A summer to complete the cabin  May - August 2012.  When we left Sterling last September the cabin was at the stage we called "dried in".  Which, to me, means no rain or snow will get inside but it's only a shell.  All the logs and other exterior walls were up with doors and windows in place and the roof was on.  That was the basic goal for last year (although I had unrealistically hoped for a lot more).  Well, I did get most of the electric completed and almost all of the water supply side of the plumbing done.  Now, for this year, the goal is to complete all of the plumbing and electric as well as to finish the inside and add two full length porches with roofs.

(June 2012) Now, after much hard work this this season, except for finish trim on the inside and carpet upstairs, everything inside is done starting with finished walls including the first coat of paint over textured sheet rock.  The kitchen:  can ceiling lights, cupboards, cabinets, counter tops and all appliances on a new vinyl floor.   Dining room:  lighting, laminate flooring, gas heating stove, table and chairs.  Living room:  laminate flooring ceiling lights, some furniture and TV with cable connected.  Downstairs bath;  vanity, lights, mirror, washer/dryer with outside vents all on a new vinyl floor.

    This shot of the kitchen is taken from the front door

Betty didn't waste any time moving in, including the Lupine on the table

I had to invent this pantry because I forgot to build one in

Lupine grows in abundance on our property

  You can see we like Lupine and we love the gas stove

In the following picture you can see how I built this inside wall shorter than the log beams to accommodate expected perimeter log wall shrinkage.  The downstairs ceiling (upstairs floor) will be about 1.5" or so lower after about 2 years and I didn't want a hump in the upstairs floor because of this wall.  The wide wood trim at the top of the wall isn't completed on the right and I have to add the door trim.  

The only inside wall downstairs...room for log shrinkage

 Ahhh...my leather recliner.  Many a good idea started there.

The center post that supports the main girder (and the upstairs floor) is on a screw pedestal so I can lower the girder as the outside log walls shrink and prevent the upstairs floor from crowning.  This, a lesson learned from our last cabin!!  I just lowered it 3/8 inch to catch up with wall shrinkage.

(late July) As far as the upstairs all the sheet rock and texture has been completed and three of the five doors have been installed.  The main bath has had much work and is completed except for the window sill finish board.  I'll get to that later.  Tub/shower is functional as is the double vanity with hot and cold water.  Amazing that so far there's no smoke coming from the walls or water running on the floor.  Who would have guessed I'd be that lucky?  Now we just wait on carpet that's been on order for about a month.  "It should be in any day" is what I hear daily for the past month.  I already paid for it so that may be a lesson for the learning.  Betty is painting interior doors upstairs now.  Where's my camera?

    I'm glad one of us is working because I'm on break

This is a walk-in closet door I hung yesterday

    A 350lb vanity that I couldn't get upstairs with help.  

Finally Betty got two young guys to do it.

Master bedroom dormer area (with cat)

  Two of my best QC inspectors checking out the quality

(July 2012)  This is what the porches and roofs pan out look to be.  I'm waiting on the steel roofing material and I'm sure it will come in when it starts raining again.  Please disregard the clutter...that's just part of the construction process. I was going to use log posts and beam but discovered that it would cost about $10/foot so I quickly decided to use milled lumber that comes in closer to about $2/foot or so.  Carpet, roof, paint, landscaping, lawn....ugh... why did I start this project?

Back porch waiting on steel roofing material

Oh yeah...I forgot to include a picture of the "guest bedroom"  Actually, this is a picture of the "alternate" guest bedroom depending on who is visiting.  Note the padlock on the OUTSIDE of the doors and the drift boat trailer with a roller and winch in case I decide to move the "bedroom" and it's occupant elsewhere.

                             Guest Room

(Late August 2012)  FINALLY....WE'RE VIRTUALLY DONE WITH BUILDING.  Virtually, of course, means "almost but not quite"....what's left is some finish work inside which I may not get to until another life phase.  Some base board molding, crown molding on downstairs ceiling, and downstairs window surrounds will completely finish the place inside.  We're now living in the cabin but haven't found places yet for all of our "stuff" so please disregard the "stuff" shown sitting around in the following pictures.

    Front porch.  Steel roofs are all completed - even 

    over the porches (and a really good infrared BBQ

                     on the porch)

back porch taken from beside the storage bldg.

There really is a door on the downstairs bathroom

(This is the rug that Betty bought in Texas - it really 

   pulls the room together as "the dude" would say)

Below is a picture of a small computer table that I built out of left over building scraps.  It's roughly 2' by 4' and fits nicely under the stairs.  Here's the recipe:  4X4 legs, 2X6 scraps scrolled for leg braces, a piece of left over laminate from the kitchen counter top and 5 minutes with a router to soften all the edges finished it off.   

I almost forgot that the temporary stairs shown here have to come out and be replaced with better looking log stairs which should be ready in a couple of weeks.  I'm having Larry Needs of Turned Logs of Alaska custom make them for us because I'm too old, tired, and unskilled to do it myself.

The following pictures are of the upstairs where, unlike the downstairs which are log walls and laminate flooring, we used textured sheet rock for walls and ceilings with carpet on the floors.  Since I don't have a wide angle lens for my camera its hard to show all of it.

Can lights and roof angle give some style in main bath

I Couldn't get a good picture of the rest of the bathroom

Second bedroom - what to do with all the pictures?

Master bedroom with dormer.  Still needs window treatment 

and the king size bed takes up much of the room

Master bedroom - walk in closets not shown

         View from 2nd bedroom to Master bedroom 

                 (bath on right - stairs on left)

These next two pictures are, of course, not part of the building project but I wanted to include them here anyway.  One day in July we took a break from working on the cabin because it was raining so hard.  Seemed like a good day to go fishing for Sockeye Salmon (called Reds here) in the Kenai River with some friends.  Betty braved the rain and caught several Reds that we vacuum sealed for this winter.   ....Yum, Reds are the very best tasting of the 5 species of Salmon that run in the Kenai River.  These are about average sized for the second of two runs.  The first run in June renders smaller Reds but just as tasty.  Betty is wearing sun glasses for eye protection around casting fisherman on this day not because of any sun.

 Betty with a nice Kenai River second-run Red

Most Reds spawn way upstream but these go into our freezer.

Winter 2011 & 2012  Blog Free Winter Travel.  We traveled for eight months beginning last September (2011) and we were having so much fun I didn't make one post to this blog.  Betty and I, and our security team, Squatty (the wonder dog) and Tiger Lily (our guard cat) traveled away from Alaska through Yukon, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.  We burned more diesel than the Exxon Valdez but had lots of fun seeing the sights and meeting both old and new friends.  We had a number of memorable experiences but I didn't post them here and I won't try to detail them now.

We started our slow return trip from Mission, TX on the first of February to hang out at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson for a few weeks and then repeating that at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas.  On the way we got to visit our friends Brad and Jo at their beautiful home in Scottsdale and ate "Brads Brats" that rival the infamous "Junk Yard Dogs" Brats in Harrisburg, Oregon.  The cost of Brads Brats is only some mild psychological abuse, and I'm sure he's operating without a business license or health certificate, but it's worth it. Thanks, Brad and Jo...we always really enjoy seeing you folks.

 From Scottsdale we continued on to Las Vegas for two weeks.  On that leg we had a blowout on the trailer that caused some body damage and ruined a wheel but we were able to coordinate with our insurance company to get road ready again.  Overall, we enjoyed visiting Las Vegas a all the sights.  Betty always likes the light show on Freemont Street and I like to go there to snack on otherwise forbidden goodies.

We left Las Vegas and traveled North to Salt Lake City, then continuing on West and North to Klamath Falls, Oregon where we visited my youngest son Pete, Debbie, and Hunter.  Then to Junction City, Oregon to spend a couple of weeks with dad, who at age 92 is doing as quite well for his age.  Then on toward Alaska with a fairly uneventful trip.

We got back to Fish Camp and the cabin (Sterling, Alaska) the first week in May (2012) to find that our underground water line was frozen.  Its good to be home!

I'll add a post soon with pictures of our progress on the cabin which we left last fall as a shell needing a lot of work.

Starting a new travel season

September 18th through October 21st:  We're just hanging out here at River Bend RV Resort in Harrisburg, OR.  Dad is doing quite well in terms of his health (although he would dispute that with a considerable number of health complaints which, although real, are not life threatening).  The biggest problem now is that he's really having trouble adjusting to mom's passing last July 7th.  His adjustment is probably right on track given that they were married for 70 years or so and she's only been gone for about 3 months.  Its hard to see him feeling so lost and there's little we can do to help him except visit every day and try to help him keep a more positive perspective.  He doesn't really want to go out of the assisted living home saying he's too  tired or can't do it.

We're looking forward to Ed and Diana (my brother and his wife) coming in from Alabama on Oct. 15th.  Dad's 92nd birthday is on the 20th so we be sure to have all his kids (and others) present for some sort of celebration.  Ed (Alabama), Dan (Alaska), Judy (Oregon), Joe (Oregon).  I'm sure that Diana, Judy, and Betty will hatch a celebration scheme that will be much better than if Ed, Joe, and I tried it.  I voted for a formal dinner at Junk Yard Dogs near Harrisburg but judging from the lack of enthusiasm it received I don't think anyone heard me say it.  Betty, of course, is always the voice of sanity and good sense within the chaos and idiocy that so often surrounds these discussions.  I love her so...

One day we got a craving for some fresh produce so we cruised out River Road from Junction City a short distance to Thistledown Farms.  The prices were pretty good on some items so we bought some fresh Plums, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Coli-flower, and Prunes.  Now that  I look at this list it looks like we must have been concerned about getting constipated.

Inside the market

       A beautiful farm girl with a huge Bell Pepper

Mums

           Thistledown Farm Barn and Windmill

Indian Corn at Thistledown Farm Market

Here are a couple other of pics from around the local area:

                      Coburg Antique Store

Between Junction City and Harrisburg, not far from the infamous "Junk Yard Dogs" (a great but rather primitive hot dog joint along the two lane highway), are these beautiful Pumpkin fields that can only be in seen this way during these few days just before they're harvested.  

September 17th Post:  Stopped for the night at Ft. Lewis, WA fam camp.  We always try to stay here even if its a short travel day because its so nice and convenient located to Tacoma, WA.  The RV park itself is heavily treed with fairly private sites compared to other RV parks as you can see in the following pictures.

Tomorrow we'll be on our way to Harrisburg, OR where we'll stay for a few weeks.

September 16th Post:  After staying in Sedro Woolley for 3 days and visiting with Pat & Patty Colgan we left this morning and drove a short distance to Everett where Richard Renninger, Betty's old boss from Alaska, will join us for dinner out tonight.  He lives on Whidby Island, a short distance from here by ferry.  Tomorrow morning we'll hit I-5 South for Junction City, Oregon to visit Dad.


September 13th Post:  (McLeese Lake to Sedro Woolley, WA  385miles - 8 hours)  today we travelled through the beautiful Frazier River Canyon of Southern B.C..  What a drive. Spectacular views of the canyon and river as well as a sobering driving experience.  Thank Cummins for our exhaust  brake and H&S Performance for our Mini Maxx down loader.  We had tons of power for the very steeps grades with 35 MPH corners and lots of slowing capability for those steep downhill grades on the South end of every uphill pull.   Here are some shots of this leg of the drive:

I only stopped once after reaching the main summit because the very tiny pull-outs were not marked in a way the gave me advance notice to prepare to stop.  As you can see I was shooting pictures while driving.  Betty was under the seat praying with Squatty and Tiger Lilly because dad was breaking, accelerating, swerving around sharp corners, and taking pictures all at the same time.

Somehow, in spite of the imminent danger I placed my passengers in we made it to the American boarder and were amazingly waved right through after only one question.  I had all my new lies ready but they were not needed after all.  We drove on down to Sedro Woolley and stayed at Riverside Park.  30A hookups with no sewer but we used the city sanitation plant RV dump for free just down a few blocks from the park on Alexander street.


September 12th Post:  (Dawson Creek to McLeese Lake 372 miles - 8 hours)  Way better highways today. Except for some road construction we were able to move right along at 60 mph or more most of the day.  The construction really slowed us down, however, as we had to wait twice for nearly a half hour before a pilot car would take us through.

We've stopped for the night at McLeese Lake campground for the night.  It's a pretty place but not really "big rig" friendly.  Mostly its set up for small campers but we've stayed here before and it's located in a place that's really good to stop in terms of our daily mileage gains.  McLeese lake is one day's drive from America...nicely placed.  It's only a 20A hookup and no sewer in the places we fut but when you're tired and need to STOP  it's FINE.

Here are a couple of shots of the campground along with the beautiful girl that walks her cat by our trailer sometimes:

             McLease Lake resort September 11

We barely fit in the designated 2 spaces

        Pavillion at McLeese Lake Resort

Tiger Lilly

        Beautiful girl in campground with cat

September 11th Post:  (Toad river to Dawson Creek 403 miles - 8 1/2 hours)  We drove roads that were a little better today than yesterday...a sign of getting nearer to civilization.  As usual for here this time of year it was a beautiful trip but long.  Dawson Creek is really big now compared to the last time I was here...I haven't been this rout since the 60's when the road was all gravel, even in "downtown" Dawson Creek which is where the Alaska Highway (and the gravel back then) begins officially.  I'm taking Betty to dinner at Tony Roma's because I love her so much and because I'm starving to have some of their baby back ribs.


September 10th Post:  (Whitehorse to Toad River 471 miles - 9 hours)  After laying over in Whitehorse one day to wait out the rain we left at about 9am today for Toad River, B.C.  As always with this leg of the trip the roads were better than the previous, more northern leg.  In the same 9 hours driving time we made nearly one hundred miles more progress than the Tok to Whitehorse leg of our trip south.

The RV park at Toad River is small but pretty.  At the front counter they always say 50A and full hookups but they really have 30A with water and no sewer.  We put up with this because they only charge $28 and after a 9 hour driving day I just want to tie up at any dock and relax for awhile.  The scenery on this leg of the trip is unique with barren rock mountains rimming deep canyons as the highway crosses the British Columbia and Yukon boarder several times.  Lots of up and down with 7% and 8% grades to wreck our fuel economy but there are near breathtaking views.  Here are a few from near Muncho Lake, B.C.

Along the edge of Munco lake we encountered these wild sheep.

      Rocky Mountain Sheep at Muncho Lake, B.C.

When Tiger Lilly saw the sheep she jumped up on the dash for a better look - we had trouble getting her to come down.

September 8th Post:  (Tok to Whitehorse 386 miles - 9 hours) We left Tok at about 8 o'clock this morning and arrived at Whitehorse around 5pm.  This leg clocked in at 386 miles in 8 hours driving time (an hour was used stopped along the way)...a fairly long but productive day.  The weather has been a very welcome dry and sunny with only a few short stretches of wind.  As we pulled into the RV park near Whitehorse the clouds began to build and it started raining.  The weather report says rain tonight and all day tomorrow.  I'm think we'll lay over here through tomorrow to avoid driving in the rain and spray.  The weather report promises more dry days starting Saturday for several days.  This is a small and cramped $40 a night 30A full hookup place.  We have stayed here several times before because its so conveniently located.  Too bad it isn't a better park.

Today I stopped along side the road about 50 miles West of Haines Junction where there was a good looking woman walking a mangy dog.  After striking up a conversation and charming her with all my wit and good looks, and even though she played hard to get, I got her to agree to come along with me on the trip south.

Above, that's great scenery!  And the background is OK too. I tried to get her to leave the dog behind but she said she'd rather leave me beside the road than the dog.  Here's a couple more shots of the area between Tok, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon:

                 Near Haines Junction, Yukon

This is what we looked like in Yukon

September 7th Post:  (Anchorage to Tok 308 miles - 7 hours)  We left Ft. Rich this morning around 10am after doing some errands at Elmendorf AFB and headed for Tok...the last Alaska overnight before entering Yukon, Canada.  The trip was bumpy but lots of fall scenery and excitement about being on the road south finally.  We arrived at Tok RV park a little after 5pm and paid a premium $44 for 50A full hookup.  Their water is still on but will be turned off this week due to freeze that's coming.  This is a fairly nice RV park with lots of spruce and Birch trees but right now, because it hasn't frosted at night yet, there are a lot of no-see-ums (same as white socks?) hunting for anyone trying to hook up to water and electric.

 Here's a shot of the mountains and fall colors as we top out East of Palmer/Wasilla near Eureka heading for Glennallen on the way to Tok Junction.  The tops of the mountains are snow covered - I don't believe they ever lose their snow.  The red in the foreground is Fire-weed that has gone to seed.  The leaves and stalk turn red before they finally drop dead of the cold that's just around the corner.

Tomorrow morning we'll be on the road for the Canadian boarder about 90 miles east of here and hope to make Whitehorse, Yukon for the night tomorrow.

September 1st Post:  This morning while Betty was taking care of pets I prepared to leave Fish Camp. First, I dumped the waste tanks, filled the water tank, and cleaned up the outside of the 5th wheeler.  Not needing any more water I turned off the submersible pump in the well, drained the pressure tank, and blew out the underground water lines.  Then I turned my attention to back to the 5th wheeler, prepped the inside, pulled in slides, and hooked up to the truck.  After Betty returned I checked and adjusted the air pressure in all the tires.  Just before locking down the cabin and warehouse I disconnected the battery on Betty's Durango and the 4 wheeler for winter storage purposes.

One last look around and as we pulled out I stopped and locked the chain across our drive as a notice to the coming winter's snow machiners to "please" stay out.  I'm never sure if our chain across the drive announces that we're gone for the winter so it's safe to burglarize, vandalize, or just move in for the winter or if it's a reasonable security measure.  We'll find out next spring when we return.

Leaving at 11am we drove the 125 miles to Anchorage in an uneventful trip.  Well, uneventful with the exception of paying about $500 to fill our diesel tanks at $4.21/gal. at the "cut rate" Essential station near Bird Creek a short distance out of Anchorage.  I guess that's better than the $4.57/gal for the same stuff in Sterling.

We had some previously vacuum sealed and frozen Sockeye Salmon and Halibut that wouldn't fit into our small freezer so on the way into town Betty called her sister, Elrina, who lives in Anchorage, and arranged to give it to her and her husband Dave.  Elrina met us in the mall parking lot near the Elmendorf AFB gate for the "fish transfer" which helped me avoid maneuvering the 5th wheeler through their small neighborhood streets.

 We pulled into Ft. Richardson's Black Spruce fam camp in the late afternoon and paid for a 5 day stay.  That puts us through Monday night, September 5th.  Originally I only planned to stay overnight and then "take off" south but Betty, who can talk me into just about anything, intervened and ...well, I'd love to stay 5 or 6 days longer.

 This is the first time we've stayed here at Ft. Rich and so far it seems OK.  Elmendorf AFB and Ft. Richardson have been designated a "joint" military base by the DOD but both have fam camps for RVs.  Both are gravel and are embedded in Spruce and Birch forests but I'm led to understand this one is better than the one across the way at Elmendorf.  The laundromat here is free but Betty says it's tiny.  I believe the services are better here as well.  $21/day is pretty steep compared to other military camps but somebody has to pay for all this rain.  Here are some pictures of Black Spruce camp:



                 Sign marking camp entry

Campground entry

        My two favorite traveling companions