Guess that Tree

We live in the woods, so do critters that eat little kids :-). Last fall, a neighbor's horse was attacked by a cougar. We were not terribly surprised, but it did make me consider the very dense undergrowth of the forest around our house. I resolved to remove as much preditor cover as possible as soon as possible. We also talked about getting a herding dog to watch over the smaller children. The first of May, it finally stopped snowing, and we got to work at the property clearing the woods of smaller trees and brush, and selecting which trees to keep and which to cut. The kids piled the smaller trees, brush and limbs while I cut things down. It really quenches the destructive gene I have in my body :-)!! We have a large percentage of white fir, which is not really good for anything, so we are removing alot of them. We want to keep the white pine, they are the most valuable trees we have. The ponderosa pine get very large and are pretty, we will keep most of them. There are also red fir, a good mill log, and lodgepole pine as well. The house is made of lodgepole, they are very abundant on our property. Someday we hope the market value will go back up, and we will take a few truck loads off to the mill.

In the meantime, we have literally tons of firewood. Our goal is to make the 5 acres around the house very park-like, with little undergrowth, sparse trees, and ultimately, a much greater view base for keeping an eye on our little blessings running around, lest they become cougar bait.

Each of these photos represent a type of tree that we have on our property. One is a White Fir, one is a White Pine, and one is a Red Fir. Can you identify which is which? The answers will be in the next post!! Happy tree identifying!!

Long Awaited Update - Snow, Snow and more Snow

After getting the roof on and getting most of the windows and doors in and the gable ends framed and enclosed we were hoping to get more work done during the winter months. That has not been the case. Just getting out to the lodge has proved difficult at times. We had over a week of subzero temperatures and at the beginning of that time we discovered that a small digital display on our charge controller had drawn the battery charge down to such a point that the batteries froze. We are still not sure how many batteries are ruined. During that time I (Brian) had resurrected my 4WD truck and was busting through the snow drifts trying to get in and out to keep a propane heater running in order to thaw the batteries. On one of the trips I got stuck and as I was working my truck pretty hard to get out I saw a flash in my mirror and looked to see my truck in flames. It was a complete loss but thank God I was able to get out and was not injured.

We have not accomplished as much on the lodge as we had hoped we would this winter, mostly due to a very busy winter schedule and some due to the weather. We did get all the windows in that we had holes cut for. the walls are insulated and we did get about 2/3rds of the outside chinked before it got too cold for the chinking. We also got two french doors installed. We are anticipating getting started again the first part of March, Lord willing.

What we have learned through these last few months is that this house belongs to the Lord and its finish date is in His hands. We will work on it as He provides the time and the finances; our job is to be faithful and patient!!

The blessing of windows

As I mentioned previously, We were given three 4x6 picture windows. Two of these we installed in the living room, they are flanking the future fireplace/hearth for the Kuma stove we hope to purchase. The third is horizontal in the kitchen, making a nice seating area with a view.

The two front windows are Pella windows, much like the ones in my parents house, with a picture window in the middle and opening windows on each side. We bought these used three years ago. They have blinds inside the glass. The highlight of all the windows are the two sets of french doors, one for the dining room and one for the Master bedroom.

Installing a window in a log house means first cutting the proper size hole in the wall with the chain saw. this must be precise, which is difficult with a chainsaw, you must make sure the chain is sharp. Secondly, the hole must be chiseled and sanded to be exactly level and perfectly sized for the frame that must be built to go around the window itself. The third is building the frame. We used 2x12, nailed it together, then screwed it into the log wall with lag screws after making sure it was square and level. Next, we made quarter round with the router and table saw, using the chop saw for the angled corners. We glued and nailed this to the edge of the frame. Then, after spreading window sealant around it was finally time for the blessed glass itself! But, before we could stand back and admire, we needed to nail more quarter round on the inside of the frame, securing the window in place. Eventually, there will be molding to go around the frames, but for now, there is just tons of foam insulation. It such a wonderful feeling to get another window installed, each one is a thrill, as the house starts to take shape and we imagine what the rooms will look like. We envision watching deer out the living room windows, throwing open the french doors in the summer for an evening of hospitality in the fresh air, and taking in the beautiful woods that surround Providence Lodge. Aaahh, it's a good feeling.

chinking nightmares

We finally began the chinking process, using a mix of lime, water, and morter mix. The result is a consistancy of peanut butter. After several long hard days, I began chinking in my sleep, that is, dreaming I was still chinking. No wonder I woke up so sore!! Chinking is very hard work, at least for a middle aged mommy. The younger help would fill the gap with mortar, then I would come along behind them and smooth it to look, well, as pretty as cement can be.

Everyone got in on the job, with such a big job, and the threat of winter over our heads, anyone who volunteered was quickly put to work. (Thanks a million Matt and Terry!) In the meantime, Brian and I are installing windows, mostly on the days that are too icky to be chinking. The two big windows in front were bought used three years ago, the two big living room windows were given to us. we have another one just like it to put in the kitchen seating area. With the windows and insulation, it is quite cozy inside. We think it is looking like home.

We must say a special thanks to Nanny and Anna who kept the home fires burning and the little ones occupied during the two weeks we really buckled down to get this job done. Our children

John, Rose, and Joe really worked hard. We couldn't do it without them, nor would we want to, you guys are great!