Flying trip up today just to drop off some gear and pick up the green ATV and trailer. Now that plowing season is (hopefully) over, I’m taking both of the ATVs to the dealer to get serviced and checked over. Pulled in at 3:30. Hannah came along for the ride. She hit the ground running as soon as I opened the truck door. I think she likes it up here.

The keep now has a security system.

I unloaded Dad’s snow blower from the back of the pickup and rolled it into the shed. Once the trailer was hooked up, I drove the green ATV onto it and stacked the summer tires for Lyssa’s car behind it. I loaded up Dad’s riding mower, having to shove it aboard since he pulled the battery and left it back at home. I had to air up all four tires, too. Glad to see the air compressor works again; after the main breaker tripped last deer season, it couldn’t seem to pull enough amps to fire up.

I headed over to the keep and dropped off some supplies including a skillet that should help expand our cooking options up here. The trailer and deck weathered the winter well with their new coats of paint and stain.

It used to be that my first trip up here for the year after the snowmelt was a bittersweet experience. With everything laid bare, all the scrap, woodpiles, and messes just seemed that much more overwhelming. This year, though, I’m just excited to be here. The keep looks like a rental cabin, Outhouse 2.0 strikes a clean, slim profile, the eyesore of the woodshed has been burnt to ash, and the yard isn’t lousy with wet layers of last fall’s uncollected leaves.

We have now definitively reached the point where we no longer have to fight to reclaim this place every year. Now it welcomes us. It’s an incredibly satisfying feeling.

With the truck and trailer loaded and secure, Hannah and I headed out around 5:30. Looking forward to getting back up here and starting some projects this year!