Puppy update for Debbie

Piper likes snow

It's going to get real cold

The National Weather Service forecast for tomorrow night:
"Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -21. Wind chill values as low as -36. Northeast wind between 5 and 9 mph. "

November Visit

I'll use any excuse I can come up with to visit the Yonderosa - this last weekend I had a few of them.  Nothing like combining a little business and pleasure.

It was just cold enough to turn the valley rain into snow.  By first light the dusting of snow left a picturesque winter landscape for me to enjoy.

In addition to the beauty and the quiet the snow creates a registry of the local critters for me to discover.  Deer, Coyote, Grouse, Snowshoe Hare and Douglas' Squirrel were the most common.

I was amazed by the amount of deer activity.  About a half hour before dawn I watched a brute of a Whitetail Buck stroll through the meadow.  I tried to get a picture but it was just too dark to capture him.  Based on his presence and the quantity of deer tracks I believe the rut is still on. 

Here is a GameCam picture taken by one of my neighbors a month earlier.

Inside the cabin stayed toasty warm.  It took the Big Buddy Heater a little over 2 hours to heat the interior from 25*F to over 60*F.  Once room temperature was achieved it was easily maintained with intermittent use of the low setting.  Occasionally I would leave it off too long and the medium setting would bring it right back up to cozy warm.  Use of the high setting would spike the temperature over 70*F which was uncomfortably warm for me.  Shut down the cabin would loose 2-4 degrees per hour depending on the exterior temperature difference.

Introducing - Piper

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Piper.  She's a very cute seven week old Chocolate Labrador who already has me "Puppy-Whipped."

 

Enjoying a walk  

Expert sleeper

Autumn at the Yonderosa

The view from a nearby mountainside.  The Larch are getting ready to put on a show.

Wild Woods' Rose - Rosa woodsii

The views make it tough to get any hiking in.

Beauty, near and far, captures my eyes.

We are looking forward to adding another member to the Kirby Creek Outfit.  More on that later.

The Truth about Rainbows - There is a Treasure at the end of them

I was enjoying a walk in the meadow during a rain shower, I looked up and saw a rainbow and was not surprised to see it ended on a treasure.

Guess which tree was hit by lightning last year?

July at the Outpost

The record June rains maintained the lush green.  We arrived during the first warm spell of the year, the temperature reaching 92*F at the Outpost.  The coldest night it dipped down to 40*F.

Our goal for the trip was to have some fun, relax and tie up some loose ends.  The first few days we spent visiting local friends and seeing how their places were coming along.

 A few odds and ends and some touch up and the exterior will be done!!!

The Yellow Dog demonstrates how to properly take it easy - sleep with your nose in the bowl.

I did my share of putting my feet up too.

The Mule and Whitetail Deer fawns are getting more ambulatory.  Last month you had to watch where you step or risk tripping over them.  The numbers of does with fawns seems to be down, perhaps it is due to the healthy Bear population we have.  Good luck little dude.

Outpost Pictures

A vast majority of the inquiries I get through this blog are about the Outpost building.  Most recently the requests have been for more pictures.  I've posted these before but they have drifted too far back for some to see.  Here's a collection of my favorites.

Deb was a big help during the construction of the Outpost.  What she lacked in experience she more than made up for it with enthusiasm.  She has also spurred this project into reality and greatly influenced its design specs.

The remote location and time limitations required simplicity and compromise in the design.  It is big enough, but not too big.

In ten days we were able to dig the footing holes, do the concrete pad foundation, frame the building and install the roofing. 

The following Spring we started on the siding.

I was able to salvage some of the soffit materials from my other projects off cuts.  Not only does it look good (in my opinion) it is more critter resistant.

 I build the cabinets from logs salvaged and milled by a local sawyer.  Though small it is very functional.

The style was inspired by my Great Granfather's desk and evolved from there using the local materials I had found.  It is a lot more work than buying stock cabinets but I was able to create custom sizes using solid wood and derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.

I used the same material to make the drawers.  It mills and works beautifully.

To maximize comfort and conserve space I built a Murphy Bed.

My current project is interior trim.  I'm resawing the material I'm getting from the sawyer and installing it rough side out bordered by the same material milled and stained dark.  I make the backband from 1" rips that I rabbet and chamfer to add visual interest to the profile.

Thanks for your interest, support and inspiration.

June 2010 visit

We're back from another very enjoyable extended weekend at the Yonderosa.  The weather was perfect and the company good.  As usual, time went by too quickly and it was difficult to leave.

On this trip I had some time and some of the materials to do some of the things I've been wanting to do.

Like interior wall finish

And make a little progress on the exterior too.

I'm pleased with the way it is evolving.  We find it very enjoyable to ponder the possibilities, experiment and then make it happen.

Rockin and Rolling

This month we plan to make our way to the Yonderosa via the North Cascades Highway - that is if mother nature decides it's OK...

Earlier this week Ma' nature decided to roll a rock down the hill onto the highway.  It was 12' tall and 18' at the widest point.  Photos courtesy of WSDOT.

Now that there is a big rock.

Spring in our steps

We are avid walkers and hikers.  When Spring arrives we are eager to get out and enjoy the intense new green popping out everywhere, the critter activities and feel the warm return to the landscape.

There were Deer aplenty in this visit.  Both Whitetail and Mule deer.  We didn't see any with fawns though...  Upon our arrival at the Yonderosa we had two Moose in the meadow.  I believe they are the same two our neighbors snapped a picture off last year when they were calves.  Gangly creatures but sure fun to watch.

Critter tax - a number of Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine seedlings and saplings had their terminal buds browsed.

Red Birch is a favored browse for the Moose and Grouse.

The intense early spring green of the Western Larch

Yarrow enjoying the Meadow,  Kirby loves the creek.

Just Dreaming

Time for a long overdue update.

The weather for our May visit was mixed, but mostly good.  A few showers punctuated some gorgeous sunny days and fresh snow topped the nearby peaks.

Not a lot of progress on the outpost, mainly it was a planning/dreaming visit and a bit of official business too.  The Yonderosa affords us a number of options and opportunities.  We are quite content in our little escape though there is the lure of a more permanent residence.  We've always enjoyed contemplating and exploring our options.

There are a couple of sites we'd consider putting a residence/cottage.  The pictures above show what the Morning view would be at one of them.  The design I have in mind for this would orient the Living, Dining and Master bedroom to this view.  The slope would accommodate a 'daylight basement' very well for some inexpensive square footage that a shop / tractor garage / man-world could be incorporated. The view and the access is best here.