As the years progress, the changes at Bass Lake School are getting smaller, but no less cool. I’m always surprised when I look back at the last year and remember all the things we got done, and 2025 was no exception.
After a mild winter, January started out with a nice storm to let Betty and Rose enjoy some snow time in the schoolyard.
If it was up to them, we would just live in the snow, only coming in occasionally to curl up by the fire.
One skill I’d put away for a decade is stained glass. As we talked about what to do with the front entry, I started putting together a sign for above the doors. This is the piecing out – you will probably see more of this work next winter, because I’m not close to being done yet.
Speaking of the front entry, we’ve made some big moves here. You may remember the state of the old crumbling stairs when we first found the school. One of our early projects back then was to build a deck over them. It was intended to be temporary, but after 10 years, it started to seem permanent. So out they went.
We built up a solid new base and poured another stoop, just slightly bigger than the original. It’s a nice improvement, and like the stained glass, is a project with more to come in 2026.
Along the vein or ‘while we are at it’, since the backhoe was here anyway, we decided it would be nice to add a basement window. We had to remove a lot of heavy clay to get down far enough, and cut out some serious block foundation.
The light is now coming in like never before. And ~ I’m sensing a theme here ~ more to come in 2026 as we finish up the room the window is attached to.
Some things seem to never end, and I am still tuckpointing. (Please excuse the goofy look, I think I’d been out in the sun too long that day). I am getting faster at it and I feel this might be the year I get all the way around to the back side.
Wrapping up, it was a great year for apples and our little schoolyard tree provided some delicious whoppers that we sold during the River Road Ramble.
And as always, a good year is finished up with a nice fire and some good stories to tell. See you next year.
