Enjoying the place through the guests

I am saying it again, our renters ARE the best! They send and share with us their moments from our Paradise, meaning I can enjoy the place through their pictures.

Pictures below come from a small family with a little son. They seemed to have had a great and relaxing time, which makes me happy. There is always this worry if there is something guests don't like. Can we improve something? Should we add something? And of course there are things we would like to do, like right now, but while house is occupied it can't happen.

Big things like dredging and improve the deck are impossible to get done right now and detail planning is a must. I really would like to do the dredging but with that there are several steps like when, how, regulations and not to forget, MONEY!

The upper deck also needs some updates since I feel it could be a bit wider. It is not a problem though but it is just a thought that has started to grow into a plan.

And sauna! As a Finn, yes, I am originally from Finland (moved to Sweden when I was 16), and we can't almost live without a sauna. Where to build it and who can build a real Finnish sauna? Many questions.

Well, well, these plans will need to be carefully thought through and until they become reality I enjoy what we have NOW. It is important to stay in the present.

So here are couple of pictures from our great guests/renters,

From the upper deck you can enjoy the view of Lake of the Isle

The sunsets are just amazing!

Great guests

We are so blessed with such great guests/renters. Renters who enjoy the Paradise of ours and takes care of it in a wonderful way. I don't have to sit and bite my nails and wonder if the the place is still there.

What I also appreciate is the open communication we have. Sometimes that is needed, like last week when an appliance just decided to stop functioning. Felt so bad for the renters and wanted to fix it immediately. With their help, I managed to order a replacement remotely to be installed by our property manager. Just in time for the next guests/renters.

As a Swede, we are different. I know. Our cleaning staff thinks we have a very weird way of making the beds. We use comforters with covers. No flat sheets with blankets. Trying to educate how to put a comforter into the cover is like teaching calculus. Personally I can't do flat sheets! First of all you tuck them in so freaking tight in the bed you hardly can move during the night and secondly the sheet is not attached to the blanket. In the morning you find everything rolled up as two separate pieces. I don't get it. I had to invest in blankets. Flat sheets were already in my stock because they come with bed sets. I thought they were regular sheets for the mattress. Sigh. I know, I am just a weird European. Well, well, I hope I found a middle ground where the guests/renters are happy.

Now to some pictures I got from our returning guests/renters they sent me! And yes, they gave me permission to publish them, Thank you!

The lower deck where I hope they enjoyed maybe their morning coffee or a glass of wine at sunset.

To see this when you enter the house is such a beautiful view

YES! This is the way to relax. Love it!

Just breath. Fish and relax. That's vacation right there.

Look at this little dude! Cutest guest ever!

You don't get tired of this. Never.

So happy to see how our guests/renters are enjoying their time in the Paradise.

I guess somebody is ready for some fishing!

I miss my Paradise

Gosh, do I miss our Paradise on Wellesley Island! Waking up early, doing my workout on the deck/dock and then just jump into the water. Even if I have been working most "from home" in the cottage, it has still felt like being on a long vacation. As we Europeans are so used to.

The summer went way too fast. I know, it's not completely over yet, but right now, we can't be there due to renters until mid September. Have had the best renters so far! And I have been able to spend so much time there this summer, celebrated 4th of July with great friends, have had cocktail party with neighbors, done a "wine tour" among us on the road, boating, swimming and fishing. Well, well, you know I don't fish but my husband can do that 24/7 if time  allows, and if I allow it, hahahaha.

What else is new? We fell for the pressure to get a pontoon boat! Yay! And that must have been the best purchase EVER! We all enjoy it so much and we all can for once sit comfortably without having to squeeze in between fishing rods and fishing boxes or whatever they are called.

More news, the old Adirondack chairs on lower deck had to be updated as well. They looked so sad. Now it looks nice with sturdy new chairs in beautiful colors.

Let's check some pictures from this summer

Love going through the rift

New chairs and now you can sit without hurting yourself!

Well, well, my first 4th of July as American citizen

Don't ask me what this is just something we happened to see 

Our deck and dock

I see you soon

He did it

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in TI. It was my first time going boating and I enjoyed every second of it. It was not crowded, only couple of others out there enjoying the day on the water.

There was actually a purpose for me to go with my hubby and that was to see if the stories from his fishing adventures are true or not. And you know what? He actually caught one!! I got so surprised so I almost lost it and lucky enough not falling into the water. A pike. Not the biggest one, but hubby happy to show that his stories are true.

Other than that, I just enjoyed the scenery, the quietness, the beauty, Thousand Islands has to offer. Knowing this is just the beginning made me ecstatic!

THERE IT IS!!!

Happy hubby

I guess these are cormorants that nobody likes

Crazy times

It was a different feeling when we opened up our cabin this year. As I was so happy opening the door  I felt a sadness at the same time. Thinking of how everything have changed. Compared to last year. We are lucky though that none of us has been catching the virus. But even so, I have stayed in the cabin, together with my 16-year old daughter, and tried to avoid crowds.

The beauty up here, on Wellesley Island, makes it a bit easier to be quarantined. I have also been able to catch up with some yard work, mulching, weeding etc. and getting the place look nice for the season.

During weekdays I'm working and attending video conferences. Having the best view while sitting in the kitchen watching the Lake of the Isle. Best view compared to my colleagues. .

When we arrived here late March, there was still ice on the Lake of the Isle. That is long gone. The boat is in and my husband, and those who remembers, The Fisherman, has of course gone out couple of times. Any luck? Well, you know how-close-it-was and how-big-the-fish-was but no evidence? I've asked why he doesn't take pictures so I can see, but that has been too difficult while he's been fighting getting that HUGE fish up. You know how the story goes.

That special feeling crossing the bridge to Wellesley Island

March 18, 2020

I wanted to jump in when we arrived

I know, the Tiki bar needs some TLC. Just ordered a new roof.

My working view

Quarantine food

A tree that didn't survive

I have stayed warm and cozy in the evenings