
Ah, the good ol’ days… My second year of teaching in which all that was needed was a walkie talkie, a cup of coffee, lots of pens, and a skip in each step.
What deadline could I possibly have? The summer is rapidly coming to a close, and I am about to re-enter the classroom again this fall for my 16th year of teaching. Each summer I have a to do list that I try to complete before I am inundated with lesson planning, orchestrating projects, grading papers, and after school meetings. My list is nearly complete, but I am waiting on Amazon for parts I need. Here is my list so far of what I can remember…
- Fight obsessing over firewood, all the while collecting just shy of 10 cords of wood
- Fix broken electric log splitter
- Give lifesaving maintenance to chainsaw. Whose life mine or the chainsaw?
- Replace refrigerator with a converted freezer
- New road. “Yeah! no more mud, dust, and mud.”
The relaxation of a vacation… However, it’s the getting to the vacation that brings a whole new level of crazy.
- Recover and and place sailboat back into storage without sailing it this summer. Bummer.
- Take micro mini vacations or go crazy. But, getting ready for a vacation became a new kind of crazy
- Water, set up water system, fight with battery operated timers
- Set up security system
- Fix headlights on car. Okay this was easy ,until I drove off without closing the access doors. So blessed my wife found them on our new driveway.
- Fix the snow plow. My battle with the snow plow has been constant since its purchase. I will win if it kills me and it might. I am still waiting for the parts to fix the plow, so the blade can stay suspended without dropping.
- Be a Dad daily, wow that is an incredible amount of work. Hoping, I am
making a difference. But, it feels like three steps forward and 2 and 3/4 steps backwards.Shooting for the stars… Here I am encouraging our son to become an astronaut. However, he wants to be a barista at Starbucks. We’re still shooting for the Star[s]bucks.
- Have company over to our off grid home. This is always stressful; we always wonder if people will accept our lifestyle
- Chimney sweep and clean the wood cook stove one last time before it needs to be used this fall.
- Reorganize the utility room, pump house and old cabin
- Taking materials to the recycling center to clean up the property.
- Find time to take a nap in the hammock, staring up at the stars with my wife was awesome.
- Build a fire wood holder for our wood cook stove this coming season
- Hook up new cheap bike racks to the roof of the car and realize I have to be smarter than the weak instructions they came with
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The Trap is set while the audience awaits… Our cat Copernicus accompanies our son to watch the yellow jackets take the bait.
Defend family from plague of yellow jackets
- Berry picking
- Replace broken down washing machine with a luxury energy efficient front loader.
- Replace broken cistern pump; it couldn’t take the pressure. Hah.
- Get ready for the next year at school in which I will be teaching Advisory, Economics, Journalism, History of Psychology, and American Government first trimester.
This is just the things I could remember. It has been a great summer. One day I will retire from teaching, so that I can work full-time on the property.
What were some of your to do lists this summer? Please share in the comment section below.
Wow…..My wife has had students in her classroom since August 8. The school’s year ends right after Memorial Day in May.
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We start school after Labor Day and go to about the 3rd week in June. June in North Idaho is wet generally, so the better part of the summer is July and August.
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Your list of things to do is longer than mine. Some days I don’t know how I manage to get everything done by the first snow up here, but I seem to get it done.
I don’t have a plow, but I do have a UTV with tracks that I need to get ready. New bearings on 3 axles and build a cab out of plywood since the soft cab I bought 2 years ago didn’t last. I hope you get everything done.
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Just rewired rear lights tonight for the snow plow. Need to mount new LED light next and done with that for now. Installed gate at end of driveway. Need to install one more post for extra security to keep hunters from straying onto my property. The list never ends. Would like to see a picture of your UTV when its done.
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Sure. Hopefully it’s finished before the snow flys
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