Follow me as I build my very first cabin.
July 31 to August 2, 2020 My plans for the weekend were simple–finish painting. Nothing more. Oh, and maybe re-level the cabin. But that was it. I’d already picked up two gallons of tinted Kilz Original oil-based primer, which should be more than enough for one last coat, plus three…
View More Night Mission
July 24 to 26, 2020 This was the weekend to prime the second floor. I was nervous about it. I don’t like heights. At all. It took four months before I even felt comfortable standing on the third rung of my six-foot ladder. And the top of the second floor…
View More Bathing with Crawdads
July 17 to 19, 2020 The weather had been amazingly beautiful all week. And, as luck would have it, the weather forecast called for another two weeks, both in Olympia and in the Olympic Rain Forest. Hooray! Time for good weather projects! After a lot of research and thought, I…
View More Sweatpants Gray
May 8 to 10, 2020 I needed a break from peopling, so took Friday off work and headed out to River Song. My plans included installing the new emergency exit upstairs, , rebuilding the mudroom roof, laying laminate flooring downstairs, building a compost bin, and attacking that fallen red alder…
View More Three Days, Two Nights
May 2 & 3, 2020 My first night in my new cabin! I said last week I was finished with Phase I, which to me is the cabin’s shell. The foundation, frame, walls, and roof are all in. (Almost! The mud room/loo still has a “redneck roof,” but I’m in…
View More My First Night
Saturday and Sunday, April 25 & 26, 2020 As usual, I waited all week for the weekend, eager to get going with my latest building plans. Also, as usual, I woke up Saturday morning, dreading my to-do list. It’s not like it is extensive. Rather, it’s hard. Hard, heavy work.…
View More End of Phase One
Saturday, April 18, 2020 I planned today as a light-duty weekend. It’s only been a week since my hand landed me in the ER, and it is not healed enough yet for me to use it much. However, next week is calling for rain, so I do want to finish…
View More Finishing the Roof
April 11 and 12, 2020 We knew that was coming, didn’t we? The weekend started out like any other lately. I was up early and at River Song by about 8:30. My plans for the weekend included finishing installing the upper floor OSB and fixing the metal roof. After I…
View More A Ladder, a Roof, & a Trip to the ER
April 4 and 5, 2020 Another busy weekend working on my cabin! This weekend’s plans include adding the second floor and a roof. I picked up another truckload of 2x4s from Home Depot earlier in the week and already had all four upper walls framed and ready for installation. By…
View More Adding the Second Floor & Roof
Saturday, March 28, 2020 Like many people around the world, I feel like I’m going nuts being locked up inside all the time. Fortunately, I have a place to get away from all this madness while also practicing social distancing. And also, fortunately, building supply stores are still considered “essential…
View More Adding a Window & Toilet