The evolution of "The Shed"

As I was considering pictures to include in the initial post of this blog the building that is on the property was on the short list. Once I began to think about posting I realized the evolution of this building was a post on it's own

Our first exterior look at the hunt cabin 

When we first went up to look at the property we had no idea there were structures anywhere on the 75 acres. Pulling up and seeing a building took us by complete surprise. On first glance this looked like the kind of cottage I grew up with - 4 walls, a roof, a couple of windows and a place to sleep. Nothing like what people consider a cottage today, more of a wooden tent. There was an interesting 'porch' on the front and stepping inside of that gave you a good indication of what it might look like on the inside. The door was not secured shut, in fact it was wide open. The rather large front window was broken. There was an old stove, old cans of paint that had exploded and assorted bits and pieces of just about everything sitting in that porch. Then we looked inside.

I cannot put into words what we saw in a way that can give you the visual that this video allows

At the time of this recording Ed and I both given in to this building being junk. As we saw it there was no way of making it liveable. We shut the place up as best we could and left the building as it had been.

Fast forward a year. By the time we travelled up the following April we found the porch had finally given in to the heavy snows of a Northern winter. It was trashed. Plain and simple.

Ed and I pulled down what was left standing of the porch. Once again closing it up as best we could and hoping for no further damage.




Thankfully we had the company of our dear Kristina along on our next trip in July. She was a great help. Having given thought to where we could store our possessions while doing the build, we began the enormous task of cleaning up the inside of the cabin. We had, what I deemed, our Hazmat suits - white, zip-up, full coveralls with hoods, goggles and filter masks. I knew to be careful because we had animal droppings to remove. Although Ed was still not convinced that we could make the place liveable he worked along side.

To fully appreciate this transformation you really must have watched the video above.

The three of us managed what Ed now calls 'an amazing job' and I would have to agree. We pulled enough plywood off from the bedroom dividing walls to allow us to close up the side door and cover over the 'bathroom'.  We screened the window opening after removing all the broken glass. Pulled all the furniture, broken dishes, old carpet and tile out of the building. It did look like a completely different place.





All finished inside we boarded up the front window and secured the front door in the hopes that no further damage would occur over the next winter. Thankfully that was the case as we returned the summer of 2013 and actually slept comfortably, on an air mattress placed on a bunk, in what has now been dubbed 'The Shed' since it will be used for storage after the build is complete.

March 2013