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HOAs (Harassing Overbearing Authority)

August 14, 2018 by Sherry

We all know HOA stands for Home Owners Associations, but to many they are just a Harassing Overbearing Authority. We’ve all heard horror stories of selective management, rude violation letters, etc.

I have been a member of no less than five different homeowner associations over the years. All had an outside management company with a homeowner based board of directors, except the one I am now in.

When I moved into my home in 2013, I got a rude awakening as to the function, or should I say malfunction, of a self-managed HOA. The board had been in place for over ten years and its members were all from the same click. Board meetings were not publicized, minutes were hastily taken if at all, checks were written by the treasurer to the treasurer, communication with homeowners was lax or nonexistent, governing documents were out-of-date, tax returns were not filed, the reserve account was low without any deposits made for years, delinquent accounts existed for over ten years without trying to collect, dues kept going up, board elections were not held, and management of covenant violations was selective at best. Basically, there was a we they attitude in place that is until 2017.

Picnic table with a view

July 10, 2018 by Sherry

Without a proper place to sit at the cabin to eat lunch, I decided to buy a picnic table. I didn’t have a truck so I wasn’t really sure how this plan would work until I found a picnic table kit at Lowes for $98.

The customer service people did not believe the kit would fit in my Subaru Legacy, but the reviews and specs said it would, and it did!

All of the pieces are precut so all I had to do was sand, stain and poly them. After that process, I put all the pieces back in my Subaru and took them up to my Glen Haven cabin. My son-in-law and I assembled the table and set it in place. Now we have a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the beautiful forest view while we eat our scrumptious cinnamon rolls or sandwiches from the Glen Haven General Store. A picnic table with a view! What could be better?

Three-legged bathtub

June 23, 2018 by Sherry

A three hundred pound cast iron bathtub sits propped on a large granite rock on the east side of my rustic cabin. While it has a few pine needles and rain water in it in the photo, the inside porcelain finish is in really good condition and just needs new paint on the outside. This vintage tub didn’t have any feet or hardware attached.

I’ve raked up and removed brittle pine needles and cones pretty much since day one of owning the Glen Haven property. While cleaning up around the cast iron tub recently, I surprisingly unearthed three cast iron claw feet for the tub.

Since finding the three claw feet I have searched for the fourth to no avail. Do you think it is still out there somewhere? I have found similar ones in antique stores for about $15 each. If I don’t find the fourth one, I may buy one so I no longer have a three-legged bathtub. Or is it three-footed?

Now the decision I have to make is whether to keep the vintage cast iron tub to reuse it in the cabin remodel. It may cost more in the long run to restore it as I know the hardware alone can be expensive. They take a lot of water to fill one. Another concern I have is whether I would be able to get in and out of it when I get older.

What would you do? Keep it or sell it and use the proceeds for a new shower/tub? Please let me know your thoughts.

Collect vintage whiskey bottles?

June 12, 2018 by Sherry

What does Old Crow, I.D. Harper, Waterfill and Frazier, Bellows, Old Taylor, Yellowstone, Old Forester and Old Grand-Dad have in common? They are all Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys. They were also evidently favorites of a former owner of my 1938 cabin. Especially Old Crow.

My son-in-law and I recovered 26 intact but empty whiskey bottles from under the cabin in May. Several others were broken. We knew they were there but couldn’t reach them until we demolished the addition’s flooring. While finding old whiskey bottles is pretty cool, these were even more special.

These vintage bottles were made with the words, “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE” embossed in the glass. According to Whiskeyid.com, “Following prohibition, from 1935-1964 th(is) text was required by the government.” The labels say they were “BOTTLED IN BOND Under U.S. Government Supervision.” The bottles are from the 1950’s and early 60’s. The oldest is from 1954.

Some labels read, “This bottle has been filled and stamped under the provisions of Section 2903-9. inclusive Internal Revenue Code. Any person who shall reuse the stamp affixed to this bottle or remove the contents of this bottle without so destroying the stamp affixed thereto as to prevent reuse or who shall sell this bottle, or reuse it for distilled spirits will be liable to the penalties prescribed by law.” Others read, “…provisions of Sections 5008 and 5243 Internal Revenue Code. …without so breaking the stamp.” Again, according to Whiskeyid.com, prior to August 1959 the bottles would have the Sections 5008 and 5243 labels. Interestingly, I was born in August of 1959.

I plan to display a few of these vintage whiskey bottles once I restore the cabin. The rest I will sell. Anyone collect vintage bottles or want one or more for your “man cave?” Afterall, the former cabin owner kept them in his man cave under the cabin for us to find 60 years later.

Spring wildflowers on my side of the mountain

June 5, 2018June 5, 2018 by Sherry

Since becoming the neighborhood’s HOA board president last year, my blog kind of went into moth balls. The work on the renovation of my old, rustic cabin and property in Glen Haven slowed with the onset of winter. When I returned to the cabin in April to ramp back up my work, I began to see little signs of life where once stood tall, dry grass. Hummingbirds swept past my head as I walked the property again as if it was my first time. Spring wildflowers were everywhere.

Wildflowers were springing to life since raking off the crispy, brown pine needles and cones last fall. What a wonderful surprise. John Keats was right. “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” My side of the mountain was coming to life. Enjoy my pics!

Spring wildflowers

Cabin update – a girl and her chainsaw

March 28, 2018 by Sherry

While growing up on a farm in Iowa my siblings and I spent many days in our timber helping our Dad cut wood for the wood-burning furnace. It was our home’s only source of heat. We watched as our Dad poured a mixture of oil and gas into his dirty chainsaw and pull the start line multiple times until it started up with a puff or two of smoke. Unfortunately, we hauled and stacked wood during the hot and humid summer months.

Today, a beautiful early spring day, I was reminded of those memories. I drove up to the Glen Haven cabin to cut firewood. When I pulled into the worn path of a driveway I noticed there were three young mule deer on my property just below the cabin. I reached for my camera and took several pictures as they grazed cautiously around the cabin. It was obvious I was invading their space instead of the other way around. Waiting until they moved on, I quietly exited the car and got my new power tool out of the trunk.

Cabin update – wildfire mitigation

March 10, 2018 by Sherry

Since the first of the year, I have only been to the Glen Haven cabin five times. Mostly to check to be sure it is still there, but also to do fire mitigation and general property clean up. Before I arrived the cabin hadn’t been inhabited for over 13 years according to neighbors.

When I bought it the property was overgrown with tall dry grasses, firewood stacked next to the cabin, and many low tree branches. From the recent photos posted here, you can see there is currently no snow pack so it is very dry and susceptible to wildfire.

Right after purchasing the property in September, 2017, my son-in-law cut the tall dry grasses with a trimmer. I have raked years of pine needles and cones and removing them from the property. I have also trimmed several of the beautiful pine trees to decrease the risk of wildfire destroying the trees and the cabin on my mountain property. It is dirty and dusty work but necessary. According to the Colorado State Forest Service website, “Wildfire mitigation actions are on-the-ground treatments of forested properties implemented to reduce the threat of wildfire.”

HOAs (Harassing Overbearing Authority)

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Picnic table with a view

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Three-legged bathtub

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Collect vintage whiskey bottles?

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Spring wildflowers on my side of the mountain

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Cabin update – a girl and her chainsaw

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Cabin update – wildfire mitigation

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