What could go wrong?  The Husband and I spent 50 minutes sitting in the front seat of my car, in the driveway last Wednesday night.  We were installing an update for my GPS.  Super simple right?  Well yes, until we got to the very last step and had to verify our serial number.  Things just quit on us so we just went with it and assumed everything installed correctly.  All this for my upcoming excursion to Okoboji and a dry run for our road trip this fall to Florida.

I have a client who has turned into dear friend that has been renovating a 100 year old cabin on Spirit Lake.  Spencer, Lake Okoboji, and Spirit Lake seem to be one big happy community and the lines are definitely blurred as to what town you are in.

I started out Friday morning for my 3 1/2 hour drive with a stop at Starbucks for coffee.  Since it was 7:45 the drive-thru was packed and I took this opportunity to input my address into the GPS.  After several attempts it would not take.  Inching my way forward thru the line I bite the bullet and decide it was time to expand my OnStar service.  All watered up for a cup of coffee and a blue berry scone (I haven’t had one in months) I get ready to place my order but the Barista says they are out of Hazelnut.  No problem, I’ll take Vanilla please.  At this point I push the OnStar button and expand my service inching my way thru the line,  I finally get to the front of the line and go to pay for my order and they are out of blueberry scones.  UGGG!  With the nice Onstar person squeaking in my ear telling me the address will not register, and the nice barista squawking in my other ear it was just too much for 7:45 in the morning.  I canceled my order and just kept driving.  Have you ever done that?

I know now I just have to keep moving and get some miles behind me so off I go.  I call my client and to tell her the address is not registering but I have to leave a message!  After about 90 miles I stop at a rest stop and discover happily that she had fat fingers and texted me the wrong street address.  Now with the luxury of Onstar I simply push the button and tell them where I need to go.  I set off again with more enthusiasm and great confidence.  Traveling down I29 my next exit is HWY 75 no problem, the voice in the computer tells me to exit at Hwy 60, but as I approach HWY 9 which is a two lane road I get nothing.  Onstar is dead but I remember the husband telling me I29, to 75, to 60, to 9.  This is my mantra.  I take it and for the next 32 miles I’m confident this will get me to where I need to go until I get to Spirit Lake.  Again I push the Onstar button and ask them to reboot my destination and they do but nothing.  I end up calling my client and have her talk me to her house.  

Really this is a relatively easy drive and not too complicated until you get to the old Methodist Church Camp.  Her 100 year old “Cabin” was originally part of this camp and over the years with subsequent owners and many renovations a house was pieced around the original cabin.  They have done wonderful things improving this property, adding a garage with a loft room and bath above.  Making a beautiful 2 tier deck to watch the sunrise. 

 Renovating the small kitchen to a workable modern space, sprucing up the bathroom and making the Master a lovely place to lay your head.  Now it’s time to tackle the lower level room, bath and laundry and storage rooms.  

We are still in the preliminary stages of planning.  We have some pieces that I call givens.  These are items that the client has that they want to incorporate into the design.  With this project, it is a lot of the furniture.  We were able to reimagine the furniture placement and now we have to breathe new life into the spaces.  We unfortunately are waiting.  Waiting on the very busy lake community contractor, waiting to find out if it’s possible to do the things we want to do to improve the bathroom situation, waiting to be able to get things ordered.  And then of course waiting for the long lead times of life during a pandemic.  

I will leave you with some views from the deck at 6:00AM.  It was such a quiet peaceful morning in this wonderful lake community.

The neighbors Pooch was my companion as I watched the day break.  That is until I started to hear this plop.  Plop, plop, plop, what is that noise?  Acorns had started to fall.  Hundreds of them.  Plunk, plunk, plunk.  I followed the noise to the front yard and found the culprit.  Luckily my car wasn’t under that tree.  But I started to gather acorns and I have enough for a couple of wreaths when I get the chance.

Darling little blue cabin sports a fresh coat of paint.

And the new build!  The cabin was torn down and this monster went up ruining the view for my homeowner.  You can’t tell from the photo but this tiny road has a fairly steep incline and this is a hairpin turn trying to get into this driveway.  Sure wouldn’t want to try that on an icy morning.  It is a lovely home.

I love this community it is like a rabbit warren with a dirt road, really more like a trail to get to the cabins on the water.

Be sure to tune in next time for Antiquing in Okoboji.  It’s a good one.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley