Opening 2014

And by “opening” I mean opening up the cottage from it’s long winter’s sleep and getting it ready for the summer season. It’s tradition to open on the May long weekend and this is the first year since we’ve been on The Lake of the Woods, over 30 years, that there has been ice on the bay on the May long weekend..

Saturday is a nice sunny and still day, still only about 14°C but feeling much warmer in the sun. There are no bugs which makes the outside chores of getting the water system up and running more pleasant. The water system really is the key system at the lake, closely followed by the septic system for dealing with the used water and other ahem “stuff”. Some years, the water system is simple and easy to get going. Just reconnect the pipes, prime the line and Shazam, you’re good to go. Other years can be more challenging. Anything from a broken pump, breaks in the line, leaks inside the cottage walls, all lots of fun.

This year was not a Shazam year. Step one, get the pump running and water up to the cottage. The intake line goes in easily, the pump is primed and it catches on the 1st try. As the pressure builds there is that tell tale hiss and a spray of water from one of the pipes. Here is the culprit that needs to get replace.

Up at the cottage there are 5 spots where over the years the copper pipes have broken due to freezing and we’ve patched in some ABS plastic that gets disconnected every fall to drain the lines for the winter. I’ve thought about putting in permanent drain valves in the line for years, well this is the year. I’ve got some PEX pipe and connectors and to keep the costs down a bit I’ve gone with solder on connectors to tradition from copper to PEX. 10 solder joints in all. I’m not a fan of solder joints. I don’t mind doing them, it’s just the frustration of the seemingly inevitable leaks and the hassle of draining the lines re-soldering.

Well, long story short 2 of the 10 joints leak, and inconveniently one of them is in the downstairs bathroom. PEX is easy to work with but there doesn’t seem to be a way to disassemble and try again. Once this steel rings are crimped on, it seems like there is no turning back. I’m sure there is a fancy tool for doing that, but I don’t have one. Actually, I just Googled for how to do it and while there is a specialized tool, there are also a couple of other ways to do it. Anyway, I took the easy way out and cut the PEX pipe and cut the copper beyond the solder joint and used a Sharkbite connector to avoid the re-solder hassle. Now all 5 drain valves are in place and look like this one.

So, after two trips into Kenora for parts, the water system is up and running. The usual messing around with the tap in the downstairs bathroom to clear the sediment out of the faucet and we’re good to go. So, it’s been most of the day getting the water on with quite a number of trips up and down to the dock but today’s activities are not over yet. I still need to do Stage 7 on the 8 Days in California Trainerroad indoor cycling challenge. I can’t believe I’m on the trainer at the lake but I’ve already logged 6 stages and just 2 more to go. My reward is a hot shower when it’s done.

Sunday is a leisurely start to the day with a couple of cups of coffee before tackling today’s list which is to get the septic system fired up, and the boat in the water. The septic system goes together easily and the field is accepting the discharge which is a good thing after last years mini disaster. The boat is routine as well and we take a short trip out onto the bay to check out the ice.

In between all the major activities there are a myriad of smaller details that just get taken care of in passing. Putting hoses back in place, resetting clocks & timers, checking and replacing the O ring on the foot valve, raking leaves, making notes of things to improve, repair, replace. Oh yeah, speaking of replacing, did I mention that the knobs on the BBQ caught fire and melted off? There is a 1st time for everything and I’m not sure what happened, but I think a new BBQ is in the works.

Also, the battery charger for the winch battery decides to quite! Oh well, no problem, we have another charger. But wait, it too has mysteriously died. Another thing to add to the list.

By the end of day Sunday most things are looking good. Still some tidy-up stuff to do but we’re really taking it easy today. Didn’t get out of bed until 9, thinking about breakfast at 11 and I guess it will be the afternoon before we get around to finishing things off.

All in all a great opening weekend adventure. Talked with the neighbours on the road for a bit and caught up on some of the local news. No signs of the eagles in the nest at the end of our road but I’m sure they will be around soon. The loons we quite vocal on Friday night, a nice welcome back sound. The lake is a great place to be. Looking forward to a wonderful summer.