Building A Rustic Deck Railing, Part 2

Our deck project is going to take some time to complete, but every little step forward gets us closer to the end result!  We have made some progress since our beginning the process last week, and I wanted to bring you up to date.  We now have 2 posts and the first bottom rung installed...looks like we re moving in the right direction...slow and sure!

After installing the first post, we realized we didn't have enough large logs for posts; we want to use logs that are about 6" in diameter.  So we went to look at the trees felled by a friend who cleared some land around his cabin, and after strategically cutting big tree trunks in the right places, we had the additional 9 post logs we need.

Last week, I mentioned the skip peel method of getting the bark off a tree...this is  what it looks like when you use a draw knife to accomplish the finish...you pull the knife toward you to scrape off the bark...

...sometimes going a little bit deeper to get through to the lighter part of the wood.

It creates a random and rustic look, and gives great opportunity for creative license with what to do with knots and oddities in the wood (it also gives lots of room for hiding the things you wish you had done differently). 

Once the post has the finish you want, and if the deck flooring overlaps the girder (if there is no overlap, skip this step), place it on the deck floor and mark where the log will be attached.  We have chosen to line ours up directly with the posts that support the deck floor and are installed in a concrete footer. Yes, you are correct, the post in this picture has not been completely skip peeled, which causes the log to be a little larger than the finished version will be...this was a lesson learned, as our cut-in was larger than it needed to be.

After marking where the post will stand, cut the overlapping floor boards to match the width of the soon to be installed post...  

...it will look like this.

The post will then "slide into" this space.  We have cut the bottom of the post in half, with half of the base sitting on the deck floor and leaving a 7" leg (there is probably a technical term for this but I don't know it) that will be screwed into the frame with 2 5" screws. 

BUT (this is important), before attaching the post, the bottom rail needs to be readied for installation, which includes the skip peel finish and creating the mortise and tenon joint. 

This is the tenon, which was hand made (we don't have a tenon cutter that large); we wanted the connection to be 1 1/2" thick.  Johny measured 1 1/2" from the end of the pole, used a Japanese saw to cut a 1/4" deep slice into the circumference of the pole, and then used a wood chisel to break that 1/4 inch deep layer of wood away, leaving a tenon.

Then he used a 1 1/2" drill bit to make the mortise.

Once completed, the foot rail can be attached by inserting the tenon into the mortise, making the joint.  We chose to make the bottom of the joint 3" from the deck floor, leaving room for feet under the railing.  Of course, the rail has 2 ends, and this joint has to be prepared on each post. 

Once the joints are completed, slide the rail into the first post (the one already attached to the deck), then put the other end into the second post, slowly maneuvering it into it's slot on the floor.  Once stabilized, drill the screw holes and screw the post into position. This is the end result.

The top/hand rail is going to sit on top of the posts, more to come about that stage.

We learned another lesson I'd like to share...I'm sure there will be many, you can learn from our learning!  While it seems intuitive that different types of wood will have different looking skip peel finish looks, there can be some significantly different aesthetic results.  You can see that the branch on the right has a very different look than the one on the left, and I didn't like the one on the right; so far, we've used maple, sweet birch and yellow birch, which seem to have a similar skip peel finish look.  I'm sure once everything is assembled, the differences in the finishes will be less apparent.  For now, I will be quite choosy about whether or not the finish appeals to me.

The next step is the top/hand railing.  We didn't work on it today because we woke to a light dusting of snow on the ground, a cold wind blowing, and the temperature never rising above freezing.  A perfect day for indoor projects! But I must say, this is the kind of wintery day I love (yes, I know, it's spring), because the sky has been a beautiful blue, I've kept the wood stove burning, and when I step outside it feels so good to breath in the fresh crisp air!  Love it!

If I have left off a detail you would like to know more about, please leave a comment...I will be sure to respond.  Or you can send me an email at liseslogcabinlife@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Spring Jubilance

Ahhhh, the first day of spring!  Filled with the promise of nature coming out of it's winter slumber, spring causes people to jump for joy.  The Jonquil's (or Daffodil's, people here in the mountains call them Jonquil's) are lighting the hillsides with their bright yellow blooms, like little jewels sparkling everywhere.  They are the first real sign of spring I've seen, though everything is beginning to bud all around us, excluding our Jonquil's, which are still reaching for the skies with their greenery.  Here's a juicy spring tidbit for you...the first day of spring is also the vernal equinox, when there is nearly equal daylight and darkness in 24 hours because the earth isn't tilting away or toward the sun on this day. 

Here's some jazzy news...I started a new tradition today!  Being that it's the 'first' first day of spring that we've been able to enjoy here at the cabin, I changed our bathroom shower curtain, towels and rug from a snowman theme...

...to hummingbirds...

 ...though I must confess that I was a little hesitant because they are predicting cold and possible snow over the next few days ~ but I figure putting away my snowmen was like not carrying your umbrella with you...when you do have it, it doesn't rain, but when it's put away, it pours...this is no jest, I really thought about this!  Regardless, I do like it, and let it snow!  I also changed my tablecloth and kitchen towels to a spring feel, but I won't make you take a journey on that road!

You may have noticed all the 'j' words by now...you can go to ABCWednesday to read more posts highlighting 'j'!  I must say, I enJoy (no joke) participating in ABCWednesday's posts, it pushes me to think of things differently. 

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Bangers 'n Mashed

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, and since we are still in progress with our projects (in fact, I've had it up to here...visualize my hand going up over my head in a vertical slice...today with these projects, so I believe it's best if I wait to share more when I'm not feeling so ornery about them), I thought a recipe would be fun.

We are having Bangers n' Mashed...good comfort food (which fits the bill today due to previously mentioned project frustrations). 

This is so easy and my approach doesn't include any measurements and there's only a few ingredients, so it's easy to remember, and it tastes great (maybe not so figure friendly, but what comfort food is?  At least mine doesn't have gravy!).

Bangers 'n Mashed

Ingredients:

1 package large link sausages (I'm using mild Italian, you can use your favorite) with 2 or 3 very small slices, about 1/8 inch deep, in each (probably not a necessary step, but I believe this keeps them from exploding as the moisture inside heats up and expands the casing)
1 sweet onion cut in half and sliced thin
Olive oil

Klondike potatoes (we like leftovers, so I always cook a bunch)
Heavy cream and/or milk (I mix the cream with 2% milk, you can use any milk product here)
Butter
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Clean and cut your potatoes (I keep the skin on) and put them into a pot of water, boiling them until they are fork tender.  This will take about 30 minutes or so, depending on how small your cubes are. 

While the potatoes are cooking, put a little olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and put the sausages in to cook.  I like the slow cook method, browning slowly (ha ha, do as I say and not as I do, the pan was a little too hot and the first side browned very quickly), turning the sausages frequently.  Be sure to use a large enough pan that you can move the sausages aside to cook the onion. 

Once they have slightly browned all the way around, push them to the edges of the pan and put the onions in the middle.  You want to use the sausage fat and little bits that are in the pan to cook the onions until they are brown (add a little butter or oil if you need a little more for the onions).  Keep an eye on your sausages during this process, turning everything periodically.

By now the potatoes should be fork tender; drain them, add the butter, cream/milk, salt & pepper, and mash (you can use a potato masher if you like them a little lumpy, but  I use a hand mixer because of the skins and we like them less lumpy).  FYI, I used 6 large potatoes, about 4 cups, 4 tbsp butter and 3/4 cup cream/2% milk mixture to get this consistency.

Make some veggies on the side, and voila, Bangers 'n Mashed!  True confession; I used frozen turnip greens with parsnips, a choice I wouldn't make again, fresh tastes so much better, but this is what I had:)

An easy meal after a day of frustrating moments...and so very yummy for the tummy! 

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Love Thunder & Rain!

Ahhh, thunder!  I love the sound of rumbling thunder through the mountains, especially when it's accompanying the sound of rain on our tin roof.  It makes for a perfectly cozy afternoon and evening.  It doesn't do much for the view though, which is gray and dreary...much different from our sunset last night!

It was drizzling all day, but I did get the chance to make a trip on our ATV Big Bear down the road to a recently graded area that exposed a bunch of rocks...

...and collected some to bring back to the cabin and continue working on my erosion prevention project (about 3/4 of the way completed now).

I'm glad to say that the rocks are holding well with the heavy rain we are having this evening, but it's easy to see areas where more erosion prevention still needs to be done (besides finishing the "stone wall"); the spot in the forefront of the photo, which is in front of the deck, needs some work (not sure what yet), as does the spot where the water is draining from our rain shield that we installed some time ago (if you look closely you can see a puddle, a rain barrel to collect the rain would be perfect there). 

Later this afternoon, I was watching the birds at the feeder, and I noticed our maple trees are budding...I remember they were the first leaves to emerge last spring...it's exciting to see evidence that spring is indeed on the way (I'm also excited that the meteorologists are saying there just might be some snow this weekend...I could get one more taste of winter, woo hoo!).

FYI, yesterday, I mentioned our critter cam and was asked what cam we were using.  It's a Bushnell 8MP cam, and we love it (you will find a link to it near the top of this post on the right side of the page)...it takes great pictures and the batteries last for a long time.  In fact, we purchased a second one to use at our river house!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Nature's Entertainment

In my opinion, nature is one of the best forms of entertainment that exists.  Lately, I've been perplexed by a curious thing happening with this owl house...over the past several days, I noticed the nesting material would periodically (and most mysteriously) pop in and out of the hole, though I never saw a bird or any other creature making that happen.  Then this morning, I watched as this White-breasted Nuthatch flew to the box, stuck it's head into the hole and pulled out a little clump of shredded grass/nesting material (there didn't seem to be anything inside the box that disagreed with what was occurring)...

...and brought it to the top of the box.  He (I'm presuming it's a male based on the lack of chestnut colored flanks and undertail, click on the White-breasted Nuthatch link for more information about these lovely birds) began pecking at the clump.  I wondered what he was doing, my best guess being that he was trying to get some little breakfast bugs out of it (female Nuthatches are the nest builders, so I knew he wasn't trying to steal some good home building material for the family to be ).

Then the wind blew it away (you can see it near the lid of the box in the center of the photo). 'Nooooo!' I thought to myself...I felt bad for him, having worked so diligently to steal away a little something, just to have it blown from his grasp!

 He came back to the opening as if to consider trying again, 

 but chose to go sit on the tree above the box instead.  He finally flew away, never to return (as far as I could determine, and believe me, I watched!).

I know birds don't have big brains and don't think like we do, but I sure did wonder what was going through that little guy's brain cells as his breakfast plate blew away!   As I said, nature is quite entertaining, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings:)

PS...I still don't know what causes the nesting material to move in and out of the box, but we have our critter cam aimed at it, so hopefully the mystery will be solved!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

Deck Railing & More Erosion Prevention Projects

Today was a perfect day for working outside...temp in the mid 60's, breeze blowing, sun shining, birds singing...you get the picture.

We have 2 projects that we have been working on today - deck railing (Johny's project today, but we will be working together on this over the next several weeks) and erosion control (my project).  

The deck railing is finally getting built...I know, you thought that rope was our railing, it's been there so long, but no, we are going to have real railing...it's going to be a rustic rail created from portions of the trees we cut from our woods (some parts went for firewood, some parts were saved for this purpose). Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, we can work more easily with the wood, and we want to get it done so we can fully enjoy the deck throughout the spring and summer (well really forever and ever more!). 

We are using what is called "skip peel finish", which basically means you scrape the bark off the log, taking more off in some places than others.  This is the first piece to be installed, as viewed from on the deck; you can see how there are some spots that are lighter than others, those are the spots that got scraped a little deeper (that line at the top is a natural small fissure in the log, happy to have it there!).

 This is the view from the yard. 

There will be 9 upright posts, and the top rail will be secured to the top of them.  There will be a bottom rail that will be inserted (mortise and tenon style) about 3 inches up from the deck floor.  The insides of the railing will be rhododendron and/or mountain laurel branches (they have a natural curve as they grow) that are attached in a random way, to create a very rustic look.  All the wood will look like the first post, but this gives you a general idea of the direction we are moving in.  I do believe it is going to be fantastic!!!

My erosion control project is a continuation of the spreading of the gravel in the yard, driveway and under the deck project that I told you about last month.  We still have a little incline under the deck that needs to be "secured" so to speak.   You can see it in the picture below.

Step 1 was to clear all the leaves and sticks that had settled there; I used the blower and sent them into the woods.  Step 2 was to lay and secure landscape cloth, which will keep the soil in place and prevent weeds from growing.

Step 3 was to cover the landscape cloth with rocks.  I started with the pile below, which was collected from our garden before we prepared it for winter. 

It was slow work, but worth the effort...I had noticed quite a bit of soil had washed down the hill and into the pea gravel, even though it's only a month ago since we had laid it under the deck...I'm so glad I finally got the motivation and the good weather to get this project started!

I ended up using all the rocks in the pile, plus some that we had put behind the cabin for later use, and I only got halfway up the hill.  Tomorrow, I will be hunting for rocks...no worries, they are everywhere, I just have to go and collect them!  So far, so good!

This is another view, the same as the first picture I took before I started.  Eventually, the front side of the deck (the right side of the photo) will have lattice, so no one will see this unless they are under the deck, but it will look finished and will keep the soil where it belongs.

A good days work, and we are both feeling that good kind of tired.  You know what I like best about it?  We are using natural resources from our property to accomplish these projects.  It feels so good to be able to accomplish a task with resources at hand...living off the land!  Stay tuned for updates on our progress!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

A Visit With Jaycee

Our day has been busy, planning projects including the garden and some "yard area" improvements (I say yard area because it includes the woods and under the deck, more to come about both of these projects). 

But we were pleasantly interrupted by Jaycee, (our neighbor Charlie & Andrea's granddaughter), who treated us with her big smile, twinkling eyes, and entertaining conversation.  This is Jaycee.

Earlier today, when I was walking to the mailbox, she and her mother Michelle were riding on their ATV from the direction of the mailbox.  They stopped next to me as I was walking down the mountain.  Jaycee had her usual big smile and excitedly got off the ATV to get our mail from their basket and proudly handed it to me.  She was very pleased to have delivered our mail!

Later, as Johny and I sat on the porch swing, she came running down the road and eventually our driveway, coming on the porch and giving me a big hug.  You see, she is leaving tomorrow, and decided to visit a bit.  She makes me laugh...she's funny and smart and perceptive.  We talked about a lot of things.  One of her favorite foods is cheddar ruffles!  At one point, Johny offered her chocolate...what child would refuse chocolate even though it was dinner time...as she marveled her second piece, she said "this looks like a flower", so here it is...

Though Charlie came to pick her up on his ATV, she stayed a bit longer swinging with us on the swing.  When it was time for her to head back, she skipped along the driveway turning back to wave every now and again.

I share all this because it was fun, but it also makes me want to have my grandson Liam come to visit like I've never felt before.  He hasn't been yet, but it's time.  There are so many things to explore...things that he has never seen before, moments to share at the creek, mountains to climb, trees to cut, fires to burn, mushrooms to hunt, birds to watch, people to meet...I can't wait to introduce him to it all.  And I know Johny feels the same way.

So Jaycee, thanks for your company and enthusiasm...and especially for sharing your excitement for our mountain.  And Liam, get ready for a road trip!!!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise