Year in review

A year ago this week, I signed the title to the property at Loveless Lake.  We pulled out truckloads of stuff from the cabin, carted off lawnmowers, weed eaters, furnaces, even a snow mobile engine. We recycled or reused as much as we could -- from the moss-covered shingles to the plastic bottle tops.

It’s impossible to account for all the hours of work. But it looks like we (well, Chris mostly) got it down to the slab in 33 visits, four trips to the Polk County recycling center (cash out: tires, mattresses, a fridge; cash back: aluminum cans), two trips to the Shakopee landfill (cash out: recycle shingles). And no dumpster. 

With notable assists from:

Mike the Master of the Come-Along: Who hauled three truckloads of scrap metal to the recycler and brought the place to the ground with a chain and his come-along.

Demolition Dave: Who helped send the kitchen crashing to the ground and found someone interested in restoring the pontoon to its former glory.

Youth of America: Chris’ sons, who showed up during searing 90+ degree temps to load shingles into the truck for us to recycle.

Neighbor Doug: Who was the first "outsider" to visit Loveless. On a cold winter day, he helped haul several foul mattresses up to the truck and to the Polk County Recycling Center, and then did a lap around Loveless on cross country skis.

As Frank might say, we did it our way.

Day One: Champagne on the deck. 



The footpath we cut through the brush and trees.




The (former) cabin captured in the cross hairs.





Down she goes.



The current scene.