Cabin part 11: Making visible progress!

The cabin finally has been caulked and stained, and we've finished the face of the dormer; it is starting to look like the real deal. Just for fun, I'll post a few shots from earlier in the process, so you can see the changes; all were taken from roughly the same position. The two just below the big photo were taken the day the cabin was moved onto our lot at the beginning of October 2013, and at the end of October 2013, when we put a temporary tarp roof on the cabin to hold it through the winter. Below that are two shots from March 2014, when the rafters and dormer frame were added; a door was also cut into the side. The last set of shots are from May 15 and May 29, when the peak over the door was added and the soffits and roofing were completed. (As always, you can click on a photo to see an enlarged version of it.)

We just returned from several weeks up there, to oversee the installation of the actual windows, and also the caulking and staining of the exterior. The stain is a little darker than we'd anticipated, but overall we like it a lot.

The cabin now has four windows in the log level. Two were cut into the logs when we bought the cabin shell: the square one on the north wall of the cabin (visible in the first photos above), and another on the east wall, which is opposite the wall with the door in the photos above. We also added a double casement next to that side door on the west wall (you can see the new window in the large photo), and a single casement on the south wall, which is where our deck is (that's the side that overlooks the lake).

Bruce and I had installed two windows in the dormer face in July, and on September 7 and 8, we put up the board-and-batten siding and window trim. Next year we'll finish the gable ends; right now they are covered with plywood.

At right is a photo of me working on the dormer face. I did most of the work on the scaffold, while Bruce ran the saw on the ground. I had figured out the dimensions and spacing for the window trim and board-and-batten siding, so I measured for each piece and then installed the boards Bruce cut. I also caulked around the windows and along the board edges where needed, and did some sanding and staining on the big cedar logs. Two days on the scaffolding is enough for me!

We had gas lines run to the two stove/fireplace appliances in mid-September; now all we need is a propane tank to fuel them for cold weather. We're in a race to get this stuff done before the snow flies, and we may--or may not--get it done before we have to close up for the winter. We're also waiting for the actual doors to be delivered; once they are in, we'll be close to buttoned up for winter.