Believe it or not, spring is the busiest season of the year for us! As soon as the ice melts on Attean Pond, we are racing to get everything ready before our first guests arrive. This year, ice out was April 23rd and our first guests arrive May 26th, which means we have 33 days to get the lodge up and running!
In 33 days, we will clean 14 cabins, the lodge, dining room, and kitchen, all from floor to ceiling, clearing out the cobwebs and letting in the warmth. We’ll rake up the leaves and collect sticks around the property, get water flowing and patch up any leaks, prepare the kitchen gardens along with the many flower beds on the property, haul diesel, gasoline, and propane tanks to the island, split and stack firewood, and the list goes on.
Along with the usual tasks, we also add a few projects to enhance the property each year. Last year we built a small cabin, remodeled the kitchen, and made wider, more accessible walking paths. Let’s just say that was a little chaotic, so this year we’re thinking a little smaller. What do you think we’re working on? You’ll just have to see when you join us this summer!
Barrett had gone out to the island multiple times before the rest of us made it. On April 26th, three days after ice out, Barrett, Gabe, Alby, Lennon, and I all made the trip—it was such a beautiful day! We were surprised to see how much the water had gone down after a couple days, leaving the boat beached on shore. With the help of the four wheeler, we were quickly back in the water.
Every year, I take a photo of the first time boating up the lake. It is crazy to see how our family seems to keep growing—with one new addition since last year! While the boys ran around finding toys they forgot we had, Lennon and I played in the grass, loving every moment and basking in the familiar scent of spring, damp and fresh like newly stirred soil.
After a day of work and play, but mostly play, we rode across a glass-still lake back to the landing. To avoid getting beached again, we parked the boat at the bridge, which meant we were walking in our big clunky rubber boots back to the gate where the car was parked. Yes, my feet were covered in blisters after that, but we enjoyed every bit of the sunset walk down Attean Road. We were greeted by fresh moose tracks that we followed home, making up stories of what he might have been thinking at the time. Spring is a great time to see moose and much more wildlife on and around the lake. Who knows—maybe he'll still be around when you come visit us!
