Weekly Update: 7.29.23
Well, July is almost over -- and thank goodness. We knew the dog days of summer would be hard, but these temps hovering in the 100s and the ever-blowing southwest wind dancing around 15 miles-per-hour have been enough to drive us all a little bit crazy. We managed a very productive week just the same, but autumn can't get here soon enough, as far as we are concerned.
The small, freak summer storm that blew in on Monday gave us all quite a shock when it tore the fly off of our tent. Mom and I were inside when it happened. We had known a small storm might hit, so we had been preparing accordingly. All of a sudden, the wind picked up from the north -- a wind direction we don't get that often this time of year. Then we heard what we thought was thunder right over head -- but the sound didn't end. It was a terrifying moment -- the tent shook and the sound seemed to go on and on. Then it hit me -- we are losing the fly.
The fly had suffered some damage during a bigger storm a few weeks ago. While we had tried to tie it back down, we were planning to switch out to our new fly when we had time. Wall Tent Shop had generously sent us a replacement fly after our original one developed tiny holes everywhere it had been folded during packing. The new fly arrived in June, but since it has been so dry, we hadn't made putting it up a priority. Because of the earlier damage, when the deafening sound filled the tent on Monday, it didn't take me long to realize what was happening. Due to the weakened ties on the north side of the tent, the wind had been able to literally rip the fly off (leaving behind some of the fabric and rope).
As my mom and I gathered our wits about us when it was over, we checked on the rest of the family. Bonnie-Jean was laying on our porch with a kid under each arm. We had told the kids to sit there in case it rained. Bonnie-Jean had happened to be there when we lost the fly, so she instinctively pulled the kids down to the floor. Poor Grace had seen the whole thing from the south side of the tent. She had been gathering up chairs to put them away in case we had a storm. She looked up to see the whole tent fly stretched in the air as it came toward her. Thankfully, it stayed attached on that side of the tent, and fell limply short of actually hitting Grace. The rest of the family were scattered around outside. Everyone was startled, but all right.
In the immediate aftermath, we realized the chimney had been ripped from the woodstove and was swinging as wind continued to batter the tent. Sharp edges stuck out where it had been attached -- thankfully, no one was standing beside it when it was blown over. The force had been enough to move the whole woodstove (weighing more than 200 pounds) a couple inches forward on the hearth.
Since we still had a storm coming, we scuddled around madly trying to minimize any future damage. Levi took down the chimney before it could break further. Items stored on the porch were quickly covered with tarps. Once things outside were secure, I helped my mom clean up the creosote that had blown all over our tent kitchenette.
When all was said and done, we spent a rainy couple of hours recovering our nerves and getting some computer work done. I worked on a schedule for the next few weeks, as we have a lot we want to accomplish.
In August, our dad, Samuel, and brother Jeremiah will both be having vacation time, and we hope to spend that week putting up our girders and floor system. In order to be ready, we are having a big push to finish the foundation in the next couple of weeks. I put together a suggested to-do list for each day so that we can finish in time -- Lord willing.
This week, we spent the first couple of days finishing the deep holes over the dump pile. We ended up having to dig 2 or 3 extra feet on every hole on that end of the house. Levi, Bonnie-Jean, Grace, and Jeremiah did most of the digging, while the rest of us kept up on all the cooking and camp chores (our dad would have insisted on helping, but he worked those days). We finished the last hole on Wednesday, which was a relief. During the later part of the week, we poured footings. We are mixing everything by hand in a wheel barrow, which is quite time consuming, but we managed to fill all four of our frames on Thursday. Since some of us had to go to Springfield on Friday, Levi spent the day taking the frames off of the poured footings and getting them set up again for today. We are pleased with our progress, and we hope to finish the footings early this coming week.
During the afternoons this week, I have been using Sketchup to draft plans for our floor system. I've been pouring over framing books and watching YouTube videos to make sure I'm getting it right. I went over the plans with my dad when he was off, and together we put in our big wood order from Menard's -- to be delivered in a couple of weeks. I am so looking forward to getting to the woodworking part of our project, as that is much more in my comfort zone.
On Friday, my folks and I went to Springfield. We have been frustrated with the quality of the Larson storm door we installed in the tent over the winter. It was very pretty, all glass with an interchangeable screen.
We had no issues while using the glass, but when we switched to the screen, we had problem after problem. The screen was very poorly constructed and bent easily. It had to be stored laying flat -- not a realistic concept. When it was installed in the door, it never fit right, as the span was so large the screen would hang loose from the frame, leaving so large a gap that flies could fly in and out. While the quality of the rest of the door was fine, the screen system was defective.
We had purchased the door too long ago to return it to Menards, but our mom decided to try contacting the store. Thankfully, after talking with Menards and the Larson company, we were allowed to return the door for store credit. Hence, our trip to town on Friday.
We picked out a new door -- this one with a window that opens and closes, so we can easily switch between screen and glass throughout the day. We also picked up some masonry tools for our piers next week, as well as some groceries. It was too hot to do anything when we got home, so we waited until evening to install the door. Though it is also a Larson brand, the new door seems much more sturdy, and the window is easy to operate. We love it already.
Due to all the wind we had this week, we hadn't been able to put up our new tent fly until this morning. Before getting started, Dad hosed down the tent to get rid of some of the dust-turned-mud that had settled on the top of it. We weren't sure how much it would help, but it worked beautifully. The tent looks so much cleaner. Then, Dad, Levi, Jeremiah, and Grace tried to hang the fly before the wind picked up today -- and they mostly succeeded. We are very thankful to have a covered porch again -- the sun beating down out there was brutal.
As with every week, we found time for some fun in the middle of the chaos. On Monday evening, we made Indian food -- slow cooker butter chicken, rice, and veggies. We decided to try our hand at homemade naan as a bit of a splurge. Grace and Mom made the dough, and then Bonnie-Jean and Grace cooked the flatbreads on the griddle. We realized we didn't have a rolling pin, so we improvised with a metal water bottle. The naan turned out delicious.
Physically, this was a taxing week, but I feel like we really conquered. I'm proud of all of us, as we pulled together and worked as a team each day -- each person doing the work that would best contribute to progress (even if that meant one or two of us ladies devoting ourselves to domestic chores all day so the rest could get more done). We started earlier than ever so that we could quit when the heat became too much. We saw the sun come up several days, which was a beautiful way to start the morning.
The heat was exhausting, but we survived thanks to the pool, the spring, and a shady wooded sitting area. Even the dogs struggled, but we kept fresh totes of cool water sitting around camp for them to lay in, and Bonnie-Jean took them for frequent walks to the creek, where they love playing in the water.
As tough as this week was, I think we all impressed ourselves a little. I thought often of the pioneers, how they settled the country despite hot weather. I thought of my ancestors, and I understood more readily why so many settled near Bear Creek in Cedar County. Water is life -- especially in the heat of summer. It also makes me think of how much we need to drink deeply of the Living Water daily and throughout the day, especially when life's stresses seem to heat up around us. Jesus is the only way to survive.
