I spent on quartz but saved on mulch. That's how the mind works during pay-as-you-go DIY homebuilding. Always a mental negotiation re. costs. And it is more of a home each week, as we enter our 2nd building summer. The quartz countertops have arrived on Huron Bay, and I love them. (Jeff loves the look … Continue reading Mulch & Countertops
Nature continues to entertain us as the kitchen takes shape in the Cabin at Many Moons, on the waterfront in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Cabinets are in and countertops are on the way! We are now one year into this building project. (For Day 1, see this post.) It's consuming but tolerable, since we are surrounded … Continue reading Cabinets Are In!
Siding done. Yes! Attention now turning outdoors again...to piles of gravel and wood, and the tiniest bird to grace Camp Many Moons. See also, below, a cameo appearance by our domesticated animals.... With siding all on, the Cabin at Many Moons actually looks like a cabin, both from the road... ...and from the water. Notice … Continue reading Big Piles & Tiny Birds
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 … Continue reading Siding Going Up!
Croatia on the Adriatic Sea is one of the most interesting countries in the world. Forged in war, it shares borders with five countries. Its older citizens have strong memories of the latest war, in the 1990s, and remember America's role in helping end it. (We remain close military and economic allies.) Its younger citizens … Continue reading Adriatic by E-Bike – Pt 2
Travel to a new area opens both eyes and minds. It builds perspective and empathy. It can even build fitness. At least that was the idea behind my recent bike-and-boat trip to Croatia on the Adriatic Sea -- my 3rd overseas trip involving bicycles and 2nd involving both a bike and a boat. But this … Continue reading The Adriatic By E-Bike – Pt. 1
Window trim. Lighting. Floor sealant. Shelves. While we await installation of siding and arrival of kitchen cabinets, there's plenty of "fine work" to do. Even though we're 1,000 miles apart right now, Jeff and I continue to partner on everything. I'm shopping/buying and he's installing. The big leaps (laying foundation, erecting trusses, etc.) are more … Continue reading DIY Home-Building: The Fine Work
Every choice has consequences -- often several levels of them -- and the challenge is to imagine those consequences in advance. This certainly applies to house-building. Less than a year ago, we began building The Cabin at Many Moons. Many choices later, it continues to come alive. The nerves (electrical system) and vital fluids (plumbing) … Continue reading Third-Level Effects
During DIY, mistakes will happen. Things will spill, break and not fit where they should. This post is about those. (For more uplifting views of spring snowfall and dogs, scroll on down.) When Jeff and I were doing The Great Loop, I tried to post occasionally about the challenges of living on a small boat … Continue reading DIY Oopsies
Warm and cozy, just as I hoped. It took two guys about five days to get it up. It's a lot of wood. The addition of the ceiling helps the Cabin at Many Moons finally look like a cabin. The wood installation isn't done yet, but I couldn't resist showing some pictures now. For those … Continue reading Ceiling’s Up!
For Many Moons 