Flooring, Odds and Ends, and One Step Closer

What a great fall weekend.  So much has happened since I last posted.  I got lazy and didn't post after we went up in June.  A few updates:
• we have a well now!
• we have connected the clearing opening with the cabin opening
• we have about a million culverts now on the property many in the ground!)
• we got a lot of wood milled from trees from the land

This weekend was productive.  Lots got done.  We cleaned up a bunch of downed branches, split wood, dropped off the snowmobiles to get serviced, dropped off the backhoe to get serviced, unloaded the wood we had milled, and the big project was installing some granite underneath the wood stove.  We are so close to the finish line. 

We're also having concrete footers put in to replace the concrete blocks we now use for foundation...should help with frost heave. Next up is flooring and a new sleeper sofa.  Then it's cabinets.  Then....we're done!  Yep, that close.  Might be our last time up together before the ground is covered with snow. 

Brick by Brick

Well, we're another step closer to the finish line.  So much is happening, it's exciting.

This past weekend Chris and I were able to finish the stone work behind the wood stove, re-align the foundation of the cabin, try (and fail) to burn the huge brush piles we have, re-grade the driveway and road, try out the new chainsaw, and ride the ATV's like crazy.

We took a lot of time to finish the stone work behind the wood stove, and I must say, it looks pretty legit.  We did an awesome job.  We had originally bought an old beam from an 1800's barn to use as the mantle but we unfortunately found carpenter ants in it so we had to use unique fence posts as the mantle. 

We were hoping to burn at least one of the brush piles this weekend as well, but we just didn't have the time needed to babysit the pile and watch over it as it got started.  We did get a chance to meet with the well drilling company who we spoke with about drilling for a well.  It looks like we're close to being ready and hopefully within the next month or two, we'll have a drilled well with a hand pump.  Water.

We took the chainsaws to the back plateau on the ATV's.  Along the way, we widened the trail as we went, cutting down trees with dueling chainsaws.  Our hope is to widen the trail enough to get the tractor back to the plateau.  We are slowly chipping away at the trees in the back with the hope of one day having a pretty nice clearing.

We also decided it's time to take the plunge and finish off the culvert/ water re-direction work needed.  We're going to add another culvert at the road for the wrap-around driveway and one earlier on the wrap-around. 

Lots is happening, we're close.  So close.  Next trip is in about a month.  There's talk of 3 days next time up together

.  Think of the possibilities!

Why Can't This Be Love?

That's right folks.  That is, in fact, a Van Halen reference in the title.  We definitely blasted that song a few times this weekend when we were in the car.  There's still some snow, but it's warming up in VT-we were able to drive with the windows down, getting a glimpse into the months to come.

We arrived Friday night and did our customary walk around the property in the dark.  It's mud season in Vt so it's, well, muddy.  We definitely went ankle deep a few times this weekend. Saturday was a fun day with a little of everything:  coffee at Lisa's, a trip to WW, Dot's, a cruise around town and then some work at home, prepping the wood stove area for the stone fireplace.  We were totally successful and even had time to get out on the ATV's for the first time in a few months. Fun. Then, dinner at an old fave, The New England House.  You gotta love those chicken fingers!!

Sunday, we woke to rain, which kind of stunk since we wanted to build a picnic table. We decided to nix the picnic table because of the rain and instead, we went to Dot's for breakfast, WW (again), Bennington Furniture, and Lisa's.  Basically, we poked around. But we did get stuff done too.  The hanging light over the door was finally finished and the track lighting was installed, and it looks great.  Chris was able to borrow a sander from work that not only reduced dust but made the job go way faster.  We're so close to painting now.  Paint samples are even of the walls.

Another off road ATV trip resulted in a few mishaps and using the winch to pull us out of the snow, etc.  Then, we left the cabin in great shape, including a loft ladder I made at home that looks great and way better than the metal ladder we were using before.

Next up: stone work for the fireplace, painting, and flooring.  After that, we turn our attention to pouring cement sonotubes to reinforce the foundation.  This summer will bring a well to the property, more trail work, more toys, and more driveway work/ maintenance (this winter really kicked our property's ass).

The days are longer, we're making progress, and oh, we just scored a free wood-fired hot tub from Chris's neighbor. Options.

I'd Tap That

The trees, that is.  For maple syrup, of course.  And tap those trees we did.  4 of them to be exact.  And within seconds, the sap was flowing.  Who knows, in a month's time, we may have our own small batch of pure Maple Syrup.

We had an awesome and productive weekend.  We were able to finish the lower half of the walls, adding ship lap and framing around the lower half of all the walls.  It's just another step forward to what now seems like a possible end in sight.  We still need to sand the drywall and mud again, but other than that, all the remains inside is finalizing the fireplace and then flooring...and, of course a legit loft ladder.

We arrived late Friday night after a 3+ hour drive that should have only taken 2 hours, but the roads were so icy we were reduced to half speed.  Along the way, we saw more than one car spun out on the side of the road and we nearly suffered the same fate ourselves.  We arrived late, but still found time to stand in the middle of the large clearing and dream about the soon-to-be cabin and where it would eventually go.  As always, the stars were insanely bright and clear.  There's really no words that can do explain that aspect of VT. The weather was gorgeous this weekend so we were working outside without a jacket for most of the time.

We put some snow chains on the tractor's tires and got right to plowing on Saturday morning.  By day's end, we had finished plowing, the interior woodwork, and a few other odds and ends.  After a late night Friday, we went out to eat in town and were home and asleep by 10:00.  We're old.

Sunday was more leisurely and relaxing.  We got lots of small things done.  We hung up the street number sign our dad gave us for X-Mas, hung a new trail cam, tapped a few trees for syrup, and rode the snowmobiles and ATV, of course.  Oh, and more tractor fun too.

All in all it was a motivating and inspiring weekend that left us hungry to quickly get back up and keep the ball rolling.  Next trip we will probably finish the fireplace, a job that will include shifting the wood stove 45 degrees and adding a small mantle.  It will work great with the new, more efficient layout we have set up. 

Things are happening.  We have reached out to several timber framers about future cabin plans, we've received possible floors plans, we're talking about drilling a spring well, and breaking ground on the "real" cabin in what is only about 12 months away.  So much is happening yet the list to do only grows longer and more exciting.  And spring is just around the corner...