All in a hot and copper sky. The bloody sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the moon. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I am sure that STC would not mind me borrowing his immortal words, from the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, to describe conditions here for the last month. It has been swelteringly hot with ambient temperatures in the high 30s C with highs in the sun well over 40c. One short thunderstorm has been the only relief and, with varying degrees of success, I have adopted practises to keep cool. I have tried to schedule my work around the house to keep in the shade. The trusty old slouch hat was just too broad brimmed to work under the eves so I have had to exchange it for a base ball cap with handkerchief to keep my neck protected and head cool. A long sleeve shirt with wet cuffs has helped cool the blood and seven to eight litres of water a day has prevented dehydration, cramp and constipation. Ok, too much information! Let's move on.

The good weather has meant that I have been able to get on with things without interruptions from the weather and the BIG news is that I have now finished the outside of the cabin. Starting next week I will now focus my energy on the inside. Before I take you on a tour to show off the outside of the cabin however, I'll just go through the fortnight's work.

The three gable ends were the fortnight's main challenge. I started on the garage gable as it looked like it was going to be the most straight forward. I was able to use the mobile scaffolding and stretch planks over to the steps leading up to the NW deck and strung a safety rope up to the eye that I placed, with foresight, on the overhanging beam (sorry no photo).

It took three days to get it all done and as it is on the North side of the cabin I was able to do most of the work in the shade.

Next up was to tackle the South gable and this was a bit more tricky. While I was doing the garage gable, I pondered the challenge of getting the scaffolding in place to do this side and came up with this arrangement. The photo was taken after the work was completed and just before I dismantled the scaffolding and so it doesn't show the safety rope in place which, I can assure you I used.

Another three days and the job done and then around to the kitchen gable, which was always going to be the most challenging because ….

….  I was never going to be able to put the scaffolding on the ground because the kitchen steps are in the way and the mobile scaffolding doesn't reach high enough even if I could. So I came up with this arrangement with the scaffolding on the NW deck.

Anchor points were secured to the wall and …..

…. planks securely placed for access and doing the work. Note the safety rope which again was well used.

Serious injury has always been my strategic risk and putting the fascia and soffits in these gable ends by myself was always going to be a challenge. So, getting them done without incident has been a mild relief and left one last little job to do to get the outside of the cabin done and that was ….  

…. the railings and spindles for the main entrance steps .…

…. which I managed to get done yesterday just before the sun reached them.

If you are wondering what the dustbin is doing at the end of the deck, it is collecting water (when it rains) for cleaning tools and washing hands.

And there you are. Job done.

So a quick tour around the cabin which, as I will now be working almost exclusively on the inside, will probably be the last you will see of it until the whole project is completed.

This is how you see the cabin approaching it down the driveway.

Going around anti-clockwise, this is the South side and where next year I will plant grape vines to grow along the covered deck.

Deck furniture, hanging baskets, half barrels and boxes for flowers and herbs will all also have to wait. 

I have also added stone surrounds to the base of the deck posts.

You cannot see her but, there is a deer under the deck on the right of the photo.

She was in front of the window on this side but, she moved off and if you look carefully enough she is standing under the deck outside the prow. She has been with me all week. I have been able to get a closer look at her from the basement, which she cannot see into and I have been able to get to within an arm's length of her.

NW deck and garage.

North side.

And back around to the front.

View from the road, which I have been promising you for a while now.

Same view, same stand, just zoomed in a bit.

Taken from on top of the brown electrical box.

Other news is that I have taken delivery of 8,000 linear feet of 8" x 1" pine planking. That sounds a lot I know and it was a lot to man-pack into the cabin. 

What you see here is about one third of it. I had to make four trips to pick it up from MacDonald's Ranch and Lumber. I have  brought it into the cabin to keep it out of the sun and weather. It is beetle kill pine and is a very attractive white with blue/grey stain which is the signature of beetle kill standing dead wood. It is very dry and has been planed on both sides and ship lap grooving applied to both edges.

I will be using it to board all the internal walls of the cabin, make all my shelving, cabinet fascias in the kitchen and bathrooms and all the internal doors for the cabin. I might need more! It is going to look really good and I am already wondering how to stain and protect it. At the moment I am minded to clear coat it in order to preserve the unique blue and grey colouring.

Bill and Mike, the dry-wallers came back and superbly put in and finished the dry walling between the rafters in the study/dining area and kitchen.

I then put in the counter sunk lighting and replaced the temporary lights in the centre of the room.

The kitchen is already looking lighter and will brighten up more when I have painted the ceiling.

I have made a start installing the kitchen lights which don't take long to put in and I will finish them next week.

My priority now will be to get the plumbing done. I have made a start with the outflow and a little more of that is still required before I start on the inflow. Before this however, the Tin Man needs to come and put in all the metal ducting for the hot air central heating for the basement and main floor. He is due to start on 1 Aug and will probably take the best part of a week to get all his work done. In the meantime I will finish putting in the kitchen lights and make a start on some wall panelling, which will be fun to do.

So another significant land mark has been passed in this project. It would be nice to take a break at this point and I am sorely tempted to do so but, although there is no deadline to meet, I want to move in as soon as I can. Working by myself means that everything takes a long time and I am not sure how long it will take me to get the things done that I need to do before I can move in. I need the kitchen, one of the bathrooms, the septic system needs to be commissioned and all the safety elements (banisters, railings and spindles) done before I am allowed to move in. My aim is to be in sometime in the autumn and certainly before the winter. Resources are now my main concern.

So, here's to Prince George and until next time.