As much as we’d love to spend every weekend relaxing at the property, the reality is that most weekends involve a project.

At the end of May, Greg and I headed to the property for another work weekend. We didn’t stay overnight this time, but instead drove out both Saturday and Sunday to tackle a project that had been on Greg’s mind.

When we bought our metal shed, Greg wasn’t convinced it was built to handle Idaho winters. With the amount of snow we can get at the property, he worried the roof might not be strong enough under a heavy snow load.

So, before that ever becomes a problem, we decided to reinforce it. Greg had gone out a few weekends before and put in the posts by himself.

Together the project started with milling some larger pieces of lumber. Once we had everything cut to size, we installed the beams underneath the metal roof to add extra support.

It wasn’t the most exciting project we’ve worked on, but it’s one of those things that gives us peace of mind. We’d much rather spend a weekend reinforcing the shed now than replacing it after a heavy winter.

While Greg was focused on measurements, tools, and getting everything installed just right, I found myself getting distracted every now and then.

The property was covered in wildflowers.

Everywhere I looked there seemed to be another flower blooming. Purples, yellows, blues…it felt like every little corner had something different growing.

So I did what I usually do.

I grabbed my camera.

I wandered around for a while taking close-up photos of as many wildflowers as I could find. It was one of those reminders that even when we’re working hard, it’s worth taking a few minutes to slow down and notice what’s around us.

Those little breaks are part of what makes this place so special to me.

Yes, we’re building something here.

Yes, there’s always another project waiting.

But there are also birds singing, wildflowers blooming, and quiet moments that remind me why we’re putting so much work into this place in the first place.

By the end of the weekend, the shed was stronger but still not complete, the project list was a little shorter, and my camera had a few more photos of another beautiful Idaho spring.

Sometimes progress looks like heavy beams and power tools.

Sometimes it looks like stopping to admire the wildflowers along the way.

I’m thankful for both.

A woodpecker in the orange tree. This tree is dying because of bugs and the woodpeckers love the bugs.

These little guys are pretty cute.