Cabin in the Woods - Navajo II

       When I first retired, I felt the need to involve myself in something to keep myself busy.    I volunteered for this and for that and it still seemed like I still had a lot of free time to play in the shop and do fun stuff.   The second year of my retirement I found that my schedule seemed to be a little fuller so I put the brakes on when asked if I would like to volunteer for some additional stuff or join a particular group of some sort.    Now as I enter my third year of retirement I am starting to find that I hardly have time to play in my shop.   I still enjoy the things that I do, but I am starting to question the results of this situation.   The question I have is one of whether I am just getting busier with "things" or am I slowing down to where I can't get it all done by the end of the day...  (Hmm.   Must be busier.)
    Well this week I am going to give you another update on the cabin at Okoboji.   As you can see by the picture to the right, it is cold at the campground.   The lake is froze over and we pretty much have the place to ourselves.   Thursday is the day we make the trek to Spirit Lake and do our thing. (In case you are wondering, our thing is live under the pretense that we are real carpenters.)   We have a little heater in the cabin and once we get going it seems to be plenty warm for working conditions.  

     The last couple trips we have been putting pre-finished interior car siding on all walls and ceilings with the exception of the bathroom.    That room we we'll be putting up wall board and there are plans to paint that room.  I like working with this  pre-finished car siding.   The picture to the right is one of Denny who is the camp maintenance manager.   He is the one who has the carpenter background and also has the plan as to where and how we will proceed next.   Denny is Norwegian so there are phrases like "trim off a scoch".  "Cut off a board 101 1/2 inches long plus a hog's hair"  "finer than a frog's fuzz"  (I didn't do any research on that one).

     This is my station at the camp.   Making saw dust.   There is a table saw and a jig saw and a circular saw that I get to play with also.   I don't get to run the air hammer very often.    (I think it has something to do with the idea that one can only hurt themselves on a saw where with an air hammer there could be nails flying around if not properly secured when you pull the trigger. It's only a thought.)    As you can see from the wall in the back, with much of the siding we run at angles parallel to the ceiling.  (Very difficult cuts.  Very difficult...)

   Then there is Dr. Dave.     He is my ride there and back.   As you can see from the picture to the right, we were in the process of door installation.   Denny is on the other side as they try to line up the doors before nailing them in place.     Usually during this time, I put my domestic skills (that I have acquired over the past couple years) to work by sweeping up a lot of the saw dust I've made.  (Hey!  Not everyone can run a broom.)   I sometimes question the idea that maybe we have to much wood siding in these cabins, but it is easy to install and can stand up to a little abuse so maybe it is the  right thing.

     This is one of the bedrooms that we have finished.   Tomorrow is Thursday and the Dr. and I are planning another trip.   It may be the last one for awhile.   (They are talking of a high of 3 degrees so I hope that heater is working.)    We will have to trim the windows and doors plus add some floor trim.   That may be an end to the carpenter work for this winter.
   Hopefully, I will be back in the shop with a project for next week.   I have received a lot of pressure or comments from some of you, (disappointing I must say) that you really want to read about what is going on with the cat rather than read about a cabin in Okoboji.  She (the cat) has been fine.   I've been leaving the circular saw and the nail gun lay by her liter box just in case she gets into one of those playful moods.