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
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
And now, the installation of interior doors as our DIY progresses to create the Cabin at Many Moons...another milestone in the process of turning a house into a home. We've had reliable heat for months. We have a flush toilet and shower, and a washer and dryer. And now, a door on the bathroom. Yes … Continue reading In-Doors & Outdoors
Sometimes the moon jumps into your eyeballs -- especially when it's full -- and reminds you to Just Stop. Look. Breathe. Notice. Make sure you're living and not just existing. When you're doing DIY construction, it can become a long grind from one task to the next. Each morning, the same questions: What's the top … Continue reading Full Moon, Full Schedule
Now he's a lumberjack. And a sawyer. Jeff had the idea of creating the steps to the loft from a local maple. He's been looking for the right tree for days. Yesterday, the chosen maple came down...all 60 feet of it... along with a hemlock just as tall which was intertwined alongside. Tha-whump! I caught … Continue reading Tha-whump! Two Trees Down.
It's February, and winter still hasn't "arrived" here on the 47th parallel. I'm back at Camp Many Moons in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where wild turkeys waddle out of my path and deer bolt across it. I hear coyotes at night and see evidence of a wild kill underfoot. And where is my attention? On toilets … Continue reading Picking Paints, Flushing Toilets
Our tires get mired in the cold mud. Our bodies get achy in the cold air. We work in jackets, gloves, and warm boots. Yet we soldier doggedly on, with an eye on inspection deadlines. We must pass three before we can insulate, and we want to insulate before the deep cold sets in. If … Continue reading Step by Shivering Step…
Winter arrived early. I usually greet the first snowfall with delight, no matter when it comes--but this year, not so much. When you're building a house and therefore don't have one yet, winter makes things more difficult. Prettier, but also more difficult. However, here it is. So I cleaned out the trailer, climbed a ladder … Continue reading Transitions
House-building is a series of milestones. Foundation done, walls up, trusses in place, roof secure. All those milestones have been met since June. And today, in mid-October, another milestone: windows and doors all in! (Well, almost -- two more decorative ones still to go.) The truck arrived at 10:30, carrying 15 windows and doors. By … Continue reading Windows & Doors! And Colors….
For Many Moons 