We opened the cabin for the season during the second half of Sarah's spring vacation. It felt more like winter, though...just like last year. By the time we reached the islands, it was in the 30s and snowing steadily.
We had lots to unpack and wore our winter clothes indoors while the propane heating stove struggled to warm the place up. (Full disclosure: I wore my snow pants the whole trip.)
Don carefully went through the steps of turning the water on for the season, with no luck. He called the town, and "Kevin" came right over to help. He quickly diagnosed the problem as "main ball valve not open." Don had forgotten to turn it back on after doing the complicated part, much to his embarrassment.
After pinching every penny and monitoring each megabit of data last summer, we decided to get internet installed this year. Although the sales rep recommended 25 Mbps, I had done my research and asked if there was a package with slower speeds.
Turned out, 7, 10, and 15 were options. Since we could always increase it, I went with 7. I had the company send the modem to our home address and chose self-installation. Don was skeptical, but I assured him that if anyone could do it, I could.
When we got to the cabin, we discovered there was no phone jack. So much for self-installation. We vaguely remembered removing one last year, thinking we had no use for it...but now we did. I called the communications company and requested a service call for the next morning.
The place was a cozy 60 degrees by dinner. After a game of three-handed cribbage, we were in bed by 8:30, with lots of blankets and sleeping bags.
Thursday morning, it was 28 degrees with 20 MPH winds, which created a wind chill in the low teens. Don got a text from Pattie after breakfast saying that his sister Dawn had died during the night. It was not unexpected, but still a shock. In the last year, his parents, his sister, and an uncle have passed. So much loss.
After the three of us moved the worn couch and chair to the shed, Sarah and I assembled the new futon...such a putzy job! Don unloaded the new lawnmower, tested it out, and put it in the shed.
The computer guy arrived mid-morning and went to work installing a phone jack, talking the whole time. He was originally from Worcester, Mass., and had the accent to prove it.
He insisted we wouldn't be happy with the service. He'd gesture to Sarah and say, "You two might be satisfied, but she won't. Anyone who wants decent speeds goes with Comcast." Way to represent!
Once the jack was finished, he plugged in the modem and got nothing. He went out and worked on the pole by the road for a while, came back in and talked for a while, went down the road to another pole, came back, then gave up for the day. Don was even more skeptical.
Cribbage after dinner and in bed at 8:30 once more. Cabin life is good.
Friday morning, it was 38 and windy. "Larry the Cable Guy" returned and, with help from a foul-mouthed friend on speaker phone from a pole down the road, got the internet up and running. He emphasized once more that we wouldn't be happy and was on his way.
We all hopped on our devices, expecting the worst, and were amazed by how well they worked. They seemed faster than at home! Don was skeptical no more.
We cleaned up the yard--man, can those trees drop sticks!--the beach, and the inside of the house over the course of the day. After dinner, we drove to the state park on the point, played cribbage, and headed to bed.
Saturday was clear, calm, and a balmy 43--but it was time to head home. Half an hour down the road, Don realized he'd forgotten to put the cap on the valve to the main water line. He made a note to call Kevin when we got home. :)
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