Bucket List

If you haven't had an opportunity to relax in a cabin as a steady rain pelts down on a metal roof, you just might want to put this on your 'bucket list'. Such a peaceful sound. If this doesn't relax you, you're too tight.

Wind, snow, blues and fire

Kuma d.o.g. and I hiked to the cabin in the dark through wind and snow. It was rewarding to get behind the door and into the peace and silence of its walls. After lighting some oil lamps, and a fire in the fire place, I wound up the radio and tuned in some blues. Sitting by the fire, a glass of merlot in my hand and my dog at my side made for a relaxing evening. If it gets better than this, I haven't experienced it.

Blues, merlot and a fire.

Loving snow - any snow

My favorite weather event is a snow storm. Riding one out is also my favorite time at the cabin. Unfortunately, southern Ohio doesn't get much snow, let alone an actual snow storm. This winter, we've been lucky to have any days below freezing which means little to no snow. So today I was pleased to awaken and find at least a little snow at the cabin. A toasty fire, a pot of coffee on Beulah and trips out in the cold to fill the feeders makes for a good morning. I know it won't last and most likely will be gone within 48 hours but the little bit we received last night still made me happy. Hopefully before Spring, we will get at least one heavy snow of a foot or more.

Opening the morning blinds revealed the night's deposit.

Cabin friends love when the feeders are refilled. They are getting fat.

Why can't southern Ohio get a real snow event now and then? The winter
of 2012 has been entirely too warm.

Random Thoughts

After dark, Kuma d.o.g. and I walked to ManCamp to fill feeders, check cameras and chill a little on the porch. Returning home, my tongue tried to jump out of my throat. Whatever wild animal left their dung for her to roll in could not be indigenous to southern Ohio! What a nasty surprise. We both had to deal with a cold breeze riding home with the Jeep windows down. 

On a brighter note, the ventless LP heater is still going strong keeping the cabin around 50 when away. Day 20 on the first tank of gas in the 100 pound tank.

log entry

ManCamp log
3-February, 2012 1800 hours
As winter’s sun fades behind western pines, so goes the passing of a difficult week.
Sitting on the porch, a glass of merlot clutched in one hand and Kuma d.o.g. at my side, a flock of geese pass in flight. Drifting to sleep, peace envelops, restoring faith that life is good.

Original cabin sketches

Who would have thought it could be 65 degrees in Ohio on February 1?

I remember -22 degrees on this date once while cold, windy, snowy weather is expected for February in Ohio. I'm sure we'll pay dearly for this weird winter weather pattern with violent Spring storms but we'll take it for now. It certainly made for good porch sitting although an unpleasant noise was interrupting the peace of the woods just above the cabin. In the state forest, heavy timber cutting equipment was select cutting large white oaks on the side of Mt. Pisgah. I guess they no longer use chain saws. It sounded like a dozer with some type of hydraulic device that was simply cutting them off at the ground as a large white oak would fall about every 20-30 minutes.

While going through some files, I found the original sketches from the day we first decided to build a cabin. Sitting with Nic, I took graph paper and sketched the outside views of the cabin. It seems like yesterday that I was asking Nic what he thought and if he concurred with the conceptual design. Once we both agreed, construction began. Now, after completing the build, it was rewarding to find the original sketches to compare to the final product. I've always said its good when a plan comes together. More importantly, having dreams come true is what we all hope to achieve.