And God said unto Noah, who was Canadian. "Hey, buddy, you better build an ark I think there's a storm acomin'."

The same storm system that hit Calgary and Southern Alberta last week hit us in SE BC as well. We didn't have it as bad as the Albertans but, people are still talking about it. We had three inches of rain in less than 24 hours and I watched the bank down to the lake from the cabin and the basement quite closely. I am happy to report that both the cabin and the bank came through it all without any damage which, was a bit of a relief.

Unlike some in the path of the storm we have flood controls here that prevented serious damage on the scale that they had in Alberta but, nevertheless a few unfortunate souls were unlucky enough to have their homes either flooded or, worse, washed away. Mud slides closed several roads including major arteries and at one point the whole area of SE BC looked like it might be isolated, at least from the rest of Canada if not the United States.

The lake rose about 6 - 10 feet in 48 hours and we now have a full lake adjacent to the Development with the prospect of it rising to record levels again this year. The water is still very murky and I suspect it will be a week or two before the silt settles. Still, that hasn't stopped people taking to the water, albeit in wet suits.

Murky waters

The rain interrupted work on the outside of the cabin and I took the opportunity to get a few things done on the inside, including making a start on some plumbing. But, the fortnight started with getting the gas line put in and I made it by the skin of my teeth.

The trench that I had prepared the previous week would have collapsed into itself if it had not been filled in before the storm hit. I would have lost all my sand and it would have been expensive to re-dig the trench.

Bob, the plumber and heating technician, arrived mid morning on Monday and set straight to work on getting the gas line into the trench which I had bedded with sand. 

As he went along I followed, putting another layer of sand on top of the pipe and then ….

…. filling in the trench by hand.

By the end of the first day I had got most of it covered but, I was completely exhausted and so left the last 5 or six feet until the following day.

A couple of hours the next morning saw it all done and ….

…. I had even got the forth side on the tank screen done and put the gate on it. That night the storm hit .…

…. and forced me inside for the next three or four days. With advice from Bob I set about doing some planning for roughing in the outflow side of the plumbing and ….

…. Bob bought the materials at a cheaper rate than I could get them. 

I also built some stud walls in my bedroom and the en suite bathroom to help position the shower, toilet and hand basins.

This will be a cupboard for towels etc in the en suite.

Meanwhile, Bob got on with finishing the gas lines. 

He put in the regulator and feeds up to the main deck outside the kitchen door and onto the North Wing Deck, both for BBQs - of which more later.

He also installed the gas fired water tank and …. 

…. the furness for heating the main floor. In case you are wondering, the Building Code in BC, if not for the whole of Canada, requires two heating systems in case one fails during the winter and wood burning stoves are not allowed to be classified as the main heating system, only a back up system. In practice it will actually be the other way around, only we aren't allowed to say that.

When the storm finally abated I was able to get back outside and continue the work of finishing off the deck steps.

about a dozen more spindles had to be made in addition to the 93 made the previous week because I had failed to take into account the fact that I had stretched the distance between the upper railings to match those on the deck and a few proved a little too short.

Apart front taking the sticky stuff off the windows and getting the fascia and soffits done the lake side of the house won't change much now. I still want the step posts to dry a little more before staining them and I may put an angled cut on them to match the slope of the steps.

The North Wing steps are also now complete and there are only a couple of small jobs on the deck itself to do before this whole area is finished. 

With the step spindles in place, I continued work on the soffits and fascia, although this particular dormer was actually completed a couple of weeks ago.

I have now completed it to the end of the garage and ….  

…. around to the front porch, ….

…. which I have now also finished, bar the railings and spindles. I am really pleased with how the porch is developing and hope to have the railings and spindles all in place by the time of the next posting.

The front of the house is now beginning to look quite special and I hope to have it done within two weeks.

With some gas now on tap, I thought it might be a good idea to invest in a small BBQ.

So today, instead of working on the cabin, I put it all together .…

…. and then put it out on the deck by the kitchen door.

It has been eventful couple of weeks and we are forecast to be on the tail end of the heat wave currently sweeping through the US. Temperatures as high as 38c are forecast for the coming week. I shall soldier on and as much as I am defining this house, it is defining me. Working on it has become a lifestyle for me and one that I am not uncomfortable with for the time being.

No rest on Father's Day

Oh yes, it was Father's Day today, those of you who forgot.

Another busy fortnight inside and out at the cabin. I concentrated my efforts on the outside steps, fascia and soffits while the dry wallers were busy inside. I'm not going to post any photos of their work until they have finished. At the moment the inside of the cabin is covered in white dust and I am glad that their work is being done now and not later when I have more things done on the inside. Despite the fact that they will clean up pretty well after themselves, I think it is going to take me a week of cleaning to get rid of all the dust. Hey ho!

More posts, rails and spindles have had to be fetched from the forest, stripped, turned, stained and UV protected. This has been hard work but the results are well worth all the effort and I am grateful for the help Kevin, Keith, Tex and Will who have all given a hand to get this accomplished.

My neighbours, Rod and Candy Phipps, had some landscaping done last week and for a small fee, that avoided transport costs for me for the mechanical equipment, their contractor kindly did some work for me. He spread the excavated top soil from Rod's landscaping over areas of my yard where, as a result of the ground work done by my contractors there is no top soil. This meant he didn't have to cart it all away and dispose of it and he dug the trench for the gas pipeline for me with his mechanical hoe. It runs from the propane tank beside the garage ….

…. around and under the North Wing deck to enter the cabin under the utility area by the kitchen.

The mechanical hoe couldn't reach under the deck because of the lattice work so, I had to dig the last two or three feet by hand.

The operator of the hoe dug the trench far too close for my liking to one of the post foundations supporting the North Wing deck and stairs. I didn't have his confidence that it would all be 'fine', particularly if there was a heavy down pour. So, I bought 10 feet of 4 inch diameter ABS plumbing pipe that I put at the bottom of the trench by the post foundation and filled in the trench by hand. I feel much better about that now.

The building code requires the same grade of sand as needed in the electrical trench to protect the gas pipe. It cost twice as much to deliver the sand than the value of the stuff itself.

I've put six inches in the trench ….

…. by hand and a gas fitter is coming tomorrow to put the line in. It is not rocket science to put a gas line in but I need a certificate from a qualified gas fitter in order to be able to order gas so, I am having to have this work done by a properly certified professional.

There is plenty of sand left to cover the pipe and then I'll back fill by hand, that will be fun!

Posts, some newly collected and prepared, were put in place on the rear decks' stairs.

More disturbance for the nesting robins but, it couldn't be helped. The noise and our presence doesn't seem to disturb them unduly. All the eggs have hatched and although I found one dead chick on the deck, there are still four (two in each nest) who all seem to be doing pretty well. It had obviously crawled a few feet before succumbing. It occurred to me that it may have been turfed out of the nest by one of its parents or its siblings. The nests are quite small for three large chicks and two chicks are easier to feed than three.

Railings have all been put in place on the stair cases and stained. 

Actually, it was the other way around but who's counting. 

I'm waiting for the posts to dry out a little more before I stain them. 

I shouldn't have to wait long, maybe another week or so.

Just 93 spindles to put in now. That'll take a couple or three days. 

 If that wasn't enough I have been fitting some fascia and soffits in between all this other work.

I have now completed both North Wing Dormers on the front of the house as well as the space between them

I am quite pleased with the result 

I have also managed to finish the large shed dormer on the other side .…

…. save for the corner piece, which is ready waiting to be put in place.

This was the most difficult section because I couldn't get the ladder far enough away from the wall to relieve the cramped space. But, it is done now.

I was going to take today off but, the dry wallers wanted to work so how could I refuse. Anyway, I put in the last of the panelling in the basement ready for roughing in the plumbing, put the UV coat on the spindles and then left the dry wallers to it while I went in to town for some much needed groceries and a few supplies to complete the electrical work.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Intermittent bad weather interrupted play a few times this last fortnight but, I didn't have it as bad as some places that had six or more inches of snow.

This was all I had and it was gone a couple of hours after it stopped snowing. The main problem for me was the rain but, it held off long enough to get some things done.

I finished making all the stringers for the main deck stairs and then set about making the steps and getting them stained. There were 20 in all for the main deck and later another 17 for the North Wing deck stairs - more of which later.

I brought them around the cabin on the back my trusty workhorse quad, which saved my muscles, ankles and back from too much strain.

Once in place, I was pleased with the result ….

…. and can't wait to get the railings on them. I did at one point consider making them out of cheaper material but the sturdy, chunky 3" x 12" wood I stuck with fits in really well with all the other steps in the house which are made of the same stuff.

The same for the kitchen steps. The robins who are nesting on the beam holding the deck cover weren't too impressed with all the noise but, they got used to it and we are still on speaking terms. Talking of robins, I now have two pairs of nesting robins, one on each side of the house. 

Even so, I have minimised my use of the kitchen door and steps in order to give them as much peace as I can.

Next up was to get the cladding on the south side of the North Wing shed dormer. I wanted to get this up before putting up the deck railings because after they are in place it would be much more difficult to get access to this area.

So I constructed a temporary ladder to lay on the roof to give me something to stand on while I worked. I mounted it on a plank that …..

…. I fixed to the deck with screws and weighted down for good measure. The cladding is now all in place, stained and UV protected. I still have the north side to do but, that will be a lot easier because the deck extends beyond it and I will be able to secure the ladder directly onto the deck.

Having got the cladding on the south side I was able to start getting the posts, railings and steps up on the North Wing deck, something I have been itching to do for over two weeks.

Having got the first one in place myself, Kevin and Keith came out and did the rest while I got on with preparing everything for the steps.

Unfortunatley, rain interrupted the staining process but …..

….  I managed to get that done on Saturday.

It took me three days to prepare all the stringers and steps for these stairs up to the North Wing Deck and that doesn't include the day going down to MacDonald's Mill to collect the lumber.

It took less that half a day to put it all up and another couple of hours putting in the support under the stairs to stop the structure bowing and two steel ties to the log wall to stop it swaying. It is now pretty well solid and apart from the fact that there are no railings, it is safe to use. 

All in all, I am pretty pleased with the North Wing deck. It is the last really heavy timber structure to put up on the house and I am glad that it has been completed without mishap or injury, well not serious injury.

While I have been working outside, the dry-wallers have been working on the inside doing all the sloping surfaces. 

They started in the North Wing ….

…. which was challenging enough and ….

…. then moved on to the Great Room which, in the event, was not as difficult as either they or I thought it was going to be ….

…. despite the height and the angles. That is not to take anything away from Bill and Mike who have coped very well with all the challenges of a log home, where none of the timbers are exactly square or straight. 

The dry walling has once again completely changed the look and feel of the cabin with the white plaster board really highlighting the heavy timber framing. Seeing it now has made me pause to reconsider how to cover some of the walls. I was going to continue with the dry walling but, I may now change my mind and panel some of them to preserve the feel of a log cabin. I'll take a while before I decide.

A number of people I have spoken to recently have expressed a little confusion about where the cabin is in relation to other houses on the Development and generally what the Development looks like. Visitors also sometimes express surprise on seeing the Development and so I have taken some photos to try to give you a better idea of what it all looks like.

The Development is 8 kms from Hwy 3 and 3 kms from the village of Wardner. It sits on the edge of Crown Land and is surrounded by forest and fronts onto Lake Koocanusa. There are 44 lots on the Development of which 17 have yet to be sold. Of those sold only 19 have got houses on, 2 of which (including mine) are in the process of being built. Unfortunately, google maps/earth satellite photos are not up to date and therefore you cannot see any of this development on the internet.

The entrance to the Development is here, where our road meets the Wardner-Kikomun Road, a dirt track that comes out of Wardner and runs all the way down the lake. About 2 or 3 kms further down it is really only suitable for 4x4 vehicles in the summer only but, at least as far as our Development is concerned it is good for any vehicle and is serviced all year round, which means winter access for us. This photograph, which was taken mid winter, is actually taken from the inside looking out.

The first lots, which are still unsold, start at about 500m from the gate to the community and do not overlook the lake. The first houses you come to are these, where the road hits the lake and turns to run along it. All the houses sit on a bank above the lake and a track, suitable for quads, leads down to a common beach and harbour area, more of which later. The first house on the right (red roof) is owned by Jerry from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior in Ontario (a long way away) and the others are owned by people from Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.  

The last house in that row is this pretty cottage owned by a couple from Edmonton with a couple of kids and they all live life at a racing speed.

The next in line is this place owned by Chuck and his large extended family and I believe they are from Edmonton as well. They are still working on their garage, which is a new addition.

There is then a vacant lot before you come to the next 5 houses which, as you can see, are packed in fairly tightly almost as if they were in a suburb.

Moreover, their gardens (yards) are so neat that you could be forgiven for thinking that you were indeed in the city. Very nice but, not for me.

I've missed a couple out because they are too hidden in the trees but after them you come to Brice's place, which is one of the nicest houses on the Development. The inside is superb and they are fortunate to have vacant lots either side of them. Their view of the lake is limited but they have a large two hulled boat to enjoy it on, so it really doesn't matter.

Next we come to my neighbour on my right. This house is owned by the Developer and another lot owner and is for sale (along with three for four others on the Development).

I am fortunate to have a double lot and this means that by building only one house in the middle I have achieved some space either side of my house. My property line runs almost to his driveway on this side and ….

…. on the other side my property line extends over to within about 10 feet of the next property.

This allows my cabin to stand alone giving me both space and privacy.

From the top of my drive the road slopes down hill and there are a further five lots, two of which are vacant and for sale.

Lot 38 is two doors down from me and one that I looked at quite closely before eventually deciding on Lots 35/36. It is flat, has no tress that need felling to build and the access off the road is very straight forward. If it had been priced better I may have gone for it but, I have no regrets with Lots 35/36, the extra space was well worth the extra money. It makes life much more pleasant for me and my neighbours with whom I am very fortunate. On my right Louise and Nona are delightful but seldom here as they live in Mexico and are intending to sell. On my left, Rod and Candy couldn't be better neighbours. They never complain and look after me when they are here as if I was a brother. I am very fond of them.

Not the best view of my place but looking down the drive, which is more or less the centre line of the property, gives you a fairly good idea how it sits in relation to my neighbours.

Although this picture was taken at the beginning of the Spring, before everything changed colour, it still gives about the best impression of how the house sits on the lot. I'll take another soon to show off the greenery that now adorns the yard.

In order to get down to the lake, the beach and harbour you have to go down this track between Jerry's place and Dave and Lesley Pilkington's house (partly hidden by the trees on the left)

In the summer the water comes up to the grass but the lake won't be full for another three or so weeks as the peak melt is just happening now.

Half way down there is a bench for those unfortunate enough to have to walk back up - it happens (generally only once)

A better view of he beach and you can just see the floating harbour, well not actually floating but, it will be soon.

I hope that these photographs have given you a better feel for what the Development looks like and how my property fits into to it all. It is a little island on the fringe of the wilderness, not too far into it to be totally isolated but, far enough from civilisation to feel that you are part of it. The abundance of wild life, particularly deer of every sort and the eagles, which are present almost on a daily basis, helps to create the atmosphere of being a part of nature and far from the madding crowd.

I thought I might share with you the website Houzz.com which I have been using in search of ideas and inspiration for the inside of the cabin. It has a colossal database of photos that you can search using criteria to narrow your requirements, for example I have been looking at "rustic kitchens" and "rustic bathrooms". If you are doing any building or renovation work or if you are just interested take a look, I am sure you won't be disappointed. All the photos have comments on them telling you about them and you can bookmark any page or create your own 'ideas book' (favourites) to save things you are interested in for future reference. Happy hunting.

As an aside you might also like to take a look at this link on their site, which explains some of the benefits of working with your hands.


http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/11394741/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u287&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery1

It won't tell you anything you don't already instinctively know but, it does explain the science behind it.


I'm having my second full day off since mid February and so I have time to write a bit more on this posting than I have been doing recently. When Stuart Doyles was here in February, helping me, he remarked that he thought it would be a good idea to get professionals to do the dry walling. This is an area where skill rather than knowledge is really important and, despite the fact that on principle I want to do as much as I possibly can myself, I decided to take his advice. Not only would I have difficulty putting up the panels by myself, especially in the high areas but, I am not sure that my 'mudding' skill levels are really up to the task, especially in the difficult areas. I might try my hand in some of the easier places and perhaps start inside one of the closets where it won't be so visible.

Doing most of the work myself on the cabin has become really important to me now, for several reasons, and that is not to say that I wouldn't be grateful for some volunteer help from friends. This project was always part living a dream but also, as many of you will understand, part intended to be therapy for a broken body and a broken heart. 

Doing most of the work myself and investing more sweat and blood into it, makes me more a part of the house and it's surroundings. As I do this, I get much more of a feeling of how the house should evolve and harmonise with the wilderness around it and this influences the choices I make with the design and the materials I am using. I have already changed a number of things from my original ideas and no doubt will change more as I progress. It is a process I am enjoying and getting a lot from. It is a fusion of mind and matter that is becoming an expression of my soul. 

As for my heart, I can't sum it up better than Alexander Pope;


The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;