It was a cold night, with the cabin temperature dipping into the low 40s, making it hard to leave the warmth of bed. But it was departure day, so we had to pull ourselves up and get moving. We decided I would run the trash to the dump while Trudy stayed behind to keep packing and getting the cabin ready.
The dump run went smoothly, though the truck looked every bit the part of a traveling landfill—roofing piled on top, along with five bulging 55-gallon bags. By the time I returned, a little after 10 a.m., we shifted into high gear. I disconnected the solar panels, pulled in the wiring, unhooked the batteries and Wi-Fi, and gathered up all my tools and battery packs. I also set up two new cellular trail cameras—one at the cabin and one at the driveway entrance—so I can keep an eye on things over the winter.
It took five trips with the Gorilla Cart to move everything across the marsh to the truck. The worst part was hauling the whole-house batteries—the main one weighing over 130 pounds and the expansion unit over 80. Brutal work, but at least it was easier after all the work I had done opening up a trail through the marsh.
We finally pulled out just after 2 p.m. On the way south we stopped for a quick break in Freeport, home of L.L. Bean. The town was charming, and we immediately began making plans to return for a proper visit.
The drive also gave me time to reflect on how much we had accomplished in a single week. Going up, I assumed we wouldn’t get much done—maybe just enjoy the camp and explore the area. But we completely transformed the cabin into a livable space. The kitchen is now organized. The broken gas stove and refrigerator are gone. The wood stove, once in the middle of everything, has been moved aside to open up the room. The old roofing taken off before putting on the metal roof, piled by the cabin is cleared out. Even the old drawers and chest, once full of the former owner’s clothes and random odds and ends, were emptied—thanks to all the effort Trudy put in. The cabin now truly feels like our own.
We arrived at Jen and Austin’s after 7 p.m. No one was home—Austin was on a golf trip in Maryland, and Jen and the girls were at an Irish dance show—but that gave us a chance to take hot showers. After a week of roughing it, nothing compares to the simple luxury of warm water. Clean and tired, we turned in early, grateful for everything the week had given us.