At the end of every visit

What to do inside the cabin

Shut down and clean the refrigerator. Start this process well before the time of your departure, so that both interior departments have time to defrost completely:

Turn off the propane system that supplies the refrigerator.
Clean the refrigerator and freezer compartments.
If a battery has been installed in the light in the refrigerator compartment, remove it and place it on the shelves beside the refrigerator.
Turn the refrigerator’s thermostat to the off position.
Prop open the doors to the freezer and refrigerator compartments by placing pots in these compartments with their handles pointing outwards.

Shut down and clean the stove:

Turn off the propane system that supplies the stove and the lights.
Clean the stove top by scrubbing it with a small SOS pad.

In the rest of the kitchen:

Bring home all food, except for the dried spices and the glass containers of sugar, flour & salt.
Disassemble the cutlery tray in the drawer to the left of the sink. Place it in one of the large clear plastic bins kept on the kitchen floor.
Store all paper products and clean rags in the fourth large clear plastic bin kept on the kitchen floor, or in the wooden trunk by the front doors.
Place the lid on the large clear plastic bin in which the cutting/serving trays are stored, but leave the lid loose so that mold doesn’t form inside the bin.
Empty the kettles of water. Leave the kettles on top of the stove.
Empty the two water buckets. Leave them upside-down on the floor beneath the sink.
Remove the plastic bag from the garbage bin.
Remove the plastic bag from the recycling bin. Turn the bin upside-down and place the lid on top of the upended bin.
Complete all waste management.

In the main room:

Strip the bed of all used linens. Bring these home to wash.
Store all throw pillows in the appropriate trunk.
Leave the other, larger wicker basket upside-down on top of one of the trunks.
Clear all windowsills of all items. Place these items on the shelves by the bed or on the bookshelves.
Invert the large bowl on the dining table. Clear the dining table of all other items, including candles. Clean the dining table.
Clean out the fireplace: shovel the ashes into the old metal bucket, and then dump this bucket in the woods, being careful not to start a fire.
If batteries have been installed in the CO detector on the shelves near the bed, remove them and place them on the shelves.
Sweep the main room.

In the bunk room:

Strip the beds of all used linens. Bring these home to wash.
Pull the bunk beds out of the corners so each bed is at least 6 inches from any wall.
Sweep the bunk room.

What to do outside the cabin

Put away all chamber pots:

Remove the pail from each chamber pot.
Rinse each pail well in the lake. Allow it to dry in the sun.
Return each dry pail to its chamber pot.
Store the chamber pots on the floor of the tool room or beneath the bed in the main room.

Shut down the outhouse:

Retrieve all toilet paper from the outhouse, except for any rolls that can be stored in the covered white pots in the stalls. Place the excess toilet paper in the wooden trunk in the main room of the cabin.
Deal with the waste in the outhouse.

How to secure the cabin and the boats

To secure the cabin:

Close and lock the window in the tool room.
Bolt the tool room door.
Close and lock the windows in the bunk room.
Bolt the bunk room door.
Close the windows in the main room, but don’t latch them.
Bolt the kitchen door.
Lock the front doors. Hang the key on the screw inside the clothespin container.

To secure the boats at the public dock:

Store the oars and the paddles in the space where the rowboat will be stored.
Place the rowboat upside-down on top of the oars and paddles.
Place the canoe upside-down on top of the rowboat.

At the end of the last visit of the season

What to do inside the cabin

Drain the cistern.
Remove the empty bottle from the cistern.
Place a clean plastic plate upside-down over the top of the cistern.

What to do outside the cabin

Leave the Adirondack chairs on the deck and on the dock.
Collapse the umbrella above the outside dining table. (This should be done when the umbrella is dry. Since rain is always a possibility, consider doing this one or two days before the date of your departure.) Store it inside the cabin (lean it in the corner of the main room that is nearest to the outside dining table).
Collapse the outside dining table. Store it inside the cabin.
Store the outside dining chairs inside the cabin.
Store the Big Green Egg inside the cabin.
Take down the hammock. Store it inside the cabin, by hanging it from a truss in the main room, using the two nails that are marked with trail ribbon.
Remove the ladders from the raft and from the dock. Store them under the cabin, on the ledge outside the bunk room.