We can't help ourselves. Returning home Wednesday night after two nights in Leavenworth, I mentioned to Dwayne that since we were headed to Whidbey to do the polar bear, we should re-tile the master bathroom floor. And if we had the floor, we might as well think about buying a new dresser. Dwayne kindly, madly or unthinkingly, agreed. Thursday morning: Spend money at Home Depot. Thursday afternoon: Cabin trip. The bathroom looks like this. Thursday at 16 pm: Start of the demo. Secure HardieBacker plank to subfloor. Thursday midnight: finish the demo and preparation. Clean thin buckets, etc. outdoors in 28 degree weather. Sleep until 10 am the next day. Tell me about the polar bearing. Kudos to Piper for making us snacks to help us get through the day. Friday night: Dwayne and Jen drive an hour to the nearest Home Depot to return the previously purchased dresser and buy a new one. And since we're replacing the dresser, we decided to replace the medicine cabinet. Saturday: grout. Install a new toilet and vanity. Go to the store several times for various plumbing needs. Take a look at your vanity lighting and decide it needs an update too. Discover No Store South Whidbey offers a selection of lighting options. Know that we won't be done soon enough to go home that night. Feed the children. More cleaning. Collapsing on the couch while making a list of what to get on dry land before finishing up again. Saturday Midnight: Notice the toilet shutoff valve is leaking. Sunday morning: Denise brings the kids home. Dwayne stays to work on the leak hoping to save us time and money by not calling a plumber. Add this to my list of 1000 reasons why I love this man.
We build cabins and homes year-round in Alaska. When the earthquake struck on November 30, 2018, my first thought was, "We have over a thousand structures built here in Alaska, now what?" It was a sobering thought, I have to admit. Fortunately we had very few reports of damage and all that was reported to us was very minor. We've always tried to add a little extra support here and there and add structure and material beyond what's needed, which adds comfort when we encounter an earthquake or high winds. Urethane spray foam adds significant strength to any structure along with high insulating qualities and we have received many requests for urethane spray foam in the coming year. Our equipment is now more portable and we can take it to remote areas. Historically, urethane is installed for its high insulating qualities, but structural qualities are also of great value. If you are interested in building during the 2019 season, please contact us as we still have opening start dates in different areas of the state. If we already need to build in your area, we can probably build for you while we're in the area.
A blog about scrapbooking, camping and both in a retro Shasta! The trailer is a WHAT? Sorry for the long delay between messages. I contacted Juergen Eichermueller to help me identify the cute little canned ham trailer. After about a week of digging through his files, I emailed him the hubcaps in case they were "important." In fact, I thought they looked like they had a "W" in the center, so I wondered if the trailer was an old Winnebago. I tried researching on the internet, but all the Winnebago models from the 60's were completely different than this one. The funny thing is, we almost posted on our emails...he had just opened his Winnebago file while I was sending pictures of the hubcaps. Turns out the trailer is a 15 Winnebago 1960 foot trailer. Due to the rarity of the trailer I thought I'd give it a chance to restore it if anyone was interested. So far, the right person hasn't shown up, so it seems favorable for it to remain in my possession and become the new cultivation hut. Oh, and thanks for the name suggestions! We call her "Winnie," and that seems appropriate at this point. I tried to sell Winnie on Craigslist, but there was so much genuine interest that was lost to the crackpots. One guy insisted it wasn't rare at all even though there were only 28. 28 is pretty rare if you ask me. I spent a day cleaning, sanitizing, washing and preparing Winnie for whatever the future holds. I just thought she looked good. The curtains are the Scrapbooking Bee curtains, from Debbie Mumm's Creative Woman line, and my mom made them for me when I redid the Shasta. She wanted to try them on and see if they would "fit" in case Winnie stayed in the family. I think they worked very well! As it is, Winnie is in limbo right now. I would love to see someone buy it and restore it, and there has been talk of putting it in a museum in OH. I've decided that if no one stumbles and buys Winnie before she warms up, I'll definitely go ahead with my plan to turn her into a scrapbooking studio. At first I was really disappointed and felt guilty for even considering doing something like this with such a weird old trailer, but now I'm excited again. She really IS the perfect "canned ham" trailer!
Once that's done, I think we'll go ahead and start planning a camp. We have come to accept that a cabin is not feasible in the immediate future, mainly because we will probably have a second child within the next year. Once we get past the layer stage, we should be able to put it all together to build something. Frankly, that's fine with me, because that's just when the creatures can really start to enjoy it. Until then, we will have to make do. However, I think that the camp should be comfortable. And to that end, we plan to make it not just civil, but elegant. You will need storage, a good place to cook, a large fireplace/pit, and room for a family of four, plus guests. I've spent enough time living in a dome tent to know I don't want to do this if we can. So to top that, I looked for prospector tents. These durable canvas tents are sturdy, look great, and last a long time. I'd like to launch a few and build simple plywood platforms for us to take off on. A kitchen tent or shade structure will work as a kitchen/bar, as long as we can store our gear in the storage shed. And for the fireplace, I found a guy named Satan, who does really cool metal crafts and sculptures. Let's hope his prices aren't too high or devilish.
A windy day on the lake brought an aluminum boat to our dock (it's the boat on the left). The laws of the high seas state that if a ship is found unattended, that ship belongs to the sailor who finds it. At least that's what our former neighbor said, both shaken and deceased. He moved out because his cabin was destroyed in an avalanche. One day a boat floated into our shared cove. The neighbor took the boat and he and his boys immediately started painting it. Being the 1940's, I'm sure it was a nice or maybe a beautiful wooden boat. Finally, the ship was discovered by the rightful owners. Mr. Clifford, that was the name of the neighbor, citing the laws of the high seas, refused to return the ship. I don't know how the problem was resolved. But now that I'm in a similar position, but with a dented aluminum boat that hasn't been registered since 1990, I have some ethical questions to resolve. First of all, I doubt Echo Lake can be called "high seas", but can I still claim the boat? Also, I'm not sure if the law of the high seas really says you can keep any ship you find, but can I still claim the ship?
There's a new camo pattern this fall from Browning Buckmark that will be a staple on every camo and outdoor enthusiast's Christmas wish list! Buckmark Camo Green is the camo you love with the iconic Buckmark logo in the pattern. In the past, Buckmark Brown and Buckmark Pink have been fashion items during the holiday season, and these designs have been in demand by young men and women. Buckmark Camo Green is the perfect mix of traditional outdoor and hunting themes, making it a good choice for any room, from the master bedroom to the lodge or cabin. The bedding collection includes the comforter and shams in Twin - Queen sizes. There are also accessories available in the pattern including sheet sets, shower curtains, drapes, and window valances. Buy as many of this model as you like, but believe me when I tell you, it's going to be a huge hit this year.
Here are links to some stories I've written about cabin life, good and bad. First, it's an essay in Down East Magazine, about the end of summer. Second, a short story published in the current Aroostook Review, about a retired couple from Boston who pick up a hitchhiker on a country road in northern Maine. The last guests have left. They all fished, saw moose, and enjoyed the woods. The camp record for a smallmouth bass has been broken. And, as usual, we ate too much and didn't work or write much. Now that summer is coming to an end, our thoughts turn to work. For my part, I am prepared for it. Our summer friends are migrating south and it's getting pretty quiet. It's been an unusual summer, and maybe we're all more prepared to let this one go. More on that later.
- Hire a skilled craftsman to build a quality fireplace
- ice cream (4)
- ► June (3)
- A new thermostat. Check
- Italian: cabin (it) f
- trace your land
There are no scratches at all. Let Vince make another sweater that I can't afford or resist. 2. I have been looking at this Terrain terrarium for over a year now, but I am waiting to find out where my next job will be before I buy it. I think it's time to get it anyway or make my own. Luna and you will be ahead of the pack. 4. It is a perfect Terrain cockpit cover. Need I say more? 5. Nature-y mugs are best for drinking tea. This is Terrain. 6. Elegant honey is great for you and to impress your guests. It is also a unique gift. It's from the Savannah Bee Company. 7. I want a closet for ashes. This color reminds me of my favorite pencil when I was little. 8. These grays are made from animal-friendly canvas and I love the color.
- The Mini-Cabin
- Views of the Great Smoky Mountains
- window glazing
- $30 per pet, per night, non-refundable cleaning fee will be charged for pets in the room
- Indonesian: cabin (id)
The last two weeks have been very busy for me. So I'm going to catch up with the director who kept me so busy. Some of my readers know that I live in a log cabin. My brother (who sells the log kits) uses it as a model home and we have an open house once or twice a year. I've been busy preparing for it by getting rid of some stuff I no longer needed and putting things away that were lying around. While the house was clean and tidy, I thought I'd share some photos. The next photo is the kitchen and dining room. You should be able to see larger images by clicking on them. This is the living room and stairs lead to the master bedroom on the left and the attic on the right. The house is very open, only three rooms have doors (the two bathrooms and the downstairs bedroom).