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Lodge Room

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Originally, the lodge room walls and ceiling were covered with painted-white paneling, and the ceiling was dropped down far enough where we could reach up and touch it.  (The actual original height of the lodge room is 21 feet). You could only see half of the 2 story stone fireplace.  After we tore all the paneling off, we had to strip the logs of the bark (by hand), sand the logs, stain the logs, re-run the wires to hide them, repair the chinking (white stuff in between the logs), and paint the chinking… it was quite the project!!  In the middle of us doing this project, we had people asking us where we are living when all this is going on… the look on their faces when we told them we were living “right here!” in the middle of this construction zone was hysterical!

Lodge Room fireplace before…
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Ripping out the paneling…

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Windows behind the paneling! Awesome…light!IMG_1439

 

 

After the ceiling was exposed, the logs were stained, and the chinking was painted…IMG_2868

 

Lodge Room Wall

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When we first moved in , I kept hearing “noises” in the lodge room…after some careful inspection, and some helpful hints from our cat, Loki, we discovered a family of squirrels were living in between the  paneling and the logs.  We trapped the squirrels and relocated them (mom and 3 “kids”), and removed the paneling…to find that we were left with a log wall that hand been gnawed down, where you could see through to the outside!  With some help from family and friends, we removed a window, replaced the chewed logs with new ones, and reset the window.

Lodge Room wall with chewed logs

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Lodge Room wall after all the work…

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The Side Yard

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Our side yard was a mish-mosh of broken brick, slate, pavers, railroad ties, and a ridiculously over grown garden.  I spend an entire summer taking out each brick, paver, piece of slate, and railroad tie by hand, and stacking up the “good” pieces of brick (to re-use for a patio).  Brian “mowed” down the garden, and roto-tilled the entire yard in an attempt to grow grass in the sandy Pine Barren soil…EVERYone told him it was impossible to do… and what does Brian do when someone tells him he can’t do something?  He makes SURE he does it! …

The side yard as it was…

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Dante and Cleopatra checking out my piles after we installed the new fence:

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Brian, mowing down the jungle…I mean “garden”….

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The Roto-tiller….

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“New” side yard, with patio and walkways built with whatever good materials we saved from the original yard…oh – and the grass that was “impossible” to grow …way to prove everyone wrong, Brian!

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New “GSP” size fencing! Added in Winter, 2015:

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First Project – The Roof

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Why start anything inside when we have a leaky roof, right?  The first project we decided to tackle, was one of the biggest – and one that we could not tackle ourselves… the roof.  This project was quite the eye opener…a lesson learned with log cabins…no project is easy, quick, or inexpensive…and ALL projects, no matter how small, lead into 5 other projects!

We wanted the roof to look original – which meant tearing off all the layers (all 4 of them!) and insulating the roof from the exterior so that the original log beams and tongue-and-groove ceiling could be exposed in the lodge room.  What we found was that from the leaking, most of the roof was rotted – and had to be torn off! …I can’t even describe the pit in my stomach when the roofers told us the “the whole thing” was coming off… the sky’s the limit! …

 

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I’m sure the neighbors “loved” us with all the debri that was around the house for the MONTH it took to do this job!

(original estimation from roofers was 1 week!)

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After the exterior was torn off, looking up in the lodge room was like looking up at an old barn ceiling!
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Tearing out the paneled ceiling and walls in the lodge room…so that the roofers could see the roof from the inside and install the skylights.
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Cello’s Cabin… “Beadling’s Windy Spot”

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PAN July 2010In 2009 we bought our dream home – on a whim – and totally unprepared for what was in store for us.  We used to have conversations about what our dream home would be, what it would “have to have,” etc.  Well, one day, we stumbled across our ultimate dream home…a log cabin on a lake…with all the “requirements” on our once fantasy dream-home list… except it wasn’t quite in “dream-home” shape…and it didn’t quite look much like a log cabin!…

The home we purchased was a real cedar log log home, built in 1927.  It is built on a double lot, with a 2-car log constructed garage.  Some time over the years, the original logs AND ceilings of the entire home were covered over by painted-white paneling.  The original hardwood floors were covered with rug…It was infested with mice, flying squirrels (yes FLYING) – and bats (YIKES)…(all of which we finally were able to safely remove and relocate). The cabin also had an entire log wall whittled down to toothpicks  by the family of (regular) squirrels living between the paneling and logs (family of squirrels also safely relocated!).   …Aaaah…with  the adventures we encountered…I could have written a book!

Our goal: Restore it back to it’s original glory…expose all the logs, fix all the chinking (white stuff in between the logs), and make some upgrades along the way – all “DIY” style…ON OUR OWN! …  My thought at the time was “No problem!” … I swore we’d be done the home in it’s entirety in 3 years… what I quickly came to realize is that we had just purchased a life-long project! Although frustrating at times,  it has truly been one of the most rewarding things Brian and I have ever done.  The memories we have created here, both inside the home, and out on the lake, are priceless!

Posts to follow are just SOME of the things we have demolished, built, and restored!

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Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, St. Michaels, MD

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November 2013

We discovered this Gem on DogFriendly.com …Not only was this place really cool and super dog friendly but it also had a special menu just for dogs!  Cello enjoyed the Beef Stew off of the Dog menu!

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2013 Easton Waterfowl Festival, Easton, MD, Hosted by Delmarva Dock Dogs

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November 8-10, 2013

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VERY exciting news…Cello won her first First Place Ribbon ever! She won a total of 1 Senior Division medal, and 2 in the Masters Division! She qualified for finals and won FIRST PLACE in the Masters Division Finals!!!!!! We were FLOORED!  She won a big First Place ribbon, and gift basket, $50, and a $25 gift certificate to Cabela’s! WOOO HOOOOOOO!

We were very excited for this event!  We were told at the last event (Decoy Show) that this is event has a big turn-out.  We camped at Holiday Park Campground in Greensboro, MD. What a fun weekend we had!  Although we did not get to see the “heart” of the Waterfowl festival, we got to visit St. Michael’s… and stopped at St. Michael’s Crab House for a celebratory beverage.  Cello bellied-up to the bar and earned a free “drink” (water) from the bartender after giving lots of kisses! We also discovered a wonderful dog-friendly place called  Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar (also in St. Michael’s)… where they had a special menu just for dogs! (Hammy’s Dog Menu!)  We were able to sit outside in the heated patio area with Cello, where we enjoyed a fresh Pizza, and Cello delighted in her Beef Stew.

We learned several lessons at the last 2 events: These events are long – bring a chair! …and Cello has such a thin coat, that she was cold in between jumps.  We met another GSP dock diving contestant at the Decoy show (Bailey)…and Bailey’s “mom,” Annie, introduced me to an awesome dog coat that Bailey wears.  (By the way – Annie’s blog (the little GSP) also inspired me to start this blog for Cell0… thanks, Annie!!) We bought a whole “set-up” to camp out at by the dive pool, and purchased Cello a coat like Bailey’s from Trover Coats overseas!  We were prepared for this event!

Brian is happy with our new set-up for dock diving events…and Cello is nice and toasty in her new “Bone Dry” coat made by Trover Coats!  …much better than standing around all day!

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This event had the long dock set up, and Cello jumped in 4 waves.  Here are Cello’s results:

  • 20’6″
  • 18’7″
  • Third Place Masters Division Medal
  • 19’10’
  • 19’4″
  • First Place Senior Division Medal
  • 20’6″
  • 21’3″
  • First Place Masters Division Medal
  • 22’3″
  • 22’6″
  • First Place Masters Division Medal

FINALS RESULTS:

  • 22’4″
  • 20’1″
  • First Place Masters Division Finals! ribbon, gift basket, $50, and $25 Cabela’s gift certificate!

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Photo courtesy of Brandi

Cello’s Grandparents, Jan and Jim, and Friends, Brandi, Stan, and Payton all were there to cheer Cello to victory…thanks, guys!

How Cello Got Started in Dock Diving Contests

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September 7 and 8, 20132A3P6234 From the very first day Cello laid eyes on our lake, she has always loved diving off the dock into our lake at our house ! When we brought her home as a puppy, we thought we’d have to coax her into the lake water…little did we know she is the ultimate water dog!  We brought her to the edge of our property, and Cello dove right in like she had been doing it forever!! …she does this over and over again with no prompting…just for pure fun! Cello likes to show off for spectators and neighbors who are floating or paddling by on our lake. Then she will swim around to each person floating nearby to get a quick pat on the head before getting back on the dock to dive! Brian and I came across a dock diving contest Hosted by Ultimate Air Dogs, and held at Fido’s Festival in Woodstown, NJ. We are always looking for an excuse to go camping, so we decided it would be a fun camping weekend, and also an exciting event for Cello…we had no idea how addictive this sport was, or just how good Cello was! …so on September 6, 2013, we hooked up our travel trailer and headed to Salem County Fair Grounds to camp for the weekend and register Cello in the contest, which was being held September 7 and 8, 2013.  

Cello wound up making the Finals, and took second place in the Senior Division Finals with a jump of 15′ 1″ !!!  We were shocked!

Ultimate Air Dogs had their short dock set up (20 feet in length).  The dogs are ranked in divisions by how far they jump.

Here is Ultimate Air Dogs Division Rankings:

NOVICE: up to 9’11”
JUNIOR: 10’ to 14’11”
SENIOR: 15’ to 17’5”
SENIOR ELITE: 17’6” to 19’11”
MASTER:20’ to 22’5”
MASTER!ELITE: 22’6” to 24’
ULTIMATE: 24’1” and over

Cello jumped in 4 Splashes…here are her results on the short (20′) dock:

  • 12′ 8″
  • 12’9″
  •  12’8′
  • 12′ 3″
  • 11’10”
  • 14’8″
  • 12’6″
  • 12’11”

 

CELLO’ S FINALS JUMP RESULTS:

  • 14’7″
  • 15’1″
  • Earned a Second Place Senior Division Ribbon

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Cello’s “boyfriend” Nemo competed in this event also, and did very well!!

“Grandoms” Pat and Jan, “Aunt” Casey, 9 month old “Cousin” James, “boyfriend” Memphis, and ” human friends” Chris, Cindy, and Bill came out to cheer Cello on…thanks for your support!

Grain Free Ginger Bread Man Cookies

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Gingerbread Man Cookies

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cups organic buckwheat flour
  • 2 tbsp organic ground ginger
  • 1 tsp organic ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp organic ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup organic blackstrap molasses
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup organic canola oil

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until combined well.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the molasses, water and canola oil.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour.
  5. Stir ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  6. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
  7. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut cookies.
  8. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  9. Place your gingerbread man cookies on the baking sheet.
  10. Continue to roll and cut out shapes with the remaining dough.
  11. Bake for 20 minutes.
  12. Cool completely on a wire rack, or allow to cool in the oven (after you turn it off) for a crunchier treat.

 

Yield – Will depend on size of your gingerbread man cookie cutter.  My batch made 30 gingerbread man cookies.

Storing – These treats should keep fresh for several weeks in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for approximately 6 months.

 

Mutt Meatballs

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This great dog treat recipe originally came from Dog Treat Kitchen. However, I altered the recipe a bit to fit Cello’s dietary needs.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups dry dog food, ground coarse using a food processor
  • 1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour
  • 1 lb. organic ground bison meat
  • 1/4 cup organic honey
  • 1/8 cup organic applesauce, unsweetened

 

Instructions:

  1. Cook the bison, breaking apart into very small pieces. (I boiled the bison, saving the broth for other future recipes).
  2. Pour the dog food into a food processor or blender and grind to a coarse flour.
  3. Whisk together the coarse dog food and buckwheat flour in a medium bowl.
  4. Stir together the meat, honey and applesauce in a separate small bowl.
  5. Stir the meat mixture into the dry mixture until combined.
  6. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Form into meatballs – vary the size, or keep them all uniform.
  8. Serve fresh, or place in your freezer until frozen, approximately 2 hours.

 

Storing – This treat needs to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Steamship Authority Ferry Ride to Nantucket, and the Island of Nantucket

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August 2013

Cello’s second ferry ride was on the Steamship Authority high speed ferry to Nantucket Island.  Cello was allowed on the tour bus, and went on a 1.5 hour bus tour around the town of Nantucket to see the oldest house on Nantucket Island (Jethro Coffin House), the Old Mill built in 1746, and even a few lighthouses.  She also took Cisco Winery’s shuttle to visit Cisco Brewers.

Ferry to Nantucket

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Walking down the cobblestone streets of Nantucket
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Chillin’ on the Nantucket Tour Bus

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Jethro Coffin House

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The Old Mill

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Island Queen Ferry and Martha’s Vineyard, MA

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August 2013

Cello’s first ferry ride!  Cello spent the day in Martha’s vineyard and saw the oldest working platform carousel, Flying Horses (mark that down for another National Historic Landmark visit for Cello!), and the Gingerbread Houses of Martha’s Vineyard. She also had her first ride on a public transit…dogs were allowed on the buses in Martha’s Vineyard!

Island Queen ferry to Martha’s Vineyard

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1st public transit ride on a bus!

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Gingerbread Houses in Martha’s Vineyard

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Oldest working platform carousel in America

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Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA

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August 2013

While in Nantucket, Cello bellied up to the bar at Cisco Brewers – a distillery, brewery, and winery all in one!

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Lobster Festival, Rockland, ME

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August 2013

While camping in Rockport, ME, we headed over to Lobster Festival in Rockland…it was AMAZING!  Brian and I had our first “whole” lobsters, and our first lobster rolls…and Cello had her first tasted of Lobster ever!  Cello was dressed as a lobster and had many, many people asking to  pet her and take their picture with her!

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Harpoon Henry’s, Cape May, NJ

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Harpoon Henry’s is a dog-friendly restaurant/bar in Cape May that offers a beautiful water view, and the staff will bring a bucket of water out for your dog!  Cello had a great time!

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Cello had no problem bellying up to the bar:

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Also, Harpoon Henry’s is a GREAT place to watch the the sun set!

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Buzz’s Roost, Harborwalk, Georgetown, SC

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March 2013

Cello was a hit at this dog friendly bar…she bellied right on up to the bar on a bar stool, and the bartender brought her out a bowl of water…people were stopping to take pictures of this 4-legged bar fly!

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The Big Tuna, Harborwalk, Georgetown, SC

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March 2013

This Restaurant/Bar allows well behaved pooches INSIDE and out!  Woo Hoo!  Although it was tempting to sit INside a bar for the first time with Cello, it was such a gorgeous day, we just had to take a table outdoors on the water!

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Red Barn, Hammonton, NJ

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2012

One day after hiking at Atsion with Boyfriend Memphis and his parents Chris and Cindy, we stopped at the Red Barn for breakfast.  The Red Barn has truly one of THE best home-cooked breakfasts around!

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On March 26, 2017 Margarita visited the Red Barn for the first time!

The Red Barn closed in their front area for more indoor/outdoor seating.

This outdoor seating area is also new since the last time we were here.