumbing.

Step by step, it was starting to become something.

We were still having fun. We were still enjoying bonfires. We were still enjoying cabin time.

But it also felt like all we did when we were up there was work.

And honestly, in a lot of ways, that was true.

When we were at the property, we were working. And when we were back in the city, I was still studying, planning, and trying to figure things out before the next trip. That became part of the rhythm too, work at the cabin, then go home and learn what I needed to learn before coming back to tackle the next piece.

Still, the feeling around it stayed positive.

It was a challenge, but it was our challenge.

And who knew it was this much work just to get the kind of things people take for granted every day, a shower, running water, basic plumbing, and the everyday necessities that make a place actually livable.

It is one thing to collect rainwater.

It is a whole different beast to pressurize that system so it actually works in the house, and then figure out how to get the wastewater back out of the house.

That part was harder than people think.

Challenging, yes. But rewarding too.

Because every piece we figured out made the place feel a little more real, a little more usable, and a little closer to the version we had been imagining from the beginning.

It was also during those early spring trips that the little wildlife around the property started becoming part of the story.

The chipmunks and squirrels would sit nearby and watch us while we worked. At least, that is how it felt. Like they were studying us, probably wondering what these crazy humans were doing now.

And they were not the only ones.

We were seeing birds everywhere, along with rabbits, deer, turkeys, and all kinds of other little signs that the place was more alive than we had first realized. The more time we spent there, the more it felt like we were not just working on a property. We were stepping into a place that already had a whole cast of regulars.

So we did what seemed fun.

We started feeding them.

And yes, they started coming around more often after that, especially the little chipmunks. Before long, some of them would come surprisingly close, almost eating right out of our hands. One chipmunk in particular did not seem very scared of us at all. He was sweet, curious, and seemed to learn pretty quickly that when we were at the cabin, treats were usually part of the deal.

So we named him Chippy.

And in a lot of ways, that was the beginning of a whole new side of this story.

Because Chippy was not just a cute little visitor. He became part of the reason I started building things for my little friends. Once those chipmunks, squirrels, and birds started feeling like regular characters in our cabin life, it felt natural to start making the place more fun for them too.

That little relationship changed the way I looked at the property.

It was not just about fixing up a cabin anymore.

It was also about sharing the place with the wildlife that had already been there long before we arrived.

And next time, sometime around late July or early August, we were going to fire it all up.

And by that, I mean a real pressurized, functioning system.

Not just catching water. Not just talking about plumbing. Not just pieces and parts scattered around with good intentions.

An actual system that worked.

Chapter Seven

Dreams Start to Become Reality

The dream of having running water had seemed so far away when we first bought the place.

I kind of knew from the start that it was not going to be easy and it was definitely not going to happen by magic. We were going to have to work hard, figure out a lot, and spend a fair amount of money to get there.

And that meant some other dreams had to wait.

That huge perfect garden we had imagined was not happening that year. We had to put that dream on hold, because all of our attention was going toward water, lights, and power. It was not as romantic as planting rows of beautiful fresh vegetables, but it was the kind of work that had to happen first if this place was ever going to become truly livable.

There was already an electrical box there, but I still had to wire in breakers for lights, plugs, and a couple of separate lines for the pump, plus some outdoor plugs and lighting too. So there was still plenty to figure out.

And when it came time for the pump system, I will admit it, I cheated a little.

I bought a pre-assembled complete water pump and pressure tank setup from the local big-box store.

At that point, I was more than happy to let somebody else do part of the thinking for me.

Then I wired it in, hooked everything up, and finally came to the moment of truth.

Would this system actually work?

Or had all our hard work and all those hours of studying led us straight to a giant mess?

Maybe a flood. Maybe some smoking wires. Maybe proof that I had gotten in over my head.

Just kidding, it was not quite that dramatic.

I flipped the breaker, primed the pump, and just like we had meticulously planned...

we had pressurized water.

Woo hoo.

That one moment made life so much easier.

It felt like a weight lifting off our shoulders. After all the planning, the wiring, the plumbing, the learning, and the second-guessing, something important had finally crossed over from dream to reality.

Now we could actually use the place in a more normal way.

We could shower. We could wash up. And cleaning up after cooking got a whole lot easier too.

It may sound small to somebody who has always had those things, but when you have been working toward them trip after trip, they feel huge.

Of course, by then we had also spent most of our money getting the systems in place, and the calendar was already pushing into August. There was not a whole lot of the season left to enjoy our new water system before the year started slipping away again.

Still, we made the most of it.

That huge garden dream was still waiting. Fixing up more of the place was still waiting. A lot of the bigger vision was still waiting.

Maybe next year.

But this year, we had earned a little relaxation at cabin time.

And by then, the wildlife had really started becoming part of everyday life there too.

The chipmunks, squirrels, and birds were turning into regulars, and we were seeing most of them daily. Chippy was still our favorite little friend, and by then he definitely knew when we were at the cabin. He was always showing up looking for treats.

We had started buying a fifty-pound critter food mix from the feed store down the road, and a fifty-pound wild bird mix too. Of course, sometimes the birds were not the only ones getting the bird food. But then again, sometimes the birds would sneak over and eat Chippy’s food too, so I guess that made it even.

By then, the place was starting to feel less like a rough project and more like a life we were slowly settling into.

Not finished. Not perfected. But working.

And that felt pretty good.

Chapter Eight

We just got it built and now we have to take it apart?

Did I mention this was not a year-round heated house?

Yeah, we had just built an entire pressurized water system, and now we were staring down the reality that parts of it could not stay that way through a Michigan winter.

At least not yet.

Some parts of the dream had finally come together, but now we were learning the other side of seasonal cabin life. If you want your systems to survive, you have to think ahead. And sometimes that means taking apart the very thing you were so excited to finally get working.

We would get back to that in a minute.

Because first, we needed a little old-fashioned R & R.

Back in the city, we had neglected the raised garden beds. By then, a lot of the vegetables and plants had either bolted, dried up, or simply died because we were not there enough to water them. At the time, that was just another frustration. Looking back from now, it is kind of funny knowing that one day we would end up trying ollas to deal with exactly that problem.

But at the time, it was just one more reminder that life was pulling us in two directions.

Because while all of this cabin dreaming and building was happening, real life back in the city was still very much real. I had my axe-throwing business to keep running, and Vanessa had her nursing job. Those things needed attention too. Sometimes it felt like we were living two different lives at once, the work life in the city, and the rough but peaceful life we were slowly building at the cabin.

Work hard. Play hard. Try to relax at the cabin.

Or at least, not fully relax yet, because there was still plenty to do before this place really became easy.

As the season started winding down, it was time to slow down a little with some fall bonfires and start dreaming up what we wanted to save up for next year.

By then, we already knew a few things we wanted to change. We really wanted to move that awkward weird structure onto the concrete pad we already had on the property. It just made more sense there, and maybe next year we could find somebody who could actually move it.

We were also realizing that if we wanted to stretch the cabin season longer, we needed to protect that exposed water tank better. It was sitting out there taking the full hit from the weather, and it was obvious that enclosing it would be one of the more useful projects for the future.

Those were the kinds of things we were dreaming about now, not just pretty projects, but practical ones that would make the place work better and help us stay longer.

Meanwhile, the local entertainment was in full swing.

The chipmunks and squirrels were busy storing treats from Jeff and Vanessa in all their little underground bunkers, those small holes and hidden spots they had all over the property. They knew winter was coming, and they were really keeping us on a pretty steady treat-feeding schedule. They were so funny, and honestly, we could not resist them.

There is something special about paying attention to wildlife in the fall.

Everything is busy. Everything is preparing. Everything knows the season is changing.

And in our own way, so were we.

Because after the bonfires and the dreaming came the hard reality.

We had work to do. We had to make money for next year’s dreams. And we had to winterize the cabin.

That meant disassembling the pump system and blowing out the water lines, treating the place more like an RV camper than a finished house. We packed up food, liquids, and anything that might freeze or attract critters inside over the winter.

And as we did all of that, there was that familiar sadness settling in too.

The season was over.

We had to leave. We had to wait. And we would not be back until spring.

But this time, we were leaving with bigger plans.

Because by now, we knew exactly what would make showers even better.

Hot water, baby.

See you next year.

Chapter Nine

Let’s make this cabin more comfortable for longer stays

By 2024, we were ready for something different.

Up until then, the cabin had been getting better and better, but it still leaned more toward a short-stay roughing-it setup than a place where you could comfortably settle in for longer stretches. This was the year we wanted to change that.

But before we even got back to the cabin, life had another chapter for us first.

In April, we went to the World Axe Throwing Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I did okay, but more importantly, that trip gave us a chance to do something personal too. Since Vanessa is from Lawton, Oklahoma, about three hours from Tulsa, we rented a car and spent about a week seeing family while we were down there.

By the time we got home, we felt relaxed, reset, and ready to get to work.

And this year, the goal was clear.

We were going to make the cabin more comfortable for stays longer than just a day or two.

First up on the list was the water tank enclosure.

We already knew that was going to be one of the first projects, so we had ordered the metal roofing for that section ahead of time. Once we had the materials together, it was time to just get after it. We gathered the supplies, hauled everything into place, and built the enclosure out.

And we knocked it out in a weekend.

That felt good.

By then, we were definitely getting a little better at this construction thing.

Next came another major comfort upgrade.

Because really, who likes cold showers?

Yeah, me neither.

So we ordered a propane tankless water heater from Amazon. Nothing fancy, just a cheaper one, partly because I was not totally sure if it was going to work out the way I had it all planned in my head.

Turns out, it worked perfectly.

That was another one of those moments where a simple upgrade made the place feel a whole lot more livable.

Then it was time to turn toward insulation.

We worked on the ceiling and the rest of the unfinished parts of the cabin, trying to make the whole place hold heat better. It was still spring, and mornings and evenings could be pretty cold. We also bought an electric fireplace, and even though it was not some giant heating system, it definitely helped take the chill out of the air.

Little by little, the place was becoming more comfortable.

And outside, spring was doing its own thing.

Our little critters had definitely missed us. Or at least they had missed the treats. Springtime at the cabin was always fun because everything seemed to wake up at once, and it was impossible not to notice how alive the place felt again.

Then, just when everything seemed like it was going smoothly...

Vanessa took a tumble and broke her ankle.

Yep.

My number one helper was suddenly down for the count.

At least, mostly.

Because Vanessa was not really the type to stay fully down for long. She ended up getting about a three-month, mostly paid break from work, thanks to being in the union. And we got her a really cool scooter so she could still get around the cabin and the property.

So no, she was not out.

But it definitely threw a wrinkle into our plans.

The ceiling project, for one, was going to have to wait. Maybe a few other things too.

And that was just life sometimes.

You make plans. You get momentum. You think you are finally on a roll.

And then life reminds you that the story is still in charge.

Chapter Ten

Sometimes You Need Friends

With Vanessa a little out of commission when it came to helping carry large things and tackle building projects, we had to adjust.

So instead of pushing hard on construction, we started leaning more into creature comforts.

And honestly, that turned out to be its own kind of progress.

We bought a new actual bed. The room would only fit a full size bed, but hey, it was all good. After sleeping rough and making do for so long, even something as simple as a real bed felt like a major step forward.

Around that same time, some friends donated a dresser and nightstands for the bedroom. Even better, they kindly delivered them and helped me carry everything in and get it set up. Before that went down, I put down some one-inch rigid foam insulation and carpet, which helped the whole room feel warmer and more finished.

Little by little, the cabin was becoming less like a project site and more like a place you could actually settle into.

It was also around then that we found a couple of great yard sales up there and scored quite a few useful things, a TV, a makeshift coffee bar and pantry setup, and some kitchen items like a microwave and an air fryer. We also bought a smaller fridge, and I manhandled that thing in from the truck myself.

That was another turning point.

Now we could bring food up and actually cook meals there more normally, which mattered even more because Vanessa was not very mobile at that point. We also got a Verizon box that gave us Wi-Fi, so now we could even watch TV.

With the bigger building projects mostly on hold because I was the only one able to tackle them, this chapter became more about making the place comfortable, practical, and enjoyable in smaller but meaningful ways.

And it was working.

The little homestead was coming along nicely, and by then we were also starting to get fruit from the now three-year-old trees and berry bushes. That was one of those quiet payoffs that probably did not look dramatic from the outside, but to us it meant a lot. Some of the early planting dreams were starting to give something back.

We just loved summertime at the cabin.

The warm breezes. The peaceful nights of stargazing. And of course, the bonfires.

There is just nothing quite like it.

Out there, it really does make you feel alive. More connected to nature. More connected to the season you are in. More connected to each other.

We never wanted that season to end.

But careful what you wish for.

Stay tuned for fall...

Chapter Eleven

Life sure is crazy sometimes, ups and downs, ebbs and flows

It was getting close to fall season at the cabin.

By then, Vanessa was healing up pretty well. She was getting around in a walking cast, which felt like a big improvement from where we had been earlier in the season. Little by little, life was starting to feel more normal again.

And out at the cabin, some of the small rewards we had been waiting on were finally starting to show up.

The grapes were filling out the trellis nicely, and we were actually starting to eat some of the blueberries, along with a few small apples and pears. By our third season there, we were really beginning to settle into the rhythm of the place. We were enjoying the nature, the quiet, and all the little critters that had started to feel like part of cabin life.

We fed the chippies regularly, and they definitely seemed to enjoy our company. The birds did not mind the free food either.

For a little while, it felt like we were finally getting to enjoy some of the payoff.

But life has a way of turning in the middle of a good moment.

Vanessa’s father passed away.

It was not sudden, but that does not make the pain hurt any less.

He was a great man, a father, and a proud Army retiree, so before long it was time for another trip back to Oklahoma. This one was not for a visit. This one was for goodbye.

He received a full veteran’s burial, with the flag, the ceremony, and the twenty-one-gun salute. If you have never seen something like that in person, it stays with you. It is solemn, powerful, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

You will be missed, Garry.

We spent a little time with family, did what people do when life asks that of them, and then eventually made our way back to Michigan.

Because even after grief, life keeps moving.

There was still work to do. Work at our jobs. Work at the cabin. And by then, Vanessa was almost healed up.

So as hard as that chapter was, it was time to carry it with us and keep going.

Chapter Twelve

Still plenty of time to get some things done!

By the end of August 2024, it felt like maybe we still had enough season left to make a real push.

And then one of those lucky breaks came along.

My brother-in-law called and said they had a five-hundred-gallon tank at work they were getting rid of, and asked if I wanted it.

Of course I did.

That was the key to solving one of the biggest water problems we still had at the cabin. And to make it even better, he was kind enough to deliver the tank too.

Thanks, bro.

Soon after that, Vanessa and I got the tank up off the ground on blocks and built a decorative structure around it so it would not be such an eyesore. If it was going to sit out there and be part of the place, we wanted it to look at least somewhat intentional instead of like some giant plastic problem dropped in the yard.

Back in Bay City, we had also managed to kill our raised-bed gardens again. At some point, we were going to have to stop pretending that hand-watering and good intentions were enough. We needed a real watering system there too.

By September, we got a sudden surge of motivation to finally get after the ceiling.

I had picked up rough 1x10 planks from the mill, dried them out, and turned them into shiplap. Then it was time to actually put them up. That project stretched across multiple weekends, so I will not bore you with every detail, but it was one of those jobs that took longer than you think, fought back a little, and did not turn out exactly how I originally pictured it.

Still, it looked great.

And in the end, that was what mattered.

Vanessa was a big help too, by the way. By then, she had healed up enough to work with me again, and that felt good.

We really do make a great team.

Around that same time, I was still itching to get that weird shack moved. I called around to a bunch of different places trying to find somebody who could handle it, but I either could not get anyone interested or the price was way more than I was willing to pay.

Which was frustrating, because it really was basically just an empty shell.

So that idea was going to have to wait a little longer.

And for the rest of October, we eased back into the simpler parts of cabin life, bonfires, fall cleanup, and enjoying the property as the leaves turned and the season started leaning toward its close.

Sometimes progress looks like a major system.

Sometimes it looks like a finished ceiling.

And sometimes it just looks like squeezing a little more good out of the season while you still can.

Chapter Thirteen

Stretching Out the Season

It was quite the year, to say the least.

Part of us was ready for the year to be over, and the other part wanted just a little more peaceful cabin time.

Good thing we enclosed the water tank, because that is exactly what we got to do.

We embraced the extended fall season that happened to be blanketing Michigan. We did lots of fall things, enjoyed the leaves, dreamed about next season, and of course we did bonfires. I think we earned them after the kind of year we had.

Back to the dreaming part.

We knew the season was about over, which is always sad, but what could we dream up for next year?

We still wanted that stupid structure moved, but by then we had all but given up on figuring out what to do with it.

We wanted to do walls and flooring inside the cabin too, but frankly, after doing the ceiling, we were burned out from construction.

Now that we had the newly acquired water tank for the garden, that is where we started setting our sights next.

I said to Vanessa, “I’m tired of construction. Can we make the outside look good next year?”

Of course she agreed.

I’m pretty sure she was tired of being a contractor too.

After all, we had kind of neglected the entire property because we were so focused on the ceiling project. So it was settled.

Next year, we were going to work on making the outside look good.

Okay, enough of dreaming.

We had work to do because it was starting to get chilly in Michigan. By late October 2024, it was time to close the place up for the season and head back to the city.

Take apart the water pump system.

Blow out the lines.

And this year was a little different, because now we had the hot water system to figure out too.

Box up all the liquids.

Leave no food of any kind.

Strip all the bedding.

Pack up the personal stuff.

By now, this was becoming a drill.

And not a fun one.

Then just like that, it was time to go.

Time to get back to reality and the city.

See y’all next season.

Chapter Fourteen

Hurry Up Spring!!!

Around the first of the year, we drove up to check on the property, and it looked so peaceful in the snow. Standing there in the quiet, it was hard not to start counting the weeks until we could come back for real.

We could not wait to get back there in just a few short weeks.

And then, somehow, spring showed up a little sooner than expected.

It was almost bonfire season again.

By then, we had already started revising our summer plans to include a few more building projects. I know, we had been burned out from construction, but winter has a funny way of making you forget some of that. Suddenly the ideas start sounding good again.

This time, one of the big dreams was a deck off the side doors. Nothing fancy, just a place to relax with some outdoor furniture and enjoy the bonfires from a level surface. We were also thinking about landscaping, tree removal, and just making the outside feel better overall. And of course, we wanted to enjoy the critters even more.

But enough dreaming.

Let’s get to the good stuff.

Over the winter, we had picked up a few things for the yard, some birdhouses, bird feeders, and a couple of hummingbird feeders. Then around April of 2025, it was finally time to open the cabin back up and get to work.

That meant installing the water pump, priming it, stocking food, bringing bedding back in, cleaning up, and doing all the little opening-day chores that you are actually excited to do because they mean summer is coming.

And sure enough, we found some of our usual suspects hanging around.

Chippy was back.

And we had some new visitors too.

So all those winter critter finds we had picked up? Yep, we put them all out and filled them to the brim. Those little guys were probably hungry. We even put out the hummingbird feeders, even though we had never actually seen a hummingbird around there before. But hey, maybe we would get lucky.

We also put that Cub Cadet riding mower to work.

There were hours of yard cleanup waiting for us after the harsh winter months. At one point we had freezing rain that loaded the pine branches with ice until they got too heavy and snapped, leaving branches down around the property. So this trip was all about work.

But it was fun work, in some weird twisted way.

The kind of work that feels good because you know it means the place is waking back up again, and so are you.

But enough for now.

After all, it was only April in Michigan, and the weather still had no idea what it wanted to do. Cold, warm, freezing, sunny, hot, it all seemed to happen in one stretch.

So for now, it was time to head back to the city and regroup.

Because next time, we had some building to do.

Woo hoo, we’re back, baby.

Chapter Fifteen

A Renewed Energy

As we headed back up to our peaceful retreat in late April or early May, something felt different.

Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the change in seasons. Maybe it was just that after everything we had been through, we were finally starting to feel some renewed energy.

And then we started seeing the yard sale signs.

Around that area, once yard sale season starts popping up, it is hard for us to resist. Especially after the luck we had the last time. Or maybe it was two years ago. Time flies lately.

Either way, we were not about to just drive past them.

So we stopped.

At first, it was a few odds and ends, little things here and there.

And then came the real find.

A free wishing well.

Oh yeah, it needed some fixing.

But hey, it was free.

And this year, free worked for us, because over the last month the truck had been giving us problems, so we ended up having to splurge on a new vehicle. That pretty much ate up a lot of the cabin-project money we had set aside.

Maybe that is why we were shopping yard sales.

Either way, we do love a good yard sale, and a free item is always welcome.

This year was all about making the place look good on a budget.

So we hauled that wishing well back to the cabin and got to work on it. It was basically falling apart, but that was half the fun. And honestly, it felt really good doing projects with Vanessa again. We knocked it out in one afternoon.

That was a good feeling.

Now our sights started shifting toward the garden area and how to make that part of the place look better too. We started making a game plan for what we would need to bring with us next time.

And around the same time, we also started measuring for that new deck.

I know, a deck before walls... yadda yadda.

But hey, this year was about the outside, damn it.

With a renewed energy for building and outdoor projects, it was time to stop dreaming, stop measuring, stop drawing diagrams, stop measuring again, and finally get to work.

Next time could not come soon enough.

See ya soon, my little stinky critters.

Chapter Sixteen

Let’s Get Some Shizzz Done!

Operation make-the-garden-look-better was officially in full effect.

By June of 2025, it felt like there was no time to waste. If we were finally going to start making the outside look the way we had been imagining, then it was time to quit talking about it and get after it.

The garden still did not really have a good way to keep deer, turkeys, and every other passing critter out, so that was one of the first things we tackled.

We covered the openings at the bottom of the garden fence with leftover wood planks from the ceiling build, which was nice because it did not cost us anything new. Then we tightened up the fencing that was already there, because honestly, parts of it had been kind of half-assed from the start.

After that, we moved that weird swing structure out of the opening, the one we still had dreams of turning into some kind of grand entrance someday, and we put a swing gate on both the front and back side of the garden area. We already had the gates from the city property after tearing them out there, so that was another nice use-what-you’ve-got project.

We did buy some mulch and a little crop row cover, and then we tested our first real vegetable growing year out there.

Just one row for now.

After all, this was still a first-year test.

And then came the water question.

Did I mention that over the winter I had picked up a water sprinkler pump from an auction site?

Well, I did.

And now it was time to see if that thing was actually going to earn its keep.

The plan was simple enough in my head. Hook the pump up to the free water tank my brother-in-law gave me, plug it in, and magically we would have a way to water the garden.

Yeah... I wish it had happened that easy.

But in our world, things rarely go that smoothly.

First, we had to dig a trench from the cabin and run an underground power line out to an enclosure I already had. Then we had to get a special outlet for it, which cost a pretty penny.

But hey, we had to water the garden.

If I had learned anything by then, it was that gardens need water.

Maybe that is why the city raised beds kept dying.

Then came the next step.

Plumbing.

Not exactly my favorite part, but by then I was getting better at it. Even so, we still had a few different leaks to chase down before it all started behaving.

But by the end of that short weekend trip, we had actually made real progress.

We fixed the leaks.

We got power to the pump.

And wallah...

water in the garden.

It felt like a small victory.

Mostly because it was.

But after enough setbacks, even a small win starts to feel pretty big.

Finally, something was working.

Now all we had to do was make a quick trip home, because Vanessa and I were coming back to build that deck next.

And we could not wait.

Chapter Seventeen

Let’s Build That Deck, BABY!

I sure wish we had a picture of this adventure.

It was a sight to see, and Vanessa was more than a little terrified.

But let’s rewind a bit.

We had finally gotten the truck fixed up again, and now it was time to put it to work. On the way to the cabin, we stopped at Lowe’s with our measurements in hand and set out to buy everything we needed, boards, screws, treated lumber, the whole pile.

I think we were a little too eager, because by the time we got to the checkout with our massive haul, reality started setting in.

Oh crap.

We had to load all of this onto the truck.

And not just a few boards either. We were talking about huge pieces of lumber that somehow had to make it all the way back to the cabin in one piece and without killing us.

So after a little brainstorming, and after I remembered all the dumb stuff I did with trucks as a kid, we loaded that lumber from one end of the truck all the way out the back by a few feet. Honestly, it looked like some kind of crazy helicopter blades strapped to the top of the truck.

We tied it all down, got in, and prayed.

Well, Vanessa did most of the praying.

I was too busy white-knuckling the steering wheel the whole way to the cabin.

But...

we made it.

So then it was time to get all that stuff off the truck and come up with a plan.

We spent the rest of the first day shoveling and working to get everything level, then started building out the frame.

The next day we were right back at it, laying out the deck boards and screwing them all into place. It was hard work, but the satisfying kind. The kind where you can actually stand back every so often and see something taking shape that was just an idea not that long ago.

And once it was done, it did not take us long at all to drag out a couple of chairs and start enjoying this new addition to peaceful cabin life.

That part might have been the best reward of all.

Actually, it did not take us long after that either, maybe the very next day, before we finished off the sides of the deck with rock landscaping, mulch, and some flowers.

This was also the time we put those hummingbird feeders out too. If we did not get any hummingbirds, at least they looked good.

Then a small miracle happened.

A tiny hummingbird found the feeders.

And kept coming back... a lot.

Now we had a new little critter to feed.

This way of life really does have a way of connecting you to everything around you.

We named this new little girl Harriet the hummingbird.

Big mistake.

Because in just a few short weeks, hummingbirds start growing into their colors, and we came to find out later that our little girl hummingbird was actually a boy.

So Harriet became Harry the hummingbird.

Sorry, little buddy.

Anyway, that deck gave us a reason to be out there more and spend more quality time connecting with nature. Even though the sun could get pretty hot on your head during the daytime, it sure was beautiful and peaceful out there at night.

We knew we would have to fix that sun problem soon.

And we did later.

But for now, it felt like we had been winning.

And man, that felt good.

Let’s see if we can keep the good times rolling.

See ya in a couple weeks, cabin life.

Chapter Eighteen

Let’s Slow Down and Enjoy What We Built

June had been a productive month.

But by around Fourth of July weekend, it hit us that this was right around the time we had closed on the place just a few short years earlier.

Wow.

What a difference three years can make.

We had gone from an empty shell with no water, barely any electricity, and a property full of half-done projects... to what we had now.

Now we could sit inside, watch TV, and enjoy a cold drink if it was raining outside.

If we worked hard all day, we could just go inside and take a shower.

We could cook our own meals too.

And that was really nice.

Soon, we would even be eating from our own garden.

And I could not wait for that.

Speaking of the garden, it was coming along nicely. We were starting to see blueberries, and the grapes were filling out the trellis section really nicely too. Little by little, the outside was starting to look more established, more productive, and more alive.

Okay, back to projects.

Because if we were really going to relax out there, we still needed to get that hot July sun off our heads.

So it was time to put up a sunshade.

We gathered up a few abandoned supplies from around the property, a couple of old poles and some lumber, and started securing everything into the deck and the side of the cabin. Then there was one more piece of the plan.

During the winter, I had managed to score a sunshade on that auction website. I think it was something like ten by twelve feet or so.

Anyway, up went the sunshade with some bungee cords.

And just like that, we had a lot more time we could comfortably spend out on the new deck.

Winning.

After that, we decided to paint the poles and wood to make them look nicer. Then it was time to finish off the sides of the deck so it fit in better with the place. We came up with the genius idea of rock edging.

Now, I will say this.

It does not work all that great with weed whacking.

But it definitely looks cabin-ish.

We filled it in with mulch and flowers, and instantly the whole area looked more polished.

And by then, all the critters definitely knew where to find us.

Harry the hummingbird was no longer bothered by us sitting just a few feet away while he stopped in for a drink.

And when Chippy and the gang ran out of treats, they would send him racing up to us on the deck to let us know the food situation had become unacceptable.

Or maybe he was mad that everyone else was stealing his food.

Either way, we always gave him a little extra.

We were really starting to fall in love with this new slower, more relaxed way of life.

But of course, all good things eventually come to an end.

So back to the city we went.

Till next time.

And remember...

Slow down and enjoy what you’ve got sometimes.

Chapter Nineteen

Waiting 2 Weeks to Get Back to the Cabin SUCKS

By mid to late July of 2025, we were deep in the dog days of summer.

This was not really the time for heavy building. It was just too darn hot.

But that did not mean we could not knock out a few smaller projects to make the deck even better.

And honestly, by then we kept asking ourselves the same question.

Why didn’t we build this deck sooner?

That deck was getting used all the time now, and we loved being out there.

So what makes a deck better?

Yep, you guessed it.

Party lights.

You know, the kind every quaint little coffee shop seems to have.

So we strung some of those up.

And what goes with party lights?

Tiki torches, of course.

Had to add a couple of those too.

Now the deck was really starting to feel like a place we needed to spend a lot of time.

Especially since it was too hot for a bonfire.

Yep, I said it.

Somebody slap me.

But really, it was too hot for a bonfire, so the tiki torches and string lights were a welcome addition. We could sit out there for hours on that deck, dreaming up the next project.

Oh wait...

We actually did.

And before long, our sights shifted back to that weird structure.

It had originally been an old screened-in sitting area the previous owner built. But it did not even survive one winter before the harsh wind tore it all to shreds. After that, we mostly just used it as a place to hang feeders and feed critters.

Which, honestly, was probably not the best idea.

And yes, those poles eventually got used for our sunshade, so at least we can say we upcycled them.

But anyway, that structure was sitting there empty and slowly falling apart, and I just could not leave it like that forever.

What we started envisioning for that spot was a fun, whimsical little greenhouse made out of old wood and upcycled windows.

Yeah, I know.

That probably sounds a little corny.

But I could really see it in my head.

Of course, by then it was definitely too late in the season to actually build something like that, and I still needed to find a bunch of cheap old windows anyway.

But that did not mean we could not do something this season to start protecting it and setting it up for next year.

So enough relaxing.

Enough dreaming.

Till next time, y’all.

Chapter Twenty

Family Reunion and Maybe a Little Work

It was early to mid August now, and we were back.

This is always one of our favorite times of the year, because every August we have our family reunion just a few miles away. It is always a fun time. All my sisters and their extended families camp at a nearby campground all weekend and part of the week. Our kids and grandkids camp that weekend too, the oldest ones at the campground, and sometimes our youngest at our cabin.

It is one of those times that reminds us just how special all of this really is.

But enough of the sappy stuff.

You came here for the good stuff.

We still had that weird future-greenhouse structure to save, so saving it came first before it turned into junk.

A little deep penetrating green stain ought to do the trick.

And honestly, it did.

That alone started making the whole thing feel less abandoned and more like maybe it still had a future.

It also had a bunch of rocks piled up around it, so naturally the question became, what do we do with those?

Oh, I know.

Let’s make some more rock edging.

So that is exactly what we did.

The plan was to use that space for perennial herbs and plants, which felt like a smart move. After all, who does not like fresh herbs in their food?

And once we stepped back and looked around, it was kind of wild to realize how much had changed.

Now we had a dozen fruit trees. A thriving grapevine. Blueberry bushes that were actually producing blueberries. One row of trial vegetables. And now herbs too.

This homestead, cabin, whatever you want to call it, was really starting to come along nicely that year.

And honestly, I was sure glad we had decided to focus on fixing up and sprucing up the outdoors that season.

Of course, that still left us with the other weird little building.

The tiny-house-or-storage-place-or-whatever-you-want-to-call-it one.

The one nobody wanted to move.

By then, it had been neglected for about three years, and it still did not even have a real roof on it, just some badly damaged ice-and-water shield hanging on for dear life.

So there was still plenty more dreaming and planning to do.

Because really, we did not want to just let the thing rot away, right?

But that part was going to have to wait until next visit.

Because for the next few days, it was time to go spend time with family at the campground.

And by the way, we still managed to squeeze in a little bonfire time and some stargazing too.

See y’all soon.

Chapter Twenty-One

Some of Us Are Getting FAT and Some of Us Are Working HARD

Before you get mad at me for the title, let’s clarify.

It is not Vanessa getting fat.

It is the squirrels.

And honestly, that might be our fault.

We may have been feeding them a lot that summer.

But that is okay. They were getting plenty of exercise running around, burying their nuts, chasing each other, and basically treating the whole place like their own private campground.

Pretty sure Harry the hummingbird had found himself a girl and maybe even helped make a baby too, because by then there were definitely three or four different hummingbirds around. Harry was pretty protective and only seemed willing to share with the girl hummingbird. The others got chased off in a hurry.

It was actually kind of funny to watch.

And Chippy?

Well, he was still our favorite.

Sweet personality. Pretty chill. And always ready to remind us the food situation needed immediate attention.

We never really minded.

That time of year, we were also getting deer, turkeys, and all kinds of other wildlife stopping by the yard and checking the snack piles for free food. So while the animals were clearly thriving...

we had work to do.

By mid to late August, it was time to save what we were now officially calling the storage building.

First up, the roof.

And I was not exactly looking forward to that part.

Big guy. High-pitched roof. Fifteen feet in the air.

Not exactly a relaxing combination.

But it had to be done, so up I went.

After a fair amount of butt-puckering on that job, it was on to the next thing.

We had to get that baby wrapped and sided.

Turns out that job was not very fun either.

But it also had to get done.

We needed that building weather-tight that year, because it had already started leaking. And that was the point where you start asking yourself some dangerous questions.

Are we really doing all this work on this “storage building”?

Is this kind of a waste of money?

Maybe.

Then again... maybe not.

Because every time we started talking about it, the dreaming came back too.

If we could only move it.

Anybody know a genie I can borrow one wish from?

Honestly, by that point, we probably could have built something new on the concrete pad already.

Sheesh.

This structure was driving me nuts.

But for now, we had at least made some progress.

And that was all we were getting done on that trip.

Because by then, this guy was tired...

and about broke.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Saving the Storage Shed? Thingy? Or Whatever It Becomes...

It was September of 2025 now, and the days were getting shorter.

Which also meant our days of being up there were starting to run short too.

So if we were going to save this goofy little “storage building,” we had to keep moving.

The goal now was simple, get it weatherproofed before the season slipped away.

And one thing we knew right away was this:

We did not want to paint this thing with a brush.

That would take forever.

So off to Home Depot we went to get paint and a sprayer.

We picked out a color that we thought matched the cabin pretty closely, but when it came to the sprayer, we could not find one at a price that felt decent. So we left Home Depot kind of scratching our heads.

Ask Google.

“Okay Google, find a paint sprayer near me.”

And what do you know, there was a Harbor Freight not too far away.

So off to destination number two we went.

Sure enough, Harbor Freight had a reasonably priced paint sprayer.

Man, did I hate pouring more money into a “storage shed.”

But we bought it and headed back to the cabin, feeling pretty excited that we were maybe, finally, almost wrapping up this project.

After some assembly required, a little fumbling around, and a few curse words, we were in business.

Time to paint.

So we cracked open that five-gallon bucket of paint from Home Depot and...

BAM.

This paint was butt ugly.

Nothing like the little paint swab we picked out.

Ugh.

Now what?

We definitely did not want to paint it that color, but we also did not have much of a choice. Rain was supposed to move in the next day, and we were heading back to the city too. There was no time to return it, no time to overthink it, and no time to start over.

So that stupid “storage shed” was getting painted this ugly color whether we liked it or not.

We told ourselves the usual comforting lie.

“We’ll just paint it again the right color next year.”

But deep down, we both knew what that really meant.

This thing had already taken three years just to get to this point.

This shed was becoming my nemesis.

Still, by then we were tired, and it had been a long but really productive season. We were not about to let one ugly paint color ruin all the progress and happiness we had found that year.

Besides...

maybe the color would grow on us.

Yeah.

Probably not.

But like a wise bunny rabbit once said...

that ain’t all, folks.

See ya in a couple weeks.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Reflection & Wrapping Up the Season

By October of 2025, it was starting to get chilly.

I mean, we were in Michigan, so nobody should be too surprised.

The squirrels were hustling to bury their goodies. The chipmunks were doing nonstop trips, stuffing their cheeks and running back to their little caves to store everything away. Even the local guinea hens were helping themselves to snacks.

The birds were loving all the extra food we were putting out too. Some were even making nests in the houses we had put up for them.

And the hummingbirds?

Well, let’s just say they were at the feeder about every hour on the hour.

And yes, Harry was still the king of the feeder.

The others would sneak in for a drink whenever he was not paying attention.

There is just nothing like fall in northern Michigan.

But of course, fall also means cleanup.

So onto the Cub Cadet I went, spending the next couple hours mowing the grass, which mostly just meant chewing up and blowing leaves around. Honestly though, I do not really mind that part. There is something kind of satisfying about it.

The weeds needed a haircut too, so out came the weed whacker.

Meanwhile, Vanessa was starting to prepare the inside of the cabin for its final hurrah of the season. Liquids, anything freezable, and some general cleaning so the place would be mostly fresh when we came back in the spring.

Still, we managed to squeeze in some much-needed deck time.

Which is always welcome.

And yes, I do believe we got in one more bonfire too.

Looking back over the season felt pretty nice.

Way better than last year.

We pulled off some changes this season that were not just useful, but visually dramatic too. The property looked better. The deck changed the way we lived out there. The garden area got up and running, and we finally got our first vegetables in.

We were hoping for pumpkins, but that did not happen.

Never grown pumpkins before, so I guess we better study up.

We did manage to get a few vegetables though, along with strawberries, blueberries, some apples, and pears.

But I’ll be damned if we did not lose every single grape.

There had been thousands of them.

And in just a few short days while we were gone, they were wiped out.

I guess the critters, and maybe the birds too, liked them even more than we did.

We also found ourselves reminiscing about how much the future greenhouse and herb-garden area had changed.

And yes, even that dang “storage shed” and what a pain in our butts that whole project had been.

But maybe the best change of all was right under our feet.

The deck.

We enjoyed that thing all season long.

And even after all the physical changes we made, I think the biggest change was inside us.

We were starting to conquer this beast.

We were actually living there comfortably for longer and longer stretches of time, and that felt like a real success.

All the hard work. All the blood, sweat, and tears. And yes, even a broken ankle too.

We had finally made something there.

A quiet, peaceful place to go and enjoy.

And the locals, mostly wildlife, seemed to have accepted us into their kingdom.

Man, we could not wait until next year.

So if there is one thing we took away from that season, it is this...

KEEP DREAMING, BABY!

Till next year, y’all.

Chapter Twenty-Four

How About a Couple Fun Winter Projects?

The winters here in Michigan sure do feel long.

And somewhere along the way, I started asking myself:

“What projects can I do this winter that might make cabin life even better next year?”

That was how a few new ideas got born.

First, I kept thinking about all those birds up north and how only a few of them really had a place to claim as home. So I started building birdhouses.

But before building birdhouses, obviously I needed some better tools, right?

Thanks for those extra work hours, Vanessa. 😁

Okay, now we can build.

But do not feel too sorry for Vanessa working so hard to fund my tool habit. She benefited from it too.

We ended up hosting her work party here, and everyone got to build and decorate a birdhouse. We called it her Christmas Sip & Build.

And honestly, that was a blast.

Everybody had fun, we had fun, and they all got to take home their own special birdhouse.

Next year maybe we will do birdfeeders.

Who knows.

But I definitely caught the bug and ended up making a few more for gifts, along with a couple for ourselves. I figured the birds up north would probably appreciate them too.

Then I started branching those new skills out into other useful critter things.

Like birdfeeders in that same little log-cabin style everybody seemed to enjoy.

The winter seemed to take forever.

But my mind never really stopped working.

I was always dreaming up the next thing for cabin life.

And then, somewhere around March, I came up with what felt like another pretty wild idea.

This website.

With the help of an AI assistant named Chippy, we spent the last couple of months feverishly working on it. What started as a way to document Vanessa’s and my journey slowly turned into something bigger, a place where we could bring people along and let them see the projects, the setbacks, the wildlife, the weird ideas, and all the crazy antics that came with building this life.

That is really what this section is.

An almost-live running story of what we are doing when we head up to the cabin to work on projects, fix things, dream up the next step, and try to build something peaceful out of all of it.

So join us next season.

Spring 2026.

That is where we catch up to real time.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Spring Is in the Air

We were more than ready to get back to the cabin.

But this crazy Michigan weather was doing what it always does, seventy degrees and sunny one day, then thirty degrees and freezing rain the next.

Still, we managed to sneak up to the cabin in early April of 2026 for a little spring cleanup.

The city had pushed a fallen tree branch into our property, so that needed to get taken care of first.

We only stayed a few hours that trip, really just long enough to check on the place and handle the obvious mess.

Back in the city, we caught a nice day and started refreshing our raised garden beds. We were determined not to kill everything we planted this year, so I did a little research and found ollas.

That led to another thought.

Let’s build some and see if we can actually keep our city vegetables alive this time.

Then, around the middle of April, Vanessa had a day off and the weather finally looked decent enough again, so we headed back to the cabin.

The only problem was that we had gotten a ton of rain the week before, and everything was soaked.

Including the driveway.

We ended up leaving ruts in it just from driving through, which immediately became one more thing for the future project list.

But still, spring was definitely in the air.

The critters were coming back. The birds were busy again. Everything was starting to wake up.

So I guess we better feed them.

And of course, Chippy made his return and greeted us like he had been waiting all winter for the snack service to come back online. We all knew what he wanted.

So yes, of course he got treats.

It was still a little chilly, but we pulled out the chairs and sat on the deck we had built the year before.

Best thing we had done up there so far.

Sitting there, I realized I better clean out the birdhouses so the birds could start fresh for a new season of babies.

And after that, we pretty much sat there the rest of the day, talking, laughing at the critters, and starting the yearly process of dreaming up what we wanted to accomplish next.

That was really the best part.

Not rushing. Not grinding. Just enjoying what we had already built and letting the next season slowly come into focus.

Eventually, it started getting chilly again, so we figured it was probably time to head back to the city.

But before we left, we made sure to grab one more quiet spring moment, the water running through the little creek before we tore up the driveway any worse trying to get out.

Until next time, cabin.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Let’s Plant Some More Fruit Trees

It was mid April, and we found another chilly but dry and decent day.

So I said, “Vanessa, let’s go pick up a couple more fruit trees and plant them at the cabin.”

She almost never says no to my crazy ideas.

At least not when the idea includes getting to go to the cabin.

So off we went to pick up three new fruit trees.

But not just your average everyday apple trees.

We already had those.

This time, we wanted something a little more fun and unique.

So we picked up two jujube trees and one tree labeled Fruit Cocktail.

That sounded fun right away.

Apparently that one tree is supposed to have four different fruits all on the same tree.

I know, right?

How cool is that?

Now back to those two jujube trees.

You are probably thinking, “What the heck is that?”

The jujube tree, Ziziphus jujuba, also known as the Chinese date, is supposed to be an incredibly resilient, low-maintenance fruit tree that produces sweet, nutritious fruit. But honestly, the part that really got my attention was what happens later. From what I had read, in the fall you can leave the fruit on the tree long enough for it to dry out, and that is when the magic happens. Supposedly, once it gets dark and wrinkly looking, it tastes like honey.

I will let you know as soon as we actually get some fruit. 😁

Which, of course, may take a couple of years.

If you want to see more about how we planted them, check out this page:

https://quietbackyardliving.com/pages/jujube-trees-at-the-cabin

The weather was still pretty chilly, so we had not officially opened the cabin yet. We did not want to risk the pipes freezing.

So after planting the trees, we relaxed for a couple of hours and then headed back to Bay City.

But before we left, of course we snapped a few pictures.

See y’all next time.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It’s Time, 2026 Cabin Opening Here We Go!

By late April and early May, the weather was finally giving us multiple decent days in a row.

So it was time to take advantage of it.

I said, “What do you think, Vanessa, you ready to open up the cabin?”

Oh yeah.

Let’s go.

That meant loading up all the usual spring stuff, water pump, chainsaw, food, clothes, sheets, toothbrushes, tools, and all the other random things that somehow turn into a full carload every year.

And away we went.

This is always one of the most exciting times of the whole year.

We got there, unloaded everything as fast as we could, and started putting it all away. By then we were more than ready to get moving on all those 2026 projects we had been dreaming about all winter.

First on the list, while the back part of the property had not totally turned into a jungle yet, we wanted to cut a path down through that side of the woods toward the inlet of the lake.

Now, we do not actually have water frontage ourselves, but our super nice neighbor Randy does. So before they filled the lake back up and everything got too wet down there, we figured it would be smart to cut a walking path to the water. That way, maybe someday, with Randy’s permission of course, we could even bring a kayak and launch it down there.

Once that job was mostly knocked out, it was on to the next thing.

Yard cleanup.

You know, all the sticks, branches, and random tree mess that had dropped over the winter.

Of course, that also gave us a good excuse for a daytime bonfire.

Oh yeah.

And remember that big tree branch the city had pushed into our yard?

Time to turn that into firewood.

So we got it all cut up.

The only problem was, we did not really have a nice-looking place to store it.

That gave me an idea.

Vanessa had seen some cute little firewood storage setup on Facebook, or Pinterest, or somewhere like that. So I did what any good husband would do.

I went shopping.

For supplies, of course. 🤣

And that led to the next little build, the firewood stand.

Now we just had to hope it would hold up.

All this building was energizing and fun, but I have got to tell you...

my back was not exactly thrilled the next day.

So we slowed it down a little and gave ourselves permission to relax.

Not a bad trade, honestly.

That just meant more deck time.

And there is not much better than sitting out on the back deck with a couple of drinks in rocking lawn chairs, letting the soreness from the day before ease off while you look around at what you have been building.

That evening, we also built a fire in the wood stove to knock the chill out of the cabin and keep us warm through the night.

By the next day, it was already time to head back to the city.

As always, that part is a little sad.

But adult responsibility and jobs still had a hold on us.

So until next time, y’all.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Guess Who’s Back?

Here we are in mid to late May, and the days are finally getting longer and warmer.

It is still a little chaotic this time of year, hot one minute, cold the next, but then we got lucky and ran into a stretch of absolutely beautiful weather.

That meant it was time to get back up to the cabin and finish some of the spring cleanup projects.

But first things first, it was time to get some food out for the critters.

They are hungry this time of year too.

So we filled up the bird feeders, put out some squirrel and chipmunk food, and of course we could not forget Harry the hummingbird. We had not spotted him yet, but we were hoping it would not be long.

Then it was back to work.

First up was finishing the woodpile.

We got it looking a lot better, even though we will have to fill the rest of it later once we split some more wood.

Then it was time to work on the walking path all the way down toward Randy’s water. We were excited about that one, because if we could get it opened up properly, it was going to make summer down there a whole lot more enjoyable.

Who knows, maybe next year we will even end up with a little rowboat down there.

They are supposed to fill the lake back up sometime in July this year, so we are definitely crossing our fingers.

After that first stretch of work, we had to head back to the city for a day because Vanessa had to work Memorial Day.

But it was only a quick stop at home. Before long we were right back at the cabin for a couple more days, and this time the weather was supposed to climb into the 80s.

Not bad at all.

As soon as we stepped into the house, we saw movement outside and thought, no way.

Yup. Harry was back.

And not only was Harry back, we were pretty sure he brought family with him.

We think we were seeing Harry, Harriet, and one of their kids.

They must have been starving, because it felt like we saw at least one of them at the feeder every 15 minutes or so.

It is funny how much you miss those little critters when they are gone.

Once we got over that excitement, it was time to get moving again because the yardwork was definitely not going to do itself.

Everything desperately needed attention, especially the weeds around the grapes and the garden beds.

So Vanessa and I tackled the grape area first.

After that, we moved on to the garden and worked our way around the blueberry bushes, raspberries, blackberries, and even the goji berry plant, pulling weeds and trying to get things back under control.

While Vanessa kept after the flower beds, I grabbed the weed whip and mower and worked on the lawn.

By the time we were done, we were tired, but we were also feeling pretty accomplished.

So we took a break and relaxed on the deck for some badly needed rest and recovery.

Later that evening, once the sun dipped behind the trees and things cooled off a bit, it felt like a good time to squeeze in one more project.

A week earlier, I had built a couple of trellises for the raspberries and blackberries. Now it was finally time to get them installed and start training those plants to climb toward the sky.

The next morning, it was flower time.

We wanted to bring a little more color back into the place and make everything outside feel more alive again.

But before we even left, we noticed movement at the hummingbird feeder and immediately thought, wait a minute, that is not Harry.

Apparently some woodpeckers have a serious sweet tooth too.

At first he drove us crazy, but after a while we finally gave up and decided he could just share the feeder with Harry and the gang.

So off to the local landscape and flower shop we went.

After picking out a couple flats of flowers, we headed back and got them planted.

Once that was done, we found ourselves with just enough energy left for one more little project.

This time it was an improvised trellis for the goji berry plant, which can eventually reach something like 8 to 12 feet tall if it is happy enough.

It ended up being a fun little project for the two of us, and once it was installed, we got everything watered in for the night, the plants, the berries, the trees, all of it.

By then we were pretty tired, so we sat down on the deck with a cold drink and looked around at everything we had managed to get done in such a short stretch of time.

That was when we decided the night still had one more job left in it.

Bonfire time.

We burned up the rest of the smaller branches and leftover brush, which felt satisfying after all the cleanup work we had been doing.

Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were really bad this spring, so it did not take long before we had to retreat back inside the cabin.

Still, it was a good way to end the night.

Then before we knew it, morning had rolled around again and it was time to pack up and head home.

As always, it never feels like enough time.

But we left tired, happy, and already looking forward to next time.

See y’all in the next chapter.

What this book holds

The good weeks, the frustrating weeks, and the weird little in-between ones

This running page is meant to hold all of it, the project misses, the paint that looked wrong in real life, the grapes the wildlife beat us to, the practical improvements that made the cabin work better, the family builds, the garden setbacks, the comeback attempts, and the little moments that gave the place heart.

So this is not a one-time article. It is the unfinished book version of Quiet Backyard Living, and we will keep adding chapters as the story keeps moving.

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