It was a very, VERY long drive from Texas to Maine, but we made the drive (rather than flying) because we needed to haul a large load of STUFF to "set up house" on Serenity, and because we wanted to bring our little dog, Reagan with us for the month of adventure. We had the Jeep so completely stuffed with furniture and other odds and ends that we were taking to the island, and we left a snuggy space just big enough for Reagan to stretch out in. He was a real trooper for the long trip.
We spent the night in Lexington Kentucky, then Hagerstown, Maryland, and then Bar Harbor Maine before finally crossing over (at low tide) to Serenity Island on Monday night, June 4. We made the crossing several times to get our personal stuff into the cabin, but that became more treacherous as it got darker, and finally the inevitable happened. Roger slipped on a rock and fell, face first, and as I hurried to help him, my boot got stuck in the mud and I did what I'm sure was an amusing little arm-waving dance before landing on my booty in the mud. Reagan, of course, never lost his grace. We were both uninjured, besides our pride, but we learned not to make that crossing in the dark.
We knew the cabin had a queen sized bed, and we knew that the bed had a bedspread and pillows, but we were pleased to find that it also had clean, soft sheets, and all we had to apply that first night were pajamas. The cabin was dark, and cold, and we did our best to find our way around with flashlights and phone lights until we could just crash and sleep until my Tuesday morning alarm clock said it was time to get up and go to work.
So, working my full time job from an off-the-grid island was, we knew, going to be tricky...but we majorly prepared for that by purchasing a portable generator that could be charged in the car, or by a wall-socket (when we DID want to turn on the generator), or with a solar panel. We also bought a gadget that promised to charge a cell phone 6 times before needing recharging itself. So far, that has held true. This first week here, I have not once been without computer power or internet...and let me tell you, the Verizon signal here is WAY better than in Jacksonville Texas! I've not yet had less than four bars on my phone.
That first day, while I worked, Roger made a few low-tide trips to get stuff from the car, but we decided to hire some grunt labor help for the big stuff. That was an excellent decision! That first day, though, Roger brought over the furniture cushion covers I had made at home so that I could at least START playing house.
Remember I said the house had a personality disorder? All over, it was decorated with signs about "going to the beach" and "beach house rules" and "life at the beach" with a picture of flip flops...it was all basic TJ MAXX fare, and I wasn't going for it. This is NOT a "beach bungalow" (as one sign said). This is a forest cabin, and needed to reflect that in it's decor. So right off, I "updated" the sofa and chairs:
The one thing really "missing" from this cabin is a fireplace. While there is a wood stove that has kept us nice and toasty on chilly mornings, there isn't a proper fireplace, and a cabin just needs one, don't you think? We found a fellow in Waxahachie, TX (we found him on Facebook Marketplace! ) who builds faux fireplaces, and we had him build one that was narrow enough to fit between the windows here in the cabin. What he built is beautiful, and while it was indeed difficult to get it from Texas to Maine, and across to the island, it is perfect in it's spot. On top, there are two solar trees which are pretty enough in the daytime, but when they light up at night...lovely. Through the Lakeside Collection catalog, I bought this little set of logs that have holders for 12 tealight candles. It's the perfect cozy addition.
And finally...curtains! :)
As I said, I had to work during business hours all week, plus there was so much "setting up" to do in the house...but tonight after work, I went out with Reagan and walked the perimeter of the island--something I haven't done since we were here in April. It was sunny and warm, and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration.
There's actually a lovely section of actual sandy beach, which I will devote some time this weekend to cleaning up. Once I've raked away the seaweed, this will be a lovely place to set up a beach chair and work on writing my novel...did I tell you I'm writing a novel? That will be my adventure within an adventure this summer...I've already finished two chapters!
