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Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

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Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#1

Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

Roy Anderson

>Like many people here on the hand tools forum, I've always fantisized about chucking the modern world and moving to a cabin in the wilderness and living by the skill of my hands. That's what I've always figured retirement nirvana would be. Just me, a little cabin and my hand tools, maybe a fireplace and an oil lamp.

Just because last night's ice storm here in the midwest knocked out my power all night is no reason to lighten up on that dream. I had no wide screen t.v. and I missed American Idol. My high speed internet connection was down so I couldn't surf the net. My central heat was off so I had to fire up my faux fireplace with the natural gas burners. I didn't even have a good reading light to read my Roy Underhill book about authentic period craftsmanship. My Ipod was run down and I couldn't listen to any old Eagles tunes. I had to just sit in my lazyboy and dream about my primitive cabin. So I've got it planned out and now I know what I need.

I need a primitive cabin way out in the woods where I can live with just me and my hand tools and a fireplace and an oil lamp.

And a high speed internet connection.

And a high def TV.

And an IPOD.

Nothing else.

And a really good grill from Home Depot.

Nothing else.

Maybe a good SUV.

And a beer cooler.

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#2

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern convenience

mikew

>Circa 1977...mid June


And on a crisp fall day just before the snow started our first winter--all 5 feet of it...


We lived in that cabin, no electrikity or running water [except in the little creek just out of view] for 8 1/2 years. Two of our boys were born there. It was a great life.

Take care, Mike

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#3

Re: Neat cabin

Dave Mount, still in the deep freeze

>but those piers are scaring me a little -- I think I would have searched a little harder for some bigger rocks!

Those were the days, eh? So what brought you from the cabin back to civilization?

Best,

Dave

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#4

Re: Neat cabin

mikew

>Hah. Those stacked stones were meant to be temporary. Never did swap them out, though. The cabin is still standing just like you see in the picture.

The setting is to the northeast of Sandpoint. It was 18 miles into town, our driveway was 1.5 miles long with the first mile uphill. We walked in for a little under half the year.

We had 60 acres there. I logged the older growth off, decided that was fun, bought my first cat and skidder and started logging for a living. When I wasn't working my own jobs, I fell for other companies, mostly special jobs or simply tracts with very large trees.

By 1987 I had just bought yet another rubber-tired skidder [a JD 540B] and started a new job when I rolled the skidder 240 some odd feet in 4 1/2 turns down a steep mountain side. That cracked the skidder's frame in half, though with the bracing and what not it kept together.

The insurance hadn't kicked in, I went immediate 100k into debt I couldn't repay by working [I was a little broke up and couldn't work for a while]. So we sold the original property the cabin was situated on, the 5 acres down in the valley we had recently moved to and the remaining equipment to get out of that debt.

When I could, I went back falling trees for a couple years, decided to move back to Oregon where my wife and I were from, returned to college...and the rest is as they say history.

Take care, Mike

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#5

Dang, you call that a foundation...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>That stack of rocks scares me to death. I'd never have those holding up my house. Not in Nocal anyway. Cool cabin!

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#6

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern convenience

Ernie Miller

>it's cold out why do you need a beer cooler?

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern conveniences

#7

Re: Slighty OT: I don't need no modern convenience

Kevin French

>I tend to see my WW'n more towards the Shakers attitude. They used the tools that did the best job, to include electron burning ones. I try to pull the handtool first but I'm not going to waste my time ripping a board by hand.

As for the cabin in the the woods, I'm there with ya. As long as we're dreaming here you'll need a Cabin Shop also.

And lastly if you drink "Good" beer, and not that 'Mass Produced Swill' you don't need a refirg. I nice root cellar or a hole in the ground will get it cool enough to drink. Good Beer taste best around 45 F

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