Happy Anniversary!

No it's not my wedding anniversary. Today marks the 1 year date since I moved to West Jefferson to begin the journey of building our dream mountain cabin. Don't misunderstand, it hasn't taken a year to build, it's just a special day marking my arrival in Ashe County.

August 18, 2011

I little flashback for those that forgot...the photo to the right was taken just as I arrived near town. What you're not seeing is the truck loaded with camper in tow. I was heading into West Jefferson for the very first time. I ended up that night at a campground near town.

Darlene was in an apartment in Raleigh anxious to finish out her last year teaching (June 2012) so my departure was bittersweet.

I had our plans in hand, the funds to build, a few people I knew in the area and that was it.

August 17, 2012

Jump ahead 1 year later and things have changed dramatically. The cabin is almost near completion. The photo to the left shows the electrical cable being buried from the house to the workshop. The workshop is 125' from the house (a good distance if one ever wanted to hide ;^) ).

The guys were back to finish the final grading around the cabin and set the electrical line in also. We've had temporary power for awhile but will be glad to get full power in the next few weeks.

We added some more crush 'er run to the driveway. Crush 'er run is a mix of gravel and other stuff that compacts well and holds up to rain and the weather. We decided not to have the drive paved with asphalt for two reasons...the expense and it doesn't fit with our wanting to keep the cabin rustic.

As you can see, a lot has happened since August 18, 2011...

We see the reality of our plans, the funds are gone, and we have met lots of really nice folks.

For those that don't know, Darlene retired in June from a great 30 year career in education. She does miss the kindergartners but after a short search she's found someone that still needs teaching. I have taken on yet another career change. I was recruited to serve as general manager and CFO for Ashe High Country Realty in West Jefferson. I've been there since July 2, 2012. The business is moving along right on schedule. For those wondering, this is my last career change...I think.

More coming,
D&z

Wet and Wild

Yesterday was Monumental.


Why...because the electricians came to tie in all of the electrical fixtures and setup the panel box. That in itself is a big deal BUT they asked if we wanted the power connected to the cabin. Of course we did but didn't think we were quite ready for such a leap. By 4:30 we had power to our outlets and lights.

Now for those of you that live with electrical power, hot water, running water, showers, tubs, sinks, dishwashers, etc. then you better appreciate those luxuries. An added plus that came with our new found power is the ability to pump water from our well to the cabin.




Again, Monumental! The switch was thrown for the pump and within a few minutes our storage tank was full and we were hosing everything and everybody in sight.

I've harbored a silent fear that once power was tied to the pump we wouldn't have water. The well is about 200' downhill from the cabin and it takes a lot to push that water up the hill into our cabin. I was afraid the pump, submerged 150' into the well, wouldn't be able to shoot it up 150' and then up again another 200'.

My fear was unfounded. The switch was thrown, the storage tank at the cabin started to softly vibrate and within 3 minutes water was flowing like a class 5 rapid.

Now that we have water we don't have to gather our 5 gallon buckets in the truck, drive across the street to our neighbor to fill up anymore. WE HAVE WATER!!!!

Today, our plumber is coming to make sure all is tight when we open the valve to the rest of the house... and that means we'll have water at all the sinks, tub, shower and toilets.

So, the next time you wash your hands, take a shower, or read an interesting book in the bathroom...appreciate your power and water.

More coming,
D&z

Plugging along

We continue to plug along. We completed all the painting that we can reach without a sky hook this past weekend. The cabin exterior is finished up to the wrap around porch and the sheep shed pictured has it's paint, trim and barn quilt.

The plumber is coming today to connect all of the sinks, toilets, tub, hot water heater, pressure tank and well. This gets us one step closer to getting our OK to 'officially' move in. The next step will be the electrician to finish all of his connections.

Once plumbing and electrical are out of the way, we have to have a fireproof drop ceiling added to the basement, gutters, finish the last of the deck railing, add some handrail inside and we should be ready to get our power turned on and water running. We both love camping but we're ready to have some form of normalcy in our lives again.Winning the NC Education lottery would speed up the process considerably...fingers crossed!

More coming,
D&z

p.s. for those wondering: the big D represents Darlene, the supervisor and the little z represents the worker bee!

Tubs, the naked truth and rocks

Kyle and Olesea dropped by to pick up 'Ada' their Roddy after being on vacation for two weeks. We decided that if anyone comes to visit we put them to work. It took four of us to haul our 300 pound cast iron tub from outside up three levels...but we did it! The tub is shown resting, along with the rest of us, in its place in the master bath.

Speaking of baths, we've gotten questions on how we are able to prepare meals, where we get our water from, do we have a 'functioning' toilet and do we take showers? I'll attempt to answer all of these intriguing questions in their order:

1. We have our little camper set up behind the workshop, out of sight, and it serves as our chuck wagon of sorts. We have a small refrigerator the size of a breadbox, a 2 burner gas stove, no oven. Darlene makes some good, good meals in the chuck wagon.
2. Water comes from our across the street neighbor. We load up our five 5 gallon buckets and drinking containers, fill them with water, and then transport them on the back of the truck to the basement. They are used for #3 below, actually #1 and #2.
3. We do have one toilet that is hitched up and functional. It is luxury compared to our old port-a-potty. The water for the toilet is carried up a level from the basement and used as flush water.
4. Do we take showers...you be the judge!

Part of our water ritual is to fill up our shower bag. The bag is then placed on some logs along our driveway, in the sun. Half a day later we have hot water for a shower. If we had lots of clouds, then the water isn't as hot. We hang the bag from the under carriage of the deck and presto...a shower.

You have to keep an ear out for visitors...don't want to scare anyone.

p.s. the black diagonal bar finally came off after two showers :-)

p.p.s. I'm also known as 'the silver haired Chippendale' around these parts.

Recently we struck a deal with some stone masons to install our foundation stone. They've worked for a week and will finish up this coming Monday. All of the rock came from our property or our mountain. Each piece hand picked by Darlene and me. Rock collection started a week before the masons started. We continued to gather rocks while they worked. We count 25 loads of stone. Each load had to be hand carried to a point nearby the work area. Lots of work but well worth the effort.

Our walls actually look like an old hand crafted cabin foundation while most of the cabins on the mountain use flat stones layed flat on the walls with large mortar gaps, a much easier, more conventional, less appealing way to finish the walls.

We have one more stone harvesting trip in preparation for the Monday finish. All in all we saved a good grand doing the grunt work as opposed to buying the stone not to mention the final product is more special being gathered from our own property.

More coming,
D&z

HERcules

Another great day in the mountains. Darlene is adjusting to retirement so much that I had to put her to work gathering rocks.

Rocks you say! Yes, rocks for the basement wall (behind her in the photo). We have 2 masons coming next week to start the walls. We supply the material...which includes the rock. We're harvesting them from the property because we have plenty. We figure collecting for 4 days should do it (finger's crossed).

In other news, I've accepted a position with Ashe High Country Real Estate and started on Monday of this week. I serve as financial officer, marketing and broker. It's an exciting opportunity to, once again, re-invent myself. The firm found me and made an offer. I've been in West Jefferson since August 2011 and have found paradise. It's 'heaven on earth'.

More coming,
z&D

The front door is the item of the day

We worked on the front door today. The exterior is finished except for the area below the threshold. That will be filled in with siding material.

The design around the door is made of poplar siding . The graphic at the top depicts the mountain range we see from our viewing porch. KD, the wonder dog, is guarding the entrance. She's all bark and very little bite...mostly lick!







The inside of the door is finished as well. Trim around the door and wall siding are complete. The door handle and lock set are installed too. The bear we blogged about a few days ago can't possibly get in...unless he has a key :^)

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we head to Tennessee to pick up the last of our locust. Four 8' locust post will complete the entrance area.

I'm going to splurge and buy Darlene breakfast in Boone on the way to Rodney's (he's our locust post guru).


We're very excited because we have company this coming weekend...Kyle and Olesea and Ada, the almost wonder dog, will be visiting for a few days. Ada will spend a couple of weeks with us while K&O jet off to Saint Marten for a much needed vacation.

More coming,
z&D

An exciting day on Maple Tree

Last evening, while in our camper, Darlene reached for the inside door handle and we heard a 'ka-boing'. The internal spring sprung! We could get out but the door would not latch when closed... all kinds of critters could potentially join us in bed!!!

Morning came and I was eager to rip open the lock and fix it...turns out it was a broken spring. With a little finesse, the lock was fixed and we're safe again.







Today was 'front door' day. We decided to install our front door. It has relatively easy especially with Darlene's help holding this, getting that, fixing lunch, etc. It is so nice to have a help-mate after all these months.

The door is almost finished. We inserted foam insulation (yellow in photo around the door) that will solidify overnight and tomorrow we'll add the door stop material and the lock and handle. Darlene will stain it once she decides on the stain color.

The most exciting part of the day besides 'doors' happened during our lunch break. We were on the porch and almost finished when I noticed a tan color with a white tail raised behind the workshop (deer). It was moving fast as it headed to the workshop. We looked to the right of the workshop expecting to see the deer continue on its way when much to our surprise...a big black bear lumbered up the mountain. We think it was a boar (male) because it was large and without cubs in tow.

We watched it as it headed up behind the camper (thank goodness the lock was fixed!!!). KD, the wonder dog, was snoozing on the porch and completely missed the whole event.

Needless to say, we both were excited to see a bear on the property. One thing for sure, Darlene will go out to the camper first after dark ;^)

More coming,
z&D

Scrub-a-Dub

We spent time yesterday installing the tile on the guest shower floor. We used 2" square mosaic and will use a pattern of varied sizes for the walls. We're going to give the floor a couple of days to harden before installing the walls.

There are a number of critical elements that have to be in place before the county signs off on the cabin and approves our moving in. One of those requirements is that all sinks and toilets in the living areas have to be functional. The toilet in the guest bathroom is already in place. We are using our basement laundry sink in place of a kitchen sink until we decide on the cabinet layout. Dar's sister and brother-in-law gave us a housewarming gift of our kitchen sink. It will be a farm style sink and will be ordered once we decide on the final kitchen design.

More coming,
z&D

Evening entertainment

Work continues on the mountain...Darlene's been busy looking at various exterior cabin colors. We've chosen a greenish base color and probably a complimentary window and door trim color. We'll post a photo soon.

She's been priming the bathroom and bedroom walls and ceilings in preparation for final color...to be determined.

I've been adding finishing touches to the twig railing. Another 3 hours today and that will be completed. I'll be installing a toilet in the master. Darlene isn't crazy about her Port-a-potty outside. Seems just fine to me! So much for my surprise of a luxury bathroom ;^)

Night sky with cabin illuminated by flashlig

This photo is a 4 minute long exposure taken of our cabin to capture the night sky and stars. The streaks of stars show the rotation of the earth while taking this photograph. Some of the small stationary dots of lights are fire flies.

Having spent 38 years in Raleigh before moving here, I can count on one hand a star filled sky worth noting (city light pollution kills the sky). We've lost count on the number of star displays we've seen at the cabin. We don't have city light pollution and that helps make the sky brilliant.

While our son Cameron was here visiting we lost count on the number of falling stars we saw...God at work!

More coming,
z&D

Moving...again

Darlene has arrived on the scene and we are moving out of our friend's cabin today so we'll have limited access to the internet. We'll post as we can so bare with us.

More coming,
z&D

Flooring almost complete

The pine flooring is just about completely installed. The last area is the master closet. I held back on that area to make sure I had enough flooring to finish the man area of the cabin.

This photo shows a closeup of the butt joints and the old fashioned nails we're using to finish "the look" of an old cabin floor. Each nail has a pre-drilled hole to help minimize wood splitting. The 2.5" nail lying on the surface illustrates the type nail used.

Once the closet is complete, we'll start painting ceilings, walls, etc. Any paint splatter that hits the floor will be removed by sanding in preparation for the floor stain and finish coats.

This week marks a couple of milestones...Darlene is officially retiring from Wake County Public Schools on Tuesday, June 12th. She worked, in a few school systems since her career began in 1970, for a total of 30 years. She'll be moving here on June 13th FULL TIME!!! I hope things don't change...she's been my 'sugar momma' for a long time ;^)

The other milestone is that I'm moving into new digs this week. I've been hard at work preparing a 'nest' for Darlene's arrival. At least we're not homeless...

Before June 12

After June 12 (the camper)

I'm sure glad I'm married to an understanding woman! I suspect we'll be moving into the cabin by no later than August 1...hopefully!

More coming,
z

Embarrassed but still working

I have to apologize for being behind in my posts for this blog but a lot has been going on and I haven't had much time to devote to updates. Hopefully this post will get everyone up to speed.

Several months ago I had a gentleman mill our floor on an antique milling machine in Roaring River, NC. He delivered the floor but it camped out in the basement until recently.

The photo to the right shows it resting in the basement before I spent 3 hours moving it from the basement to the upper levels.










Piece by piece, the floor made the trip to the main level and then a portion to the loft level. Needless to say, I was glad it was over but I knew it doesn't install itself...

On one of Darlene's visits we decided to move out of one of our storage buildings. The photo to the right is the last of 8 loads taken from the Mexican Store in the background. We call it the Mexican Store because that's what it was before we rented the building to store our household goods since last summer. We got the place for a great rental and it served us well.

I think we were both worn out after all the moving of boxes and furniture. Darlene is getting ready to unload the boxes into the basement. Most of the furniture was taken from the Mexican Store to our other storage unit in town. We can store boxes at the cabin easier than furniture. The furniture will make the trip up the mountain when we're ready to place it on the floors.

Other stuff going on has been hanging drywall and mudding...my two most UN-favorite parts of construction. Darlene wanted the opportunity to add some color to some of the rooms so we decided to install wainscoting in the guest bedroom and both of the baths and then hang drywall above the wainscoting. That took about a week. I'm not the fastest mud man plus some rainy weather slowed the drying process. Finally it's all hung and mudded and ready for primer.

Shower

The guest shower floor was completed and I added Durock to the walls of the shower in preparation for installing tile. You're looking at the shower control with a niche to the right.

The tile we picked is on site and ready to install but that task has to get in line with all the other stuff ahead of it.

Loft and entrance into the master suite

I decided to start installing the floors because when we moved all of the flooring material to the main and loft levels it was in the way. This photo shows the installed floor in part of the loft and into the master bedroom. We're using 3 sizes of flooring to create an 'old barn feel'. One row of flooring is 10" wide, the next is 8" wide and the next is 6" wide and then the pattern repeats. I am using steel flat head concrete nails where each board butts up with it's mate to continue a row. The end result is a floor that looks like it came out of an old barn.

Floor in the master

Main level guest bathroom floor

Once the nails are added I use a heavy stick handle with a section of chain attached to scar up the surface. The chain has several heavy nuts and washers attached to give random nicks and marks to make the effect look authentic. Once the floor is stained and finish coated the look should be really neat...

I started installing the main level flooring today and made some good progress.

Today's work

You can see, from the photo on the right, the entrance foyer and the start of the kitchen floor. The stack of flooring in the foreground is part of the material that's been in the way but soon will be flat on the floor.

Knotty pine doors

The knotty pine doors, that were stored in the basement, are starting to make their way to their final resting places. We bought an old door that will be perfect for the front door. It weighs a ton, has some glass in the upper third, and has been sanded by Darlene in preparation for staining and final coats...but, I used the wicked chain to distress both sides and it too will look even older when finished.

Phew...that was a lot of catching up to do. I'll try to be better about updates. The next few weeks are hectic as we're moving Darlene (she's retiring June 12) to the mountains at last. I can't wait. Our separation has been really tough on us both. Finally, I'll have a helper!

More coming (I promise),
z

The boss was pleased

The boss came up for the weekend and apparently she was pleased with the progress so far.

I mentioned a few posts ago about the barn tin that we bought in Nash County specifically for our cabin. Well this weekend we decided to install the tin on the kitchen ceiling. The photo to the right is of Darlene using the nail gun to install the tin.

You might be wondering, "have they lost their mind...rusted tin on the kitchen ceiling". No we haven't lost our minds...we wanted to add different elements to the cabin and keep it rustic in nature. The kitchen ceiling will be sprayed with satin polyurethane to protect it and keep it from flaking.




This is a shot of the ceiling 'closeup'. My question to you is..."why don't YOU have rusted tin on your kitchen ceiling?"

More coming,

z

Twiggy

Today was spent working on the twigs for the stair rails. Each piece has to be fitted, mortised and set into position before the next piece can be added.

The twigs are still green and can be bent to some degree to aid in placement. I suspect that, once dry, they will not be going anywhere in our lifetime.

The photo to the right shows about 3 hours of work. We priced these twig rails and now I know why they cost so much.

I started on the next section up but did not take a photo. Tomorrow I'll keep going up the stairs. I have 3 more sections to make. I should be done with it by early next week.

The boss is coming this weekend so I have to look like I've been busy :^)


More coming,
z

Stair railing started

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile but the work continues just at a slower pace. There are only two of us working these days. Actually one of us...Katy does a lot of sleeping and watching. Her job is to remind me when lunch is near and when it's time to go home.

It took the better part of a day to add all of the top and bottom rails to the stair posts. Some of the posts are made of milled pine while some are natural trees that require some special care to attach the rails.

The trick is getting the posts aligned along a rough uneven tree surface. After some careful thought and slow going it worked well.

Each section is dependent upon the section above it. The round post (to the left) is a pivotal post. I had to remove it several times to be able to insert the lower post. The top post went in a bit easier because I could move the top of the rough post slightly to allow the tenon to drop into the mortise.

The photo to the right shows the nearly completed stair system. The next step is to take it all apart, rough up all of the elements and then reassemble it using construction glue and final bolting. Each of the bolt holes will be filled with a plug of similar material that hides the bolt.




I'll start installing the twigs tomorrow. I suspect it will be a 2-3 day project. Each piece is selected to fit, cut and mortised into final position.


While in Oregon last summer, we visited a group of cabins built by the Steiner family. Steiner and two sons built a number of the area cabins in the early 1900's. They used material harvested off of the property and tools that were by today's standards 'primitive'. Remarkably the finished product is a work of art.

More coming,
z

Twig railing

After getting the tree installed on the second floor it was time to start the railing. You'll remember the post about the rhododendron twigs that I harvested a few weeks back. Well today I started installing the rails and then adding the rhododendron twigs to the railing.

 The photo to the right shows the top and bottom rail installed and connected to the tree.









It took about 4 hours to install what you see to the left. Code requires that a 4" sphere NOT be able to pass through any given area and this first section meets that requirement.

Now only 4 more sections to go...

More coming,
z

Still crankin' along

Darlene has been up this week and it's been mighty nice having her share in the work. She's on her last spring break from school before she moves up permanently in June.

There's been lots to do and now with an extra pair of hands it makes the job easier. We cut some trim for the cabin and installed a bunch of wood in different places around the cabin.

It's been great having her here to put her 'stamp of approval' on the progress so far. Of course, not everything meets her standard...she a tough one to please!









We're still working on the cedar tree that will adorn the loft area. Lots of bark removal and peeling has made for a nice looking feature. Using an old draw knife makes the work a bit easier. Once the bark is removed then we'll set the tree in place one last time and anchor it down.









We BBQ'ed some hamburgers for supper the other night and enjoyed sitting on the viewing porch watching the mountains. A bottle of wine topped the evening off nicely. KD, the wonder dog, stays close when hamburger is on the menu.

Today we had sheetrock delivered. We're not using much but it was nice to have the boom truck easily deliver it to the second floor. I'll be installing it next week.

Posts are not as frequent because we're moving at a slower pace so we save up before we post.

More coming,
z

Getting ready for railing

Another gorgeous day in the mountains... and I've started the exterior deck and porch railing. I thought it would be a good idea to make at least one section before the 'boss' arrives from Raleigh tomorrow. What you're looking at is a typical rail system with an atypical use of wire fencing. We looked at a number of rail systems and the one thing that we didn't like about most was that the railing hid the view. We happened upon the idea to use a pressure treated frame with cattle fencing as the 'filler'. As you can see...you can "see" and that is exactly what we wanted. Nothing worst than building a great cabin that overlooks the mountains and then the railing spoils the view.

 You'll notice that you can clearly see all of the background detail through the fencing. This helps keep the view open at all times.

It almost looks like there's no railing...just what we wanted.

My assistant, the 'boss' will be arriving tomorrow and spending a week with me. I have a bunch of projects for the two of us to accomplish while I have the extra hand.

I sure miss the 'boss'!

more coming,
z

Rail Time

Went to Raleigh for a few days but back now and starting the rail system for the cabin. The rails for the loft are will include a 2x6 top cap (once the rails are complete). This photo shows the start of the rail system at the loft. I'll be adding rhododendron twigs between the top and bottom rail in the next few days.


Each section post is bolted to the floor and glued. Once attached, it ain't going anywhere! I'm glad to be starting these rails because we've had an unprotected area that's 10' to the floor below...ouch!

I'm working the rails from the top down and from the bottom up. They all converge and mate into the tree at the top of the stairs.

Tomorrow I'll add the bottom rail to the stairs (photo to the left). Once the bottom rail is in place then I'll start adding the rhododendron twigs. It will make more sense once the twigs are in place.

I'll do a better job getting posts out. I've been working but slowly so I might post every few days to make it look like I've accomplished something.

More coming,
z

High flying

Spent most of today flying at about 20'. The highest point of the interior wall is finished (thank goodness).

I must have made 20 trips up the ladder to finish this wall. Had to go up, take measurements, come down, cut the wood, go back up and install each piece. Best plan was NOT to look down!

I have an appointment in the morning then I'll be back to continue installing the pine walls. I can see the end. It's actually starting to look like a cabin.

More coming,
z

A snail just passed me!

I know, "what happened, he dropped off the end of the world"...No, I'm still plugging away. Believe it or not but the interior work takes the longest and moves like very slowly.

First of all, the cement board was added to the fireplace. Cement board allows the rock with mortar base to stick. As you can see, there's going to be a neat looking fireplace as a focal point in the cabin. The plan is to use flat stones for the hearth and stacked stones for the fireplace and chimney.

The photo of the fireplace opening is the first floor fireplace exposure and the smaller photo is from the loft level to the ceiling.

I was treated to a visit from two of my favorite girls, Darlene and Marlene (mar & Dar are sisters). Mar flew up from Miami to Raleigh and then they drove to the cabin to spend 4 days with me. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to see them. I truly love the mountains but without my main squeeze (and her sister), it's downright difficult. I have so much to share and nobody to share it with...that all changes in June when Dar moves up for good!!!!

You might remember a few posts back when I was harvesting old barn wood. Well, the barn wood made it to the cabin and ultimately to a spraying of a product called TimBor. Basically it kills any bug-a-boos that remain in or on the wood. Non-toxic, so I can chew it and not get sick.

This is a shot of the barn wood drying after a coat of TimBor.

 And the photos to the right and below are of the barn wood in place as wainscoting. There will be a top cap to the wainscoting and a bottom baseboard.


 Each piece is cut to fit. The effect is very rustic looking. Once it's completed the walls will be installed above it to complete the wood wall interior.

This barn wood is about 100 years old. It's still in remarkable shape. Every cut I made produced a solid piece of wood.

They don't make lumber like they used to!

More coming,
z