Last Days of Summer

The guys are outside right now in the damp, chilly fall air dressed in sweatshirts and stocking caps. A few days ago we were all in short sleeves enjoying the last few days of warm weather. Here are a few pictures showing what we have been up to.

Ric measuring barnboard for the East side of the Corn Crib:

Joe and Ryan M. on the scaffolding putting the barnboard siding up:

Ryan A., Aaron and Mel getting the upper inside floors started in the Corn Crib:

And here is the floor fully installed:

This is part of the old grain elevator and chute in the Corn Crib, nearly the last piece remaining. This is also probably one of the last shots I'll be able to get of the sunlight coming through the nailer boards before the roof is finished:

Jaime is here visiting us from Puerto Rico and we love having him. He is very skilled at making and remaking all kinds of things and is full of wise ideas besides. Here he is repairing some of our many broken tools:

Corn Crib

The Corn Crib has become one of my favorite buildings at the park, perhaps because we have invested so much time there, but also simply because she is a lovely old building with good bones. We have been giving her a facelift. The roof is now more than half done, the siding is going up, and the upper inside floors are going in beautifully.

To prevent the new floors from getting wet while the roof is being finished we stapled down plastic sheeting, but the wind was so fierce today that the sheeting didn't all stay put. The Corn Crib looked like a bride caught in the process of getting dressed on a windy wedding day - something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. She is beautiful, isn't she?

Picnic Pavilion

We have been working hard on the Picnic Pavilion. Here it is Before:
and After:

The pavilion offers working electricity, one sheltered corner as shown above, lots of room to seat people, and a great view of the pond. It is located directly adjacent to the bathhouse, just across the road from the camp store. Down the hill from the pavilion is the swimming beach where a large fire ring is available.

Park Model

There has been a lot of interest lately in renting the little cabin that we call the Park Model so I thought I might present some information about it here. The Park Model is situated in the circle overlooking the pond just a few steps from the camp store, the picnic pavilion, and the bathhouse. It has a cute front porch, working electricity and lights, a microwave, sink and toilet. It has two bunks on the bottom and a loft bed up top.

There is a fire ring nearby and plenty of room available to set up tents for additional sleeping space if you would like.

Note: The stove shown in the picture below does not work. The water heater in the Park Model also does not work but unlimited hot water is available in the bathhouse.

The cost to rent the Park Model is $50 per night. Reservations may be made by emailing me at maudee77@hotmail.com or calling 217-369-6519.

Garden Update

This is a potted mum masquerading as a sea anemone. It has become so covered in flowers that we are convinced it is going to die from lack of sunlight reaching the leaves.

Here are 3 Vernal Witchhazels (Hamamelis Vernalis) planted North of the 3Bay Barn. They are Illinois native plants that often grow on gravelly river banks. Our Stonehouse soil is very sandy and full of rocks and much of the site is in or near a floodplain, so I hope the Witchhazels will do well here. And this is my favorite. Here is a picture taken in 2008 of the Corn Crib.
And here is a picture taken yesterday from the roof of the Corn Crib looking down on the area in the first picture where the fence and brush was. When we cleared that brush and pulled the fence out we discovered the road you see here - very nice concrete buried under about 6 inches of dirt. Last week we found this really great concrete octagon that covers a space warping device that transports you to other planets...er....actually it's just the base for a grain bin that is no longer there, but it really looks like there might be a Stargate under there, doesn't it? I am going to finish clearing it out and turn it into a garden.

Corn Crib Roof

I am now the one and only female residing at the Stonehouse Park. It turns out that even our kitten, whom we thought was a girl, is in fact a boy. Let me tell you, it is rough out here.

Here's the East-facing side of the corn crib with the old (1930's) shake shingles still on.The rest of these photos were taken in and around the corn crib today as it was being reroofed.