Although we did spend the first part of the day Sunday working, we decided to break early to get in some ATV action, and then ended the beautiful spring day with a little fishing as well.
First on the day’s agenda was to put up scaffolding on the back deck. We have discovered that the log siding on either side of the great room windows does not match up and that the builders have put in a 1-2 inch strip between two of the siding pieces on the left in order to make up the difference. In order to make it look right, we’re now going to have to strip off the log siding on that side and replace it before we finish staining the outside. Our intent was to go ahead and tackle that project but after getting the scaffolding up, decided to put it off for another day and work on a few simpler projects instead.
Our dumpster was removed last week but we still have a ton of scrap wood to get rid of so decided to go ahead and build a fire in order to burn some of it. Max and I were put in charge of cutting down wood pallets and tending to the bonfire.
-
- Dave uses a torch to start the fire
-
- Max gets a lesson in splitting wood for kindling
-
- good work, Max
-
- burning nicely now!
-
- Max tends the fire as Dave works under the deck, drilling holes for the bathroom vents
-
- um, Max, you’re supposed to be tending the fire, not playing your DS
After starting the fire, Dave went to work drilling into the basement wall, under the front deck and through to the inside, in order to make openings for the bathroom vents.
-
- the pipes come down from the bathrooms above and run along the basement ceiling
-
- the drill is too long to fit between the deck support and foundation wall
-
- Dave switches to a smaller drill to get the hole started
-
- once in part way, he can switch back to the larger, more powerful drill
-
- as he makes his way through the eight inches of wood, he chisels out the sections that have been drilled
-
- and he’s made it through!
-
- the end of the vent and cover, ready to go into the hole
-
- excellent work, Dave
-
- from the inside, the vent end is ready to be connected to the existing pipe
Bathroom vents taken care of, Dave moves inside to do some framing in the laundry room.
-
- rather than dropping the entire ceiling to hide the HVAC, we opt instead to box it in
-
- view of the new box framing from inside the laundry room
-
- look, we have a working electrical outlet in the laundry room!!!
These two tasks crossed off the list, it’s now time for our first trail ride of the year!
-
- thankfully, the ATVs all started right up after being stored all winter
-
- time to helmet up
-
- and we’re off to the other side of the property
-
- a little marshy back here in the woods
-
- hmmmm, this is not what we were expecting the trails to look like!
-
- Max pulls up beside me…yep a little muddy
-
- Max decides to take his dirt bike for a quick spin as well…he’s way out grown it since last year!
-
- somehow, Dave didn’t get nearly as muddy as Max
-
- after much fun slipping and sliding in the mud, it’s time to put the vehicles away
About an hour of sunlight left, we decide to get in a bit of fishing before packing up.
-
- Dave picks out lures for all of us from his tackle box
-
- Max heads off to find a good spot for his first cast
-
- patience, Max, patience
-
- Dave and Max both ignore the “no walking on the dam” sign and head on top of the dam to fish
-
- Dave and Max, from the front of the dam
-
- Max catches the first fish of the day!
-
- still new to fishing, Max gets a lesson in removing the hook
-
- after succesfully removing the hook, we threw it back into the lake
-
- not to be outdone, I catch the first bass!
-
- as the sun sinks lower in the sky, it illuminates the lovely moss along Waffles Ridge
-
- looking back up at the cabin from the old road to the dam
-
- the view of the cabin from down near our dock
After a full day, we packed up and headed for home…
the coleman cabin 
Reminds me of an episode of Little House on the Prairie.. Except Larger Log Cabin in the Woods
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods? 😉