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So, now it’s time to set the logs.

It’s the fun time of the project. Everybody is happy. Smiles all around.

Many years ago now, I had my first opportunity to re-build a vintage cabin. When we finished that log home I realized that I was hooked, that I had found my calling, and that I had to do it again, and again, and again. Be forewarned, it is a gateway addiction… I got hooked on log cabins and before I knew it I was on to timber-frames, stonework, silos, and barns!

This rustic retreat was probably about my twentieth log cabin. And, one of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong I’ve loved them all, but there is something special about the small cabins, everyone feels it, everyone knows that they could take on project like this one. It does not overwhelm. It fits, like an old shoe or a favorite jacket.

There is something magical about the laying of the first log. It has begun. But, that precious moment doesn’t last long, after all, a log cabin is soon to be revealed. The compulsion to grab the next log and set it in place is strong. We move on. This is likely the only “first log” photo I ever managed to take over the years.

As the carpenters work on the cabin, the masons work on the foundation of the small kitchen addition, as seen in the next photo.

It’s always a juggling act to keep each team working on something without being in each others way. That’s Dan on the left in the photo, the finest stone mason I have ever met. Cancer took him a few years ago (I hate that disease). And then there are the two Ed’s… the one on the left has remained a lifelong friend, the other went on to become a doctor in the local ER and has pulled splinters out of two of my guys since. How ironic is that?

The next photo is of my young daughter inspecting the workmanship of the cabin and stonework. I tended to bring my children along with me often, particularly on weekends. While I enjoyed the time of solitude to carefully reflect… “am I making this cabin as good as I can?”. The children would look for treasures, or turtles (I guess they are the same thing to a child).

One of the greatest secrets I can reveal to someone about building an exceptional house is to make sure and walk out away from the project and take in the whole picture as the project proceeds. Don’t miss out on something important by focusing exclusively on the minute details.

The final photo is of the cabin logs, all in place, and the roof being framed. I’ve never been a fan of roof trusses… I know, they are “engineered” to bear the loads, but I prefer the meatiness of real lumber.

Notice also the seasonal view that we enjoyed through the trees. It’s not only what is built, but where it’s built.

Coming up next in Part 4… the kitchen addition

Originally posted 2015-02-17 15:56:52.