11/19-21/18 I went up to Camp Serendipity for 3 days: Monday through Wednesday.

My schedule was moved up a day this week because of Thanksgiving. On the way up, I picked up some cleaning wax for Earl at an auto parts store. I visited with him for a while when I delivered it, but he had a chimney sweep there and some other people, so I didn't stay long.

From there, I proceeded on to Robert's work site on North Shore Road and found him there loading brush into his dump truck. He told me the bad news that the fir log market had crashed.

I arrived at Camp Serendipity at 1:30. The ground was frozen and there was just a skiff of snow on it. I brought my gear up to the cabin in two trips. Then I hoisted the flag, started a nice fire, had my lunch and my usual nap. Then I went outside and hauled and stacked a bunch of firewood.

I started with the big maple rounds and found that rather than use the wheelbarrow, it was easier just to muscle them into the woodshed by hand. I also discovered that I hadn't completely finished bucking the log. There were three crosscuts that were only halfway through the log. I got out the chainsaw, rolled those four connected rounds over, and finished cutting them apart. By then it was time to quit for the day.

On Tuesday morning it was 19° outside when I got up. After breakfast I installed two hangers in the crawlspace ceiling and hung the ladder from the hangers. That finally gets the ladder out of the way and moves me a small step along on the project of organizing the crawlspace, finishing the drainage project, and building a floor down there. Then I will insulate the cabin floor and finally check that major item off the list for the final inspection.

While I was in the crawlspace, I put the Styrofoam blocks in the vents for the winter, and I disconnected and drained the water hose. Then I went outside into the woods and checked all the sequoia and transplanted cedar trees. They all looked healthy and ready for winter.

I also checked the spring and found that the overflow was a little larger than before, which is good. I cleaned out all the leaf debris while I was there. While I was in the woods, I kept my eyes open for a pole that would work for the rail on the back-porch stairs. I found one that looked possible, although it was extra stout, and dragged it back to the cabin and up onto the porch. I'll keep looking for a better one, if one is available, but for now at least I have one candidate up on the porch in case it snows before I can find a better one.

Next, I went back to the maple firewood and stacked all the rest of the rounds in the woodshed. I took a picture of it and then went in for lunch and a nap.

When I got up, I fixed my firewood picker-upper, and then used it to load a bunch of small firewood into the wheelbarrow and haul it down to the cabin where I stacked it under the eaves. It took six or eight trips. I also found a second rail possibility and brought it up to the front porch.

At one point, I checked out how difficult it would be to install a telephone in the bathroom. After looking in the pantry and running a probe over the top of the 2x6 stud wall, I realized that I could fish a telephone wire from the central hub into the bathroom without drilling or without any problem at all. I was happy to learn about this possibility and I just might do it someday.

There were about ten 6-inch diameter lengths of maple firewood up by the woodshed that the loggers had left there some time ago. They seemed to be relatively light, so I figured they must be nice and dry. I decided to take them to the cabin and use them before they got covered with snow. I carried them to the back porch where I will store them until I use them. Then, before I went in for the night, I went into the crawlspace and filled a garbage bag with garbage I found.

Bill called just as I finished dinner and we had a delightful conversation. We agreed to meet at the usual place for breakfast the Friday after next.

On Wednesday morning Robert called and gave me an update on his activities. He said he would be over on the weekend to pick up some of his tools and equipment before it got covered in snow. I spent the morning wheeling brush from the high rock over to the burn pile. I didn't quite finish cleaning up the area, but I got a lot done. I left for home at 12:40 feeling good about what I got done this week.