Wired

This morning I met Mike at my house and we agreed that he would provide snowplowing services this winter.  That's probably not too important for the contractors — most have 4-wheel drive vehicles — but it will be very helpful after I move in.  My little Scion (aka The Ice Cream Truck, or The Popemobile) doesn't have much clearance under the keel.

It's unfortunate we ran out of siding materials.  Not much siding emains to be done — the south gable, a patch on the east wall, another patch on the wall facing the lake, and some detail work here and there.  I trust that Rycenga has more siding from the same "dye lot" as the original shipment.  A color difference would be noticeable.

The siding is almost, but not quite, finished.

The area at the front door will be sided with shakes,
rather than lap siding, to set it off as the main entrance.

Just a little more siding is needed at the northwest corner.

Today the well drillers returned to run the water line from the well to the house.  I asked about the well's pump and was told, very reassuringly, that these are relatively maintenance free mechanisms and tend to last about 25 years.  Once we've purged the well — by running water for several days — I'll send a sample off to the state lab for analysis.  That will tell me what type of filtration I need.  The water up here is quite hard, but if possible I would like to avoid buying into a water softener and the $50 per month operating costs that go with it.  (By the way, is there anywhere in the U.S. where you can drill a well and get naturally soft water?  Perhaps the Salt Flats in Utah?)

Chuck's Well Service was back to run water to the house.

While I was off at the Association club house checking on set-up for tomorrow's Olde Fashioned Christmas Festival, Presque Isle Electric and Gas was at my house completing hook-up of the buried electrical service.  I now have a transformer on my pole and a meter on my house.  That sets the stage for finishing the electrical work in a few weeks.

A meter on the house...

...and a transformer on the pole means I'm wired!

Tomorrow I'll be working at this weekend's Olde Fashioned Christmas at Presque Isle.  My role, I'm told, will be helping people in and out of the horse drawn cart which will provide chilly, breezy rides at the New Lighthouse.  (If we had enough snow we would have real sleigh rides.)  Those who ride will immediately flee to Garrity Hall, the Light's event center, for hot chocolate and warm cider.  Activities are positioned all over the community, including a soup and salad lunch at Grand Lake Chapel, a chili cookoff at the fire house, a crafts mart at the township hall, and especially for children, a full size Candy Land game at the Association club house.  This morning volunteers were busy laying out the Candy Land pathway.  This will be decorated with huge gingerbread houses and other Candy Land visuals.

A room-sized Candy Land board is laid out in the
club house's card room.

Volunteers come in all sizes.

The Christmas event was the lead article in this week's Presque Isle Advance, but clearly the township needs an improved web site to promote the many activities which take place here through the year. •••