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Sarg68
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 04:27pm
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This is my little slice of heaven in southeastern Ohio. I bought almost 9 acres in Morgan County in October of 2012 and it is just about now at a point that I don't mind showing it off. It came with a 12X20 ready made shed type structure that someone had dropped on the place for the guy I purchased it from. It gave us a good place to start off at. I've posted several pictures and will add more as I go along.
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Tom enjoying his favorite place in the world.
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 04:48pm
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Some of the things that I have done besides clear fence lines that hadn't been touched in forty years is build an outhouse. Its not really an outhouse in the fact that it doesn't have a hole in the ground but, it is a composting toilet. I build the bed that you see in the picture of the interior. Its an IKEA hack as well as a small table. I now have stairs leading into the loft that formed a closet for much needed storage underneath them. Stove should be installed in a couple of weeks and that will but an end to the building projects at the cabin for the year. In the spring we will enclose the front porch making a kitchen and then a new 12x16 porch with a shed roof attached to the front of the cabin that will be screened in giving us a sleep porch and dining hall. Well I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as my family love to go there and hang out.
Gun Rack for the cabin
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small table
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outhouse plans from Cpttage Life Magazine
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Wood stove
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Kudzu
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 05:31pm
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Don't know what you paid for it, but you sure got your moneys worth, everything looks great/
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 06:02pm
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Can't ask for much more. Welcome to se ohio....we're in athens co.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2013 07:23pm
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Welcome! We're in Vinton County, next to Athens Co. Love your pictures, keep 'em coming.
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 23 Aug 2013 06:06am
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I actually got the place for under 30K which I think is pretty good considering the cabin was only a year old when I bought it. I don't know what the guy paid for the cabin but I've seen them go for 9-15K.
It is totally off the grid; no electric, water or sewage. In the spring we will add a rain water collection system like the one in this Youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSV7oP43Fi8
I got a quote from AEP of $1,700 to install power and frankly that is ridicules. My 23 year old told me "Dad it fun here without electricity". So that sealed it fate of always being off the grid.
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 23 Aug 2013 06:18am
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SE Ohio and Smawgunner
Thanks for the warm welcome. More pictures to follow. I'm sorry to say that I'm not going back down to the cabin until Monday. Thought about going down today and finish inclosing the closet under the stairs but, the soaking we got last night means it would be a worthless trip.
My 21 year old works nights and so I am fortunate that he can go with me once a week and get some work done and bonding time. I pick up a new Stihl 290 chainsaw today and we will be ready to put it to use on Monday. Seems like there is always wood that needs cut up and the fence rows are a battle that just now feels like we are making headway on.
Cheers!
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spencerin
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2013 02:40am
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For $30k, what you got was almost a crime. Welcome to the forum.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2013 07:05am
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nice place.....looks like a good deal .
like your gun rack and what's in it...AR fan here!!!!
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2013 06:53pm
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I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends and got to their cabins. Hunter and I are headed down tomorrow morning for our weekly work party of clearing brush and cutting fire wood. Couple weeks ago I had a Tree back into me at the cabin and it didn't have insurance. Tomorrow morning I have to take the truck to the body shop to get fixed. I will be in a rental all week; sure hope they give me something with 4WD or we will have to take Hunter's Ford Ranger. Anyone have plans to go to their cabins over the holiday weekend? My wife will be making her first trip with us to stay the night. I have kept her away over the last year while we made it livable. I think she will be really surprised at how different the place looks now. Here are some more pictures of the outhouse. Cheers
Dutch door to enjoy the few while you take a poo
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inside
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composting
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clean out
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old old buddy
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:07pm
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Sarg68
I just wrote you a fairly lengthy post on our site and thought I would look for you and I found you.
Nice place! I think you did real good on the price as well. I would have thought the land would be worth close to 30K$
You stove looks like a "Logwood" which is identical to ours. I like ours but wish I had more control over the heat. I guess I have to spring for a real good stove to get that ability. When we first put it in...we were up all night putting wood in it because the cabin wasn't insulated the first over-nighter. Hell..after that, I couldn't get to Lowes quick enough to buy the insulation we needed.
After insulating, we had a new problem....too much heat. Over the past two years we've learned that all we need just before retiring for the evening was a good bed of coals4-5" high and that would last for 4-5 hours and then we get up and put some fresh oak slatwood in it (from pallets), set a nice cherry split-log on it and it only takes about 15 minutes and it warms up to about 70-75 degrees.
How far is your cabin from your home? Ours is 8 miles (ten minutes).
I apologize for not looking for your site earlier but be sure to read what I posted on our forum. I'll keep an eye on your site for any updates. NIce place!
Old Old Buddy
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stickbowcrafter
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:26am
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Very nice. I used to own a farm in Guernsey Co. not far from Seneca Lake.
-Brian
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2013 04:16pm
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Just got back from the cabin! What a great day we had there. My nephew (15) and Tom went with we since school was closed and they ran all over the place.
I had several goals to accomplish today and completed all of them. First was to finish the base platform to Tom's tree house that will double as a tree stand later in the year. I still need to put railing up and a tarp roof. The railing will have burlap on the sides for concealment.
Second was to take the new wood burning stove down along with the new hanging oil lamp that I picked up at Lehman's hardware last month.
Last was to enclose the bottom of the stairs that I build that leads into the loft. My cabin is no different than most cabins that it is lacking storage space. Now I have a closet and a partition for the bed that my wife and I sleep in. I still need a door and molding installed and will get to that later in the week if not next week. Not in any big hurry.
As you recall from my last entry my with was supposed to go down and stay with us over the weekend. We postponed the trip until the this upcoming Saturday due to weather.
I've posted several new pictures I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers,
Sarg68
Tom's tree house
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Stairs enclosed
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Another angle
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Much needed storage
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:20pm
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Well I finally got my wife down to the cabin for the first time even if it wasn't for the night. Our cleaning lady at the clinic was off for the weekend so she had to do the cleaning and we left around noon on Saturday. We had a really good time. Just relaxed for the afternoon; which everyone says I never do.
Tom and I laid on the deck of his tree house for next to an hour listening to sounds and watching birds.
I went out with the camera and took some pictures and to my surprise the tree that I couldn't previously identify answered the question for me. It is a pawpaw and it turns out to be a patch of them that I have. The big one is full of hanging fruit and the saplings have a good ways to grow before they produce anything.
Ended up the day with dinner on the way home at a BBQ place on the river. Looking forward to many more relaxing days with here at the cabin.
I have two trees that were hit by lighting the first week of July so I will be back at the wood cutting on Friday. Tom and my nephew Parker are off from school for teachers meetings so they are going with me.
Cheers Todd
Tom relaxing on a tree limb
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Pawpaw
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Fence row
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Pawpaw patch
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Osubuck
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# Posted: 12 Sep 2013 02:12pm
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Was the BBQ place you went to called The Boonedocks? If so next time try The Chatterbox Grill a few miles south in McConnelsville. They have great food. I have a cabin like yours near there .
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:59am
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Osubuck,
Thanks for the recommendation. I've been to Boonedock's three times now and can't say that I'm impressed. If your hungry okay if not then you may want to just stop at the lil dog deli and get a sandwich. I will have to try the Chatterbox one of these days. I live in Zanesville so I'm not usually headed south.
I am looking forward to a squirrel roasted over the fire in a few weeks. LOL! My nephew and I had that conversation last night.
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old old buddy
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2013 08:33am
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Sarg68
You place is lookin good! When you wrote that your wife had gone down (even if she didn't stay overnight) sounded like me. My wife stayed last Saturday overnight and we went up this Friday and did it all over again. It is great time together.....the best
Better be getting your wood-burner ready to go. We had to fire ours up Friday night for the first time this year. I just love listening to it crackle as I'm nodding off to sleep.
Old Old Buddy
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2013 08:38am
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Well Tom and my nephew Parker had the day off from school on Friday due to the teachers having a continuing education day so we made our way to the cabin for the day. My 21 year old Hunter is off on Fridays and Saturdays so he went with us.
I got the Walnut and Maple tree that got sheered off during the storm we had the end of July cut up and took down the Poplar that had the same damage done to it. I will have to finish cutting up the poplar when I go back this week. I just ran out of time.
The boys helped out a lot by helping me stack the wood. Most of wood from the trunks was punkie and unusable but, the limbs produced a lot of fire wood. All three trees were located down hill from the cabin and we stacked it in place to dry out. I currently only have one way to get it up the hill and that's carrying it. Not very practical for so much wood over a long distance. I plan to build a farm cart over the winter and that should do the trick.
I wore the new chaps and helmet my Stihl that I bought after Hunter accident and even though the were warm to have on they were comfortable.
Seems like there is always so much to get done at the cabin and never as much time as you would like. I need two or three more of me!
Review of the bucking post that I built proves it not to be practical. I'm afraid I am going to have to build one similar to a saw horse to get something more practical. The problem with the current one is that you can't adjust to fit different size pieces of wood. And as we know no two limbs are the same size.
Bucking post (flawed design)
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:23pm
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Well as I promised today I went to the cabin accompanied by my dog Karma. This was her first trip alone with me without Tom to keep an eye on her. She did great and now I know that I can take her every week with me.
I had six large piles of brush that needed burn from where I have cleaned the fence line over the summer. I like to let them dry for a while before I burn them. Today was the day and I jumped right on it as soon as we got there this morning before ten. I was done with it and headed home by a little after 1 PM. Only thing left smoldering was a few sticks that I covered with dirt.
Next week will be some finishing touches to the loft stairs/closet and I need to pour some footers for the cabin. I'm not real happy with the way it was placed in woods and want to put in some footers below the frost line and then level it.
I need to get some time in the shop over the next week to build a platform to set the wood burning stove on the will bring it up higher off the ground and allow me to create a wood box under it. Pictures to follow.
Well I'm beat and so is the dog from our relaxing day at the cabin. To be honest I did sit in the shade and shared lunch with the dog and drank two cups of coffee. It was a very relaxing 30 minute break. Cheers?
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2013 07:19am
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Sore back after another relaxing day at the cabin. Karma and I cut up all those small trees that I cute down on the fence row this summer. As you can see from the picture it is some stack of sticks. I hope they turn out to be great to burn in that tiny stove of mine.
I still have a poplar tree that was blown over in that storm we had the last week of July to cut up but it will have to wait until next week.
I noticed while I was packing up to leave that the pawpaw's had fallen off the tree so I gave the tree a good shaking and gathered about a dozen up and brought home with me. I wonder now if I should have just planted them because I don't think I have enough to do anything with. I will have to think about that for a day or two.
I stopped at Maxwell's gun store and picked up a magazine that I had ordered for my Walther PPQ. Tuff gun to find a magazine for sense they divorced S&W and came out with the M2 that I carry. If your in McConnelsville you should stop in to visit Claude and Heidi at their store. Great family owned business!
I have to make a really quick visit back to the cabin today. Literally a turn around visit because I took the tarp down yesterday we had over the picnic table and left my expensive pocket knife stuck in the side of the tree. I could kick myself in the ass over that one. While I'm there I figured I will grab the stove and bring back home. I got an idea to raise it off the ground and create a wood box under it. Its small enough that I can just bring it back with me instead of going off of measurements to build it.
Well Small Cabin friends that's about all for this week. I'll see you again in soon. Cheers Sarg68
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2013 01:17pm
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1hr 20 minute trip to pull this knife out of the tree. I took a few minutes to walk around the woods and enjoy the sights and sounds while I was there. Cheers
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2013 03:06pm
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Sarg68,
I once found a knife stuck in a tree by a fishing hole in KY. Yours?
Nothing like a "relaxing" day cutting wood. Great progress towards winter. I'll be stocking up on firewood soon to dry for next year's fires, should have enough for this season.
While designing your stove support, you might consider ways to secure the stove from metal thieves/burglars. I've known of a few people that have had theirs taken from weekend cabins!
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2013 06:50pm
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SE Ohio,
That was actually my knife that I left stuck in that tree. I didn't realize it until I got home that I had left it there.
Thanks for the advise on securing the stove I will do just that. My place is pretty well hidden but as you know anything is possible. I have security cameras that will ID who did it but that's as far as it goes for security anywhere.
I still have a tree on my place to cut up and two more that fell onto my place to cut up over the next couple of weeks. I like the focus you put on cutting the wood and nothing else but cutting wood. I stop and share my lunch with the dog and drink coffee and there is nothing more relaxing in the world than that. With the last three downed trees cut up things will slow up at the cabin for me until spring when I get back into clearing fence lines. Until then it will be some building project or two on my weekly trip then lunch beside the fire with the dog. I can't say enough how relaxing that is to me.
Well have a good evening. Sarg68
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old old buddy
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2013 06:50pm
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Sarg68
Nice pile of wood. We have several wood piles on the property. Most of the ash and poplar we use for the outside fire. We pretty much burn cherry inside all the time except for the oak slats I cut up with the hatchet to use for kindling. We have many cherry trees that are growing crookeder (Speeling?) than a dog's hind-leg, so we cut them up in the spring (usually) to throw in the stove. We have plenty cut from last year to last this year. The nice thing about cherry is that it keeps the flue cleaned out real good all year long. It smells good too.
If your cabin is easy to get to (to drive to) by anyone, then I agree with SE Ohio about securing your stove from thieves. Our place, however, is extremely hard to get to (after you pass the 1/2" chain), all uphill about 600 feet, so I'm not worried about anyone stealing the stove. If they do...we'll probably find it within a 100 yard circle from the cabin. I've said this before..."Thieves are generally a very lazy species and I can't imagine them humping a 150# woodstove through the brush." If they take it.....they take it....I just can't worry about it.
After you leave the cabin a few times and find that nothing is bothered....you'll feel a little more confident of leaving it each time.
It tickled me looking at your picture of the knife you left behind. Last Saturday, when my wife and I stayed overnight, just before I got out of the truck to lock the gate behind us when we were leaving, I remembered I forgot my Sig-Sauer .40 caliber pistol in the cabin.....then I remembered I forgot to load the generator up also. So much for rememberingThat would have been a pretty good score for the thieves!
We never lock the cabin though. I would rather have them come in and look around, take what they want and hopefully leave. I can't imagine what they could take that would be worth much. That's why I've said before I can't put too much money into the cabin because I can't insure it. I guess we just have to have a little faith
Keep up with the excellent progress and the photos.
Old Old Buddy
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Sarg68
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# Posted: 25 Sep 2013 06:59am - Edited by: Sarg68
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Old Old Buddy,
I don't know how many acres you have but, I have nine and I sure can't ever see the need to cut a tree down for fire wood. I have to look every time I go down to see if any have been blown down. Plus having a small stove in a small cabin its nice to use the bigger branches to heat with. I lived in Europe for a few years and that's all they use to heat with. During the fall in Italy you will see the entire top cut out of a tree for fire wood and the next year they do it again. I have a really good friend in his mid 70s who retells a story of his brother who was in the 101st during WWII. They spent the night in a farm house in southern Germany and the farmer told him they could eat anything that wanted but please only use a little bit of the fire wood. Amazing huh?
You can tell we are both retired Law enforcement because this is one of the things I say all the time.
Quoting: old old buddy I've said this before..."Thieves are generally a very lazy species and I can't imagine them humping a 150# woodstove through the brush." If they take it.....they take it....I just can't worry about it.
I do want to add shutters to the doors and windows this winter as one of my projects. OOB do you have a game camera aimed at the cabin? I do so I know who did it when I talk to the Sherriff. I talked to a neighbor who told me if it happens to me then it will be the same person who did it to everyone else in the area. He's probably right because thief's are creatures of habit. You sure can't worry about the things you can't control.
Next weeks big project is getting the stove installed. I watched several videos on stove installation last night. I'm nervous about going through the roof or the side of the cabin. It will be interesting to follow this one folks. Pictures to follow next week of the stove hearth.
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KSalzwedel
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# Posted: 25 Sep 2013 06:47pm
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Love your cabin, and feel a real affinity. We work so much that a 30 minute break feels like heaven.
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hattie
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# Posted: 25 Sep 2013 11:36pm
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Your place is beautiful! Great work!!! Keep the photos coming.
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Sarg68
Member
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:18am - Edited by: Sarg68
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KSalzwedel and hattie,
Thanks for all the kind words. I really enjoy my cabin and the work involved in owning it. My favorite part of the cabin is watching my family enjoy the time they spend there.
Pawpaws ripened on the counter this week so I'm going to make muffins out of them today. This is my first attempt at baking with them so wish me luck. Pictures to follow. 
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Osubuck
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2013 02:58pm
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I agree Maxwell's is a great little sporting goods shop. I just bought a new bow there last time I was at my cabin. I have been looking at putting a wood stove in my 12x16 cabin also but have not found a quality stove for such a small cabin. What make and model are you putting in yours?
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old old buddy
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2013 04:28pm
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In answering your question about the acreage.....it's 64 plus. I didn't mean to imly we cut standing wood to burn because we also have scads laying around on the ground. The cherry trees I'm talking about cutting generally range 6"-10" and are so bent and knarly looking ....they will never make good looking timber. We usually burn nothing but cherry in the stove since it burns so clean and everything else we burn in the firepit. I always use oak kindling to start the fire inside and then feed it cherry. Secondly....yes we have a few cameras on the cabin but I doubt anyone would find them without giving themselves up first.
One of the most important things I wantd to tell you (and maybe you already do it) is to lock the gate going in and coming out. If we would have always done that we would not have had tresspassers last summer while we were all at the cabin. Two surly lookin dudes came screaming into our camp on four-wheelers and had no idea we would be there. They were genuinely surprised to see us. Their four-wheelers looked like were put together with stolen parts (several different colors mismatched) and both of the guys had what Old Buddy and I called "jail-house tatoos" all over their arms, neck, etc.
Point is...if we would have locked the gate when we came up the hill, they would never had been able to get up the hill. Now....they know where the cabin is and that bothers me....but we haven't had any problems since (nearly a year). I wanted to tell both of them off real good but I didn't want them to come back and burn us down. Know what I mean? Anyway...for what it's worth. Old Old Buddy
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