Siding Going Up!

by marjasisu, posted in Camp Many Moons

Whew. What a joy to cover up that white plastic sheeting we’ve been looking at for months. My new cabin is finally getting its skin…brown skin, to help it blend into nature’s background.

Almost one year after we began this “let’s build a house” nuttiness, the outside is starting to look like the vision in my head. Siding is another of those big choices for new-home construction. I put months into deciding, and the first delivery was faulty. So it’s a relief to like what I see.

And the kitchen cabinets have arrived! The story continues below, as The Cabin at Many Moons continues to emerge on Huron Bay.

I took this picture of the Flower Moon rising in front of the house a day after returning to the far-north. to remind myself of my priorities. This whole project, siding included, is to enjoy nature in comfort. If I forget to notice nature, what’s the point?
I arrived after dark, exhausted after my 1,000-mile drive, so didn’t notice the partial siding until the next morning. Jeff hired “the crew” while I was gone and wanted to surprise me. This is the west side, with 1/4 of the siding on…
…and a day later, the west side is half-covered while the north side is done. I love the colors! (DiamondKote DuoBlend in Canyon, trimmed in Grizzly.) After living for months with samples — moving them here and there in different lighting — and the faulty first shipment and replacement, it’s a relief to love it. The shade changes with the lighting.
The south side was half-covered when I arrived…
…and nearly done a day later. You’ve probably seen new houses covered for months in that white Tyvek polyethylene wrap. We’ll be glad to see the last of it!
The siding looks almost orange in the sunlight here but is actually the same color as the photo above, which looks dark-brown under the porch roof.
The kitchen cabinets arrived two days after me, from Minnesota. We watched to see if the big truck would injure another tree while backing into the driveway. (I’ve lost or injured a few trees that way, and you know how I love my trees.)
No trees injured, and the truck slid by the trailer left by the siding crew (who will return soon to finish the job).
My order arrived in 29 boxes. It’s a small kitchen, so I wonder what the delivery looks like for big houses and kitchens.
While the crew unloaded, Jeff and I hustled to open the boxes and check all the pieces. And of course I wanted to see if I chose the right color.
Yes. I did. These are Cardell cabinets from Menards, in their approximate future location. The wood is maple, the style Glenwood, the color praline. They perfectly compliment the colors in the knotty-pine ceiling. (The island in the middle isn’t yet wrapped.) I ordered samples before choosing the color, which helped a lot.
What a relief (yes, that word again) to know it was a good choice even before they are in place, because you never know if the picture in your head will become your actual experience. (Isn’t that the way with all ideas, visions, and hopes? There’s always a risk that the outcome won’t match the idea.)
I’m not much good with siding, or cabinets (Jeff is figuring out those with his usual aplomb), so found work in front of the house, splitting and piling more wood. We burn it in the house, the fire pit, and the tiny trailer (where I sit while writing this since the house isn’t furnished).
In my four days here, the weather’s been mixed. Last night, clouds lifted before sunset to illuminate the hills across the bay, which are turning fully green. All was green when I left the East Coast last week, and it’s a joy to watch it become green here in the far-north.
Another random project…moving and sealing Roscoe’s dog house, which he declines to use. Maybe because another dog used it before him, or because of a few gaps, or because it was too close to the water? He seems to be asking, “What are you doing in there?” I was sealing it up from inside, but also adding my scent in hopes it will entice him in. Not so far. (See that rock on the right corner? “Koira” means dog, in Finnish.)
And an ongoing project…pulling bull thistles. They grow tall and prickly and take over quickly if you don’t stay on it. I’d rather be outdoors than in so I don’t mind this task. Besides, landscaping is the next big project. But, one thing at a time! Before that, kitchen appliances to choose and buy, a few more lighting choices, flooring for the loft, sealer and baseboard for the main floor…it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but I’ve had practice at this process and Jeff as my partner. He gave me a year, and that “deadline” is just days away. Lucky for me, he’s still going strong and promises to stick with it. Thank you, Jeff! We’ll see it through!

2 thoughts on “Siding Going Up!”

  1. Iā€™m loving these choices! You have done such a great job and itā€™s all coming together!! The siding is perfect and the kitchen cabinets blend so well with the window trim, ceiling, etc.! Kudos!!!

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