Sugarhouse preservation project

Work on the sugarhouse is well underway! At Ohana we use our sugarhouse as our woodshop. (and in turn, get our maple from our neighbors, but that is a different story). The sugarhouse was in need of some care and repair. And really, what could be more appropriate for Vermont than a sugarhouse being used as a woodshop?

Here is what we are working on- The back shed was removed from the outside and a new roof was installed. As Austin is showing above, drainage is also being worked on at the back of the building to help keep things in good order. The floor has been pulled up and leveled and new hickory boards are ready to go down. The inside is also getting a makeover with new benches and shelves and even a little straightening of the walls. You will hardly recognize the place!

 

Our head carpenter on the project is Bill Shepard. He has been working with Austin and Andy to get the job done. For the last few years Bill has been part of the Ohana staff teaching woodworking with hand tools, and leading lots of projects- the most popular of which is spoon carving!

Bill is also our resident birder so it makes sense that a mama phoebe has taken residence in the rafters of the sugarhouse. Her nest has been built and her eggs have been laid. We have been calling her Mrs. Phoebe. She is not too happy about the work being done and has kept a watchful eye on us.

Thank you for all the ingenuity to get the work done. I am looking forward to seeing the finished job… and getting started carving my first spoon while listening to the birds nestled all around us. What a great place to be!

Welcome to Ohana! Work weekend coming soon.

I am using this blog post to introduce myself... I am Vanessa, the new Ohana director. I started in January when the snow was (not so) deep but the ice was rampant. And now, with the warm weather and muddy roads… camp fever is raging through my blood.

Ohana family camp is opening soon! Weddings will start in May when all the blooms are out. I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting the “whole” Ohana family. I can’t wait to get in the lake for some swimming and kayaking!

As I have gotten started, I am thankful to have Deb and Andy settling me in and showing me the ropes. They are masters to learn from as many of you already know. The amount of knowledge and details that reside in their brains makes me wonder how they have managed to remember each other’s name all this time.

In other happenings… I am in the thick of hiring new and returning staff from near and far. (I will introduce some of them in future blogs.) Win and the B&G crew have done incredible work on two staff cabins- Maples and Gardenside- both now have new roofs and solid floors.

And of course we have been creating the project list for work weekend. It is through this work weekend that we dust off the Vermont winter and get camp ready for the season. We are thankful to have committed volunteers that give their time and laughs for this yearly effort. We know some folks are ready (like the illustrious "dock crew" I have heard about, ready to jump in the water at any temperature) but we can always use an extra hand or two or three... Work weekend is May 11-13, let us know if you want to join.