Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone health, happiness, prosperity, peace, & joy in the coming year.

We've  accomplished much since embarking on this journey. We've enjoyed the work - with the exception of the roofing. We've had help from family & friends and appreciate everything everyone did for us.  
Thank you.

The new year is a time for reflection and setting goals for the coming year. This blog is a wonderful way to look back over the year and see how far we've come. It's not just about the accomplishments. The memories we made and the joy of working together building our cabin will be with us always.  Spending time together, appreciating each others' company, is part of what makes this so special. For every log laid and every spike driven there is a laugh, a cooling breeze on a hot summer day, a hawks' call, rain, a scrape, a bruise and a ****, a leaf falling, a sunset, snowflakes, cold fingers, warm coffee, conversation, prayers for clouds & sticky feet on the roof, wildflowers, deer tracks, trees swaying in the wind, blue sky, caterpillars, contemplation, life. May you enjoy and appreciate every minute.

Inside photos

 

Here's a peek at the inside of the cabin. The walls need to be sanded and the window and door openings are covered in plastic. We hope to start work in February on the inside. Bob bought a small propane heater and we'll have to plastic the ceiling to keep the heat in. We put a for sale sign outside the house in Haverhill  - no telling how long it'll take to sell. I've got to get to work on the website for that.

We beat the snow!

Last weekend Bob & his brother Kenny got the roof finished. Another milestone completed - and before the snow arrives. This was much harder than we thought. Even though it's one story, the pitch is enough that it's difficult to walk up and the tin is slippery in the cold weather. Thank god it's done. Every time Bob was up there I was praying for his shoes to be like glue. Now maybe he'll  take a break - he needs it. But he's also hard-headed. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Roofing

We've been working since Wednesday to try to get the roof finished. We did take Thanksgiving Day off. Kenny came down on Friday and worked with us for 3 days.  We got the drip edge on, tin on the back of the house completed and started the front. The back was the worst part. If you check out the pictures closely you'll see the snow that came in on Saturday afternoon.

Bob at the top & Kenny on the staging.

Kenny

Back roof complete!

It's starting to look like home - on the outside!

Still roofing

Last weekend we set up staging and laid plywood. Tomorrow we should finish the plywood and paper and start the drip edge. I'm not much help to Bob on the roof - he doesn't trust me up there. Afraid I might fall off. We're always up for volunteers to help out - especially if anyone is interested in helping put the tin on. You'll be rewarded with good karma and lunch!

Trusses are up!

Thanks to everyone who came over yesterday. We appreciate the work you all did. We got the trusses up and 2/3 of the front side sheathed. Bob was up on the roof today - in the snow - papering. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll be able to get the roof completed - tin & all.

Trusses are in

Trusses arrived Friday, Oct 12. We're prepping and will soon be placing them and getting the roof on. Need to get this buttoned up before snow flies. Bob is hanging in there. He'll need surgery - the knee isn't healing. He's going to wait until late winter - too much to do now.

Framing & Clearing

Spent the last couple of days framing the windows & doors and clearing tress for the power lines. We also prepped an area for the trusses - they should be delivered sometime this week.

Milestone # 4!

With Fred's help we were able to get the logs completed this weekend! 

Yeah!

 Bob's managed to get around OK with his brace. We're about 3 weeks behind schedule but we did it. Tomorrow the trusses get ordered. Be forewarned - we'll be recruiting help to get the roof on in a few weeks.

Last weekend...

Kenny & Fred came over and helped out. Thanks guys!
A thank you to Dale for the loan of the staging. It's made life a lot easier. 

Bad News...

Bob had an MRI on Saturday and got a call today - he tore his MCL & ACL! He can't do anything halfway. PA's recommendation - let the MCL heal - 6-8 weeks. Then see if the ACL has healed - unlikely - if not, schedule surgery for the ACL. He's calling to get a second opinion on other options. No matter how you look at it this puts a huge dent in our plans. Once we have a plan in place for his healing - then we'll get a plan together to get the cabin closed up for winter. We've got to get the last courses laid and the roof on.
 It could be worse - he could've broken his neck. Stay tuned....

That's a knee immobilizer...

on Bob's right leg. No, he didn't do it working on the new house. He had this little accident working on the old house. Long story short, he lost his balance while on the tailgate of the truck, tried to get it back by stepping into the wheelbarrow and went "ass over teakettle" onto the ground. This occurred Monday evening. Tuesday AM we went to the emergency room at Cottage Hospital. No broken bones, lots of swelling (on his leg Guindon) and he has to go back on Tuesday for a possible MRI. We were going to finish up the log laying this weekend - I took off Thursday & Friday so we could finish up, the weather is supposed to be beautiful too. Oh well. Now my task is to keep him occupied so he doesn't find some way to wield his chainsaw in that brace. Maybe we'll take a road trip on Friday....

Last week Bob got quite a bit of work completed. By the weekend we were on the 2nd to last course of logs about 2/3 of the way around the perimeter. Almost ready to order the trusses.

The bottom 2 courses are below the floor. There will be 2 courses above the doors & windows.

Getting higher

Saturday - stapling insulation layer

Front door opening

Side door opening

Sunday - 2 more courses and we'll be laying logs across the window openings

The center wall is at height where our next course will go over the window openings

We're getting to the point that we have staging to lay the logs. That takes more time and so we didn't get as much accomplished as Bob would have liked this weekend, but we're moving along. We're going to get the entire structure to the point that our next row of logs will go across the top of the window openings. Oh - by the way, if you haven't noticed the leaves are starting to change...

Back to work Tuesday

We got home from our trip on Monday evening and were back at the home site on Tuesday morning. By the end of today we got to the halfway point for laying logs - 9 courses complete.

Tuesday - looking in through spare bedroom window

Wednesday - back of the house

Thursday - having to use staging now

Can't get any more level than this!

Break time...

Went on a short trip to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada and the Maine coast for 5 days. Had a good time, weather was great, tent camping was not. We can no longer sleep on the ground - even with really good air mattresses. So one night in the tent and we found a great cottage right on the bay, reasonably priced, with a real bed - ah! From now on it's the motorhome - or motorcycle and hotel or cottage. Check out the pics..

Sunset on Bay of Fundy from Pollock Cove Cottages

E. Quoddy Head Lighthouse Campobello Island

Flowers in the fog on Campobello

Can we possibly get another thing loaded on this bike?

A Typical Day for Bob

1. Bob gets up & has breakfast 8am
2. Goes over to take care of Ma
3. Takes the dump truck to the land to load a cord of wood - on the way the exhaust falls off
4. Gets the backhoe going, pulls up to the woodpile, loads the bucket with wood, the motor seizes on the hoe
5. Loads the cord of wood into the dump truck - way over his head - by hand
6. Pulls the backhoe out of the way with the bulldozer - it overheats - the waterpump goes
7. Goes home, drops the dump truck and goes to Napa for parts to fix the exhaust
8. Fixes the exhaust on the dump and the manifolds were leaking
9. Fixes the manifolds
10.Goes over to take care of ma
11. Has dinner
12. Sits down at 8:30 pm

Ain't retirement great!

Starting to look like a cabin!

Working on the layout

July 22, 2012 - 5 courses complete

Glad to get back to work and get a break from the heat!