10/8-10/02 I went up to the property for 3 days: Tuesday through Thursday.

The drive over was gorgeous. The fall colors are about at their peak. I arrived at 12:30. I had come down with a bad cold early in the week and I was feeling pretty sick but I figured I could rest as well or better at the property than I could at home. I found a note in the gate lock from Shawnee saying that she and a friend had visited when I started my foundation and that she would like a tour again. She left a number for me to call.

Then, when I opened the trailer door, there was a note from Howard Hutchings saying that he had stopped by for a visit. I guess people must be out driving around looking at leaves and just happened to be in the neighborhood.

After moving in and having lunch, I drove the pickup up to the building and unloaded six sacks of mortar mix. I found another note in the front door from Howard saying it was just in case I had missed the other one. In small letters at the bottom it said "PS By the way, I am very impressed". I got a kick out of that.

Next, I got Mother Sow out and cut a few sections from a pine log down at the log pile. The heartwood was nice and clear and I have always had my eye on it for carving stock. I decided to make some blanks for the Cub Scouts so that they can carve neckerchief slides out of them. I split the blocks into roughly 2x2 inch square cross section and then I drilled an 11/16 inch hole in each end. That way they could carve a slide from each end and still have a good handle to hang on to. I made about a dozen of them and loaded them into the pickup.

Then I went up and caulked the cracks around the window frames and then with a trowel, a stiff masonry brush, and a whisk broom, I cleaned the loose mortar from the wall I had chinked and cleaned the logs up. I also stained a small spot I had missed on the wall because it had been covered up by a 2x4 holding up the inside scaffold, which was now dismantled. All the while, I fed the jays who kept coming around.

I went to bed early, at about 7:45, and had a pretty miserable night. No headache, fortunately, but a lot of coughing and a bad sore throat.

On Wednesday I was pretty sick, but I went out to work anyway. I just moved slower than usual. The weather was absolutely beautiful but somehow I didn't seem to appreciate it like I normally would. I installed three scaffold brackets for then next level down. When I finished that, Bill Tutino (Dick's brother) and Shirley came by with Bert and Ernie. Bill was very interested in the project and he got a real kick out of feeding the birds out of his hands. I was surprised that they still landed on us with Bert and Ernie right there.

After lunch I took a little nap and was awakened by Ferere whistling outside. I went out and tried to talk to him. He definitely had something he wanted to tell me but he didn't know enough English. He wrote down a man's name and a telephone number and he gave me enough clues that I am sure that three sheep from his flock were missing and that if I see them, I should call that number. The rest of the sheep have been loaded up and taken away to their winter quarters. I think I got Ferere to understand that I would call if I saw the sheep.

I installed the planks and handrails on the lower scaffold brackets. Then I dismantled the higher scaffold, working pretty slowly the whole time. Then I cut some insulation strips and before I quit for the day, I insulated three and a half seams.

I was still sick on Thursday morning. I went up and insulated two more rows before Larry stopped by with two friends. One of them, Gordon, had seen the place before but it was just after the roof had been put on. They seemed impressed with the building. They also got a kick out of feeding the birds. By the time they left, it was time for lunch. I left for home at 1:30.