Black's Cliff Birch Bark Blog

Excerpt: We spent a very nice weekend away from the resort visiting friends and family before spring work hits. Did I say friends.... Does anyone else have a friend like this? Everyone needs a friend like this but everyone with a friend like this should be careful at all times where they leave their Iphone unprotected or you get to... Read more

Excerpt: One of our guest Gail ordered 13 Christmas Balls last fall. She knew she would not get them by Christmas as my list was filled up for Christmas but I got them done this week. Gail has got balls, lots of balls Dancing Balls, Alaska Balls Red Balls... Blue Balls (I love these with the variegated blue sparkly yarn)... Read more

Excerpt: Too much snow in the woods and Char Schmelzer = shopping trip to Ironwood. Ironwood is 1 hour north of us and has as many strip bars as it does antique stores and a wonderful pasty shop for lunch. What a combination antiques, strippers and pasty's Joe's Pasty shop is not fancy but it is great food. They have... Read more

Excerpt: As of 1pm today spring has sprung, the maple trees started to drip as temps soared to 40 degrees! Yeah last year our maple season was over by mid March and hopefully this year we have a better year collecting. We need temps during the day to mid 40's and below freezing at night to keep the trees flowing... Read more

Excerpt: Craig came back from Arizona for a month to work on a few things.... a few things turned into a few more things... and lets just say everyone will notice something in their cabin fixed or added before they are all done. My Iphone has been busy catching everything going on Craig started out going through all the drapery... Read more

Excerpt: The last few days we have been dreaming of summer and green of spring Instead we have been dealing with few days of dreary weather What do you down when frustrated by snow... rent a chipper and clean up brush around the resort. Keeps you warm outside Troy retreated to the office area with his varnish brush working on... Read more

Excerpt: Another 4 or so inches of snow arrived last night on top of the large amounts we already had. Now I love winter do not get me wrong.... but I have had enough.... it is pretty but..... time for spring I went down to the lake in my Columbia high topped boots to find out how Cliff was doing... Read more

Excerpt: No end to winter in sight = time to get some inside projects done When the guys get let loose on cabins scenes like this happen. Kitchens migrate into bathrooms Cook while you clean? Time for some touch up stain and varnish in Bayview How is that for spiffy cupboards Murry? Just for fun I think we should play... Read more

Excerpt: Mack would like to report the snow is great for running in. There are an additional 2 - 4 inches coming in tomorrow.... Mack may love it but I am starting to wish for spring even with the 2 spring trips we have made in the last week. 2 spring trips, a cleaned basement and a cleaned attic... yep... Read more

Excerpt: When will Cliff wake up from hibernation and sink into Lower Kaubashine? Well here are the 2013 entries. I am not going to publish times there are not more than 2 people on any day, so if Cliff sinks on a day 2 have picked then we will just split the pot between them. The pot this year is... Read more

Excerpt: We have had busy last week and a half that has involved a lot of things. Two of them being two craft fairs with the sock machines. So if you have noticed a lack of blog entries that is the reason. We also had the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at the resort filming some commercials for next year for... Read more

Excerpt: Troy yelled at me to grab the camera for a rare sighting of 2 Pileated Woodpecks dancing around a tree together. These pictures were all taken through our dinning room window as I knew if I stepped outside they would fly off You never realize how big these woodpeckers are til they land on your suet feeder. They are... Read more

Excerpt: Katie and her family came over to the resort to take a snowshoe out to our bog on our back 40 acres. They had a mission of snowshoeing and lunch One thing they learned quickly is even with snowshoes, crossing a bog you sink and they quickly learned to walk the edge of the bog not through the center... Read more

Excerpt: This slow sluggish spring has been good for one thing "Sapping." The maple trees have been slowly waking up and dripping. The snow and rain the last 2 days has not slowed things down. This morning we got over 2 buckets of sap from 35 or so trees. Some are not producing any yet and some trees are in... Read more

Excerpt: Today is March 1st and that means one thing..... Cliff has come out of the basement for Ice Out 2013. Out of the closet... out of the basement there is a joke in there somewhere but it is not coming to me Cliff has taken up his post about 100 feet from shore of Lower Kaubashine. Guess what day... Read more

Excerpt: When the Haas group comes good times are never far away. They always come with interesting outside games This years I was hearing chants and Owwww's and Ahhhhh's over life sized outdoor Jenga Competition was fierce One of the guys made the game out of left over 2 by 4's Using the hammer to tap out the middle It... Read more

Excerpt: The snow is getting deep. I think this will be the max for the snow depth this winter. 1 John Deer Gator + 2 teenagers + 2 sleds +1 golden retriever = fun around the driveway With the snow piling up outside Steve got the planer out and got started hanging the office windows Hours of watching "This Old... Read more

Excerpt: Although we still feel buried in snow and there is plenty around to play in for the next couple of weeks, you can definitely feel spring around the corner. Icicles have started popping up everywhere. The birds have to be careful how they approach our suet feeder While it has been warmer out, the work in the office building... Read more

Excerpt: Winter means.... logs covered in snow and..... Time to cut and split wood. Tools of the trade a maul and car tire The winter side of the woodshed is getting a little thin. 2 1/2 piles left The pile for summer is just about there Question is can you see what is different about the wood we are now... Read more

Excerpt: Do you think you have what it takes to run a resort? Do you have the ability to face down a 150 lb Saint Bernard who's owners are at the hospital after a snowmobile accident and the dog needs to pee? Do you have the ability to be a dog whisperer to coax 150lbs of reluctant and slightly growling... Read more