Camp Cabin #5

So I went camping overnight to work some more on my tiny cabin in the woods, Thursday, and Friday. I had a great productive trip.

I took my 9 month old pup with me. Due to problems posting Camp Cabin #4, and due to other delaying factors, I did not get out there till almost 4pm on Thursday. On the way, the pup, who had never been away from home ever, decided that she would punish me for taking her away from home by throwing up in my lap!

Hubby came out, and helped me set up camp, as well as continuing to cut up some brush we are clearing along the drive. He also carried my 2x8 sills down to the cabin site.

So Thursday, my only accomplishment on the cabin was to remove the ROOT! It was 1 1/2 inches thick, and on one end it had a knot or burl which was seriously hard as stone, because my first inclination was to beat it silly with a hammer. No effect at all! So I had to hack the thing out with the hatchet. I hacked away, and was sure proud when it came free!

So that night I just relaxed by the fire, and then went to be early, and read my tablet, before going to sleep. My pup did real good, after one scare when she took off. Then I had to leash her. You never saw a more pitiful face! She really got in a mood about being tied down. Even so, she did a great job at warning me of danger, and slept on the floor of the tent, next to my air mattress. I took her out, a couple times, and took me out too, to the bucket toilet.

The next morning, I woke up about 7 am. I got dressed, and took the pup outside. I decided to let her off the leash. We went down to the cabin site, with the gun, and tools. Then we went back for my Emergency kit, and food.

After, I got everything to the site, I decided that I would eat first. So I broke out the old gasifier stove again. Things didn't go so well. It took awhile to get it lit. After it was lit though, about halfway through cooking my sausage it went out.

In the meantime, the pup had lit out for parts unknown. I called her, and called her for maybe 20 minutes. Finally she returned with dirt all over her nose, and sneezing.

When she got back she waggled all over the matches, and sent them flying. I had 3 matches folks. I added paper, and each time the fire went out. I used all three.

So there I was, out of matches with a stove, that wouldn't burn. Finally I decided that there was too much ash blocking the air intake, and dumped the whole deal to start over again. I decided to try the fire starter on my key ring. I messed about with it, but never could get a spark to fly.

Then I thought, "Why am I messing about with this, when I have perfectly good coals left from before?". So then I set about making fire with the coals, with a selection of napkins, and a new set of sticks. It took awhile, but I managed to get my sausage finished. Then it went out again, while frying my eggs. Even so, I managed to learn from my previous experience, and I finished eating at about 10 am, lol!

Then I set to work leveling all the blocks I laid Wednesday. This was hard work! There is a certain knack to it, that I was just acquiring. I worked through lunch, and finished about 2:30.

After finishing, I rested a bit, and then started in on drilling, and laying the 2x8 sills, mounting them onto my lag bolts that we embedded in the concrete. Looks pretty amazing:

After that, I was considering continuing, but in looking for the saw in the car, I suddenly realized I had left it at home! BIG bummer! Besides, I still needed to pack up camp, and get home before dark.

It was at this point, as I had to carry everything back to the car, deflate, and fold the air mattress, and take down the tent, that I realized just how tired, and SORE, I was. So much so, that this might have been my slowest ever breaking camp time.

However, I felt good about the progress this one woman made on her own, and I didn't have anywhere I needed to be, so I just let that comfort me in my trials.

Until, I had to load my pup, who did NOT want to get back in the car. So I tired her leash to the steering wheel, and shoved her in. At which point, I discovered my big mistake! That's right, she jumped out the driver's side window(slaps head, and says "IDIOT!").

Fortunately, the leash was long, and she didn't hang herself. Once again, I managed to wrestle her into the car in a challenge to keep from strangling her with the leash, and some how manage to get myself in too!

Then I just sat there, shaking with a combination of anger, fear of an eminent heart attack, and the joy of WINNING. Then we drove home, with a much subdued pup!