It’s barely past mid August, but the chill of Autumn is already in the air. The gentle night breezes are slowly but surely bringing autumn to us, easing us ever so gently into cooler weather.
We are already seeing Halloween candy in the stores. Soon, Christmas decorations shall follow suit. I sometimes wonder why retailers seem to rush the seasons. I don’t think it’s just my imagination that each year the onslaught of bags of Almond Joy and Reeses arrives earlier and earlier. I suppose they wouldn’t do it if people didn’t buy their products.
We should all try to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Here in New England, summer is all too fleeting not to be savored. We spent the weekend exploring some local farms, listening to country music at outdoor concerts, shopping for treasures at tag sales and cooking s’mores over a bonfire. Much better than visiting Walmart to buy some Halloween candy, don’t you agree?
But it hasn’t been all play and no work, and we haven’t been without our share of mishaps. Our local bear in residence made sure of that.
We’ve been working on building the storage area beneath the deck for several days and one of the many reasons we need this space is to store our garbage. We don’t have a garage or a shed, and now that we are at the cabin full time, the garbage is vulnerable to the bears that have made our community their home.
The other night Fisherman and I were watching House of Cards downstairs (don’t even get me started on how much I love it!). It was around midnight, and we heard a suspicious bang. We immediately ran upstairs, turned on the porch light and were immediately confronted by the scene below. We then saw a bear running away in our driveway, but not before he had the opportunity to enter our porch by ripping the screen, waddling over the porch sofa (and I’ve got the dirty paw prints to prove it), opening up the garbage can and taking out the bag. Apparently, he dropped it when he heard us coming because that’s the bag to the left of the table on the floor.
We spent a good part of the day Thursday replacing the screen, which is a lot more time consuming than I ever imagined. We still have one more to do, but now that we are pros it should go faster. π
Here’s what we’ve done so far under the deck. We purchased inexpensive OSB board, which is about 1/3 the price of plywood. We built a basic frame, using the existing posts as support and painted the OSB with some leftover paint from when our house was done a few years ago. This weekend we’ve ordered some vinyl lattice in tan to place over the boards to dress it up a bit and so it won’t look so boxy.
Here’s a picture of the inside. The downside of doing this project is we had to block off a window in the downstairs bedroom. Most of the time that room is only used when we have guests and then they’re really just there when they’re sleeping. There’s another window so it’s not completely dark anyway. When we’re done, we will be gaining approximately 375 sq. ft of storage space, so it’s well worth it. I’ll post about it again when it’s completed.
Beside painting the OSB, I’ve been doing some painting on a couple of projects. My friend gave me this cute tote that I decided to use for some kitchen gadgets that I use frequently. It was a lovely shade of sage green and I would have loved to leave it that way, but it didn’t look quite right in the kitchen so I dry brushed it with some ASCP in Emperor’s Red which had been toned down a bit with some black paint, and I let a little of the green show through.
I’ve also been painting some inexpensive particleboard shelves which I hope to turn into a hall table. It’s turned into a larger project than anticipated because it seems to need several layers of paint, but I’m just working on it when/if I feel like it and not stressing out about the end result. If it works, fine. If not, that’s fine too!
It’s been several years since I’ve done any kind of vegetable gardening, but this year I bought two small tomato plants and they seem to be thriving. I was thrilled when I saw these two ripe tomatoes the other day! The containers are too small so I’m thinking the yield will suffer as a result. I’ll use bigger containers next year.
I moved them yesterday from the side of the house to the deck. They get more sun here and the deck rails work to give the plants some support which they could use.
I didn’t get any treasure at any tag sales this weekend, but I did get some flowers, plants and veggies.
I’ve been eating these blackberries while writing this post. Love them! Tomorrow I’ll be planting the flowers and making some tomato sauce (I posted the recipe two years ago and it’s one of my favorite sauces so be sure to check it out) and summer squash soup and maybe some of this soup which is also one of my favorites. I love soup! Stay tuned for the easy and delish recipes.
In other news…
looks like my name wasn’t spelled Dor_en on my BC after all, but rather Dorien, which I actually do seem to remember seeing that. I spoke with a different representative who is the one that told me that. I won’t get into too many details, but suffice it to say I’ve concluded if you talk to 10 different government workers, you will get 10 different opinions and instructions. I’m still working on getting a new BC, but in the meantime I’ve received a new passport which is a relief!
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Al says
I can’t believe a bear broke through your screen. Actually, I can believe it but it’s crazy. I had my first up close encounter with a bear this summer. We were camping and a baby black bear came out of the woods and tried to join our picnic. Even though we never saw the mama, it was too close for comfort. Hopefully your new storage area serves the purpose and keeps the bears away.
Lavender Dreams says
Bears can do a lot of damage. When we had a big house here in the mountains, we saw bears from time to time. Once they tore our bird feeders up….especially the hummingbird feeder. Going after that sweet sugar water! We had to repair and buy new ones and bring them into the garage every night. Have a good week! You’ve sure got a lot going! Hugs!
kelly says
OMG! I can’t believe you live where there are bears. You must live in the country! Your porch looks so cozy. I’ve heard that bears can sniff out anything. The only time we have to worry about them is when we go camping. LOL! Looks like the room under your deck will be a nice addition.
Linda says
Bears? I don’t think I could be as calm as you. Thanks for stopping by Tumbleweed Contessa. Don’t leave any chocolate or peanut butter out. YIKES!!!! I am ready for cool autumn, but it won’t even get to us until Halloween. And we have the candy in our stores too. Hobby Lovby has Christmas.
Linda
Cecilia says
Oh wow, bears. I think I’d be freaked out.
I agree the stores rush things too much. I’ve all ready seen Christmas things in a couple of stores. Good grief, I’m not even ready for summer to be over…well almost.
Isn’t it fun to have a garden? And good luck with all your projects. I like the tote and the color of it. Very nice!
Have a great week!
Hugs
Cecilia
Poppy says
Hope that was a baby bear and not a big papa bear that broke into your porch! Perhaps he was looking for some porridge?;)) In any event, you are one brave gal – Goldilocks could learn a thing or two from you, my friend! Your painting projects, which are dazzling, as usual, (is that the same red on both the tote and your porch planks?), your deck, (why haven’t I seen this before? It’s gorgeous!!), and your container gardens are maybe just too magnificent to resist, and thus, tired and hungry passersby make a, ahem, pit stop!;) Can you blame them?
Have a wonderful week,
xoxo
Poppy
Doreen@househoneys says
You are too funny Poppy! I think the bear is a teenager. We are having a ‘name the bear’ contest this month. π
The red paint is different that’s on the porch. That’s just basic deck paint. The other paint is ASCP on the tote and a combination of regular paint and MMSMP for the shelving.
The back deck is included in my ‘house tour’, which I think you’ve seen, but it’s been a while. In fact, I need to update some pics come to think of it.
xxx
Alycia Nichols says
I am just flabbergasted! I would be SO freaked out! A bear??!?!?! A real live bear??!?!?! Oh, my goodness!!! That’s scary! At least it ran away when it heard your approach instead of confronting you in your own house! I’m sure you guys can’t get that storage space built fast enough now!!!!!! Geez Louise…that was pretty bold of that bear!
I like the idea of what you’re doing with that space under your deck. We have a deck that sits too high to just disregard what’s going on under there and too low to install a patio space. We need additional storage for boy toys like lawnmowers and such (which I have NO idea why we still have since we’ve had a lawn service for years now!) and patio furniture during the winter months. We don’t require anything too fancy…just functional and attractive on the outside so our Homeowners Association doesn’t have a coronary. (They have incredibly stringent rules!) Having something like this would free up valuable square footage in the garage and help keep our patio furniture both more handy and better protected. It would also eliminate the problem of wasps building their stupid nests under there if the space was closed off. With a light fixture in there, it really would be like a 2nd attached garage space. Hmmmmm….thinking hard now. Need to share this link with my husband. We don’t have bears (at least I HOPE we don’t have them around here!), but it’s still a good solution for other stuff! Hmmmmm….by brain is working so fast now that I just might fall out of my chair if I’m not careful! π
Doreen@househoneys says
Lol Alycia! Bears really don’t want to confront humans. At least black bears don’t. Actually, they’re probably more scared of us! They haven’t figured out they’re way bigger ;). They usually just attack if they’re cornered or they’re with their young. This bear (at least I think it’s the same one) has been making himself quite comfortable in the community. Almost everyone has either seen him or he’s been in their garbage at one time or another. A few weeks ago our friends had us over and they served T-bone steak. They inadvertently left their garage door open the next day and when they got back the bear had helped himself to a few steak bones! I’d say that’s one well fed bear!
You should definitely consider enclosing the area under your deck. When all is said and done, the entire project will probably cost less than a thousand. If we had built a garage, it would have been at least $20,000. And as you say, the space isn’t really functional for much else so why not?! Basic skills are all that’s needed. If you have any questions, email me.
xxx
Alycia Nichols says
Ha! I’m sure it would cost us more than $1000 because there’s no way we would be able to build it ourselves!!! Ramon THINKS he can do that kind of stuff, but he really can’t! π This would be another case of “Call ‘The Guy'” around here! π
Vicky Hunt says
A bear! Such pesky creatures…but so cute! Love the storage room you’re adding…that’s a lot of extra space! The caddy turned out great and I look forward to seeing the other project you’re working on. Oh…and those blackberries look so tasty! I love them. Have a lovely week!
Blessings, Vicky
kimberly says
I can sympathize with your bear problems-been there too!
I do think you’ll appreciate all that extra storage room, you’ll have it filled in no time.
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
I would have been so scared by the bear! But I guess you are used to having them around.
Amy @ StowandTellU says
I have to laugh because our biggest culprits are possums and skunks. I don’t think there’s a bear in sight around here for a good thousand miles. You must live in such a beautiful place. The only time I remember being afraid of bears was on our camping trip to West Virginia, and that was a beautiful place, too!!!! It looks like you two are doing a fabulous job on the under the porch storage. Your painting projects are too cute. And I’m going to check out your spaghetti sauce recipe, but hey, do you guys call it sauce or gravy? In thesese parts, the Italian folk call it gravy, so I was just curious. Some even say “yous” instead of ” you guys”. Of course no one round here says y’all, but in my opinion, it sounds the classiest. Thanks for letting me ramble, Doreen. LOL. Hope you are having a great week!!
Doreen@househoneys says
My grandmother called it gravy, but that’s kinda old school. Gravy is what goes on biscuits, not pasta ;).
I made some more tomato sauce yesterday. Slightly different than the recipe posted, but as far as I’m concerned, when you start out with fresh tomatoes it’s all good!
Someone said the other day ‘you know you’re from the north if you address a roomful of women as ‘you guys’. Yup,, that would be moi.
Shirley@Housepitality Designs says
How nice to have that great storage space…and hope the bear does not get to your tomatoes…how scary is that knowing that the bear ripped the screen to get to the garbage!…Hope you do not have any more problems with that bear!
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
S’mores on a campfire sounds much better than Walmart, yes, lol! π
You have alot going on right now…love the view from your deck. Not so much the view of what the bear did! Sheesh!
Sue says
What a Wonderful Life, might be the name of this. Love the break-in bear story, even if it was me I would be a scaredy-cat about it. Now look what you have done…I want to eat smores!
Julie says
Hi Doreen, OMG I would have been so scared if I saw the bear. Please be careful! I love tomato plants in the summer and I love all your fresh veggies and blackberries. Do have a wonderful weekend.
Julie
andi says
What? Bears?? Holy poo!!! My sister sees moose all the time (she’s in Alaska). The bear would totally freak me out though. Oh, and I love House of Cards too. =D
-andi
Doreen says
I’ve seen a couple of moose’s too! How cool that your sister lives in Alaska Andi!
(If you haven’t seen it, you should also watch Breaking Bad. I have a feeling you would love it!)
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Hi Dorien! Just kidding! Ha,ha! Oh my God, I can’t believe there was a bear in your house, Doreen! You are a brave woman! I love the little tomato plants. The storage area beneath the deck looks spacious. That was a great idea. π