Nordhjem: November 2016

We started our build on August 13^th and the title of this blog says it all … we are thrilled with the progress and results!! None of this could have been accomplished without the help of friends and family along the way. THANK YOU!!!

As I look back at our accomplishments I cannot help but to remember how daunting some of the tasks seemed from the start. Trusses are near the top of that list as I lamented for days upon days on how we would raise them to the roof height and later install them. Granted we had a group of engineers with plenty of welcome suggestions along the way. I also feel blessed to have a very understanding and supportive wife who could sense my anxiety. She knows me well and more than once during this process she provided wisdom by stating “sometimes you just have to start”. Those simple words provided support and encouragement to move forward. No one knew if “Plan A” was going to work for any given task but I must admit there were a few days when I thought the generator would run out of gas before a board was cut or a nail was driven!

We watched the leaves change colors and fall from the trees. We felt the temperature change. We donned hats and gloves by the bonfire and enjoyed the conversation “late” into the evening. (Truth be told, we struggled to stay up to 9pm each night!! We were tired, but it was good tired).

We accomplished our goals as we have the cabin semi enclosed for the winter. All the doors and windows are installed. The cabin is wrapped in Tyvek and roof is covered with a synthetic underlayment. The metal roof will need to wait until next year. Rest easy … we have a contractor lined up for the roofing! For a group of DIYers I think we made excellent progress!

Looking back upon the work one of the most gratifying tasks was installing the windows. The transformation was amazing as each window framed a new view. The large bedroom window is 103”x47”. We installed it by building and lifting a pallet platform with the bobcat. Trust me, we are only installing that window once! As we pulled the protective film off the glass it felt like Christmas. Another reason why I loved installing windows was the fact that I was finally done moving them!!! We purchased about half of the windows from an outlet. Some of them we have stored and moved for over 10 years. Nailing them into the cabin meant that we were done moving them! Woot!!!

As the bears settle into hibernation we’ve prepared a few work items for this winter. We hope to work on building the interior walls, electrical and plumbing rough ins. We also have the porch green treated substructure in the cabin waiting. At this point, everything is staged in the cabin as snow will prevent us from using “Chuck the Wagon” to transport tools and supplies to/from the garage.

I will confess that when I head up for a weekend that I’m too amped to sleep. I have to grab a flashlight and walk around the cabin. I’m proud of what we have accomplished and humbled by the support of friends and family. We love the serenity of the forest and the calming reflections of the small lake. We all love to see those little cabins nestled in the woods … when I look at them, I’m reminded that some crazy fool had to build them!

Stay tuned as this adventure is just beginning …