Over the last couple of weeks, my sons and I have spent some quality time up at our family farm in Ray County, Missouri. The land that my cabin sits on is literally a stone's throw from where my great grandfather lived and has been in our family for over 100 years. It's a pretty special place with some amazing memories for all of us. We go there to hunt, fish, and relax.
The cabin itself, is barely a cabin. It's more of a glorified shed that has been made to slightly resemble a domicile. It has a couch, a kitchen table, and a wood burning stove. There is no running water and our electricity comes from a generator that we tote back and forth. The interior is only 10 X 16, so yes, it's small. It's not the nicest cabin in the world but can keep you warm and dry. It seems like there is always another project or two to complete at the cabin to make it more efficient or more fun.
Recently, my oldest son and I have been working to finish insulating the ceiling. This will help to keep the heat that the wood burning stove puts out as we were losing so much through the metal roof. This has been a chore! Working with different angles and in small spaces has been tough. Throw on top of that my minimal education on carpentry and insulation, and that means this project has been tougher than it should have been. We have two more panels and a little more insulation to install, but the hardest work is behind us. Leave it to me go be cheap and not buy just 1 more sheet of plywood on my last trip to Lowe's!
We also did something that I swore I would never do. I always said that I would never put a TV in the cabin because it is supposed to be a place that reminds visitors of simpler days and means. However, now that I have a generator and had a free 27 inch TV, I figured it wouldn't hurt to hang one on the wall. I have yet to try and turn it on or decide how to use it without Wi-Fi, but between a wife, a teenage step son, and a preteen son, I figure one of them will have enough tech knowledge that they will get it working.
After these two projects get wrapped up, the next order of business is to install some carpet padding. I hope that this will keep the cold from creeping in from under the cabin and again, add to the efficiency of the primitive heating system. After that, I want to build another small deck on a side of the cabin. Like I said, there is always something to do and a project to tackle. Aside from making the conditions better, I am hopeful that my oldest son is seeing some value in the work and learning a few things along the way. I know I have and I hope that all of these experiences add to the memories that this special place has created for so many people.
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