Okanogan 14x24 by a lurker :)

[Yonderosa]

OJH:  Sorry to hear about the job situation.  Unfortunately I know too many others in that same boat. 

I've been very lucky so far even though the pay has fallen back to what I was making in the 80's and early 90's.  It nets even less with today's fuel and insurance costs.  We're month to month for the last three years, not saving (actually dipping into the savings) even though we're working steadily.  "Twice as hard for half as much" seems to be the new normal.  I've been working on my "Do you want fries with that?" so I can ace the interview at the local BK.

[OlJarhead]

Yonderosa I hear ya!  Seems wages for Telecom guys are going down down down!

Thought I heard a lone wolf the other night at the cabin....just once and far away.  Only saw one doe when driving up the hill very near Aeneas Valley road and had NONE on the game cam.

Lots of cows, no deer -- but I did see plenty of tracks so I probably just need to move the cam.

Didn't however, see any during the day at the cabin and wasn't really hunting anyway.  Spent more time horsing around

Will post tomorrow with pics etc.

[OlJarhead]

OK, finally have a moment for a short update

We left Sunday to head to the cabin with only a couple missions in mind:  1.  Plant cereal rye after disking up the rest of the field that was missed earlier.  2.  Chop and stack the remaining wood for the winter.

An alternate plan was to relax a little and try to enjoy our stay at the cabin and of course to replace the timer on the orchard and make sure the trees survived the week and a half without water.

We brought our 2nd oldest and her family with us which was the first time she'd been to the cabin in two years and her husband hadn't been in a year (he used to come and help out but work got in the way of that this past year) and our grandsons hadn't been at the cabin other then when the oldest was a baby.

I got the field prepped for the rye seed but must admit I didn't get it all planted   Sure, I spread 35 lbs of see but my spreader (a lawn spreader) sucked for the job and only spread the seed over about 2/3rds of the plot I'd guess.  It just put it down thicker then I needed.  When I find work I'll be buying a proper spreader!

The trees looked awesome so they weren't hurting at all and I made sure they were watered a couple really good times while we were there and set the timer to give them 6 gallons a week again so they should be fine now.  Next trip I need to put them to bed for the winter!

That left wood chopping and clean up -- the cleanup wasn't completed but the chopping was   We also improved the woodshed a bit.

Here's a few pics:

The grandsons loved to put rocks in the bucket but didn't much like the sounds of the tractor when it was running....they sure liked to play on it though!


Our oldest grandson (2 1/2 yrs old) loves to help


We figured this is two cords of wood chopped and stacked with the front row the driest (from a standing dead tree).

Did a little shooting and what-not.  Was a great but short trip.

Part of the reason so short, mind you, was because I had some job search stuff going on and needed (or felt I needed) to get back and continue working on that front.

[OlJarhead]

OlJ, I think we're neighbors (if you call within 15 miles or so neighbors) and I've read your post from page 1.  This is my first posting/reply and I have a ton of questions for you but I'll save most of them for another time. Hopefully I'll get my own page started soon.  Looking at your page, you discuss adding to your structure or adding more structures in the future. From where you stand now, do you still plan to grow your current structure?  Or would you have just built a bigger structure to start with? I'm heading up to the Okanagan tomorrow morning for the week - putting in septic.

The support and sharing here is fantastic and I'm anxious to get started with both my structure and posting. Have a great week.  (Seeing those pictures of the cats have me a bit spooked). When you organize the Okanagan rendezvous, please add me to your list.

I suppose if I were to start over today I'd take a few things into consideration more:

1.  The loft height is good but I think I should have included a header and framed doorway or opening (even if it was then sheeted and ignored) over where I might want to put another room at another time.

What I mean by that is that I think it would be hard to expand this builders cottage under the lofts without floor jacks etc in the future because of the inset ledgers -- but maybe not.  Either way, I don't really plan on doing that anyway but it's something I've pondered.

2.  The foundation should have been improved from the start and while it seems to be holding up I still want to improve it because I've put a heavier structure on it.  Had I given it more thought and been in less of a rush I'd have done something more suited for a building that sits higher off the ground and is heavier then planned.

3.  I feel I should have gone with 2x8 floor joists or even 2x10 joists which would have been much stronger -- insulation is not a concern (I know VERY warm cabins with none in the floors at all because of the large woodstove in the corner)  -- but putting heavy stoves and tubs on 2x6 flooring means (at least I think it does) more support for the floor.

4.  Yes to your question about more cabins but that's always been my plan.  Today I have in mind to build at least 2 or 3 'bedroom' or 'bunkhouse' cabins and building them will be both fast and more efficient because of the learning curve with this one   I also plan a shop/shed and a root cellar as well as decks and carports and wood sheds and shop

My newest plan for cabins is to build them with expansion in mind more so then this one.  I plan to have them ready to add a bathroom or bedroom (or both) by framing the entryways into them from the start.  Sort of like putting in a back door on one side or the other which can be used for the bedroom later on and framing in another on the opposite side (with a wide header) so I can cut out the studs and make an opening for a dining room or bath or whatever I want later.

The cost of doing so is negligent but the benefit would be great!

Another consideration would be to frame, sheet and roof in that order and complete the exterior 100% before moving inside.

Today, 3 years down the road I've yet to complete the gabled end roofing and need to complete the siding!

Also, I'd put composting toilets on the south side to catch more sun in the winter and complete the under-skirting and insulation before worrying about the interior as well as putting the composting toilet as close to the wood stove as possible and plan venting from the stove (via duct and fan) to the composting toilet compartment to keep it warm and thawed when used in the winter)......

And these are just my first thoughts off hand! lol

[Runnerdave]

WOW!  Glad I asked.  Helps to hear all that and hopefully it will keep me a bit more patient. Honestly, I've read all 59 of your pages (reads like a book) and while it gets me excited to get started, it's also a bit frightening. Overwhelming is probably a better word. I spent last Monday through Thursday up there (awesome weather) and while I worked long hard days like crazy, it seems like I hardly did anything at all. Thank you for your input and all the experience sharing. I've been hesitant to get my feet wet on here but will try to get posting my own experiences to date by next week.  At the moment I'm considering a 20' X 34' and am anxious to hear from Skagitdrifter about his choice (20' X 40'). Hope the job prospects are going well.

[OlJarhead]

WOW!  Glad I asked.  Helps to hear all that and hopefully it will keep me a bit more patient. Honestly, I've read all 59 of your pages (reads like a book) and while it gets me excited to get started, it's also a bit frightening. Overwhelming is probably a better word. I spent last Monday through Thursday up there (awesome weather) and while I worked long hard days like crazy, it seems like I hardly did anything at all. Thank you for your input and all the experience sharing. I've been hesitant to get my feet wet on here but will try to get posting my own experiences to date by next week.  At the moment I'm considering a 20' X 34' and am anxious to hear from Skagitdrifter about his choice (20' X 40'). Hope the job prospects are going well.

Thanks and I'm glad someone read it! lol

I find that realizing that you have to eat an elephant one bite at a time helps

[OlJarhead]

Planning the next trip up which will be more of a hunting trip (for the boys since I'm bow hunting this year again) and more winter prep. 

On my agenda is to paint the trunks of my apples with white latex paint, place hardware cloth around their trunks, cut off the watering (it's getting down into the 20's now) and just clean up the orchard a bit.

Then I need to fix the frost free with a bucket and some gravel and re-bury it.

After that I'll do some work pulling logs to the mill and getting slash piles ready for burning when the snow falls....


And I'll spend hours in front of the wood stove reading too I think

[JavaMan]

When are you planning your hunting trip?  I meant to get out earlier this year (early bow), but couldn't... then Beautiful didn't want me going alone    (not sure if she thought I'd shoot myself accidentally with the bow or not... )

[OlJarhead]

Modern Firearms is 13th through the 21st of this month and we aim to harvest a deer or two if we can find them! lol

If the boys can't get any then we have one last show in the late bow season for me....we'll see

[JavaMan]

Ah, so the boys are going for firearm and then you'll try your hand at bow? 

Let me know if you'd like some company (if you go bow hunting), I've been meaning to get there, but haven't been able to.  I might have to put my foot down and go.

[OlJarhead]

Yes, except I can't bow hunt until later since the late bow season is November 21st to Dec 15th.

This trip, while the boys and a friend rifle hunt I'll be carrying a shotgun for grouse (maybe rabbit) and working on the cabin to winterize it better.

And hoping the boys shoot something!

[JavaMan]

Well I wouldn't be able to go until sometime after Thanksgiving weekend ... which limits it to the first half of Dec sometime...

[OlJarhead]

Perhaps we could arrange something then.  Depends on my boys though as they have to be willing to pay the gas! lol

The problem with being out of work is that I can't afford the trips as much anymore   We're really cutting back now (down to $50 a week for groceries for at least a month and a half or two -- then we'll run out of meat in the freezer).

Times are tough and getting tougher but adding a buck to the freezer would help....too bad it's such a crap shoot these days!

[JavaMan]

I hear you there, OJH ... Things are getting slim here, and I'm still working!  I can't imagine what it's going to get to be like.

Of course there are a few deer here, but no bucks that I've seen (maybe a spike, but in this county they aren't legal).

Hopefully your boys can put one in the freezer for you.

[OlJarhead]

Whoohoo!

Our new budget is done and the result is that we're taking in more then we're spending!  Of course it means we have to cut the food budget to $50 a week and gas to $35 which might be tough but we can do it.

It also means cabin trips are down to gas there and back only now   So won't do much besides keep an eye on the place and enjoy it etc....won't have much $$$ left over for gas to run the mill or the genny either so it will be tough but at least we're making it!

[JavaMan]

Awesome!

It's always nice when you know you won't be going in the hole.

AND, you will just HAVE to relax and enjoy the place when you go up there.  Darn!

[OlJarhead]

Relax, keep the stove going, read, play cards and wait for the boys to return with a buck   Sounds like a plan!

Oh and they're paying for most of the gas too!

[JavaMan]

Awesome plan!

[Runnerdave]

Why paint the trunk of the trees with white latex paint? BTW, a couple weeks ago I saw several commercial man-lift trucks on the main highway. When I asked what they were doing they said they were running fiber optic lines between T and R in preparation to supply service for high speed internet and whatever else goes thru fiber optic lines. Does that sound like something up your alley? I'm sorry I can't remember what the company name was on the trucks. There was also a travel advisory on WADOT that mentioned the project.

On another note, did you have any problem with flys at your place this fall?  I swept them out by the bucket full the last couple months. What gives?

[OlJarhead]

Hinkles and McCoy is the company doing the install work -- install work isn't something I've done but I've done a lot of implementation of the systems (and installing them) and operating them etc  that utilize the fiber (and yes it can do internet, phone, TV and anything else like that)....

I'd be willing to work on that project though!!  Are you kidding? lol I'd live at the cabin while doing it....ya, that would be a dream!

Flies?  Yes.  Seems we've got our fair share this year too.  Not sure why but I use diatomaceous (sp) earth and fly strips to control them.

[OlJarhead]

On a side note I've offered my tractor services to my neighbors (two of them so far) for fuel and a little help getting up to the property.

I figured that if they'd pay for the fuel (which isn't much really) and kick in a little extra for help I'd do some small tractor jobs for them (a little grading work or mowing or snow removal).  If nothing else it will make the trips to the cabin cheaper for me   and perhaps it could mean folks ask about more extensive services (like grading a long driveway or plowing one etc) in which I could charger a little more (the going rate I'm told is $75/hr but I've seen cheaper and I figure even at $25/hr I'd be making something which is better then nothing!

I've also been giving some serious thought to milling lumber for people.  Problem there is that at $50/hr the cost might be more then most are willing to pay (though I'm learning it's a fair to great price) for a smaller mill.  I'm wondering though if I were to get a bigger mill if it would pay off?  After all, if I can mill 200 board feet an hour then $50/hr is a seriously good price!  That's just 25c per board foot if the mill is doing it's job and the logs are being loaded constantly -- and most remote millers charge as much as $1/board foot....so $200/hr for a job like that.

Of course,  to pay for an operation like that I'd have to have a lot of work coming in and I'm just not sure in this economy it's likely.

[JavaMan]

To bad you don't have a trailer for your tractor and know where my place is.  I'd have yo head over there and grade a couple spots that I want cleaned up (move a few dead trees that are down, as well - you could use 'em for fire wood)...

Ah well, maybe next year.

I've seen that the HD here rents a micro excavator as well as a small tractor with a bucket and backhoe on it.  I just might have to rent it for a weekend and haul it up to the property in the spring 

[OlJarhead]

Agreed!  I need to get a bigger trailer but it will have to wait.

[OlJarhead]

Well we put our ATV trailer up for sale on Craigslist as well as our tent trailer.

With luck we'll sell them both and then use some of the money to build a new 6 foot wide by 20 long sawmill trailer -- that we can remove the mill from and use as a flatbed trailer to haul ATV's, lumber etc -- and the rest can just go in the bank.

If we get that done then we might even get some business milling lumber for folks in the Okanogan though I haven't seen a reply in my post here which kinda surprised me.  I figured cabin builders would be the folks I did business with more then not but perhaps not.

Ranchers would be my next guess as I've heard they often buy all the rough cut lumber they can their hands on.

[JavaMan]

Well, we'll have to talk a a bit about lumber milling.  I have a couple ideas, would love to get my own mill, but it looks doubtful in the near future (year).  It looks like it will be greater than a year out 

So maybe there might be something you might be able to mill for me - but I'll take that offline in a few weeks, probably.