Thinking of Thoreau

As our nation divided several years ago, an assumption seemed to grow alongside that divide…that you can be an intellectual personal or a practical person but not both.

I think you can be both. Henry David Thoreau was both.

He’s the latest American writer to absorb me while doing the practical cabin-building work at Camp Many Moons. I like to listen to a good book during repetitive or physically-challenging tasks. Coincidentally, I’m listening to Thoreau’s account of his own DIY cabin-building.

It’s easier to build now than when Thoreau constructed his 10×15 cabin on Walden Pond in 1845 since we have modern tools. But some things seem the same. He listened to the sounds of wildlife while working and so do we. He tried to stick to essentials and so am I. (Well, sorta. The big covered patio and heated floor might not be considered essential!) He kept down costs through self-labor and so are we. He borrowed a tool or two, and so are we — though I just ordered several new tools since it’s not nice to borrow for long. He complained about inflation and we notice it, too…well, Jeff does, as I have little idea what construction items used to cost. I just keep writing checks and hope it’s all worthwhile, since it’s the most expensive “adventure” I’ve done so far.

Thoreau lived in his little cabin for two years, living as much as possible off the land. But he also went to Harvard and studied Greek and Latin, believing everyone should know those languages. And his writings are deep! Like I said, an intellectual and a practical person.

My head hurts more than my body lately, especially since I’m now researching not just windows but also siding, shingles and patio materials. I’ve been doing that for awhile, and more research seems to confuse me more. Each company extols its product as the best, and how am I to know? I read reviews, but how many can one person absorb in an hour? I ask “the experts” — big suppliers and contractors — but they mainly promote the stuff they know best. I ask those who’ve “done it,” but their opinion is based on their own experience and taste, not mine. Like doing The Great Loop, building a cabin is indeed exciting but definitely not all fun.

While I do all this mental work about choices, Jeff does his engineer’s version of it. I see clearly now that he has an “engineer’s mind,” solving problems systematically, whereas I meander through them and pick up inputs from here and there until a solution emerges. Consequently, Jeff moves much more quickly than I do from thought to result. And he likes to keep his hands busy whereas I prefer more of a head-hand balance. I might be more like Thoreau, who said “I don’t want my hands to be any busier than they have to be. My head is my hands and feet.”

Enough of my ruminations for now! Maybe your head hurts, now, too. 😉 More photos and captions below, featuring those labor-saving tools that Thoreau did without, as we take advantage of the short U.P. summer and keep on keepin’ on…

Reminders of related posts:

To read about the origins of this parcel of land, click here.

To read about the construction process from its beginning, click here.

To read about The Great Loop from the beginning, click here.