Creating Memories

A week of anticipation finally became an event that memories are made of for a young boy enjoying his first night in the deep darkness of the forest at ManCamp cabin. Charter ManCamp member, 'Robbie' Robinson brought his young grandson Isaac to the cabin to experience the magic of a forest hide-a-way away from television, computers, phones and civilization.

Isaac, who is very inquisitive, will be going into 2nd grade this fall and to my knowledge had not had a similar experience to date in his young life. Prior to our arrival at dusk, the pantry and ice chest was stocked and plenty of food for woodland visitors was on hand.

Isaac was ready for the adventure and quickly explored his new surroundings upon arrival. Nightfall came quickly and it wasn't long before we were roasting brats and marshmallows on an open fire. Isaac insisted we share our ghost stories with him and I was quick to oblige. It didn't take him long to realize he wanted the comfort and security of the cabin interior to protect him from the evil lurking in the shadows of my descriptions.

A night filled with raccoons trashing the porch, imaginary spirits and 8" spiders and my own reverberating snore kept this young soul awake more than asleep. At sunrise, I fired up Beulah, put on the sausage, coffee and pancakes that brought Robbie out of his slumber and buried the fears and concerns Isaac had faced.

Life is too short. In less than 12 hours, we were able to have a most positive influence on a young life and provide an opportunity to experience real fun and adventure through hikes, chores, fellowship and the protective surroundings of a loving grandfather and family friend.

Isaac Smith, grandson of ManCamp charter member Dick "Robbie" Robinson cooking some cheese filled brats for our supper.

Isaac's flaming marshmallow.

The smile tells it all. He won't forget his night at the cabin.

Lazy Summer

Just recognized how long its been since I was on my blog. Cabin activity has been very limited in summer's heat. Kuma d.o.g. and I have spent many cool summer nights enjoying the benefit of open windows and gentle breezes as we sleep to the sounds of the woods. Wine pours freely on the porch while we both enjoy cracking and eating pistachios. I never would have thought dogs would enjoy this nut but Kuma looks forward to those I drop.

Nic and I replaced the loft bed, an inflatable mattress, with a Sealy mattress. With outside temperatures in the 90s, the loft is no place for sleeping but it will be comfortable this fall and winter.

Idle cabin time

Time at the cabin is slowing down. Still doing little projects but most of the time is spent just relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest. Kuma d.o.g. is very happy at the cabin. She gets very confused in the morning when I let her out and there are 15 to 20 squirrels running in all directions.

Mrs Fosson advised me she had concerns about the first porch step at night
because you couldn't see where you were stepping when leaving the porch.
A couple of solar powered lights fixed this crisis.

A little wine, a breeze and the porch is all I need to relax.

Kuma d.o.g. enjoying the fire and her chewy bone. She's now a cabin regular
and stays with me often.

A cabin is a place to discuss life's issues

My youngest son Nic and his friends were eager to go with me to the cabin as I returned to fill the feeders and to soak up some evening sun on the porch. As young men in their early twenties, it was enjoyable listening to their lively and diverse discussions on many life issues. How lucky they are to have a place to go and just hang. Although I never had such a convenience, I'm happy its available for them.

Alex Hoffman, Nic Fosson and Caleb Downing enjoying the sofa in front of a box
fan while it is in the 90s outside.

Something natural and appropriate sitting on the edge of a
porch with no shoes on.

Caught Nic's attention in mid conversation

Caleb found my chair on the porch very fitting

Alex will be graduating from The Ohio State University in a few
weeks. This topic came up, too.

There's more than one position of comfort on a porch.

Off the grid summer conveniences

With the first holiday weekend kicking off the summer season having temperatures in the 90s in southern Ohio, the heat brings out the mosquitoes and doesn't want to leave the cabin even when night temperatures fall into the high 60s. I've found there are options that provide conveniences once only available when 'on the grid'. Small 10" rechargeable fans that will run 80 hours on a charge off the generator and rechargeable 'bug zappers' that rid the cabin of 'sketters while providing ample night lighting makes life comfortable without the hazzle of being connected. Cabin life is good on weekends. I've spent every night with Kuma d.o.g. at my side and love the comfort that isn't possible in a tent.

At $15 each, you can't go wrong investing in these little air movers.

Coleman's rechargeable bug zapper

Random topics

Even Mondays are tolerable when the UPS guy drops off cabin supplies. Today, sofa end table lamps arrived and I couldn't wait to take them to the cabin and see how they looked. I'm satisified; they have a nice wilderness look that blends well with the surroundings. A balance of pines, bears, deer and other wildlife creates the Scioto Trails atmosphere.

Upon arriving, there was something making a racket at the other end of the porch. Exploring the sound, I found a squirrel trapped inside a bird feeder. Apparently he crawled inside and the lid dropped entrapping him until I could free him. Once released, he quickly ran away while showing no appreciation for my kindness. Oh well.

The wild birds are very plentiful and a pleasure to watch. Who doesn't love cardinals? Such a brilliantly colored bird. They love to stop by the cabin porch.

New sofa end table lamps.

End table lamp

Young male cardinal

After freeing this squirrel, he quickly left the area.

Weekend Visitors

The weekend at the cabin was filled with visitors. My son Brandon and his friends came out and enjoyed the pot of chili I had prepared on Beulah. We served cheese brats roasted over the fire and cheez-its. Of course, the ManCamp cooler was iced down with adult beverages, too. Nephew Nathan also visited with his two beautiful children who always enjoy cabin visits. Great Uncle Dave always has cookies in the cabinets for the kids. On Sunday, my good friend, Connie Martin came out for Sunday breakfast with the family and then visited the cabin.

Life is too short to not take time for family and friends.

Roasting brats over the fire for lunch

My son Brandon, Chris Catanzaro and Josh Klinger enjoying the bar.

Can't visit without a picture.

Josh and Chris brought their lady friends for chili, brats and beer.

Nephew Nathan with son Nolan greeted at the door.

Son Brandon enjoying a brat with chili.

Chris Catanzaro hanging out on the porch.

Our fleet of Jeeps.

Josh and his lady friend. Both visiting from Detroit.

Classic ManCamp Kodak moment.

My great nephew and niece, Nolan and Saydi

Splitting wood. A manly sport at ManCamp as the ladies watch.

Connie Martin found her way to the cabin for a visit.

Cabin Updates

After much delay, finally finished painting the 'potty room' wall and put this into service. Found some nice pine cone pieces for towel holders. A portable potty with electric flush is in use until a compost or incinerator toilet can be installed. Both run about $2K so that will be the last investment.

Bartley's pharmacy and gifts in Waverly had the faux pine garland that is now above the mantel. The bear lantern came from Fruth Pharmacy in Waverly; both probably came from China but I still like them.

faux pine on mantel helps conceal stereo

Faux pine garland from Bartley's in Waverly, OH

Cabin potty room in service

Bears and pines are the theme in this room

What was the question? Does a bear .... in the woods? Sand textured paint.

Towels and towel ring keep with theme.

The bear lantern from Fruth Pharmacy, Waverly
came with an electric lamp. I replaced it with a candle.

Sweet Spring Rain

Spring canopy engulfs the cabin. A wet Spring brings out all the leaves.



All views are filled with green.

Looking out over the hill reminds me of being in a tree house.

The fireplace side rocker provides plenty of breeze from the corner
windows and lots of reading light. Kuma d.o.g. left her chew bone
behind on the hearth for her next visit.

Seems like this little fella on the porch is wondering how its going to
finish all of this food.

A 5:30 am thief working on the porch feeders.

In the largest bird feeder, this squirrel is really big.

Spending more and more time enjoying the cabin. Dark nights with candles illuminating open windows and a gentle rain falling through the trees or dancing on the roof makes for peaceful sleeping weather. Squirrel population continues to grow and I've become more tolerant of the raccoons that frequent the porch in the middle of the night. Small price to pay to get away from the pace and stress of life's issues.

Procrastination

Driving 'Libby Jeep' back to the cabin today during the dinner hour resulted in a dozen fat bottom squirrels and as many chipmunks having to scatter for cover. After re-filling the feeders, I went inside to air out the cabin and enjoy the evening. I can no longer recall when I first discovered that the window blinds were hung too low and causing an obstruction when opening the windows. After raising 3 of 4 a few weeks past, I finally took the time to reposition the last set today. I have no idea why procrastination is so dominate in my character. The task took less than 15 minutes but I continued putting it off while knowing it had to be done. With all 4 windows fully open, the cabin quickly cooled down to 65 degrees as a gentle breeze flowed through. With the windows open, I could hear deer moving above the fence line, wild birds, owls, and a  breeze blowing through the pines. As I sat in the rocker with my feet on a stool sipping a glass of wine, I realized that completing tasks improves the cabin and satisfies the soul.

The 'super moon' above ManCamp was beautiful this weekend.

So sorry I offended my squirrel, chipmunk, birds and raccoon friends by running out of feed. Today I picked up 50# and re-filled all the feeders. Tomorrow morning should be a feast.

Kuma d.o.g.'s first night at the cabin

My chocolate Labrador, Kuma d.o.g., spent her first night at the cabin and really enjoyed it. After I made a trip through Kroger's for coffee beans, sausage, eggs, ice, beverages and rawhide chewys, we settled in together for a rainy night. Kuma is a nervous dog that gets uncomfortable with change and as a result does a lot of pacing around when in a new environment. Ignoring her stressful routine, I started a warm fire in the hearth, tuned in a favorite radio station and broke out treats. Kuma discovered that stretching out in front of a warm fire on the hearth rug with a chewy bone was just what she needed to relax and settle in for the night. As I stretched out on the sofa, I later awoke to find her snoring peacefully; still in front of the fire with a half-ate rawhide bone at her side.

During the day, it rained off and on and was too chilly to spend much time outdoors so staying inside where the activity outside could be observed from the comfort of the sofa was just fine. I soon realized that everything envisioned when first selecting the cabin site was being fulfilled. Four young deer grazed in the meadow below showing no fear or concern in their surroundings. Turkey wandered around, often walking rapidly through the woods in and out of site. They are timid birds and very untrustworthy; quickly running away at the first sound or sight of danger; whether real or perceived. The squirrel and chipmunk population continues to grow and over a dozen at a time share trips to the feeders or pick at fallen grain. The ground just below the porch appears to move with all the doves, cardinals, chipmunks and squirrels moving about looking for food. I can't imagine a better setting on the farm as it takes full advantage of the wildlife living in the adjacent Scioto Trails forest.

ManCamp Dependents

Temperature 55 and very windy at the cabin this evening. Didn't stop all the animals from coming out begging for hand outs. The squirrel population continues to grow while the wild turkey hen has become a regular.

A common fight for a feeder

Ms Turkey picking over the spilled corn