Here we go again!

And so begins another year of building. We're heading up north for the week of July 4 to work on the cabin.  Just the two of us - doing odd jobs that get ready for the bigger ones to come.  We will stain the porch floor and deck; perhaps finish the porch (!); run electrical and plumbing; do some final measurements for the metal roof and siding - order the same! And whatever else mastermind Mark has in mind.

Cabin site, spring 2016

I often get asked if we'll "finish" the cabin this year. WE WISH! We estimate it to be a 3-year project, and I HOPE that's true.  Sometimes it feels daunting - like we'll never finish it. And it was really great to have a break over the winter. When I feel overwhelmed with the whole project, I look at where we were last May compared to the place we are today (see pictures at left). And I'm amazed at what we've accomplished (thanks once again to our amazing volunteer crew!). Grateful, is the only word I can come up with.

Mark's been up three times already this spring. I joined him once, over Memorial weekend. The result of those trips is the beginnings of a screen porch and deck (see pictures at the bottom).

Cabin, spring 2017

A screen porch is an absolute necessity this time of year. From  about Memorial Day through mid-July (or sometimes end of July), the black flies, mosquitos, and gnats can get pretty bad.  So, we'll be hoping for it to be a "light" year for those pests, and if not, for breezy weather! We have many ways to escape the peskies when they get to be too much...  a canoe ride (sometimes), go for a fast ride on the 4-wheeler, this year we're adding fat tire bikes to our possibilities of fun, or head down to the Big Lake and catch its cool breezes that are just too much for the bugs. Someday, I'll be able to sit in the screen porch, or in the window seat, and just watch the bugs and the world go by!

Not sure we've ever described the inside of the cabin. It's pretty simple. The porch and deck are on the west end of the cabin (you can see the stairs in the picture to the left). The east end (shown in the picture) is the bedroom, bathroom, and utility room, and of course the loft above, which will be just an open sitting/sleeping room. The rest of the cabin is kitchen and living area.  We constructed the inside walls over one weekend in the winter. Perhaps that sounds impressive, but it isn't - there are only a few walls!

And finally, a note of gratitude to all who watch this process through the blog. So many people express genuine interest in our project.  It's great to feel like there's a community of people that are interested and want to see its success. Thank you!  

Celebration after a day of decking!

Rain on the cedar decking

Porch roof on, thanks to Mark and Dave

Baby It's Cold Outside ...

Life in the northwoods in the winter...  some people say we're nuts!

Only by spending a weekend off the grid in the winter can you understand the true solitude that the winter season has to offer. The sights and sounds of the northwoods change as it transforms into a winter wonderland. The trees and ground are covered with pristine white snow that smothers sound and redefines the meaning of solitude and beauty. We never tire of the beauty of this corner of the world.

Most of the large animals are gone. The bears we saw multiple times last fall are now hibernating. The deer in our area push down to find food, water, and safety near lake Superior. If you are lucky enough to cross a moose path you will be amazed that they are only leaving prints and "post holing" in 4 FEET of snow. We see trails from rabbits, wolves, bobcats, pine marten, and cougar. Birds and waterfowl migrate south while others migrate to our area in the winter. We see nuthatches, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, and Canadian jays to name a few.

When we first venture into the woods in the winter, it seems really silent - as if our intrusion into the home of the animals has sent them hiding.  But as our ears stop ringing from the noise pollution of city life, the sounds start emerging out of the forest.  In the winter, these sounds are mostly the birds, who finally realize we're not an enemy, but perhaps an occasional companion. Other sounds emerge too - branches cracking, snow clumps falling from pine trees, chipmunks (or squirrels) scurrying in the treetops, Woody the woodpecker.

Do we still venture north?? Absolutely! In fact, it's one of our favorite seasons! This year, Mary Kay and I have been fortunate enough to head north on Thanksgiving and MLK weekends. Only the shell of the cabin is complete so we continue to stay in our shack, which has a wood stove and a backup LP gas heater. We enjoyed mild winter temps on both trips (in the 20s). We drove in on Thanksgiving weekend with ~8" of snow, and got another half a foot or more while we were there. This past weekend we snowshoed in 1 mile (thanks to a distant "neighbor" who keeps the road open and plows us a parking space at the end of our driveway), pulling our gear on a homemade pulk* sled. We bring our food, 6 liters of water, dog food, and extra clothes. We drill a hole in the lake for extra water for cooking & dishes.  We had bluebird skies all weekend, which is unusual in this "snowbelt" area we call our retreat.

The winter daylight hours are short but we've managed to complete the interior walls of the cabin. Yes, we do own lights but the only thing that drops faster than the sun in winter is the temperature. So when the sun sets ... It's time for happy hour, and finding ways to pass the long night in the shack (like reading, playing cards, or planning the cabin)!

In the pictures you may notice we have a total of 3 interior doors in the cabin. One 5' barn door to the bedroom and two pocket doors for the bathroom and utility closet. (This is the first time I've framed pocket doors but hey, what could go wrong?!) The barn door opens up the small cabin footprint, making the bedroom feel like part of the main living space, and of course bringing light through the cabin too. The pocket doors save precious space in that cramped corner of the cabin.

Next up: we are ready to start our electrical rough in and we have material to begin framing the porch/deck substructure. Since in the winter we haul in everything we need, we obviously brought in these supplies in the fall.

We're always learning lessons.  Here are a couple:

I learned that my cordless tools work well in the cold but the charger will not charge batteries that are either too hot, or, in our case, too cold (sounds rather like Goldylocks!). So if you are looking closely at the pictures, yes, I've gained a few pounds over the holidays, and additionally, I have a couple 20v DeWalt batteries stuffed in my jacket ... but thanks for noticing!!

Lesson #2 for this update: although incredibly expensive the board stretcher has been worth every penny we paid for it! Measure once, cut 3x, grab another 2x4 ... or something like that???

Lesson #3 - and this is for Bob:  Mary Kay says I'm anal retentive, NOT OCD.  You two figure it out!

Till next time ... Stay Warm!

M&M

*Pulk: A word that Mark knew, but MK didn't! Google definition: Pulk (from Finnish Pulkka) is a Nordic short, low-slung small toboggan used in sport or transport, pulled by a dog (named Mark) or a person, or in Lapland pulled by a reindeer. The sled can be used to carry supplies, or transport a child or other person.

Thrilled!!!

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 …

Gable windows installed!

Crew Selfie

All wrapped up

Lookin Good!

8' tall front window seat - is this a church?

Bedroom window - Nice view!!!

M&M

Holy Angels?

My mini-crisis began when I walked into the store.  I'm greeted by a guy who is always a bit short with me. I don't know if it's that I'm a "woman in a man's world" (hardware/lumber store) or if he just genuinely feels put out by people bothering him to purchase the goods they sell. He always talks to me with a bit of disdain or bother.  At least that's my read.

I'm in charge of errands when we're on our build weekends.  This past weekend, it was in the name of preparing for winter. We need a supply of propane for winter - that includes refilling or exchanging two 20-pound tanks, and filling a 100-pound tank.  So Mark and Dave carefully load the big tank onto the trailer and secure it so that it can't tip or bounce too much.  I was nervous about this errand. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be driving around a propane tank over our beat up roads.  But it needs to be done, and Mark can't take time away from the build to help me, so I put on my big-girl pants :-) and took off for Lutsen.

Sparing you all the details of the situation, let's just cut to the chase - while filling the bigger propane tank, helped by my nemesis, it became obvious that it was leaking. Bob, in his pleasant way, seems to be mad at me for this, and tells me he doesn't want to be anywhere near it - I need to take it away.  I'm confused.  I don't know what to do.  I have a really bad feeling about this. I don't want to be anywhere near it either!  I'm getting more anxious by the second.  Just then, angel number 1 appears - the owner of the store, who Mark and I have known for most of 15 years. He handles the situation, deciding that I will leave the tank right where it is.  THANK YOU!  Then he asks me to go back into the store to do a material selection so he can order our roofing material.  I'm glad to do that while letting my nerves settle down a bit.  

So I complete the task and am walking down the stairs from contractor office, and Bob is relaying to his co-workers the horrible situation outside, and how he doesn't want to be anywhere near that hazard.  I stop.  Wait a minute. My truck is sitting out there. Is there a risk to starting it?  I ask. Throwing up his arms, he repeats that he doesn't want to be anywhere near it.  Tears begin to form; I'm trying to keep it together. I have NO idea what to do.  How long might it be out there leaking? Hours - days. He doesn't know, or won't tell me. Angel number 2 appears.  A man asks what's up, and Bob starts in again.  Angel 2 looks at me and says, let's take a look.  We walk out together and he tells me he was a fire fighter for 27 years.  He looks at the situation, tells me that there's a lot of open air, and the wind is blowing away from the truck.  He tells me to pull forward, not back up, and he watches me until I'm safely on on my way.  THANK YOU #2! You ARE an angel!

So does God send us angels?  "I don't know" is the answer to the majority of my theological questions. As a matter of fact, I really question those who seem to have all the answers - who seem to know the mind of God.  So, I don't know if God sends us angels.  If God does, then that raises all kinds of other questions, like why this situation and not the other? Why me and not them?  But it felt like 2 angels rescued me on Saturday just when I needed rescuing.  And I'm thankful, coincidence, God-moment, or whatever. So. Very. Thankful.

And while I might not have been praying for angels in that situation, I certainly was when I got back to the build site and we began devising our plan to install the largest windows in the cabin (one about 8 feet wide, and the other about 8 feet tall).  Mark constructed a platform that he could pick up with the Bobcat.  He then lifted Dave and the window up as high as the Bobcat could lift, which requires quite a bit of skill from the driver, Mark, and the hand-signal guy, Bob (a different Bob, thank you very much!) to communicate so that Dave doesn't get tossed and the platform doesn't hit the cabin. Then Mark would hop out of the bobcat, place a ladder against the platform, climb up to Dave, and the two of them would lift the HEAVY window into the rough opening where me, Bob (who ran from the ground up to where the others of us were waiting), and Linda (Bob's wife) were waiting to receive it.  We plumbed, leveled, and squared the window, checked that it operated properly and then Mark and Dave nailed it in.  Then Mark climbed down the ladder, and skillfully lowered Dave safely to the ground.  It was nail biting for all of us. Who cares if the windows break.  It's about the safety of the people that matters.  And it all went off without a hitch, even while we held our breath and said a few silent prayers.

So that was the adventure for the weekend. Here are some pictures to bring you up to speed (all these windows face the lake)...

Testing the platform for another window

The window with the cross is a window seat.
 I'll be spending a bit of time there!

The left window is the bedroom window.
About 8 feet wide.

CREW SELFIE!  (we do one every weekend)

An inside look at the window seat. Scaffolding in place.

Once again, we are humbled by the people who show up.  Amazing.

Racing Mother Nature

Racing Mother Nature

It’s been over a month since our last blog entry and we have made significant strides in building our cabin. Our current race is against Mother Nature to attempt to close in the cabin before winter. Our definition of enclosing the cabin includes at least a roof covered by synthetic underlayment, exterior Tyvek, and windows and doors installed. Our definition of winter also may vary … especially since we saw snow this past Saturday morning!

We’ve accomplished so much its hard to know where to continue our blog.

 

After constructing the main cabin walls we built the loft floor. Our building method is best described as balloon construction. The cabin walls are 10’ tall with the rooms under the loft at the standard 8’ height. The 10’ wall provides a small knee wall in the loft. This made building of the loft floor easier as the floor is supported by a cleat on the end wall and a support beam that aligns (a small miracle) across the stair end walls which transfer to 6x6 posts in the basement and foundation. We completed the loft floor substructure in a day but that included a remodel of some of the side walls to support the double LVL center beam. At the end of the day we were pooped … dinner was at 9:30 and there was snoring for desert.

This blog would not be complete without including some insight into our trials and tribulations with gas combustion engines. If I even look at a carburetor is begins to spit and sputter and eventually die. So what did I do … I looked at our gas compressor carb and everything went to hell in a hen basket. Fortunately, our crew includes “Wayne the Carb Man” who came to our rescue. He diagnosed the problem to be a bad needle valve but then found that we could start and run the compressor with the gas only 25% on which worked until we purchased and installed a Chinese rebuilt carb for $35. Along the way I managed to break the recoil cord twice and eventually replaced it with paracord from Al. (I suspect his camper is still short a cloths line!)

Trusses Ho! Next up, the daunting task of installing the parallel cord trusses. But wait, before you begin, the trusses need to be carried somewhere near the cabin as the delivery truck was unable to make the final 100 yards. The problem was solved by 1 leadership coach, 1 engineer, 1 architect, and 1 perfusionist.

This brain crew figured out a way to piggy back the trusses vertically up and over the cab of the bobcat. Then by lifting the forks we raised two trusses at a time and drove/walked them down to the cabin. We “Got Er Done” but I would not categorize this in the “fun” category! We’re expecting a call from Macy’s to be a part of next years Thanksgiving parade!

We framed the first gable end wall lying down on the loft floor. We built the full wall, window headers, applied sheathing and Tyvek prior to lifting the wall with the wall jacks. The wall was fairly light but had a mind of its own as it traveled the last 18”-24” standing upright and held in place by the exterior bracing. A few of us had to change our shorts after that memorable moment …

Next, placing said trusses up onto said structure. That took 3 engineers and a leadership coach to design and build a 24’ mast from sandwiched 2x4’s. We secured the mast to the center of the cabin next to the loft. Installed a 10,000 lb winch on the loft floor (Wait, what? You don’t have a spare 10k winch AND battery in your truck? Shame on you … ) and using a pulley on the top of the mast we hoisted each individual truss up onto the side walls. Building a cat walk from the loft to the opposing wall allowed us to walk the trusses across the cabin walls staging them in order for installation. We used the mast to lift 16 sheets of roof sheathing onto the loft floor and to raise the final 2 trusses as well by attaching it on the west gable end wall.

We lifted the trusses in place manually. We placed spacer blocks on our top plates 24”oc. A pulley block we would place over the previously raised truss. With one lucky person, named Dave, pulling on the rope, your’s truly lifting the high end of the truss and help assuring we stayed on the top plates we raised the trusses into place. The only downside is that we work slow and the trusses sat too long on the side walls distorting the tails slightly.  “Oh well”, we did the best we could and straightened what we could.

We raised the walls with half of the sheathing applied. This helped to keep the walls square. We later added the remaining sheathing lapping over the floor plates to tie the structure together. Next we hung as much Tyvek upside down as possible. Its our small way of telling Dupont that their rolls really only unroll one direction and if there marketing department had any brains they would print their logo’s both directions. But because they do not … we actually enjoy putting it on upside down as much as possible.

Gable End Fascia Holder

Truss Drop-In spacer

Fascia & Roof Sheathing Mkay cut the gable end lookouts faster than I could find my hammer then Bob & Mkay worked together installing them. To aid installing the fascia I designed some plywood jigs to provide extra hands which allowed my wife and I to install the fascia. If you look closely you will see that we use jigs and cleats a lot to simplify our tasks. The jigs I build are affectionately known as “DHFDF’s” (Do Hickies For Dum F____^TM).

Next up windows … our windows are a long story themselves. We’ve been collecting windows for our cabin for years. We’ve actually moved them multiple times to/from storage and new homes along the way. The reason for the window fiasco is to save $$$ which we did by purchasing about half of our windows from a construction outlet BMO (Building Material Outlet) in Eagan. BMO is a complete mess and finding matching windows takes an act of god but we did manage to find windows that eventually found their way into our dream cottage.

This past Friday Pella delivered the remaining windows for the cabin. I am still amazed and grateful that they would deliver to our remote property. The delivery truck was larger than expected and was at least 14’ tall so we received some driveway tree trimming gratis from Pella. The driver said he’s seen worse but rest assured the truck will never be quite the same.

Along the way some bonehead (yep, that’s me) bought 2 large windows that were a different color. Fortunately, Wayne the Carb Man is also a fantastic painter who restores corvettes and street rods. Wayne professionally masked off the windows and painted them a lovely Pella PR0151 brown and matched the sheen of the finish perfectly! He’s amazing!!

Get this … after all we’ve done installing windows is actually F.U.N.!!! It’s relatively easy when you have a fantastic ground crew that will prep the Tyvek and apply the sill plate to ready the opening for installation. I’ll spare you the details but I’m somewhat particular on how I prefer to install windows. The windows really change the look of the cottage both inside and out. The change was dramatic. Installing the French double swing door in the basement wasn’t as daunting as we anticipated.

BR & Utility Windows

Walkout Windows & French Door

Crew Photos ... We could not do this without the help of family and friends!!

Whew! That’s all for now folks … I hope you enjoy the blog!

M&M