Going Gable

The original plan was to give Arthur’s room a shed slanted roof.  But that has changed now, its gone gable!

A few more 2 by 8’s, and a few more sheets of plywood later, Arthur so far has the better bedroom in the house.   The master suite is just big enough for a bed and a few shelves…but then again, I will have an office / craft room and an organized kitchen and Kevin has his living room view so it’s all good …

And, yes, we broke down and bought plywood, couldn’t find big enough trees LOL!  J

~Cheryl 

It's Like Trees In The Sky

It’s like trees in the sky

It’s beautiful.

The moments unfold more gradually these days. I’ve been temping 8 to 5 come lately and around 6.30 in the AM Kevin tells me of his daily plans. Yesterday it was rafters.

I often think how his day is going and about what progress he has made. I was delighted with the sight that greeted me as I drove down our road and pulled into the gravel drive.

These 11 rafters that reach into our woodland skies will roof the living room and Arthur’s loft.

I imagine myself inside the dry walled in house and making decisions on where to place the furniture Kevin will build. I envision a rustic luxury of open space, of abundant cabinets and built in bookshelves. I wonder at my bare feet on hard wood floors cut from local timber. I marvel at the idea of coffee on the deck overlooking the surrounding woods and lake. And I am fascinated that Kevin has already picked out where our Christmas tree will sit.

Reality Check: All the milling of logs that Kevin and Arthur accomplished this last summer in preparation for this build has dwindled. Kevin’s board count for the framing was almost spot on, but now I find him calculating his needs for the remaining rafters, roofing and a few minor interior walls. Already he’s pulled in logs from down the road and 2 huge pines that stood less than 100 yards from the new house site. I keep telling him no more clearing on our property, but apparently thinning is a different concept.

Our house is made of trees I’ve seen, touched and watched morph into something equally as beautiful that reaches upwards just like them.

My trees in the sky.

It’s beautiful.

~Cheryl

Framing Package Countdown Commences

Using logs from local fall off our Count Down begins.

Framing package $3000.00

Boards cut to date:  $138.00

It has always been our dream to design and build our own home.

With the foundation poured and cinder blocks laid to form the back 2 walls, the framing package has taken us on a different journey.

We’d had trees milled into boards in the past. Now we have the capacity to do it ourselves.

Our ‘Green’ mill.

The chunk of wood on the mill is called a cant.  The boards are cut from this.

Also note the red and gray swing set frame behind the mill covered with a tarp that keeps freshly cut lumber weather safe until it is transported to the drying stacks.

Kevin is currently enhancing the mill to accommodate cutting board lengths up to 20 feet.

~ Cheryl
Kevin is also going to make some modifications such as a power travel and power up and down, pushing that thing all is quite the chore...

~Kevin