Lovango Cottage Project: 2019

We spent some time on Lovango this spring; a week in March with Tira and a week in April with Brit, Sam, and the Thetford Hastings- Chris, Miche, Jack and Liv. In general things look and feel pretty good – it’s certainly comfortable and yet I can’t help but recall that moment in 2016 when- yes, there was still much more to do but, hey, everything that was on-site was working for a moment… the stove, water pump, batteries, ATV, clock, hot water, gutters, hurricane ties, refrigerator. Sure, I understood the concept of depreciation but not some of the realities that come with the (remote and harsh) territory, so to speak. I was unaware that despite all that still had to be done, the entropy clock was ticking. Finished or not, it was Day 1 of the Constant Battle to get back to what we had that day. Or at least minimize the slide.

For instance- after 18 months of my, and a local electrician’s, failed efforts, the electric powered ATV (that was bought over gas-powered to reduce maintenance) will require a visit from a specialist out of Miami. Oh, and eight 80 lb batteries that tested the load capacity of the dinghy and Kath’s and my stamina getting them from the beach to the house.

But isn’t that the fun of it all? To stand toe to toe and trade punches with Mother Nature and maybe hold your own for a while? Isn’t that what we really crave?- a raison d’etre that’s bigger than us that will keep us occupied and engaged? The victories- say, having ice cubes for a vodka tonic again after humping a refrigerator from Home Depot to the marina to the dinghy to the beach to the house- are so damn sweet.

Bring it (as they say).