May 16, 2018

Cabin Update

Before it gets much more into spring, it seems like a good idea to catch up on a cabin update. I haven't shared any cabin news since last fall when we replaced our leaking cabin roof, and I'm happy to report we had a nice snug dry winter inside - no leaks!


We made it up to McCall from Boise five times over the winter.


 
Our drive takes us through a deep canyon along the Payette River Scenic Byway.


 The canyon opens up into Round Valley and then Long Valley, both surrounded by high mountains. The beautiful drive up to McCall is one of the best parts of visiting our cabin.


 Long Valley ends at Payette Lake which freezes over during the deepest cold of winter. A favorite time is when we crest the hill into McCall and have our first look at the lake. The ski runs of Brundage Mountain are visible high up on the other side of the lake.


 We turn right at the lake and our cabin is just a few more minutes down this road. It takes us two hours and ten minutes to drive the 110 miles from our home in Boise to the cabin. 


 Since having our electricity updated last summer, we were able to put up our first strings of outdoor lights for Christmas.


 And even though we were only there a couple of times in December, I couldn't resist putting up a tiny tree with lights and drugstore decorations. It was so cozy!


 One of our favorite restaurants in McCall is at The Shore Lodge, on the other side of town. We spent one special winter evening enjoying drinks and dinner here. 


 This was the view of the lake from our Shore Lodge table just before the sun went down.


 Our winter fun at the cabin includes walking across the street to the McCall City Golf Course, where the trails are groomed and Tucker is welcomed off leash. (I never have to put my husband on a leash.)


 We also snowshoe on groomed cross country ski trails in Ponderosa State Park, which is just down the street from our cabin. Tucker's favorite trail is Rover's Roundabout where he can run free. 

 My snowshoeing days came to an end when I had surgery for a torn bicep tendon and rotator cuff in February. Scraping the old flaking paint off the cabin last fall for painting was a big contributor to my shoulder injuries, so guess who won't be doing any more of that!?  


  The snow was melting by the time I could visit the cabin again. 


 And with the melting snow, the work on our little cabin began again. The first spring job we scheduled was having the old attic insulation removed and replaced. We discovered the back of our corner property has a nice flat open area squeezed between the trees into which trucks can maneuver for easier access to our back door. They parked there and snaked a hose all the way through the back door to the attic to suction out the old blown-in insulation. They also removed all kinds of wood and useless stuff from up there that was hiding under the insulation, so now it's a nice clean slate to fill back up with fluffy new insulation. 


 While they were removing the insulation, I was able to get the first coat of paint on the front door trim and screen door. I said I wouldn't scrape anymore, but I didn't say I wouldn't paint! :)

 As happens so often when renovating old buildings, halfway through insulating the attic we ran into a big old snafu. When the old insulation was removed, we got the first good look from above at the damage done to the ceiling from our old leaking roof. The contractor was now convinced the weight of the new insulation could cause the weakened crumbling drywall to come crashing down into our cabin. We could end up with a cabin full of crumbled drywall and powdery insulation flying everywhere!


We had planned on planking our cracked and stained ceilings a few years down the road, but the road sped up to meet us that day! The workers went home, and my husband spent the next two weekends installing furring strips to the joists to hold up the old drywall and the weight of the new insulation. It looks like we'll be planking our ceiling sooner rather than later. (I think I'll replace that light fixture with a cute chandelier while I'm at it.)


Today, the new insulation is finally being blown into our stronger attic. I'm relieved to have the old once-wet insulation gone, and we've been told the newer product will make our cabin more cozy warm. My husband is up there today overseeing everything, and he just texted me this photo of the first daffodils that I planted last fall beginning to bloom. Spring has arrived in the mountains. 


 Meanwhile, I'm down in Boise out in the shed painting the cabin shutters.


Next on our list is to finish the exterior painting we started too late last fall. Freezing mountain temperatures stopped us partway there, and there's still a lot to do. This is my photoshopped vision of our painted cabin and garage/shed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be finished soon!

Also on our list for this year is having our very awkward crawlspace cleaned out and a vapor barrier installed, grading the soil away from our foundation, and doing some landscaping. Maybe we'll get to the kitchen floor, counters, and back splash, but that might just be wishful thinking since we'll now also be planking the ceiling. 

And of course, in between, we'll be having lots of summer fun at the cabin! 

See you there (here!)



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7 comments:

  1. I want to come to your cabin for Christmas! It looks picture perfect! How are you doing after your shoulder surgery? My husband had 2 last year and re-injured himself again...I swear it will never be better. Here comes the Idaho heat...get ready!

    ~Trisha

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  2. Wow, such a transformation from last year! Glad everything is working out for you & you are all "cozy" in your new home!

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  3. What a darling cabin and a lovely location for it! I love the exterior photo with the Christmas lights - so cozy! I hope you are recovering from your surgery. Be careful and enjoy the spring weather!
    Shelley

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  4. I've been wondering about your cabin! It looks so cute decorated for Christmas. I hear ya on shoulder issues! I didn't tear anything but all the painting caused massive inflammation in mine then last year trying to dig out the prickly vine got my other shoulder inflamed. Steroid shots and physical therapy helped but now I'm being more careful not to overdo it! So take it easy! Can't wait to see how your ceiling turns out...I want to do that in our kitchen/dining room.

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  5. Thanks for all these wonderful pictures it certainly looks like a great place to visit and yes there is work to do but it will be so great to go there and get away.

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  6. Looks great although your winter shots sent a chill through my bones!! Hope you've recovered from your surgery/injuries now. Have a wonderful weekend! xox

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  7. Yeah, you're back! I was beginning to wonder if you'd return to blogging. There is something about that cabin that gets to me and I look forward to seeing what summer brings.

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