Today was the much-anticipated rain day—the real test for the new roof on one side of the cabin. This morning, I tightened up the ridge cap to close it off a bit more and make sure we were as ready as possible. We had a brief sprinkle early on, just enough to hear the rain start to patter on the new metal roof, but not nearly enough to put it to the test. Part of me was hoping the storm would skip right by, but the forecast suggested otherwise.
Since it was Thursday, I had my weekly “attitude of gratitude” call with Aunt Millie and Trudy—always one of the highlights of my week. After yesterday’s marathon workday, I decided to take a break and make a day trip to Lowe’s in Bangor. My excuse? A $5 credit that was going to expire on the 18th. Naturally, it made perfect sense to drive an hour and 38 minutes to make sure it didn’t go to waste.
While in Bangor, I got a severe thunderstorm warning. Checking the radar on the weather app, I could see that the worst part of the storm—purple on the map, beyond the greens, yellows, and reds—was passing right over the area. That was a little concerning to think about while I was nearly two hours away.
On the way back, I decided to take my time rather than rush into any bad news. I stopped in Lincoln to check out two restaurants I’d noticed before. The first, Gilmore’s Beef & Brew (or maybe Beef & Beer—something along those lines), billed itself as serving “pizza to prime rib.” It was a restaurant with a small eight-seat bar. I had a beer there but decided to keep moving. The second, Forrester’s Pub, was more of a traditional pub—big wraparound bar with tables around the perimeter.
Since Trudy has been reminding me that my camp diet hasn’t exactly been “heart-healthy,” I ordered a chopped Italian salad with grilled chicken for dinner. It was fresh, tasty, and exactly what I needed.
By the time I got back to my neighbor’s property, it was dusk, which seems to be my standard arrival time these days. That’s when I discovered that my rowboat had transformed into a bathtub—the storm had added several inches of water to the bottom of the boat. I took off my shoes and socks, rolled up my pants, and loaded my Lowe’s purchases. Freeing the boat from shore took several minutes because the weight of the water had grounded it.
Crossing the perfectly calm lake was anything but relaxing—water in the boat sloshed from side to side, making it unstable. Every shift required careful counterbalance to keep from tipping, but I made it across without incident. I didn’t have anything to bail it out with, so the water stayed put for now.
The good news: the cabin passed the storm test—no leaks at all. I still have to tackle the second half of the roof, but I’ll wait until after Sunday’s predicted rain. After that, the forecast calls for a five-day dry stretch, which should be perfect for finishing. In the meantime, there are plenty of other projects to work on.