Happy Christmas to you all. . .!

A little bit done on the tree house, but lots done on Christmas surprise.

I was out at the cabin most of the weekend . . . .

. . . but spent most of my time working on this surprise bookcase Christmas present for daughter.

I used common lumber because I don't have the tools to use on oak or something nice like that.

But I think it turned out pretty well.

 Sunday after finishing the book case I did get a chance to get the flooring down in the tree house.

Used the same tongue and groove I used on the outside walls.

Still have lots of it from when I bought a truck load from a lumber yard closing down.

B2R by the fireplace - A Log Cabin Christmas.

While I can't say I have read this one yet ( my wife just got it for me ) I am looking forward to a little light reading during the Christmas Holiday and shoulder surgery recovery.

I will let you know what I think of it when I am done.

Once again - Compliments of the Season from the staff at The Log Blog!

The Treehouse project - gettin' her done.

 Well, I was going to start by saying; "Hey, I got the front sided and the door on this weekend!"

But I see it has been awhile since I did an update on the project.

All four sides are sided now.
The siding on the back has been trimmed off level.

 Cabins in the background.

 And; "Hey I got the front side finished and the door up!"

 Used old hardware from an old log cabin for the door handles.

Will probably replace  them with something wood at a later date, but they will work for now.

 Made it a 'Dutch door' for daughter.

A little more light on nice days and a lot more fun.

Still have trim to do around the door and windows.

Looking usable!

B2R by the fire side. 'Canoeing with the Cree' - by Eric Sevareid

 Eric Sevareid is remembered mostly as a war correspondent and news journalist working from before WW2 till the 1980's.

But in his youth, in 1930, Sevareid and friend Walter Port travelled 2,250 miles from Minneapolis Minn. to York Factory on the Hudson Bay.

The trip took four months.

With no radio, motor or good maps the boys roughed bad weather, rapids and tough conditions to complete their journey as winter neared.

Since that took place 75 years ago, several people have taken it upon themselves to retrace the trip.

One of the books considered a classic in its area of appeal.

Back when places like this were travellers stops. . . Route 66 'John's Modern Cabins.'

 I think the sign has since been taken. . . .

 I remember passing many places like this in the late 50's early 60's as we drove on vacation in Missouri back then.

 Nearest I can find to how they may have all looked at one time.

2011

A nice story . . . .

Here,

Add one to the Log Cabin Life List (LCLL) - an 1830's cabin being reused.

When we were driving up to wife's family farm a couple of weeks ago we spotted this cabin starting to go up. On that trip the roof was not on yet.

 So on Thanksgiving day on our drive once again up to the farm, this time for Thanksgiving dinner, we left a little early so we would have time to stop and see this cabin near New London Mo.

As we pulled in we noticed someone sitting in a truck on the site.

I always like it when the owner is about.

The owner, Randy, was more than happy to give us the story of the cabin.

 It was built in 1830 by and for a man born in 1776.

He apparently didn't get to enjoy it for too long for he died in 1835.

Randy says the tombstone was inside the cabin.

 Because Randy is going to use it as a show room for his stone business he has to build the supports a little more hefty than you might for your own use.

He has some Amish boys doing much of the work for him.

A few logs had to be replaced, but they have done a great job matching and fitting them.

I love the barnwood gable ends.

He also used barnwood on the ceiling which really gives it atmosphere on the inside.

Looking forward to the progress over the next few months.

Now I can say - GOT IT COVERED! - a good week on the treehouse.

 Had six good days Thanksgiving week to work on the treehouse project.

As you can see here, I got all the roof done and shingles on.

Had to work around two trees, but that's what makes it a treehouse after all.
Both trees are boxed in like this one.

I was all tied in finishing up the shingles.

A view from the top of my world that day.




















Same day I got the big window in also.

Then before help came out Friday, daughter and I got the rear  . . .

 And front windows in.

Then later that same day good friends showed up to help and we got the east wall sided.

 Friday night daughter and I spent out at the cabin and Saturday we got back at it early before we had to leave for a family function and we got the north (back side) wall sided.

We still have to shoot a line across the bottom and trim them off, but we were pretty happy we got so much done.

Looks good with the little window.

 Sunday we got help again.

Here working on porch rails before we got back at it on the west wall.

You can see the roof notch around the tree on this side also.

 Then we got the west wall sided around the big window.

More higher math with the tree and rafters to work around.

North and west sides.

Just the front to side and make a door.
But daughter is not waiting for those to play in it.

A couple of neat old photos.

This one is called Johnny Jackson's cabin.

Look at the size of those logs.
5 or 6 to make a wall. Wow!













This one is called slave' house.

It is pretty big. Nice chimney.

Maybe more than one family.

Most of the chinking is gone. Some metal tin covering some of the logs.

Could have been the land owners home, then passed down if the land owners moved into a bigger house.

Log Cabin life list addition - Tower Park St Charles County

 We are lucky to live in a county that has a very good park system.
They ranch from good urban parks to nice country or rural parks.
Tower Park has been around now for about ten years,  and this old brick home is one of the cornerstones of this rural park.
Once called 'The Pink Plantation' after going into disrepair it was moved and rebuilt.

Driving by the park last weekend I noticed they had added two log cabins.
So today I was able to go by.

This is how you first see them as you leave the parking lot.

The closest one is this one.
It has been reconstructed as a smoke house, which may have been its original purpose.

It is a very recent project.

The tags are still on the logs and the newly cut ends are still brown and not gray.
Very few of the logs have gray ends, so there has been a lot of replacements.

 'V' notches.

The only problem I can see with the project is that for some reason the chinking has already started to crack.

That either means it got really cold when it was drying or that there is not good support between the logs behind the chinking.
In this one you can see how bad it is cracking.

 I have a feeling this was rebuilt from logs from more than one project. That would explain the new notches on so many logs.

The foundation is very well done.

 Along the walk for these building are some nice plaques explaining the purpose of such buildings.

 Just across the field from the smoke house is this building.

It is a very nice two story.

 They have made sure to replace the windows with 6 over 6 which is very period.

The window boarded over here was probably not part of the original configuration and it would be fun to find out where this building came from.

 There are only two problems I see with this building. I don't know if problem is the right word, but there, I said it.

On both buildings, although perhaps maybe how they were at one time, the lack of over hang on the side, front or back means the logs will be exposed to lots of rain and water run off, which could damage the logs very quickly.

 Second would be having the stove pipe come out of the walls instead of the roof.

There are a couple of reasons for this having to do with flue gases and draft.

There is a math formula if you ever want to check it out.

Again, the foundation is very well done.
I hope to some day get to go inside these two.

 Again, another nice sign explaining some of the things on your walk.

 Another view of the Pink Plantation.

This time with the summer kitchen.

 If you ever wondered about summer kitchens. . . . .

 And a little bit on the old brick house.

I just love this park.

Thanks St. Charles.