Second Annual Pouncey Camping Trip: "That pack has saved lives"

Everyone took a four-day Columbus weekend. While Russ and Carolyn were loading up a queen-sized bed, dresser, rocking chair and old woodburning stove for the cabin, Heather, Amber, Hayden and Hollie were driving up from Gainesville. Jas'n was coming from Winder. We all got to Adairsville, an hour from the cabin, about the same time. When we arrived at Richmond Woods, we got the new furniture set up for Heather, Hollie and Amber to share the cabin. Right, below: Cabin set up.



We had beautiful weather. No trees turning yet except from stress from our hot, dry summer.



We teased Amber about bringing so much stuff. That's when she told us "that pack has saved lives." She works in the field as a biologist so she should know!

What we did for fun

The tire swing

Amber organized scavenger and treasure hunts that were so much fun!



Below Russ telling the story about how the treasure came to be buried there... til Hollie realized the treasure map paper was from a nearby pad and said, "... then how do you explain this?



Playing on the rocks, eating peanuts, hike in the woods with our resident wildlife biologist, Amber.




Making acorn flour (directions: collect numerous acorns, soak in water for 10 hours, peel off outside, bash with a rock to flourize then presumably make something delicious to eat with it)



Endless texting



Light Show: Running around at night with colored lights while Russ points his camera with a 15-second exposure.



Apple pancakes and bacon





Sunday lunch
Roast pork, heirloom tomatoes and cucumber salad, roast butternut squash and onion. Yum! We wore our beads to celebrate.



Installing the chimney Russ and Jas'n cut the hole in the roof (middle below: view of hole in roof and box you put in ceiling to keep hot stovepipe from touching the wood). Heather and Russ installed the chimney using a kit from Little River Hardware.




Right above: Can you see the new chimney? Look just to the left of the tree back of the house (right in the middle)...

Used for the first time by family guests.... but we will use it next weekend.

Renovating the woodburning stove After all Pounceys departed, we spent the day wirebrushing and coating the stove with 1200 degree flat black. As you saw above, the old stove looked horrible but look at it now! We could have fired it up a couple hours later (according to the directions) but there was lots of cleaning up to do. Next weekend we plan to light a fire in it while it is still outside to finish the curing and burn off noxious fumes.

The First of Several Moving Days

Last year, Carolyn's friend Becky reupholstered some cushions using some fabric with fish on it. The cushions were for an old rattan couch Carolyn bought years ago. This weekend, Russ and Carolyn reupholstered the rest with some really nice fabric from "My Favorite Place", an Atlanta junk store. The fabric has wild grapes. Totally different pattern but same colors.

Then Sunday AM we loaded everything we could fit on the trailer to move it to Richmond Woods! The "new" couch, gas stove, old round wooden side table (for the rocking chair porch) and a heavy, beautiful coffee table Debbie gave Russ.

Once everything was unloaded, we resumed the upholstery project on the back porch...

We ran out of daylight so just moved it in the house. Won't this look nice?

By next weekend, Russ will have a new floor buffer so we will finish the upholstery, wax the floor and go pick up all the stove pipe. Don't know if we will be able to start on that or not!

Labor Day Weekend

Coming down the homestretch. We started the cabin in February 2008... it's been 2 1/2 years. Wouldn't be as far as we are if not for Chuck, Millican's crew and Jas'n. Plus moral support of our followers. But here we are, painting and finishing floors.

Lovely weekend. Perfect weather for doing a whole bunch of work. No leaves are changing yet but low humidity and temperatures in the 80s, 60s at night!

Carolyn hadn't been to Richmond Woods for a while, busy on work travel and visiting grandchildren. Russ and Jas'n had installed a red oak plank floor and sanded it. Russ finished it with his mother's recipe: turpentine, linseed oil and added a tiny bit of stain. It looks great (left, below)! Two coats and he wanted to add a third then wax it. Russ also had some outside work to do: removing a fascia board and cutting down a barge rafter that was too long so the fascia fit properly without bowing out (right, below).

Do you like martinis? Real ones with an olive? Then you would like the historic preservation color called Homestead Resort Moss that Carolyn painted the inside of the cabin. We call it "Martini Olive Green". She's thinking about painting some orangey red around the windows just to finish the effect. It's a bit strong but we are going to have lots of wavy board trim the honey color same as the outside (we will have contrast: deep walls, light trim, as we were advised to do by Bobby and Randy)... around the windows and doors, as baseboard and "crown" molding. So there will be far less green showing than now.



Russ did the floor finish on hands and knees. Here he is, doing coat 3 then the finished look, right.

And here's some of our contrast: creamy white beadboard ceiling, creamy white windows on the moss green.

It wasn't all work last weekend. We had time to sit around a campfire in the cool night air. Russ sipped a Rebel Yell. I just had a lemonade. Join us if you enjoy such simple pleasures!

Big news: Russ ordered all the stovepipe and we are picking it up this weekend and taking a bunch of furniture up. YAHOO!