Day 283 October 17, 2002

Closure...

Well, that's about it. I'm wrapping this project up. I have my Certificate of Occupancy. The Big Yellow One is up for sale at MachineryTrader.com. The camper is also for sale. The cabin took 14 months to build, 282 working days. I averaged about 10 hours a day. Total hours about 2800, plus all the hours Laurie put in, plus all the hours my "volunteers" put in.

The word "poly" is used 65 times in this journal. Sorry about that.

It's a fair amount of work. I am thrilled with the result and well, umm, proud of myself! That's OK, right?

I have been thinking about what I have learned, what were the good decisions I made and what I would do differently. That's the key to moving up, improving yourself and your satisfaction level. For example, buying a backhoe instead of renting was a smart move, as was hiring someone to shingle the roof.

Not checking out the well driller's references was dumb.

Thoroughly researching log home companies was smart. I am pleased with Kuhn's Brothers and would use them again.

Buying, learning to use and using the transit level was smart. Because I was so fussy with making sure the foundation was level and square, everything that I built on top of it was easy to level and square. That makes life easier.

Sleeping on a bad bed in the camper was dumb, while getting the camper itself was smart.

Next time I build a cabin (Laurie just ran screaming from the room) I would take control of the delivery process and ensure the foundation was ready prior to the delivery. I would move the sub-floor plywood over 1" from the edge, saving wood. I would mark and remember to kerf cut the logs around the window openings. I would buy a 16" circular saw, it would save a huge amount of time. I would rent wide scaffolding. I would buy a big sliding miter saw for the T+G, and cut the ends on a 45 degree angle. I would keep Darren P. on ground level at all times. I would pour and finish the basement slab myself. I believe I could have done a better job than the professional did. I would drill extra holes for wires in the kitchen area.

I wouldn't trade my high ceilings and big windows for anything, but I figure if you built a cabin without them you could save 2 months and $10,000. The T+G ceiling alone cost about $4,000 and took weeks of labor.

I wish to thank everyone who helped me fulfill this dream. You all were a tremendous help. I can't thank Laurie enough for supporting me in every way. I hope that all who helped will come and spend some time up here and absorb the peace and quiet. I hope my family and friends visit often.

I hope someday to grow Christmas trees, learn to fly fish, hike in the mountains, teach my niece and nephews to ride mini-bikes and ATVS while still respecting Mother Nature. But for now, I'm just going to lay on the couch in front of the fire and watch movies.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences and I hope you are inspired to go after your dreams. All it takes is hard work and determination.

Next, I think I'm going to learn how to fly a plane.

Billy