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
What kind of wood (lumber) to put on the vaulted ceiling of the Cabin at Many Moons? And where is the snow, anyway? Those questions distracted me (in Virginia) and Jeff (in Michigan) for weeks. Finally, both questions are answered as we continue our long-distance DIY home-building collaboration. Winter officially arrives Dec 21 in the … Continue reading Wood & Winter
It worked. The water flowed. Hot. In the floor. The Cabin at Many Moons has heat! Six months ago today, we laid orange tubing into sand that would become a foundation and, eventually, a house. (The report of that day is posted here.) Today, those same tubes began to carry the hot water that will … Continue reading Heat Underfoot!
In my 60s, I'm more and more attracted to browns. I wonder why, since I once preferred reds and blues? I think one reason is my increasing immersion in nature. I find the earthy colors calming. That's why the Cabin at Many Moons is planned around them. This is a fortunate trend in late-autumn since … Continue reading Beautiful Browns
While insulators rescued the house from cold weather, we rescued our meadow from a fallen spruce. The house is now warm and the meadow is now clear. An industrious day. Photos and captions below. (To read about the house-building process from the start, put "The Build Begins" into the search box at bottom.) Strong winds … Continue reading Clean-Up & Open-Cell…
You're wondering what gunshots have to do with windows? Just that I'm hearing them...close, too...as we put the last windows into the new house today. It's duck-hunting season, and this house sits on a bay that's beloved by ducks and therefore by hunters. I'm not against hunting when done respectfully. I'm not afraid of weapons; … Continue reading Gunshots & Last Windows
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….
While building my house on Huron Bay, we live in a trailer. I call it a camper. So I guess we are "camping" -- even though, in my experience, camping requires a tent. I've been living this way for several months a year, over 4-5 years. I love camping, whether by tent or trailer. In … Continue reading Autumn Camping
For Many Moons 