Our Retirement Dream Fulfilled

Gary O'

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Not sure where to park this, but the geezer sub forum looks like as good a place as any.
(if it's not, I'm sure admin will direct me)

Wife and I shared a dream of living in the mountains for the 52 years of our marriage.

We bought our land back in ‘99
The first few years we’d sneak away (250 mi south) when we could, and gently clear the land in places for our cabins, utility buildings and places for our vehicles
We tried getting there in winter, but found snowshoeing in four feet of snow a bit more arduous than we cared to experience more than once

I cannot create a design on paper
The angles so vivid in my mind do not readily transfer from brain to nib
So
I build scale models to prove structural, practical and esthetic thoughts
We’ve maintained one rigid rule, and what has become our religion, to not use huge equipment or other folk’s help in preparing our place
Here’s some pics of the model and actual build;

jnFvq6D.jpg
h3dcwbU.jpg
E6YmA1s.jpg
5iKbi8i.jpg
WgtzOcF.jpg


Before I go too far with this, I'm gonna let it rest a bit to see if I catch any flack.

I plan on this thread being quite lengthy

Many pics

Many experiences

Yes, cougars and bears

Wolves, bobcats, and...of course, coyotes (the little songsters of misty moon filled nights)
 

rebornfree

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Hi Gary O', I haven't seen you here before so welcome to Golden Eagles, in my case from across the Pond. :wave:

It sounds like you've planned your building project carefully, and the cabin looks great. What about access to shops and other facilities? Do you really love getting away from it all? I look forward to hearing about it, and yes this sub forum is a good place to tell us about it. :)
 
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OldWiseGuy

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Not sure where to park this, but the geezer sub forum looks like as good a place as any.
(if it's not, I'm sure admin will direct me)

Wife and I shared a dream of living in the mountains for the 52 years of our marriage.

We bought our land back in ‘99
The first few years we’d sneak away (250 mi south) when we could, and gently clear the land in places for our cabins, utility buildings and places for our vehicles
We tried getting there in winter, but found snowshoeing in four feet of snow a bit more arduous than we cared to experience more than once

I cannot create a design on paper
The angles so vivid in my mind do not readily transfer from brain to nib
So
I build scale models to prove structural, practical and esthetic thoughts
We’ve maintained one rigid rule, and what has become our religion, to not use huge equipment or other folk’s help in preparing our place
Here’s some pics of the model and actual build;

View attachment 292092 View attachment 292093 View attachment 292094 View attachment 292095 View attachment 292096

Before I go too far with this, I'm gonna let it rest a bit to see if I catch any flack.

I plan on this thread being quite lengthy

Many pics

Many experiences

Yes, cougars and bears

Wolves, bobcats, and...of course, coyotes (the little songsters of misty moon filled nights)

Nice tool shed, now where's the cabin? ^_^
 
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Gary O'

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What about access to shops and other facilities?
As this thread matures, I'll post pics of those.
...and yes, we had a privy

Oh, okay....a peek at the shop (my sanctuary)

The floor

shop floor 5.jpg


The 'foundation'
(I'll talk about it later)

The
shop floor foundation.jpg


Builders of cabins have a regimen when the floor is done

They do a little jig

I'm no exception

shop floor jig 500.jpg
framing.jpg7.jpg
framing.jpg8.jpg


Double pic (don't know how to get rid of that just yet)

framing.jpg8.jpg



Virgin shop bench


virgin workbench 7.jpg



No longer virgin shop bench

me in shop.jpg


Roof commences
05b3cbbd-7a28-4db1-9b80-1134eb70b29a.jpg


Almost finished

finished front.jpg2.jpg



I'll write much more in depth on the shop as this thread goes along, but since I'm a sucker for the inquisitive, thought I'd oblige rebornfree ....since he wrote from so long away
 

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GOD Shines Forth!

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Not sure where to park this, but the geezer sub forum looks like as good a place as any.
(if it's not, I'm sure admin will direct me)

Wife and I shared a dream of living in the mountains for the 52 years of our marriage.

We bought our land back in ‘99
The first few years we’d sneak away (250 mi south) when we could, and gently clear the land in places for our cabins, utility buildings and places for our vehicles
We tried getting there in winter, but found snowshoeing in four feet of snow a bit more arduous than we cared to experience more than once

I cannot create a design on paper
The angles so vivid in my mind do not readily transfer from brain to nib
So
I build scale models to prove structural, practical and esthetic thoughts
We’ve maintained one rigid rule, and what has become our religion, to not use huge equipment or other folk’s help in preparing our place
Here’s some pics of the model and actual build;

View attachment 292092 View attachment 292093 View attachment 292094 View attachment 292095 View attachment 292096

Before I go too far with this, I'm gonna let it rest a bit to see if I catch any flack.

I plan on this thread being quite lengthy

Many pics

Many experiences

Yes, cougars and bears

Wolves, bobcats, and...of course, coyotes (the little songsters of misty moon filled nights)

Love it. Congrats and blessings!
 
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Gary O'

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Nice tool shed, now where's the cabin
Patience, OldGuy

Pics will come

Actually, the main cabin sufficed for over five years (more on that later, too)

main cabin.jpg
 
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Heavenhome

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Congratulations on your dream retirement!

I look forward to further installments from you.
Being in Australia, the land and wildlife is vastly different so I find this fascinating.
The setting looks beautiful and your cabins so cosy.
It is amazing that you are doing this all yourself and it must feel so satisfying.
Well done!
 
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Gary O'

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It is amazing that you are doing this all yourself and it must feel so satisfying.
'Twas

However, there's another adventure, even more satisfying;
Knowing God
 
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OldWiseGuy

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I gotta admit to some envy.

Your soil must be well drained there to get away with not putting piers down. Have you had any problems with frost heaving?
 
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Gary O'

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Your soil must be well drained there to get away with not putting piers down. Have you had any problems with frost heaving?

Zero frost heave

I was concerned about it, but the floors are so tightly built, zero movement.

A good percentage of the 'soil' there is pumice
Our place is quite near Crater Lake (Mt Mazama), of which spewed it's guts a couple eons ago.
And, very little rain, but snow, lots of snow, and that melts.
But, yeah, good drainage
I'd studied the terrain, and noted a bit of earthquake/geothermal activity, and the unstable soil, so on the ground I went.
I really didn't know how right I was, but it was wunna my better decisions.
And those floors, of which consisted of concrete pavers, with PT 4x4s on them, and SPF 2x6s laying across them, are so very solid, you could park a truck on 'em without any give.
And not unbecoming in the cabin with a generous stain applied
BVue3KL.jpg


The 'soil' proved not good for gardening
There's 2 feet of pumice (loose), then, under that is hardpan, pretty much akin to concrete.

Speaking of gardens;
If the cold didn't take yer crops, the critters did.
We had to go with raised beds, and truck in the soil
And a green house, well, too costly to heat (evening temps in July could dip into the 20s F)

But, we had success with what I've come to call a 'screenhouse', for raspberries

screenhouse.jpg


And, yes, we screened in the floor
Those ground squirrels and chippies had a way of coming up from below

Heh, one time we were admiring our success with bush beans, when right before our eyes, they started to disappear, like in the cartoons

We also commandeered a couple cattle troughs of which I framed in some screens, for other crops, mainly strawberries

Moderate success

strawberries.jpg


I'll write about this a bit later

Speaking of chippies, a little golden mantled became my bud.....as long as I had peanuts

3JqEr16.jpg


Moving along, the only thing I didn't like about living on the east side of a mountain, was not getting the sunsets

mt scott.jpg


But the rises of a morn, standing on the porch, with a steaming cup of java,
more than made up for it

risen 3.jpg
 
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Gary O'

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That is a very brave chipmunk.
Yeah, he was a bit rare, for chippies.
Actually, the golden mantled are in the ground squirrel family....even tho they really look like yer standard chipmunk.

This one pretty much became my buddy
.....and followed me most everywhere

And if I didn't feed him, he'd come to the shop door and fuss at me

NpRBWEc.png


This friendship lasted a good part of the five years we lived there

....and when we'd packed up for town, it got rather close and personal


z.jpg




He stared at me for about a quarter mile down the path
 
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rebornfree

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The chipmunk is gorgeous! :)

I'll write much more in depth on the shop as this thread goes along, but since I'm a sucker for the inquisitive, thought I'd oblige rebornfree ....since he wrote from so long away
Much appreciated Gary O', but I'm a 'she'! :D
 
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Gary O'

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Moving along;

Clearing the land included tearing down an old camper a previous owner left
took a couple days
used a sawzall and sledge
quite the workout
keeps the body loose
I recommend it

swing low.jpg




the 2nd cabin was more of a study than living area
but that's OK 'cause most my time was outside

HPPa3t0.jpg
 
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