From the mill while lying in cosy bed (very comfortable futon which keeps this room a LR, not a BR!
JiK: What a project! Rather awesome, imo.
SRS: You could google 2986 route 138, Godmanchester, Quebec. It usually does not place the red arrow in quite the correct space but the "highway" is there and gives you an idea of the area. Fairly flat down here near NYS with the foot hills of the Adirondacks starting along the border. Hence, a ghastly row of wind turbines with flashing red lights along the ridge in NYS which are highly offensive to those in Quebec who view them across the fields - corn and soya - and lovely woods left where the soil was too rocky or the terrain too rough for planting crops or apple orchards and vineyards. The latter are across the bottom of the ridge.

The cabin was rented and the son of the owner wanted to live there.We miss it! It has been a very rough period of adjustment from that lovely spot in the woods. It was also on the edge of the "pavement barrens", a unique ecosystem occurring 22 places in the world. We googled that and were fascinated by it and loved being close to it. Our group that formed to fight the turbines on "our road" informed the municipal council about this, unknown to them, special place and also the larger council (akin to the county level). This was a part of what convinced the "MRC" to request bigger set backs from the province to protect our natural environment. YAY!! Now there is no place in our MRC for any commercial turbines! We only have to see the ones in NYS. Not hear them.

We had also become a part of a small community and moving has put us into a different small community. We miss the previous one even as we become part of the new one. The cafe in Ormstown is in the middle and, still a centre for us it has given us a base of friends down here.

We did not have the resources to purchase any of the places we liked 2 years ago (all sold) so, having bought the "old saw mill" as a business venture, R moved us in here - 20,000 sf building on 4 A of land so permeated with fist sized river stone that I cannot even dig a hole to plant a flower! The rock was trucked in to form a firm base for the heavy trucks that brought logs. I need to develop raised beds. Instead of looking out at trees, the view is of the road, the three neighbouring homes, and surrounding corn fields and, in the distance, the wind turbines but far enough that I can ignore them. Hence, I focus on the sky and how amazing it is as it changes - solidly soft blue grey today at the moment.

This property is zoned agricultural and cannot have a "home" on it. This also restricts the sort of activities - wood and metal transformation are OK because that was here before and the tree nursery a friend is developing in the field. We also have ten beehives coming in the spring via a company looking for placements. My pottery studio did not cause any problem - WHEW! A window manufacturer is supposed to be moving in - last year! - and R is putting in a wood working shop and a fine wood working shop - with appropriate venting and dust collection!

R believes the municipality would like to change the zoning to commercial - higher taxes! He is working to keep the lower taxes!

Being old - but not old enough to be interesting, and vacant for several years, the building is full of mold and sawdust and dust and stinks of old oil spills... But less and less. Hence, the reason I have been sick ever since they sprayed the fields in late May, painted some of the interior of the building with alkyd paint in June and we started sleeping here 1 July. Now, with the living space fully separated by walls and with an air cleaner hard at work, I was almost done coughing. Then, my unutterably stupid failure to wear a respirator when we worked on organizing the stuff out side the living space.

Well, that is done, not without words being shouted, and the living space has been approved as "a lounge and snack area for staff" and R can move on to his next (business) crisis. And I, having learned a great deal over the last months am healing quickly but the cough, I suspect, will linger for a few weeks yet, even if I am careful.

What we have is a sun room in the space which, last May, was full of an old furnace - what a transformation - two walls of recycled patio doors. A K with beautiful recycled cabinets ($650), the very nice stove (I love it!) which came with the free K R removed for someone and a frig. We also have a small freezer in the storage area - which has not had to work very hard in this cold weather! No running water yet but that is permissible and will come when R has time. The LR (lounge) has a big picture window facing south east, hence the sun rise, bureaus for our clothes, the very nice futon, a couple chairs and two large plants. Not beautiful with the concrete floor and not painted yet.

Oh, the feature which may have caused our problem: The inner wall of the LR, separating it from the storage area is comprised of six french doors cut short into windows. This was done to allow light into the back area, the workshop-to-be. It is a striking feature and if the guy from the ministry looked in the front window and saw that, undoubtedly!, we realized THAT was the cause!   We will be putting semi-opaque drapes to reduce the view but still permit light. Eventually, there will also be windows in the north wall of that space. When the weather is warm.

The fact of not being able to put a BR here (I was delighted!) has made R more amenable to the idea of purchasing, things having improved somewhat in the finances. We are looking forward to looking at this property on the weekend, only 15 minutes away, which is a "cabin in the woods" in bad shape but people are living in it so - livable. On a high spot with surrounding woods - and a great view of the Adirondacks/wind turbines off to the SE - across a zillion acres of corn fields, then the orchard area, then the beginning of the ridge up to the border. The price is right (and R is not a Scot for nothing!) and the woods are lovely and 3 A is adequate. I am looking forward to seeing it.   

Yesterday: took a few books (donation) to the library, the latest lot of stuff to the thrift shop where I purchased terrific shirts for R and 4 tuques for $1 just in case and a heating pad that does not stink. I will donate the smelly one back; six months is long enough, purchased a thermometer to put on an outside window so I don't have to turn on the computer to find the outdoor temp! and a few other items for use in pottery.

Then picked up back issues of local paper from friend to whose address they are sent since we left the cabin as no mail box at mill. Visited for a couple hours. She keeps telling me I should wrie a book (I just did!?) Then I told her a couple chapters of my life. "What chapter is that," I asked.

Then I picked up meat at the organic butcher and stopped at the municipal office for this year's trash and recycling schedule. While there the building inspector came out of her office and said she wanted to send R a letter of confirmation; what address... I told her she needed to send it to the city as we have not been permitted a post box at the mill. The "boss" came out and excused herself for over-hearing but vehemently told me we are entitled to a mail box and R can go bcak to the post office and talk to them again and if they give him trouble, they should call HER! She is here to take care of the people of Godmanchester!! And that is what a small community can be like at its best.

THEN, I completed my list at the IGA and came back to the mill feeling it had been a day well spent. Emailed R with new info. And spent until about 2 am on the computer, mostly on FB invited people to "like" the International Wildlife Rehabilitation page. Wore out my wrist inviting folks to the "Second Annual Pay it Forward weekend". Wrote a piece on that page clarifying the meaning of this. It is important to me. Unfortunately, something caused my computer to freeze and I spent the next couple hours, alternately reading while the rainbow twirled and then making small movements until, I managed to open a new FB page and ascertain my post had, indeed made it. Then I went to bed and slept rather more than I coughed, waking at the usual 7ish. And here I have been ever since. Now that I am almost awake - have been drinking Pau d'Arco tea - it is time for green tea and toast accompanied by the next book in the pile.

The sum has come out!!!!