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!
When doing a DIY building project, there's the big stuff and the small stuff. The big stuff is rather fun. It's the small stuff, like finding the right screws, that can drive you nuts. So I've given up, for now, on finding the tiny screws to attach the new knobs to my vanity. The knobs … Continue reading Screw It
It's a phenomenon I haven't felt since retiring, this driving need to stay on task. Set daily priorities, accomplish them, evaluate, adjust. Next? When we set out on this ambitious DIY building process, Jeff promised to give it a year. Is that even possible, I wondered, without a contractor? When I know nothing about building … Continue reading On Task
Average annual snowfall here on Huron Bay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is about 100". This year? I can't find the total-to-date, but it can't be more than 20. When it does show up, it's not much and doesn't last. Snowmobiles are grounded. Skiis and snowshoes sit unused. The ice on the bay comes and goes. … Continue reading A Strange Winter
For Many Moons 