The Log Cabin

​The 26 acres we purchased in 2024 included a house, which was in a state of utter disrepair. Our granddaughter Raya put her hand on Steve’s shoulder and told him, “Papa, you can’t fix this.” To which he replied, “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
We’re not sure when the original cabin was built, but a little square indicating a house showed up on a plat map by the 1890s and might have been there in 1860.  A lot of research could be done on this topic, and a log cabin expert could probably tell us about its origins from the type and hewing of the logs. We haven’t undertaken that yet. First, it needed to be made safe to enter.
The addition to the original log cabin had collapsed, and it wasn’t safe to get too close. But soon it had been completely removed, leaving only the cabin, clad with wood siding that had probably saved it from complete ruin.
People have stopped by to tell Steve about their adventures in the old homestead: one was raised there, another met his girlfriend there, someone lost his wedding ring there, and a stash of gold coins is reputed to be buried there.  The structure was still inhabited in the 1980s, but after that the story tapers off. Again, research could be done.
After the addition was removed, the roof was replaced, halting some of the cabin's deterioration. Steve repaired the foundation, stabilized the interior, reinforced the beams and joists, and redirected water away from the basement. Thanks to these improvements, I now feel comfortable entering the cabin. I write all this in one paragraph, but really, the work has taken the better portion of a year, with many scraped appendages, aching muscles, and one trip to the emergency room for stitches when old plaster collapsed onto Steve’s head. 

​The daylilies growing around the cabin were the thing that convinced be we should buy the property.  They were everywhere! Even through all the disassembly of the house there are patches remaining, and this spring they are returning to remind us that someone at one time tended to this place. I’ll get around to painting them someday….

"In a Cabin" Watercolor, 14 x 21

​The other beauty that grows all around the cabin and into the woods are the tall violet flowers sometimes called spring phlox. They are in fact, Dame’s Rocket, and – you guessed it – are an invasive species. Nevertheless, we marvel at their prolific beauty as they carpet the forest floor and move along the tree lines. You can learn more about them and the differences between them and garden phlox, which are well behaved and welcome as they bloom in summer and into the fall.

"Welcome Home - Dame's Rocket" Watercolor, 14 x 21