September 2, 2009

OK, we've been totally derelict. No excuses. Here are some pics to bring you up to date. We're at about 95% completion. A few little things left to do that we set out to do. Forget maintenance. It doesn't count for this blog!

catching up

What??? I haven't added anything since JULY??? Well, in my defense, we've been a little busy . . . Both daughters (and their husbands and children) have moved back to Nebraska, with appropriate attendant hubbub, and we raced like crazy (for us) to get the cabin "habitable" for a week's vacation stay with them. I'll let the pictures bring you up to date. These are from mid-August 2008.



Above: this is from the loft, construction mess all cleaned up prior to kids' arrival

above: these two pictures show the bedroom, partially paneled. I needed to get just enough done so the electricians could do their magic. So, lights are all in (see other photos, too), air conditioners and fans all have power.


above: this is the loft, with drywall in the very peak. The drywall was suggested by friends, and we like it as sort of a contrast to all the wood.


above: this is taken from the loft. You can see the loft light, the ceiling fan, and three sets of track lighting.

July 7-9, 2008

Alisanne & I worked on walls & windows Monday-Wednesday. We really were puzzled as to how to trim our windows, given the non-standard construction of the cabin. I think that on Tuesday,we spent three hours discussing (OK, occasionally arguing) about how it should be done. Since between us we have ZERO experience, what we found to argue about now escapes me . . . . But, anyways the sun always comes up in the morning, and Wednesday morning, we arrived at a solution. It may not be elegant, but it seems to work. So, we now have ONE more or less completed window, and a PLAN for the rest. Pictures below.







Alisanne & I worked on walls & windows Monday-Wednesday. We really were puzzled as to how to trim our windows, given the non-standard construction of the cabin. I think that on Tuesday,we spent three hours discussing (OK, occasionally arguing) about how it should be done. Since between us we have ZERO experience, what we found to argue about now escapes me . . . . But, anyways the sun always comes up in the morning, and Wednesday morning, we arrived at a solution. It may not be elegant, but it seems to work. So, we now have ONE more or less completed window, and a PLAN for the rest. Pictures below.

4th of July weekend 2008

This weekend (4th of July), we got the kitchen paneling up. We didn't waste a panel (much to my surprise), and the lines all match up! Then, we hired John Young (Mary Ells' brother) to install our cabinets. He started around 9am Sunday, and was all done--including cutting out the hole for the sink--by 4:30pm. He had to do some minor plastic surgery (yuk yuk) on the counter, but, like any talented plastic surgeon, made it look better than it had! The water isn't hooked up to the sink yet, but the kitchen looks pretty cool, we think!

June 30 2008

We had a shortened workday, having helped (minor roles) with a wedding Saturday, and going to church today (gotta go once in a while!!). But, as you can see below, we got the vanity into the bathroom, hooked up and operable. Plumbing is quite a mystery to me, despite the allegedly simple 2 rules . . . Also, Alisanne and our friend Beth Haase got a coat of decking coating on the bathroom floor Friday and we put another down today. Picture below. So, on to the kitchen area! Excelsior!!

June 2008 Update

Well, it's not like we've been exactly slothful. Not setting any construction speed records, either! Since December 2007, we have wired, had our rough-in electrical inspection (we passed), got power INTO the cabin (no more running extension cords to the construction box), put a ceiling in the bathroom, had the cabin insulated, driven to Minnesota and back in 2 days to pick up pine tongue & groove paneling (more on that later), bought a drywall hoist we decided we don't need, ordered our kitchen cabinets and counter, got hot water, slept in the cabin overnight three times, paneled the bathroom, and started paneling the kitchen area! It all takes so much time, working a few hours here & there. We forget our camera more often than we remember it (had to use my brother's this weekend), question our sanity for that and other reasons, but we LOVE working on our cabin, and are beginning to think we will actually finish it. Someday. Here are few recent pictures to show where we are. More will get posted on our Picasa sight. Someday . . . . ;<)

Brrrr! B-b-b-back t-t-to w-w-w-work

OK, it's been a while since I've posted. Progress was interrupted by a mini-vacation with my wife, Alisanne. We went to upstate NY, where I had a speaking engagement. We visited Niagara Falls and went to Hammondsport, on Lake Keuka. My mother grew up there. We were blessed with being there at the right time to see the country in all its fall glory! Then, our grandson Adrian's final adoption hearing was November 16, so I surprised Stephanie and Nathan and spent a nice weekend in Bismarck. In there somewhere, I went down on another VERY cold Saturday, and worked just a few hours, mostly organizing and cleaning up.

We had planned on working yesterday, but we had an ice storm and couldn't safely get to the cabin in time to get much done. So, today (Sunday, December 2), Loren, one of my technically skilled brothers in law (Alan, the other equally skilled BIL, was busy with his own construction project!) helped me with interior wiring. Of course, before we ran out of daylight, we ran out of material--both wire and junction boxes--due to my vast inexperience! However, Loren calculated heating equipment needs, feet of still-needed wire, number of boxes, etc and figured out design issues, so in addition to running wire inside, much was accomplished.

Here are some photos of the day. We ran two more lengths of wire under the cabin, but those pictures are boring. I also posted a 10 second video of our baby dragon. Heater. Much needed today, as the wind was 20 knots, gusting to 30, and the outside temperature never got above freezing. The sun was bright but cold! Progress, always progress.

Still more October 14 photos . . .

More photos for October 14 2007 post

I meant to add these earlier, but hit the wrong key.

October 14--Catching up

Our last post was September 9, but we have not been idle all this time: We hung all three interior doors, got the last section of interior wall up (I'm awaiting my table saw so I can trim out the interior, so there is a gap across the top of the wall dividing the living area from bathroom/closet/bedroom), run some wire under the cabin, put up some power receptacles, caulked all the interior, added supports for the angle braces under the loft, and drilled holes for running wire inside the cabin. The plumber has finished getting water to the cabin, all the lines for indoor fixtures, and the requisite on/off and drain valves. Alisanne has painted one interior door and the vanity for the bathroom. While much has been accomplished, there is still much work to do. But, we need that table saw! Here are some photos to bring you up to date. More are available at our Picasa site, link at right.

September 9 2007: Little green visitor

On an otherwise routine visit to the outdoor facilities today, I found this little guy making like spiderman, walking UP the door. Check out the cool suction cup feet. Tree frog. Spring peeper. I'm sure he found lots of tasty critters in the little outhouse on the prairie! Kind of made my day.

September 8-9 2007: The Doors, live at Cottonwood Beach!

My more than able assistant and photographer returned from her unexpected but hugely enjoyed trip to Bismarck to give Stephanie and Nathan some much needed help moving in (and just coincidentally, a huge helping of Nanna time with Adrian . . .) Anyways, even taking time for the closer than necessary Husker victory over Wake Forest and making ice cream and chocolate velvet cake for a belated birthday party, together we installed two doors. This was a much more time consuming task than I would have guessed, insuring everything is plumb and level. But, as we say in these here parts, we gotterdone. Photos of same below. The trim work is next on the list. Oh, and in the middle photo, far left, note the water lines!! Yay. And our septic line is connected. We hope the plumber finishes his work next week. Then we can start hooking up the toilet, shower, lav in the bathroom. Just in time to turn the water off for the winter. Ah, life's little ironies.

September 1-2 2007: Playing under the lights

Saturday September 1, Nebraska opened its football season with a home game. Hence, no work. My able helper got an urgent call to provide relief to some overworked kids in North Dakota before the first half was over. So, after the game, I went to the cabin by myself. A forlorn trip, for sure. Sunday, I started working on the wall between the bedroom and the living room. A friend I hadn't seen in many years, who lives in Germany, dropped in. Catching up after 20 years takes a while, so not much work got done during daylight. I used my brother in law's work lights for the first time, and worked a couple hours after dark so I could feel I got something done. Then Monday (Labor Day) I finished the wall. I had to custom cut--rip-- an 8 foot piece piece using my circular saw, which took a couple of tries. My brothers "made" me quit mid-afternoon and go swimming. I was tired and frustrated enough to not require much encouragement! Here are pictures of that weekend's progress.

We ran out of windows today . . .

Which means EVERY LAST ONE is installed! Huzzah. Hallelujah. Hip hip hooray. Happy Day! We also hung some fake bamboo (read: plastic) sunscreens on the porch. The plumber and electrician both worked this weekend. You can't see much of what the plumber did, as it is all under the cabin. Below are pictures of the electrician's work, the three LAST windows, and the screens. Progress, always progress.