Trips to Menard's

In the past two days I've made 4 trips to Menard's for cabin supplies. They have the pine paneling for the ceiling on sale for under $3/board again. I picked up another 400 feet which should be enough to complete over half of the ceiling. The problem isn't getting the lumber, it's finding the time to sand, stain, seal all this stuff before its installed. Also loaded the truck with a bunch of insulation for the ceiling. I really don't think its going to take much to heat the cabin even if I didn't insulate but this will ensure it stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The walls were insulated so it makes sense.

Finally got the kitchen sink drain hooked up. Spent time under the cabin running plumbing for the kitchen and bathroom drains. It was good being able to use the sink; after being under the house, washing off was a simple pleasure.

No help today, Nic was working and Robbie is on a family vacation. Tried to get Brandon out but he was also tied up. Summer seems to be on a downhill slide even as the temperature exceeds 90 again and it's still July. Maybe I just know there is still so much to do and so little time before cold weather.

Kitchen Chimney Completed

Picked the hottest days of summer to work on the roof of the cabin installing Beulah's chimney. Not a smart move for a thick man in the heat. This job was put off for 4 months because I just didn't want to deal with cutting through the overhang and roof to install it. While everyone is talking about the summer's heat, I was thinking about cool fall evenings, a wood stove, a pot of bean soup and corn bread in the oven.  So happy to get this job completed. Robbie helped all day Saturday and spent most of his time on the roof, too. Late in the day when we were both delirious from the heat, I was holding back flashing while he attempted to cut a roofing screw with the reciprocating power saw. It broke through the screw and struck my hand in the palm. Not my day to lose a thumb as I pulled back quick enough that it just bruised and made a superficial abrasion. At ManCamp, personal protective equipment is optional.

Also finished installing the floor tile in the bathroom/utility room. Ready to grout this week.

Lewis Copeland visited before heading back to Nashville. It was great having him perform locally again.

Lewis enjoying the cabin.

A little cabin with 2 chimneys.

New stainless steel kitchen chimney

Riding out the storm

They say it hit 94 degrees with a heat index of 105 today. Sitting on the cabin porch it didn't get above 86 with a light breeze blowing through the trees. The char-wood cooler holds 60 ManCamp beverages on ice; I think I can ride it out.

After filling the feeders, I made a quick trip to town only to return to the largest feeder on the porch empty and swinging violently on it's hook - Ninja Squirrel strikes again.

Heat survival kit.

Slow-Wave Sleep

Took Nic to cabin to enjoy the wildlife with me this evening. After being out late, working and then going for a 2 mile run, he fell into a slow-wave sleep (aka deep sleep) after about 10 minutes on the porch. I think he found it pretty peaceful.

I've given up on trying to figure out how to get rid of the raccoons that enjoy tearing down the bird feeders on the porch. I've decided to harden these assets so we can peacefully co-exist going forward. I took all the feeders down and reinforced the staples with 6D finishing nails. Also replaced the hemp ropes with 10 gauge steel wire. Did the same with the suet feeders and reinforced the latches with a 10 gauge twisted wire. I really don't care if the 'coons climb on top of them for a meal, I just hate to loose the feeders when they fall and break into pieces due to fat butt 'coons on a lard suet diet. I've got to figure out how to lock down the squirrel food supply container though. Their food is kept in a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler with a tight fitting lid under the porch. The 'coons move the cooler and roll it down the hill trying to breach containment. I'm too old and fat to keep running down the hill to retrieve it!

Nic didn't take long to get settled in.

A bird above my head enjoying the suet before
the raccoons show up



A little tacky but functional until something better comes along.
At $6, couldn't pass it up. PC Mall.



Squirrel food container retrieved from bottom of hill
after 'coons rolled it down again

Saturday July 16

There is nothing quite as peaceful as grabbing the weekend papers and sitting on a cabin porch in the woods with a big cup of coffee while blending in with the birds, squirrels and chipmunks at sunrise. I sat from 6 until almost 8 just taking in the new day before finally accepting there was more I needed to do.

Soon I found myself back inside the Piketon indoor flea market. I'm not sure what the attraction is but I keep finding new things there at great prices. I literally hate Chinese junk and how our country has lost it's individuality with the markets flooded with cheap Chinese imitations. Everywhere you go you can find stores and shops filled with this cheap junk. Hobby Lobby is the biggest display locally that I can recall. At least at the flea market you can still find pieces of America from the 50s 60s and 70s that are quality USA built at a great price. Today, I bought another kerosene wall lamp. It was made in USA and is of high quality with a silver reflector plate. I paid $8 for it; on the Internet, these run about $50-$70.

I also found myself back in Chillicothe at the Cellar Antiques on High Street. I still can't believe I bought 4 solid oak kitchen chairs for $20 each there. They really have some very nice pieces. I just don't know where I'd put them in the cabin yet.

I ordered the interim 'toilet' for the cabin off the Internet today. I eventually plan to install an incinerator toilet where the waste is literally burned into dust using LP gas and an incinerator chamber. These are expensive so it will be one of the last cabin investments. Until then, I found a high quality 50 flush toilet that has a 5 gallon hold tank and 3 gallon flush tank with battery powered flush pump. It will suffice until I can put the final toilet in. You have to dump the hold tank when full but that's not such a big deal since the farm has 2 septics with access caps.

Didn't do any work on the cabin today; maybe tomorrow. Still have 100 board feet of ceiling panels stained to put up and then another 100 feet to stain. I plan to get some work done Sunday.

Raccoons are gangstas in the woods

If you spend time in the woods observing nature, you'll discover the community of wildlife is not much different than us. There are predators, opportunist, type-A personalities, welfare recipients, leaders, followers, the meek and the strong. Mel Blanc got it right with his characterization of the coyote when he created Wile E. Coyote. Observing these sneaky creatures takes me back to Saturday morning Looney Tunes; always trying to catch it's prey. The others also have unique and somewhat familiar characteristics.

 If people were reincarnated and returned as animals in the forest, I think I could figure out what they did in their prior lives. Take the raccoon as an example. There is no doubt these animals were sociopathic members of an inner city's underclass; they were the gangsta hit men. They come in, bust up your house, take anything and everything and get pleasure out of their unruliness and destructive ways. Not someone you want for a neighbor. Squirrels on the other hand are more like the classic pickpockets. They possess that special ability which allows the little mischievous rogues to pilfer over and over while being so stealth you seldom see them; you just realize they picked you clean. The chipmunks are more like panhandlers. Meek, having little interest in confrontation, yet always running around looking for hand outs willing to accost and beg from strangers.

Clearly, I'm spending too much time on the cabin porch.

Metal art on the porch

The walk around the pond is always enjoyable

Little Things That Make a Difference

The little things give a cabin in the woods character and personality.

Like making and posting your owns rules that are made to be broken...

Some rules are made to be broken.

Or trimming the kitchen in deer antlers...

At $8/pair, not a significant investment to give
the kitchen unique character.

One of the boys of the hood didn't appreciate his picture being taken from the back side:

Oops. There's a camera.

Saturday morning was the first time since June 11th that Robbie could assist on the cabin project. As we approached ManCamp together, we observed 3 red squirrels, each about half the size of Ninja squirrel, positioned atop the bird feeders hanging from the porch. The tree mounted squirrel feeders were already emptied so they had moved on to clean out the porch feeders. There is no doubt that Ninja Squirrel was the first to eat but was now, with his palate filled, curled up into a fetal position in the top of  a tree for a long morning nap. The squirrels fled in multiple directions with one choosing to scurry up on the porch roof until later jumping into an adjacent tree.

Before starting the task of installing more ceiling panels, we sat on the porch enjoying the peace of the morning. With the squirrels now hid from danger, the birds moved in. Mostly Cardinals, Blue Jays, Finch and many we didn't know. Robbie was amazed at my chipmunk population. Its actually an infestation as there were 10-20 on the trees, in the brush and even on the porch as we sat. I had one that came right up to my chair in search of food.

We spent the day installing about 150 board feet of ceiling panels before calling it quits.

Pike County's Indoor Mall

When a man builds a cabin for himself, it's important to be frugal and not draw unnecessary attention to a depleted joint check book. That is why I do much of my cabin shopping on Craig's List, The Barn on 50 and at Pike County's only indoor shopping mall, the Flea Market below Piketon. I understand, many people I know wouldn't be caught dead in there; but not me. I grew up in PC, I accept the good, the bad and the ugly. It's an opportunity to help someone that may be less fortunate. I don't shop at the card tables where the chain saws, air compressors and weed eaters are worth more than the car they came in; we know where this stuff came from. Nic and I enjoy walking through the multiple buildings looking for something that will add a new dimension to our project from vendors that have credibility. This weekend, I found a man selling hand painted bamboo wind chimes from Indonesia for $7.00. You can have your big city prices, come on, $7.00? I paid more for my Sunday papers and a Tim Horton's coffee! Unfortunately I didn't find what I was looking for- chairs for the kitchen table. After another unsuccessful stop at The Barn on 50, I went to The Cellar in Chillicothe. The lady there had 4 old, oak kitchen chairs for $20 apiece. Good quality stuff is out there, you just have to look for it.

I've spent much of the weekend sanding, steel wooling, vacuuming and staining ceiling boards after staining and installing the kitchen base boards. After 2 tubes of silicone, I dare an ant or a spider try sneaking in under the boards around the wall or under the sink cabinets. Now have another 300 board feet of ceiling panels ready for the second and third coats of stain/poly. Hope to install them this next weekend.

It is nice having a TV with DVD when working in the kitchen. Caught the movie, "Brooklyn's Finest" while cutting, staining and installing the base boards.

$7 bamboo wind chime from Pike County's flea market

Table and oak chairs. Need to refinish but this can wait
until fall.

TV and DVD hooked up in kitchen for when there's need for convenience.