Snow!

It snowed! 

We were all set for the wood stove install, but snowy weather put the kibosh on it.

Rusty stove pipe!

So we spent the time nesting, enjoying the feel of this wonderful place.

Sunlight, shadow, spirit...

Cleaning, chatting...

Planning, plotting, putting things in their place.

One thing we wanted to know: what's the date on the church bell?

dis'll do...

Unfortunately, only a contortionist could get up there, so the date of the church still remains a mystery. I poured through information at the Port Austin library, and we've got the historical books  by the Port Austin Historical Society, but there are conflicting reports. One says the church was built and moved in 1902, but that doesn't make sense. Why would it have been built and moved the same year? We know it was moved. Some maps have the church closer to Eagle Bay in 1900. We know there was a Presbyterian church but it had burned. There was also a Baptist church according to one account. We did find a 2x4 that was burned on the end; apparently after the fires of 1871 and 1881, folks used whatever lumber they could to rebuild. So it could have been built after 1871 or 1881.  Many churches like it were built around that time.

If anyone has information, I'd love to hear it! Drop me a line.

Church!

Meanwhile back at the cottage, a peaceful afternoon rolls by.

Arches!

I wonder what's going on at the Church?

Church at Dusk

Outside, it looks warm and cozy, lit and lively. 

Inside, there's much work being done.

The arches have been cut. Rumor has it that it was difficult and messy work.

It's hard doing all the work AND the photography!

So as the smoke clears (really plaster dust and lathe mist) we have a pair of arches. 

What a difference!

WOW!

This church is amazing, and we are so blessed to be a part of its journey!

Church at dark.

Olde Piano, what willst become of ye?

Olde Piano

I'm homebound this weekend due to obligations,  so I'm waiting for Sawzall Mike to show up after his weekend of cutting arches and excavating crystallized raccoon scat. I can't wait to see what he's done, but meanwhile I'm daydreaming about the old piano. What shall we do with it?

Most keys have "seized up" and aren't playable. It sat under a leaky roof for a horrible eternity, and the far end of it is pretty much a goner.

You aren't supposed to water a piano!

It sure is quaint though. One thought was to dig out the keys and install my Kurzweil keyboard where the old ivories used to be. As for the 300 pound metal harp and strings within, well, wouldn't that look cool just sitting around in a corner. And I could put the amp for the keyboard inside and it would be an old-timey piano with a new-timey sound.

Poor piano, so unloved.

But will it be worth the work and effort? Probably not. So...it may be destined for an inglorious ending; no coda, no big cymbal crashes. Just a whimpering trip to the dump. Or a bonfire? No, that's too awful to contemplate.

Shy Ponies and Rude Cows!

I took a walk Saturday morning. The sun was out, the air was crisp, and the roads were too muddy for me to drive my usual route by the horses and cows on the way to the Church in Grindstone City. So I walked there instead.

Walking down a country road

The road is rather like clay, so I stuck to the grasses and weeds by the edge of the road. I walked gingerly by the horses, trying not to spook them...

Shy ponies...

Drat, they have sharp ears. Maybe I'll meet their owners and get the OK to bring carrots next time. If stealth won't work, maybe bribery. They are so pretty!

On to the cows.

Pastoral beauty

I kept walking, steady and slow. I hoped my favorite rebel calves would be out of the pasture and by the barn as they usually are. Jackpot! Those cutie pies look good enough to eat!

"I thought you were a vegetarian!"

I didn't mean literally "eat" guys- it's just a metaphor for how stinking cute you are. Meanwhile in the wink of my eye, they skeedaddled back under the fence and behind their momma's apron...

Rude cows!

If you blow this picture up, you will see that EVERY COW is staring at me. What you can't hear is the utter silence and eerie motionlessness of this scene. A dozen cows, motionless, silent, staring...until one cow broke the silence with her powerful stream of urine hitting the mud.

"Well, you were staring at us too!"

"Either feed us, or moove on already!"

I mooved on. 

Back at the White Church, plans are underway for more demolition. This time, the walls! 

This is the entranceway. Square is out, arch is in. The door to the sanctuary should match the windows.

Then there is this opening. Rectangle is out, arch is in.

Arch it!

Where's my Sawzall?

Also, this room on the other side of the front of the Church needs help.

Water damage from a leaky roof.

So the wall is coming out, the walls repaired, and a tile floor, furnace, and bathroom are all destined for this area.

Wall must go.

WHERE'S MY SAWZALL?

When I left, the north side had been cleaned out. I returned to the city, leaving Dr. Sawzall to it.

Before

After

Can't wait to see what it looks like after a day of demo. Stay tuned!