They say that time flies when you are having fun, a sentiment that I think most would agree with, although, the older I get, it would seem that regardless of my enjoyment, time seems to be speeding by. There is just never enough time in the day.
This past trip to Rustic Pines marked a milestone for us. It was a year ago on December 3rd, that Katie and I first set foot on (and fell in love with), the land that would become Rustic Pines. Along with accomplishing the weekend’s tasks we set out to complete, we took some time to reflect on the year, discuss how our plans have changed, and look to where we want to be this time next year. It was no surprise to either of us after spending the spring and summer working hard just to make things “livable”, that our plans had morphed a bit. I can’t believe a year ago, I thought we could “tent” it all year and have our forever cabin built by this fall. Our first weekend changed that really quick. I’m sure most would agree that I consistently underestimate the time and cost of projects… but isn’t that the American way? I shudder to think of the number of accomplishments I might have not made in my life, or we as a people might not have made in our history, if we first took an honest objective look at the resources needed to achieve something. Often, it’s best to tune out the naysayers, and just jump in with both feet.
Although we didn’t close on the property until St. Patrick’s day (A dual celebration for my Irish wife), I think we will always regard December Third as our anniversary date. From the moment we drove the long road into the property, it was ours, at least in our hearts anyway. In the four months between making an offer and closing, we made plans, prepared for our first trip up, purchased this domain name, spent boatloads of cash on items we thought we might need, and spent countless hours, dreaming aloud, about what wonderful things we would do,
After our first weekend “camping”, things began to change. The first thing we realized, was that it’s hard to get anything done, when all your energy goes into staying warm. So plans for temporary shelter were made and executed, and once we had a place to stay, we noted that even though our eventual goal is to have a place to share with family and friends, NOW was the appropriate time to start inviting people up. It didn’t take long for us to strike a balance between work and play, and we did both with a smile on our face.
It’s natural for one to reflect on an anniversary. Like most, we reflected on our accomplishments; the little cabin, outhouse, trails cut, campsites cleared, installing our gate, and harvesting the first timber that will become part of our forever cabin. But we’ve also reflected on how this place has impacted our lives; the laughter shared, the friends and family that have shared time with us, even the not so great parts like our home being burglarized while we were at Rustic Pines. What I hadn’t considered was how an experience like this helps you learn about yourself, and about those around you. 
Take my bride for instance. When we made our offer on the land, we’d been married less than six months, and had only known each other for thirty one months. You think you know someone… I’ll just say that in all honesty, I’ve never known what it was to have a true partner until I met her. At every step of the way she is there pitching in, working as hard, if not harder than I am at making our dream become a reality. She’s not afraid to take the machete and hack a trail through the woods, cut and heft firewood, peel logs, and still put her mind to getting dinner ready. Although she is driven for our success, being wed to her is not without it’s challenges, and building Rustic Pines has highlighted them. For one, she is demanding. Right out of the gate, her foot landed hard when she proclaimed “I want my own chainsaw… a pink one!” And, like most women, she has become accustomed to the finer things in life… like heat. She has made her complaints against sleeping in a tent on a below zero night, and I heard her loud and clear. What’s a guy to do? She also has a penchant for obstructing my patriarchal need as a man to operate off road vehicles. I guess I’ll either learn to live with this, or buy her an ATV of her own. All in all, over the last year, my favorite part has been spending time with her.
So where do we go from here? Well, our anniversary weekend wasn’t filled with a massive celebration, it was filled with the new normal. Our usual trip involves some mistake either of us makes, and a problem to overcome… this trip was no different. On our previous trip, we encountered more than a half dozen trees that had fallen across the road and needed to be cleared. Why would this trip be any different? Sure enough, as we rolled down the road, there it was, a downed tree, blocking our path. I put the truck in park, grabbed my gloves, and then sheepishly looked at the Mrs. and acknowledged that I left the chainsaw at home. Oh the look…. Have no fear, it was a small enough tree, that we were able to move it by hand, and thankfully the only one we encountered. Worst come to worst, a half mile walk would have provided me with a hand saw I keep in the cabin, but it was a good lesson to learn. Since we drove up Saturday morning, it was daylight, and the temps were reasonable, had it been late at night like usual, it could have turned into a dangerous situation.
Once at the cabin, it was time for projects. The bed in the tiny cabin is opposite the wood stove and stretches the full expanse of width of the cabin at eight feet. This means one of us lays closer to the fire than the other. The person furthest from the fire lays closest to the wall. I’ve taken to waking through the night to stoke the fire, so generally, I sleep closer to the fire. Did I mention Katie likes the extravagance of heat? Princess… I know. So on this last trip, we swung through the big box lumber store and picked up some insulation. After a short while, we had 60% of the cabin insulated and her slumber would be much warmer. We’re also hoping to save on wood… less trips to the wood pile is a good thing no matter which one of us is hauling it. Speaking of beds, up to this point one of the “waking up the cabin” rituals has been for us to fill the air mattress, and make the bed. Air mattresses… love em and hate em. They are only slightly more comfortable than plywood, and no matter how well you treat them, they will develop holes small enough to allow you to fall asleep before deflating and depositing your carcass on whatever lies beneath. Problem solved. We took advantage of a Black Friday sale and purchased a memory foam mattress for our home, which freed up our traditional queen size to make the trip north. I’m sure we looked funny driving down the road with a half dozen sheets of polystyrene foam, topped with a used queen size mattress, strapped to the top of my old truck. Classy!
On Sunday morning, we woke, coffee’d and took a walk. The dog had much sniffing to do as she darted in and out of the trees along our path. Katie and I wandered up a hill to where we were contemplating a campsite. Beyond the hill was a nice plateau that might make for a good build site later on. We agreed to visit it again in the summer for another look. After our walk, we returned to the cabin to do a little more work. Up to this point, we’ve been doing all of our cooking on a two burner Coleman propane stove, but in the previous week, I stumbled across an ad for a small propane range. It’s got to be nearly as old as Katie’s and my age combined, but as we all say from time to time “they don’t build them like they used to, so when you find one built the way they used to, buy it!” Katie was excited to have four burners AND an actual oven to make use of. It didn’t take long to clear a space and set the range, after that, I put my mind to installing a good used stainless steel bar sink I acquired while remodeling a bar in Minneapolis last summer. We also noticed that we leave a lot more items up at the land so as not to haul them back and forth. In an 8’x12′ cabin, space is a premium, so out came the tools and lumber, and additional shelves were constructed.
Sooner than usual, due to my new work schedule that requires a 4 AM wake up, we had to put the cabin to bed and head home in time to get a good nights sleep. Katie worked diligently at re-filling the shelves with our stuff, while I loaded the truck and trailer for the trip back. We noted as we closed and locked the gate, that the next trip would most likely require a snowmobile. (Yes, you can hear me grin while you read this….) Not that it’s required with Katie, but most married men know, at the slightest hint of “permission” you jump into action. So be ready for all the “I’m new to snowmobiling” posts highlighting me as I make every possible mistake at very crucial times.
At home, my work on the Band Saw Mill steadily progresses, and Katie is busy documenting her projects, such as her latest fire starter project. Stay tuned for more!
Remember, as the world seems fit to tear itself apart at the seams, you still have a choice in your participation. Take time with the ones you love. Merry Christmas!
