Our 20 x 34 1-1/2 story cabin in Michigan

[mogie01]

Thanks AJ, how is your cabin coming along?  I really like the log siding you used, it's going to look great 

[mogie01]

This weekend we worked on installing lights on the deck steps, staining the deck rail, staining the ski equipment storage box, preparing the site for a hot tub and assembling a patio heater we purchased during the sales a while back.

The lights


the stained deck railing


site for the future hot tub


our new patio heater


stained storage box

[C.Oden]

Your place remains my inspiration!
Love love love it !!

[mogie01]

Thanks C.Oden 

We've been spending time working on the outside of the cabin like cleaning up the yard, getting rid of weeds.  In the fall I'd like to plant some wildflower seeds and see what happens.  We want to try to keep it more natural as we don't want to have to mow or spend a lot of time gardening.  We were thinking maybe having some perennials around the deck with a couple of paver paths to the hot tub and the fire pit and the rest wood chips.


stained wood hut





hummingbird feeder, I love watching these little birds, within half an hour I had 2 fighting over the feeder



the backyard after weeding, foamboard set for the hot tub

[Redoverfarm]

This was last year but there were plenty this year as well.  Got to the point that I was filling 2 feeders (16oz) each day.  Set one at the front and the other at the rear of the house to keep them from fighting.  But a lot of them have already started their southern journey.  Few remaining til the last minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtlqAldj2cU

[mogie01]

Wow Redoverfarm I've never had that many hummingbirds on any of my feeders!  Do you make you own juice or buy it?  I've just been using store bought.

[rick91351]

I'm not John; but we make our own feed four cups water to one cup sugar.  (Use good quality cane sugar)



We had a couple interesting observations this year with the hummingbirds we feed or fed as they are now leaving and going south.  One was when we pulled the fifthwheel out to evacuate due to the fire.  We moved 2.5 miles away on an escape route and stayed there for several days.  Ellen continued to take them food.  However without us and the fifthwheel there we had a huge decline in birds.  Or was it the smoke driving them away.  Or the time of the year?  The males had left weeks before.  We had a lot of female Black-chins, Calliope, and Rufus and juveniles hang here till then.  We moved the fifthwheel back and some of the females and juveniles returned.  Now after a couple weeks they are packin' up and goin' south.     In the height of the hummingbird season up here they will drain both of our feeders in about eight hours.  Right now two full feeders will last a couple days.

Next year if ants become a problem at your feeder use product called Tanglefoot on the pole.  Couple inches up on the the base for about a foot.  Ants will take over a feeder and make them unusable.  When the ants find it and become established they will just over power your efforts of washing and cleaning.  They get stuck down on the feed holes, they will be floating in the bottle.  The birds do not like that at all and will go somewhere else.  But with Tanglefoot from you local garden store they will not come around.                     

[Redoverfarm]

Rick I had a problem with ants as well.  Quick remedy was to put "Vicks" on the approach to the feeder.  I had mine hung from the soffit and they would make the trek to them.  In addition I put out some terror type product at the top of the chain against the soffit ( birds could not get access) .  Not sure what actually worked but the ants disappeared.

Mogie mine is the same as Rick's. 4:1 ratio.  They can break you up.  I have used almost 16 pound of sugar this season.

At the cabin I only have about 4-5 visible.  They say you can double the numbers of ones around by what you see.  When they fight they don't care who is around.  My wife is constantly ducking when they chase each other.  I just sit.  She ducks like your are driving and a bird comes at your windshield.  Just human nature to duck.  I laugh but don't reveal who I am laughing at the most the birds or her. 

[rick91351]

Vicks never heard of that.     We use Tanglefoot on the beehive stands.  They will over take a beehive like a humming bird feeder.

[mogie01]

Thanks everyone for all of the helpful tips.  I am going to make it my mission to have at least 4 hummingbirds at my feeder.  I did use one of those contraptions that hold water that you hang the feeder from, I'm not sure how successful that will be.  I am concerned about bees etc as we tend to get a lot of bees by the cabin so I recently purchased a hummzinger feeder which is supposed to stop bees from getting to the nectar.

[rick91351]

Thanks everyone for all of the helpful tips.  I am going to make it my mission to have at least 4 hummingbirds at my feeder.  I did use one of those contraptions that hold water that you hang the feeder from, I'm not sure how successful that will be.  I am concerned about bees etc as we tend to get a lot of bees by the cabin so I recently purchased a hummzinger feeder which is supposed to stop bees from getting to the nectar.

We have honey bees here on the ranch or homestead.  They share well with the hummingbirds on the feeders.  I think some what because hummingbirds  are not the neatest eaters in the world and a certain amount of dribbles and spills filling them.  The bees just clean all that off.  We find that they like / or do not mind their feeders right next to the house / cabin or windows.  They love feeders even just under the eves of a cabin or house.  Hummingbirds are hardly non aggressive to each other and take great delight in chasing each other all over God's creation.  Some species are way worse than others.  This morning we only have two here and they will not let the other eat.  Yesterday there were a few.  Last night there was just one here that I seen.  I think it was just passing through.  I would image it took time to recharge and spend the night and most likely to head on out this morning at first light.   

It is often written about that you have to take feeders down or the poor little things will stay around and die because of the cold and freeze to death.  Then I read recently,  "Hey leave them up even during their migration periods."  It gives them a chance to refuel and rest if they stumble on to them while traveling.  So we are this year we are doing as such.  This seems to be proving itself out as being correct.                 

[old_guy]

Regarding your "new patio heater".

We have one which seems identical, except that the top reflector is folded down on one side.  It was covered and stored against the south side of the house, and was tipped over by a strong wind.  It has been secured with a simple bungie cord for the last year without incident.

I really like your place.  Thank you for sharing.

[mogie01]

Thanks old_guy, did it tip over with the gas bottle inside?  Ours has a base that you can add water or sand to for extra weight, I haven't done that yet but I should do it soon.

This past weekend we did a few little things around the cabin.  Our wood shed is now ready for wood, we built a small frame on the ground to get the wood off the ground.



This is our new addition to our deck...







We also cleaned up the closet and added some shelving

[Redoverfarm]

I just use pallets for the base in my sheds. Redily available.   But then whether they would fit in yours or not. 

[mogie01]

We worked on a few little things this weekend.  The under-cabinet lighting is done, the lighting on our deck is done and we worked on waterproofing the storage box outside.

under cabinet lighting


the deck lighting at night

[CjAl]

What stain are you using on your porch railings?

[mogie01]

What stain are you using on your porch railings?

CjAl, we used TWP stain - Pecan is the color.  It's actually the same color that's on the cabin, just hasn't been weathered yet.

[old_guy]

"Thanks old_guy, did it tip over with the gas bottle inside?  Ours has a base that you can add water or sand to for extra weight, I haven't done that yet but I should do it soon."

Our heater had a full gas bottle when it was blown over.  I need to check if there is a place for water or sand in the base.  We bought it used and I never looked.  Thank you for THAT tip : - )

- John

[CjAl]

Are you happy with how your concrete countertops came out?

[mogie01]

Are you happy with how your concrete countertops came out?

CjAl we are really happy with the countertops.  The process was a lot of work but we really like how it turned out.

[mogie01]

We are back to working outside again.  We finally have our hottub!!   We spent most of the weekend cleaning up the backyard and doing some landscaping.  It was worth all the hard work just being abe to soak the sore bones at the end of the day.







Some paving stones at the bottom of our front steps




wood hut is full


another addition to the house

[Cougr67]

Where did you get your spiral staircase from? (sorry if I missed it earlier) I have been struggling to fit a stair in the 20 wide plan without taking up too much space. Cost?
Thanks
Todd

[rick91351]

mogie01 I missed your latest post.  We been sort of busy 

Love your little cub bear climbing the corner of the cabin.

Your TLC sure pays off inside and out.      

[mogie01]

Where did you get your spiral staircase from? (sorry if I missed it earlier) I have been struggling to fit a stair in the 20 wide plan without taking up too much space. Cost?
Thanks
Todd

Cougr67 we purchased the stairs from a company called Salter Spiral Stairs, here is the website http://www.salterspiralstair.com/.
The company was very helpful in helping us come up with the correct layout for our stairs to make sure our hallway wasn't blocked and that we had enough headroom
in the loft.

[mogie01]

mogie01 I missed your latest post.  We been sort of busy 

Love your little cub bear climbing the corner of the cabin.

Your TLC sure pays off inside and out.   

Thanks rick91351, we sure do love our cabin