Drove back to Fish Creek on my own, stopping at two different distilleries whose liquor we enjoyed at the Ranch. It’s amazing what they get done, even in just one week! I get to witness the house being framed in, room by room, and the area around the cabin being filled in and prepped for the porch.
David (Lee’s son) comes to visit for 3 days and we go fishing, clean the dead wood out of an apple tree, and just relax and enjoy ourselves. He takes the time to scout around for the perfect spot to set up his slack line next year. He’s an excellent guest and I look forward to his return.
I then spend a couple days in town to make all kinds of selections with Damian, see Black Joe Lewis at the Top Hat, and then pick Lance up from the airport Friday morning. I surprise him with a private fly-fishing lesson in town (she’s really good), and then we run a couple of errands and head out to Fish Creek. We fish, we clean dead wood out of trees and bushes, and walk through the house planning closets and entryways. Then he’s gone as well.
Last, but not least, Leonardo shows up after a couple of days of solitude. If you’ve missed my adventures with Leonardo, check back under “Italy” and the Alba truffle festival. He’s arrives just at dinner time, and it’s an early evening for both of us. Next day is a beautiful one, and I give him a bit of a tour and then we head out in the afternoon to hike Cache Creek. I needn’t worry about bears, because Leonardo is regaling me with stories the whole way up. No way we could surprise wildlife! After about an hour and a half, we come to an abundance of huckleberry bushes. We immediately set to it and spend another hour and a quarter picking (and he’s eating) berries to take back with us. We end up we a fat two quarts, which we split. Back to camp for dinner and chatting by the creek in my funky park bench. We are both woken at about 3 in the morning by the flashing lights and crash of an epic thunderstorm. It goes on for an hour or so and I have to heartily concur with his statement the next day that there’s nothing better than being so cozy in a bed in a cabin in the middle of a might storm.
Once I realize I’ve lost my camera, I take pictures with the phone. The Lodge as I left it:
this is from the patio. left side is guest wing, right side is (on left) 8-foot double french doors and the big open space on the right corner is floor to ceiling windows with 6-foot window seats.
This view has the garage on the left side and back side of guest wing (and there will be an outdoor shower on the end):
and this is the framework for the clerestory/monitor that will pop up from the length of the roof (kind of like a barn):
And this week after I left: roof trusses and the clerestory plopped on the poopdeck:
Gourmet dinner after our glorious hike:
And the dancing and dipping of coconut butter in melted dark chocolate for dessert:
Friday we both head into town. I do my usual laundry and errands and then head off to the airport and wing my way home. It’s always a culture shock after living outside for 14+ hours a day to then be spending most of my time inside of a concrete box or smaller metal and glass one moving about town.