UPS Deliveries

Love it when the UPS guy stops in front of the house; it usually means a good reason to go to the woods. Today he stopped so I was able to get another mid-week cabin fix in. A kitchen welcome sign and drink coasters came in.

Hanging oil lamps

Visited the cabin this evening with a box full of oil lamp wall sconces from Cabela's. They aren't the quality of the German antique one from the Shoe Factory Antique Mall in Lancaster but they are still nice looking lamps. I now have 6 installed to provide plenty of light. I put 1 on each side of the kitchen stove's stone wall; 1 next to the entry door; 1 beside the bathroom door and 1 on each side of the fireplace in the corners of the room. Of course I had to fuel them up and light them off to see how they looked. I'm satisfied; they set a peaceful, quiet mood that goes well with the fireplace.

Boxing in rafters

A boring evening at the cabin today where the highlight was filling the bird and squirrel feeders. Using a hammer, hand saw and square, I worked on boxing in the rafters between the cabin and the porch before we insulate and panel the ceiling. Didn't even start the generator for this task. No fun but it has to be done to keep spiders, wasp and the variety of woods insects from sneaking in above the ceiling. A bead of silicone around the edge of the boards should go a long way in keeping unwanted eight legged neighbors outside where they belong. Afterwards while sitting on the porch watching the sunset I found the woods extremely still. No breeze, no birds and no sound; not even any background noise. It was so quiet I could hear ringing in my ears. Reminded me of sitting in an audio booth awaiting that first beep in an ear while taking a hearing test. I appreciated hearing a distant woodpecker drilling bugs out of a dead oak that finally broke the silence.

Kitchen Update

Today was Nic's last day home for Spring break and it was nice to have him help out at the cabin. He chopped firewood and kept a warm fire going in the fireplace while I cut the kitchen counter top and installed the sink and fixtures. Kitchen is slowly coming together. Flooring, stove pipe and plumbing hook up and it should be about done. Random pictures from todays cabin visit.

Almost finished. Need a new fridge and ceramic tile and its done.

Laura has promised some hand me down pots and pans for the rack; we'll see.

Today's major accomplishment; a new sink. I've never installed one so
this was a new experience. Pretty simple task though.

Oil lamps relieve stress.

Happy to find this used table at The Barn on Fifty. Its a good fit.
Thinking of refinishing it in a darker stain. Now
searching for chairs.

Lynn Robinson (Robbie's wife) donated the little
squirrel for my post.

Shopping for ManCamp

Today was a productive day shopping for cabin stuff. Upon discovering the reason Lowe's didn't have any more kitchen cabinets to match our base units was due to Mills Pride closing, it was time for concern. Additionally, Chillicothe Menard's was all out of chimney pipe for the kitchen stove so things weren't looking too good. Time for a road trip with Robbie to Lancaster where we hit pay dirt! The cabinets and chimney pipe were necessities that had to match existing installations in progress. The Lancaster Menard's had both. For other stuff, we hit the back roads in search of unique furnishings. I have nothing against the Chinese or the cheap imitations they make that have flooded the market; I just prefer not putting this stuff in the cabin. Antiques, Amish built, or handmade has more appeal. If you haven't been to the Antique Warehouse in Lancaster, I recommend it. Its an old shoe factory that has two floors of antiques and hard to find items. When looking for old oil lamp wall sconces, this is the place to go. I picked up a 4' porch swing at an Amish barn that has two buck heads (deer) carved in the back with a full moon behind each. It fit the cabin porch perfectly and is quite comfortable. On the return trip, we took the scenic route to an antique barn on Route 50, named, "The Barn on Fifty". Eddie and Amy run this shop and they are really nice people with good prices. I found a great little kitchen table made with logs at very reasonable price. Two mounted coyotes on display are very unique and probably worth the $500 asking price; they would look great in the cabin. Unfortunately, they were too low on the priority list so we took the table instead. We had Robbie's F150 full so he let me drive it to the cabin. This was the first time its ever been in 4-wd low and probably the first time its had mud on it. Hard to believe we did all this shopping around and still had time to hang the kitchen cabinets and try out the porch swing before calling it a day.


Robbie checking out the coyotes at The Barn on Fifty




The little kitchen table at The Barn on Fifty




Pretty unique stuff Eddie and Amy have at The Barn on Fifty



Good china

So excited to receive my first order of glassware for the kitchen. Even milk tastes better out of a mason jar!

No drawings, no schedule.

I was recently asked where we found our cabin plans. The simple answer: we didn't have any plans, we only had our dreams. It's been about 3 years since Nic and I visited this site and stepped off what we thought would be a good cabin floor plan. I was thinking 16'x16' but Nic was adamant that this would be too small. As we increased the size by placing sticks at each corner, now satisified, Nic began sharing his 'must have' cabin list; 1) a manly fireplace; 2) a sleeping loft; 3) skylights; 4) a kitchen; 5) a porch; 6) lots of windows; 7) a metal roof; 8) a screen door to slam shut in the summer. His vision was much more elaborate than mine; I was just thinking about a simple, rough, single room cabin. With nothing more to go on but his wish list and vision, we began to build...

Two years ago today, the deck was finished for the cabin.
Nic is checking out our view.

Nic soon learned that it takes a bunch of 3" screws to
hold down deck boards on the porch.

Taking a break and enjoying the view.

Nic and Kuma 'heading for the barn' after a days work
on the cabin

First wall built and set in place

Fosson Family Trails

The cabin and ManCamp is embedded in the heart of Fosson Family Trails. My parents, Harold (Gene) and Bertie, left this beautiful farm behind as a gift to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in a trust to enjoy for the rest of our lives. Mom and dad each grew up in Carter County, Kentucky, were married and started a family in Ashland after dad served in WWII. After moving to Waverly in 1961, they traded the Ashland house for this small Ohio farm in 1965. They loved the farm dearly and mom called it her heaven on earth; it was here that she died unexpectedly in 1984. Dad continued alone at the farm for 22 more years before he passed away. It was their wish that the farm would always remain in the family. They had the vision and foresight to protect it forever in a trust, The Fosson Family Trails.

A view looking southwest. My dad and brothers Don and
John cleared acres of woods to create pasture for our few
head of cattle and saddle horses.

I've been working on this area to make it look like a park.
It reminds me of Central Park in Ashland during summer days.
A gate leads to a bridle path in Scioto Trails.

The pond that never goes dry as an underground spring
keeps it filled during droughts.

I enjoy spending hot summer days mowing the pastures
and working on the farm.

Mom would be so proud of the work
my sister Sandy and brother in law Mike
do at the farm. Mike made the foot bridge.

The barn where dad surprised my sister Sandy and me
on a snowy pre-dawn Christmas morning
in 1965 with a pony named Lady.

At the Fosson farm, mom cooked on a wood stove in 1965.
Through the years, there was always a fresh pot of warm coffee from
about 4:30 am until bedtime at about 10:00 pm. Both mom and dad loved a
large mug of strong coffee any hour of the day.

ManCamp Art Gallery

Today's activity at the cabin was dedicated to the fine arts. After staining, sealing and painting the walls to completion, they looked really bare and empty. I have no interest in doing the 'man cave' theme with beer signs or sports pictures. I want the cabin to be a place for relaxing as a getaway; to enjoy peace and quiet. So today, I hung pictures.  Even men enjoy art when its rustic.

Building a cabin builds a man

 As a young boy growing up on the Fosson farm, I never understood the rewards that would follow the hard work dad made me do.  As I got older, I realized that I found myself enjoying physical labor much more than sitting around. I missed the opportunity for introducing my oldest son Brandon to this experience having focused on events and activities with him that in hindsight were of little value as a life experience. Fortunately, I caught my youngest son Nic at a time where he wanted to help and be a part of this project. I could see him transform from a boy to a man almost over night as he loved the woods, the hard work and the experience.

Sunset at the cabin

Watching the sun go down from the porch of the cabin.

Sunrise at ManCamp

There is such a sense of immense power and energy when witnessing God's gift of a new day. The road to ManCamp at sunrise reminds me that each day is a Blessing.

Bushy Tailed Neighbors

Today's activities at the cabin were dedicated to the bushy tailed neighbors who are on welfare; the squirrels. You have to love these little critters even if you don't hunt or eat them; I do neither. They really are little gluttons! Actually, they are food hoarders; they can never store enough food for rough times. In today's world, we could take a few tips from them.  I appreciate their dedication to emptying the feeders each time they are filled. Today, I repaired and filled the feeders after the long winter's wear and erected a new road sign to warn those enroute to the cabin of their presence.

Robbie - ManCamp charter member and a loyal friend

 The cabin under construction at ManCamp would not be where it is today without the help of a loyal friend known as "Robbie". We've known each other for more than 30 years and he often calls me Tom Sawyer based on Mark Twain's character. Robbie always gets the jobs that I don't want to do such as installing the ridge cap on the roof peak. Robbie has sacrificed many Saturdays helping me with the cabin. He isn't any more a carpenter or builder than I am but we work well together while arguing and fussing until we are mutually satisfied with what we are doing. I do worry that his wife Lynn will not let him come out and play again if he doesn't stop hurting himself on the job. Each time we install paneling or use a nail punch, he hits his finger with the hammer. A run-away Dremel also did some flesh damage to him once. The first aid kit at the job site consists of paper towels, duct tape and masking tape. I can't count the times I've taken Robbie home with a finger taped up to stop his bleeding. I drop him off at the curb as I don't dare go in with him injured again. Thankfully, he heals quickly and Lynn is forgiving. In the picture on the right, Robbie once again doctors a finger after smashing it. If you ever consider building a cabin, you need to look around to see if you have any good friends like Robbie that will stay with you on the project. I have one that will go in a fox hole with me and fight the battles even if I am "Tom Sawyer".

Fireside windows

When looking for a building site, I remember this location from years ago with my father. We were building a boundary fence around the farm and he commented that this would be a perfect site for a cabin someday. Although only 10 years old at the time, I remembered; it left an impression that stayed with me always. The location provides seclusion in the woods with nature. The view taken out the window beside the fireplace is as beautiful as an oil canvas. Every season, the windows display new beauty. These pictures were taken in the fall and winter, now we look forward to Spring and life's new beginnings on the hill. We especially look forward to the views from our cabin windows.

Visitors in the night

Got to love those critters that roam in the night. Now I know why I built a cabin instead of just pitching a tent.

ManCamp cabin

Well, this is my first blog so be patient with me. This is a cabin I built with my son Nic and friend Robbie that we affectionately call 'ManCamp'. Its in the woods on the family farm in Ohio and accessible only by 4-wheel drive. Off the grid, and built on the side of a hill surrounded by forest, it's a place that probably appeals more to men than women. Nic and I set 16 treated 6"x 6" posts in 300# of concrete each in the clay soil in the summer of 2009. We built a deck using 2"x10"s on 16" centers and 1" x 6" decking. All of the wood was treated and we stained it with all weather stain to get it through the winter. The cabin walls are 2"x 4" studs on 16" centers and covered with 7/16 OSB, 1" foam and T-111. Inside, we insulated between the studs and paneled with 8" wide t&g pine. The ridge beam is 14' high supporting an 8/12 pitch metal roof made of 2"x8" rafters hung on 24" centers. The cabin is 16' x 24' with a 6' wide front porch. I've always wanted a cabin in the woods where time stops and the warmth of a wood fire and beans on a wood stove slows everything down so you can appreciate nature. Now, when at ManCamp, you're on cabin time where you can leave your troubles behind.

This is Nic, my youngest son. We started our cabin
with a post hole digger and spud bar and began digging
our foundation holes.

Plenty of opportunities to rest and reflect on progress.

Once foundation completed, it was stained. Sitting on the "porch" of
the cabin started early in the build. We could just imagine what the final
results would be at this time.

Putting up the first framed wall was a big achievement for us. It started to
bring the vision into perspective. Still hard to imagine what the finished
cabin would feel like at this point but could easily envision our view.

This is Robbie. He has been with us on the project since the beginning.

Lots of overkill in our construction technique when framing since
we have no clue what we're doing. At least the bathroom door is going in
a solid frame.

We now understand why people actually get paid to roof houses. Getting
the paper down to protect the sheeting was our primary objective at this point
because we had no idea when the metal for the roof would be bought for installation.

First winter of construction shut the job down. Pretty difficult getting to the
site and then once there, too cold to work most every day.