The time has come to get ready for the work of next spring and summer. That will involve adding the exterior, non load-bearing "frame" and installing doors and windows in the cabin.

I have most of the windows already: we renovated our house last year and replaced most of our old double-hung windows with new double-hung windows. I saved the old sashes and intend to use these wherever possible in the cabin.

Here, you can see them loaded up in the trailer, as I moved them from my garage to my workshop. They are 60 year-old windows, but they are in pretty good shape. One of the larger windows has a bit of decay in one corner. I need to determine a good way to replace/repair or at least brace it.





In addition to stripping paint, I will need to come up with a good way to frame them. The sashes were in a double-hung frame with counterweights. I no longer have the weights. I really have no idea how to make these into double-hung windows again.

I may try to do something like hinge the window sashes instead of hanging them as double-hung. That way, they would swing up or swing left or right. That would certainly be much easier, but I also absolutely need screens on all windows and doors to keep out insects in the summer.

Snow has arrived in Northern Idaho!



I took a peek at the cabin in the snow, to see how the roof looked/worked with snow on it. Alas, with a 12:12 pitch, I am happy to report that the roof sheds snow efficiently. With even a little melting or wind or vibrations, snow just slides off in clumps. I probably won't have to worry too much about snow load with a slippery metal roof with a pitch like this.





I was working inside the cabin today and, every once in awhile, you could clearly hear a large clump of snow slowly slide off. It was a neat effect, and I look forward to the day when I can warm up the woodstove on a cold day, sit back, and listen to the snow gently slide off the roof...

Well, the tarps are finally gone! At least one tarp has been hanging on the frame since raising day, and now there are none. Truly, a day of celebration. :-)

Here is a picture of me in the doorway, which is now looking more like a doorway...

The larger bay on the south side is the last side to get pine planks installed, so I took some pictures before I got started raising the planks into position.

Without windows, I'm afraid that the cabin interior gets light only from the small doorway. Alas, the cabin is going to be a horribly dark and cold place this winter.

Next summer, I'll have the walls built out and windows in place, and it will cheer things up a lot.

The picture below seems really funny to me. The building always looks tiny from this camera position, and it looks like a gift-wrapped cabin (Tyvek wrapping paper)!

I should attach a large bow to it and give it to myself. Or something.