Had a lot going on in the last 24 hours.  Many of you have heard me talk about a book we are going to be in.  Some like Char Schmelzer have even been interviewed for the book about Wisconsin Resorts.  Over the past year the publisher of the book and author Neil Johnson pictured above and his photographer and writer have been stopping in getting pictures and history and story of the resort to write about in the book.  Neil made one of his final stops in for winter pictures and hung out in Birchwood a couple of days shooting around the area

Neil in a smart man, from Minnesota and knew better than to show up in Wisconsin wearing Viking clothing.  He thought this hat would make locals more relaxed around him to tell him their stories of vacationing in Wisconsin

His first book of Minnesota Resorts was a tribute to the tradition of resorting and the history of some great old family resorts in Minnesota.  A great read for anyone looking to explore some unique areas and places to stay.  His book is online at http://www.mnresortsbook.com/ if anyone is interested.  Resorts of Wisconsin will be out this spring with Black’s Cliff as one of the featured resorts of Wisconsin

In other news, the guys have decided it is time to clean out parts of the basement workshop.  Each day doing one shelf.  Today they turned up linoleum from the 30’s or 40’s anyone remember this color in the cabins…  Amazing what is down in that basement.

Steve’s Volkswagon Jetta has been groaning a bit this winter to start in the cold so Steve has borrowed Craig’s Exploder while he is in sunny Arizona.  I believe along with borrowing the Exploder he has also started to channel dad’s personality.  The longer he drives the car the more he eerily resembles someone in Arizona.  He left the driveway with a gleam in his eye and the resort check book….

He returned with carpet sticking out of the back and telling me he got a great deal on this chunk of carpet and to make the deal sweeter ordered an entire roll, enough to keep us carpeting the entire spring.  I hope everyone likes the color because it will be soon showing up in a cabin you stay in real soon.  First on the list is Red Pine’s Basement, Bear Den bedrooms downstairs, Kaubashine and Holiday Bedrooms to name a few that they are eyeing up.

Troy did what he always does when Craig comes back with a car full of something, helps to unload.  They were plotting last I heard where in the world to put the huge roll when it comes….  I started to hear rumblings about Craig’s warm garage for cutting it into moveable chunks.  Troy was just happy this chunk was a manageable weight heading into Red Pine with it

Little did I know they had already ripped up the old carpet before buying the new stuff and gettting my ok, that it was not rented for the next couple of weeks…  February 10th is the deadline for this little project when the Lodi X Country ski team arrives for the High School Championships

I do believe we have passed the point of putting it back the way it was before it got like it is…  hmmm did that make sense

Yep, time to get to work

It has been pointed out to me by someone in Arizona that I have not posted the completed bathroom pictures from Red Pine’s bathroom project before Christmas

The new sink and mirror in the downstairs.  Steve built the mirror frame himself

This bathroom is small and taking pictures in it is a challenge but you will get the picture

New shower

I picked up this bathroom rack made by a local artist at one of the craft fairs last summer.  It fit right in

There are shelves on the other side of the shower that were hard to get into the picture.  Much improved over the avacado green bathroom of the 70’s that was replaced

The upstairs bathroom also got a little TLC with new cupboard and sink, new rack just like the one downstairs also above the toilet.  Much better!