Lighting Up The Cabin

I didn't realize how expensive the lighting would be to decorate the cabin. With a log cabin, you can't just get ordinary lighting. I felt I needed a selection of wood, animal theme, rustic metals and antler type lighting to obtain the woodsy feel. My builder was rightfully pushing me to get the rest of my lights this week so the elusive electrician would appear and finish the job. (I didn't have enough lights there previously to create a sense of urgency.) I ended up buying lights from four different sources -Lowes, Home Depot, a local Gaylord store and Black Forest Decor (online store). Interestingly enough, the Lowes & Home Depot in Northern Michigan carried a good selection of rustic lighting, things I have never seen downstate. I purchased the moose light pictured here from Lowes to hang over the stairway. I also purchased a moose vanity light for the bathroom for only $79. (I do have a thing for moose!) This was a great deal compared to the other vanity lights I saw online between $300 - $600. At Black Forest Decor, our antler chandelier was on sale for $294. But I did make a mistake in not ordering enough chain to hang it from our high ceiling so I put in another order today.

Alone in the Wilderness

If you are searching for a great and inspiring log cabin documentary, then I highly recommend "Alone in the Wilderness" the story of Dick Proenneke. Dick was 50 years old when in 1967, he set off to Alaska to build his own log cabin. It is amazing to watch him prepare the logs, fashion door latches and kitchen tools out of wood and live off the land. I especially enjoyed his footage of the moose, bear and other animals he encountered.

"To live in a pristine land unchanged by man...
to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed...
to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin...
to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available...
to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts and company...
Thousands have had such dreams, but Dick Proenneke lived them. He found a place, built a cabin, and stayed to become part of the country." -Sam Keith

Here's the link to the video: http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html

Staining and cabin progress

Well....the hubby encountered a little problem while we were trying to stain the bedrooms. First the logs are first lightly sanded, second - the stain is applied and then you use the clear coat. When he was using the clear coat - it was bubbling and looking like glue in the cracks of the logs. (It's inevitable with logs that you get "checking" which is small to medium cracks in the log.)So we stopped and we're going to contact the stain company tomorrow. I don't know if it was from being too cold or being shook up as we drove the 3 hours up north.

On a positive note, the maple flooring was installed and looks beautiful. Also, the builder selected nice 6 panel doors that look perfect in the cabin. Even the electrician made a little progress (2 switch plates and my wall sconce being installed.) I'm hoping he makes an appearance on Monday to make significant progress. I am especially looking forward to seeing how our antler chandelier will look in our dining room once it's hung. I think it's a rule that if you own a log cabin that you must have an antler chandelier as well as a deer head.