November 16 - Still Seems Like September

We had some early snow in September - but since then, no snow, no rain.  This is great news for the logging companies that are taking out the burned trees from last year's forest fire.  We are getting to know a lot of the loggers by name now and are planning a visit to one of the company's sawmills down in Grass Valley (we are hoping that they have cedar lumber at a good price).  Plus I am hoping the sawmill is the same one used in the Hallmark Movie - the Christmas Card (one of my all time favorite Hallmark Christmas movies).

Since we have not had much snow, Jim and I have been taking a lot of drives out past North Fork campground to check out the fall colors.  This year, we found 2 Sierra Maples and one Dogwood growing on our property.  We had to move the dogwood and one of the maples since they were growing directly below the PG&E power lines.  We are hoping they survive and we can have some additional fall colors at the lodge.  With the slow  loss of all of our cedars (global warming), we need something to keep the place from looking too "open" to the elements.

We have also been ferrying around a few rocks from the back of our property to the front.  We are getting ready to create a rock retaining wall just below the sun deck.  The area currently holds our big park picnic table and need a wall to stop snow melt erosion.

And, of course, projects.  We continue to work on installing the cast iron stove in the game room.  The stone hearth is done (installed, cleaned of mortar).  And now we are waiting on parts for the fireplace stove pipe and for Jim to complete the mantle.

Jim has been working on the deck steps (he added a concrete step to the base and is adding the trex to the top of the steps and new railing).  He asked me if I could get one of the landings in the snow room "leveled" and tiled with slate.  So far, I have added the leveling concrete (the floor dropped 1 1/2 inches over 5 feet since it used to be an outside concrete landing).  I also added some skis to our ski gate (next year I will remove the chain link and re-do this but I wanted Jim to see how cool a ski gate can look).  It reminds me of the ski fences that they used to have in Breckenridge before that town became trendy.

And we continue to work on other "odd" projects around the lodge.  All part of getting ready for Christmas rush.

New firewood holders in front landing of lodge.

Snow room landing - leveled and ready for tile.

Deck steps - working on rails and steps. 

Ski Gate - 12 more skis to go.