Really, I am still just a long-haired country boy – at heart. Oh, sure, the hair is not long anymore. Hell, the hair is barely there anymore. The body cannot do what it used to. The light is still on, but sometimes the old codger living within is out for a stroll. Still, that long-haired-country-boy-spirit, of hard work and willingness to tackle a challenge, persists.
And so it was this spirit motivated me and a life-long, back-woodsy friend of mine, to tackle the challenge of constructing what had only been a dream, and do it in a fashion well beyond what had been either of our individual dreams. To put our tents in the attic and build a cabin in our favorite neck of the woods from the reclaimed lumber of an old, washed-up, single-lane, wooden bridge.
Ice Blankets the Trees Around the Cabin after a December, 2013 Ice Storm
The individual posts in this blog chronicle the 287 days it took (with a little help here and there from friends and family) to see our dream to fruition. I hope you enjoy our story, and our journey!
From Creek to Cabin in 287 Days 
What an awesome journey this has been! I look forward to reading your words… your story of this amazing endeavor. For I know what a beautiful writer and storyteller you are!
I’m glad you feel that it’s been awesome. It would really suck, if you thought that it sucked… 😉
Love the idea. I’m from Concord, Mass, where you know, Henry David Thoreau spent some quality time in a cabin in the woods. Great story, yours and his! Lousia
Thank you for the compliment Louisa! It has been a great experience, which we also thought would make a good story.
And thanks for stopping by to visit my blog.
Great project, well done, would love to do something like that myself some day
Thanks Neil! I must say, it has easily been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever accomplished.
You have done a great job, hope you get to relax there and enjoy all you hard work
Thanks again Neil. We will be relaxing there again starting in October. In the mean time, we have been working on the kitchen – building rustic, open cabinets with countertop and sink, and shelving. We have no running water or electricity, but we do have propane for the cook stove and heaters, and a French drain for our sink!
I always enjoy your blog and its my pleasure to pass along the WordPress Family award http://neilirving73.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/wordpress-family-award/
Thank you Neil! Obviously, I need to get back to work on this blog. It’s been quite awhile since I last posted, but I have been enjoying time at the cabin the last couple months during deer hunting season. In fact, I’m just in for Thanksgiving dinner and headed back out to the cabin tonight to spend the rest of the weekend.
That sounds fantastic hope you all have a good Thanksgiving dinner and weekend
You too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Nice cabin you have there, I’m green with envy! Enjoy, You deserve it.
Thanks Donnie! We have been enjoying it quite a bit during this hunting season already. Still, when we are sitting around and having a drink after supper, we tend to find ourselves looking around the cabin with a lot of pride, and reliving the labor of love that was the whole construction process. We also see where there is work to do yet, and wind up game-planning our approach to getting that done – hand-rails on the porch steps, maybe some porch railing, a few more cedar supports for the front gable, pony walls on each side of the loft, insulating the gable ends and roof…
What a wonderful place! If I ever get the chance to come visit Lori, then I hope to be able to see the cabin, and all your hard work in person. What a beauty! 🙂
Thank you very much Lynda! Hoot and I are both pretty darn proud of it!
Wow the cabin looks great! I love the front porch and use of the knotty logs. Beautiful! I love the whole rustic look of it, I don’t know why I’ve never taken a stroll on over to the about page to look before… Looks so warm and inviting! What a fantastic project!
Thanks Cassandra! It has been a most rewarding project. I actually miss working on it sometimes! But we do have more we want to do – both inside and out – like handrails on the porch steps, maybe some cedar porch railing, skirting around the foundation and, on the inside, insulating and finishing the gable ends and ceiling…