Realism - more than Patriotism

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The 'kit' was 10' and 15' logs for a 25 x 20 cabin - but, aside from all logs being lift-able by 1 man, there was a weakness in the 25' walls. When I lifted the roof for the build-up Iaid 2 courses of 18' cedar to bridge the weakness and then my joists and beams in squared white cedar, laid a floor and then frame construction using custom cut spruce true 2" x 6". Inside paneling included custom cut white cedar, lumberyard west coast cedar with custom cut white cedar - one contour edge retained - for external siding.
I had a great German, Helmut, craftsman and carpenter who did the 'tough' work of building stairs, getting the roof angle right --- tough stuff for me, haha.
I owe it to him to chronicle his role in my 'building career' haha, he was/is so the condensate of much of what we discuss all the time on this Forum --- the German Wars - consequences, tactics, technology, timing.
I will post "Helmut' in the near future.
 
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michaelmaltby said:
You and your bro did it the classic way ... love to see pics if you feel like posting.
Click to expand...
Well, no sooner did I tell you I didn't have a pic readily available, then this shows up in my email. My brother and his wife got him a birthday (today) present of a new roof for the log house.

And here it is (in all its pristine glory). You're looking at the south wall, consisting of one fourteen and two eleven foot panels separated by four massive uprights. This is the third roof the house has had, as the original cedar shingle one succumbed to rot from tree droppings in about fifteen years, and the fancy replacement "lifetime" standing seam roof made with a "new miracle alloy" corroded invisibly from the underside and started springing phantom leaks after the manufacturer went bankrupt.
1200 sq ft, 2 1/2 cords a year before the Garn wood fired hydronic boiler ("Thomas the tank engine") was Installed in the large drive-in shop, which now heats two houses and the shop.
 
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Impressive .. I too shingled with cedar .. but it was not suitable for the roof pitch + snow load, I used steel to redo it when the lift was complete.
Great way to heat you have there

.... white cedar logs age very nicely, IMO
 
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michaelmaltby said:
Great way to heat you have there
Click to expand...
If you're not familiar with Garn, check it out. My brother's has three stage combustion with preheated additional air added at each stage, then the smoke/exhaust makes five passes through the 1500 gallon water jacket before exiting the stack at approximately human body temperature, totally odorless and smokeless. At full throttle it can crank 177,000 BTUs at 73% efficiency, measured from firebox combustion vs. remote hydronic heat output through 110+ feet of underground pipe. Heats the 1200 sq ft. log house, a 2000 sq ft. renovated farmhouse, and the 900 sq ft woodworking/machinery repair shop. 7+ or - cords a year total.
No contractors, but plenty of free professional engineering from my nephew who works at Northern Power doing electrical, mechanical, and digital engineering. His buddies at Northern came out to help on weekends for entertainment's sake, and for munchies and beer.
 
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March 2021. Time for a catch-up

With not driving north - and COVID - life has been very calm and quiet this year. This Forum is an amazing companion and source of learning and understanding.
Family is thriving ... still do Sunday suppers for them - porch P.U. style.
.
William now near 11 months weighs in at 24+ lbs and wants to try all food ..
 
March 10 2021 Neighborhood Birds

A close neighbor in the City, Steve Weslak, is an accomplished photographer and film/video editor. He and I worked closely together when I was in the film industry (1975 - mid '80s). He has a great eye, patience, and the right lens .... photos are in the Don River Valley about 1.5 km from our houses.
 
May 8, 2021 first trip North this year

The winter has been kind to the land this year. no ill effects on the cabin .. water .. etc. But it was damn cold in the cabin ... no fire on such a short visit, Willie, Terry - another 'neighbor and I had a great visit outside - bothered by black flies in the air - not biting - but stupid.
Glad to be seeing the countryside once more ..
 
May 9 .. Mothers' Day ... '21
We have survived the crash to earth of Chinese space-junk over night .. and are enjoying The Great Awaking we call Spring. The fertility - the sheer abundance - of nature.
Three Norway Space - a weeping spruce species - define our burin shaped back yard. The house was built in 1922 on land that had been an orchard. The three would have been planted by 1925 - by Bob Carter from whose estate we bought the house in 1988.
They tower over the neighborhood - resilient - flexible - deeply rooted in Muddy York Toronto clay. Right now, they are loaded with red 'berries' which will become cones over the seasons and drop ceaselessly to be bagged. But the energy that these trees invest in reproduction - which is food for squirrels, birds, at every stage of the cone development, teaches a lesson of co-dependence, IMO.
For us living so intimately with them - I believe Bob Carter was a Northern Boy - come to the city to work construction - married an English girl and her blind, widowed English mother. In early years, people came to the Carter's back yard for Wedding photos, word has it.
The fact that Bob planted protection from the north tells me he knew from experience what winters in Canada could be like.
In 1978 - Leks one year old - we bought an 1922 house in more or less 1922 conditions and proceeded to modernize room- by - room as $$$ was available. I did all demolition and hauled wood to the country for 'kindling' - as I peeled away layers of the house i got to 'know' Bob Carter ... as I felt.
 
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May 14. Glorious day trip.

Willy's plans for 2021. His 2 sons, Andre and Perry are now contributing to the effort, This - black fly and Trillium season - is the season for peeling logs.

It will be a sleeping 'pod' and this is the stove Willy has made from an old hot water heater
 
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June 14. Magnificent weather, enjoying, we are.
Weekly day trips to the cabin to watch hummingbirds and, soon, dock-in-water, a swim in fresh flowing water.
I no longer can 'swim' in the true sense - arm rotation severely limited in both rotators - past excesses.
Happy snap of our lilac hedge planted in 1983, the year after our marriage up there. Late bloomer, like me.
As we approach the Solstice. the weather map of Canada this morning looked like this.
 
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