Eight years later...

How has it been 8 years since my last update to our log-a-licious endeavor?  Now that we've been "at home in logs" for *checks notes* nearly ELEVEN YEARS, this humble blog has been practically abandoned.  To be fair, finish work is boring, so one post every eight years seems like the right amount.  

So, before I get to the newest coolness in The Log House, let me summarize: in the past 8 years the changes to the house have been... the painting of the master bedroom walls (yawn, no photos), a change to a kitchen wall to accommodate a larger refrigerator

...finishing The Boy's bedroom in the basement

... finishing The Girl's bedroom in the basement

(so now we actually have a guest room/office!)

... and a few miscellaneous touches like my ill-fated plan to make my own Roman shades.  Didn't go well. 

So while there's still finish work to be done (is it ever done?), big stuff is rare around here.  UNTIL YESTERDAY.  

A decade ago, the Hubs had a plan to use a really cool log that had grown with a twist in its twin trunks in the house as a decorative AND functional support post between the dining room and living room.  He harvested the tree, removed the bark by hand, and set it aside to dry and get all its checking and warping done in private. Unfortunately, it did not fare well in storage and had to be ... repurposed.  In our boiler. Undeterred, although disappointed, the Hubs began the search for another tree to use, and a few years ago found another one.  This one was stored in the corner of our living room for three years under his eagle eye while it dried.  I frankly had mostly forgotten about its true purpose until Bob randomly decided yesterday to swap out the temporary beam for the much more visually interesting slingshot log.  His father and nephew helped sand it and install it, and now it feels like it's always been there.  It belongs.

Tuning fork log? 

I remember now that feeling from years ago as each new element of the log house came into being.  It's the best. 

And while I'm being nostalgic, can we please talk about how during this whole Log-tastic Journey my little tiny babies went from this:

to THIS?!!

It's wonderful and terrifying and allllll the things.  My cup runneth over.

Since it likely will be another eight years until my slacker self posts again, I'll just leave this right here:

No, it's not fall yet, even in the North Woods. I found this gem while digging through the last 8 years of Google photo uploads.  It might have been the last time those window sills were dead bug free.

Stain!

My beautiful raw, lovely, virgin logs are all growed up!  They have a pretty new brown stain.  

I will go on record as admitting that I was wrong.  I did not want to stain the logs.  Yes, I understand that they need some protection from the elements.  Yes, I understand that they were weathering gray.  THEY ARE MY PRECIOUS BABY LOGS!  Leave 'em alone, I said.  

The Hubs didn't listen.  But, he was right.

We are using a semi-transparent stain and the unique character of each log is still very apparent.  The color is a gorgeous light chocolate.  I was wrong.  It is BEAUTIFUL!

F-I-L Jim lovingly brushes on the stain

The Hubs and The Boy are on the other side of the house using the sprayer.  The race is on!

The darker logs now show off the light stones of the chimney even better!

A close up of the raw logs and the newly stained logs

We are now at-home-in-brown-logs!

Shoes - er, dock - at last!

That Bob the Builder is quite a guy!  He and the crew have nearly finished the new docks and waterfront!   This is two days ago, as they fished out pesky large rocks as they completed the widening of the boat launch area:

And added decking (!):

And this evening, as The Hubs and I wandered down to take a leisurely boat ride (as summer is drawing to a close and we are trying to squeeze out every last bit of sun and warm weather), I took some photos of today's progress:

I KNOW, RIGHT?!!

Some landscaping, cleats and bumper and we're done!  This has been a two-summer project, and I'm ecstatic!  (And I'm sure folks launching pontoon boats are just as happy about that wide boat launch...)

Wanna come visit and sit a spell on my NEW DOCK?  You know you wanna.  

And, frankly?  If you're looking for me I'll be down there anyway, so you don't have much of a choice.  I'm never leaving this beauty.

Well, until the snow falls.

Y'know --   in two weeks.

Gardenland

So, my parents are gadding about in Pennsylvania for a week and left me in charge of the back 40.  Or, however big their enormous garden is.

So, I have been dutifully watering and picking and picking and picking and picking and picking....

I call this:  "Anne in Pea-land"

This was hour THREE of pale girl in the sun

Sugar Snap Peas

Raspberries

Fun fact: before this summer, my parents' raspberry plants never produced more than a cup.  Now, they yield like 4 quarts per week!  

You! Shall not! PASS!!

So, I may have been in the sun a little long.  It seemed funny at the time.  Heh.  Who am I kidding?  I still think it's funny.  

In any case, I have had yummy zucchini and yellow squash and sugar snap peas and shelled peas and snow peas and yellow beans and strawberries and raspberries and 5 blueberries and one cherry tomato, so I guess I can't complain.  Well, shouldn't.  Let's be honest:  I'm a-gonna.

The Shoemaker's Children

You know the old adage, right?  The shoemaker's children go without shoes?  -- then you can imagine what the lake waterfront of a dockbuilder looks like.

Ours has been a bit... sad looking for years.  When the whole building season (remember: we live in Northern NY, so it's about 2 days long) is a frantic race to complete docks and camp repairs for customers, it leaves precious little time to fix our own waterfront.  So, when it became an immediate problem last year, The Husband decided to undertake an infrastructure project in addition to shoring up the old waterfront.  He has been gradually building new docks and widening the boat launch and generally improving the shoreline.   Did I mention gradually?

Like work on The Log House, lakefront work happens in widely spaced fits and starts.  This week has been a huge leap forward, however!

Widening the boat launch

Fun fact:  we persuaded two nephews to stay as our own unofficial Fresh Air Kids after the rest of the family departed back to Merryland.  Guess what we're making them do?  Heh.

Chris, The Hubs, and John set a new crib

I can't promise decking on top of the bases any time soon, but it's getting there!

Basement rooms!

Do you see what I see??

Just a little studly...

The Hubs teaching The Girl how to screw the wall stud in place

Very studly.

The wall pictured above will be between the utility area and The Boy's bedroom.  Miiiight have to move the saw and lumber at some point.