build a cabin in the woods

We’ve got the 40 acres (in the beautiful spruce forest of northwestern Wisconsin). We picked the spot. My sweetie revved up the chainsaw and took down the small and dead trees. We cleared the branches. Next step is to rake all the small plant debris off the building site and get the stuff we need for pouring the footings.

I am in the planning stage of the construction. The photo was taken from the 5 acres that I own that I will be building the cabin on. This is in eastern Arizona at about 6000’, cooler in the summer and a bit cold in the winter. I have been collecting “STUFF” for the cabin, I have over 30 windows from 2’x2’ up to 4’ x 8’ (don’t ask, it’s a long story!), one wooden door, 2 sinks, a bunch and a half of mesh fencing to go around the garden and, and, and, well you get the picture. The only thing stopping me is the sale of some property I own, as soon as it sells I start to build the cabin.

again…

covered roof between cabin and garage…

stone fireplace to the ceiling…

wooden floors…

porch all the way around…

sturdy beds…

10’ “Ma and Pa Kettle” / Walton-esqe kitchen table…

two fridges… one inside, and one “beer” fridge…

cable slide from the upper deck down to the pond, where the ropes course is…

training facility… enough for 20 weekend warriors…

5 cabins for visitors…

ropes course….

two ponds… as a min… two that are connected to a microhydro system to generate power in a pinch…

am i going over the top yet?

is a show i recorded on the DVR/TIVo about a guy who left civilization to build a cabin in the woods of Alaska… he recorded himself building his homestead cabin when he was 50 years old or so, and it was amazing to see how he did all of the board making, carpentry, log shaping, etc, using hand tools… it ends with him being 85 years old and leaving his mountain home for a return back to more city life… it was a sad shock to see the guy at 85 so soon after getting to know the guy in his films… granted, they were obviously old films, but to see someone go from 50 to 85 in an hour is kind of freaky… makes me realize how short life is… even though i say i know life is short, this makes it brutally clear…

for those of you who dream of living in the country at least once in your life, this is a good video to watch… it’s slow… unsophisticated… and just what i need now and then to feel relaxed in a stressed out life…

“Alone In The Wilderness”

just a thought…

I have dreamed of my cabin in the woods for years. Last year I made it work by having a 15×32 foot “shed built by a Mennonite company. It has a steel door, 4 smallish windows and is sitting on my 27 acres in Tennessee. I spent the last week of March 2006 there for the first full week. Insulation is done, I have a kerosene heater and a small propane heater at present. The property has a well, but I need to put up posts so I can draw water.

No outhouse or septic system yet. Electric will cost me about $1,500 to get in, so I am saving.

Still thinking in detail about the idea. Looking a various plans for small cabins. Keeping an eye out for small acreage in the country. Talking about the idea with my wife. Praying about the idea with GOD. Looking for the “open door” to start!

Im still figuring out the floorplan and settling on the right materials.

It will either be round or octagonal in shape, more effiecent and uses smaller bits of building materials.

Im looking into earthbags, cordwood, and swedish cope logs as materials.

I want to earth berm it.

and maybe a sod roof.