Author Archives: Karen Bolduc

“I got a fever! And it can only be cured by…” More donkey! Yep, it’s official. I’m mad about asses!! John is a perhaps a smidge less enthusiastic than I am, but agreed nonetheless! And why not? They’re adorable, strong, good-natured, and best of all for The Coal Burned Spoon’s purposes, make great pack animals!Continue reading “Donkey Fever”

When we speak of the construction of homes and institutions today, the modern environmenally-conscious zeitgeist would have us focus on “reducing the carbon footprint” or eking closer to “net-neutral.” Imagine, for a moment, instead that we demanded answers to questions like “Will the carbon footprint on this building be net-*positive* immediately or will it takeContinue reading “Passivhaus Power!”

John and I recently had an awakening at a meeting with a potential architect last month, in which the architect – a fairly philosophical fellow – suggested that our plan of keeping the treehouses as year-round accommodations defeated the point of a treehouse. He asked how we would keep them warm in the winter andContinue reading “Philosophizing on Seasonal Treehouses”

Any fairly large project that is successful, I think, will credit its success to a strong, competent, cohesive team comprised of top notch team members who each do their piece of the puzzle well. So building our eco-glamping sanctuary team carefully and thoughtfully, is something John and I both take seriously. Before we started thisContinue reading “Civil Engineers and Architects: Building the Team”

It’s hard for me to believe it’s winter up here on the mountain already, when, down on my flatland farm in Auburn, I was precisely 2 days ago harvesting the last of the beets and carrots out of a moist black cold-but-not-frozen soil bed. But it is. Old man winter sweeps through the mountains first,Continue reading “It’s Wintertime! Gravel Road Planning.”

One super fun item I got to do today was fluff up and email over my digital scrapbook of cabins, chalets and treehouses to an architect who will likely be creating some graphic depictions of our proposed units to present to potential investors to give them a sense of our vision. A ‘market drawing’ ifContinue reading “Visioning the Treehouses”

This week, my focus is on tightening up the numbers in our Pro Forma P&L and transforming all of our raw spreadsheet data into understandable, compelling financials to present to potential investors hopefully just after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile Johnny has all the fun: turning the shell of a cabin that was on the property when weContinue reading “Running Numbers & Establishing Mission HQ”

Thank you for your interest in our journey as we create our backcountry, alpine, food-focused eco-glamping accommodation in Greenwood, Maine! Our goal for this blog is to keep our friends and followers informed about the evolution of our Sanctuary. My name is Karen Bolduc, and it is my voice you’ll hear in this blog. WritingContinue reading “The Journey Begins…Raw mountains in Greenwood Maine.”