Cottage Industry

(Continued from May 2)

Once we had the sawmill, we started pulling the logs out of the woods with a winch. We also cleared the area where we decided to build the cottage, on the edge of a fairly level area overlooking the pond. Many of our current forest paths started with a log dragged 50 feet or more and then around a stump and dragged further still out to the mill.


From that point, it was a matter of turning the logs into beams and posts for our "cottage". There was a learning curve.

By the summer of 1991, we made progress and our 16' x 12' cottage was begun.

The cottage was put together backwards--first the posts, then the wallboard, then the insulation, then the outer walls. Many of you know the story already, so I won't explain it again.

It got the name "Birdhouse" because we were only able to build it a weekend a month over many, many months and the swallows took advantage, building a nest in the eaves. By the time we got the windows cut in, the swallows were in a panic, trying to find their way out. We waited until they had fledged to add the glass. Even so, months later when I was cleaning out the old nest, I found a dead bird, killed from exhaustion, I imagine.

Later, Roger embellished the theme by adding faux birdhouses to disguise the roof vents on either side of the gabled roof.

And many friends came up and helped us along the way. Thank-you Eric, Tom C, Linda K, Jay, Abe, Bjorn and all the others who pitched in to help.


At the end of the summer of '92, the cottage was complete. There was a worn path to the outhouse way in the woods and a 12-volt battery provided our lights. Each year brought more civilization. We had a well dug, we brought up the water by hand at first. Then electricity, then a pump. Hooray!

Our mill provided all the board & batten siding.

We added a propane stove. Now we're cookin'.

By 1993 (or was it '94?) we were ready to add a back porch. Our living space grew by 30%. No more treks to the woods, we had a real bathroom! The composting toilet and the shower were giant leaps for womankind.

To date:
1989 May: bought land
1990 June: pond started/ Dec: Windstorm topples trees
1991 Summer: cottage started: August: garden w/topsoil planted
1992 May: honeybees in cabinet/ cottage finished
1993 Jan: 16*F- 4"of ice on pond
1994 May: new well/ 'Sept: running water
1995 Feb: snowed 5"