The weather has changed big time in a week… gone are the almost 90 degree days with high humidity… it was nice to be able to work in the cool pre-autumn air… 

So this week we installed the last piece of steel roofing. We still need to do some trim work but for the most part the pole barn is done.

We started splitting and stacking next years firewood. Most of it is maple we cut down putting the pole barn expansion up. We have a couple of maples that also went down during storms… for the most part we don’t need to cut good trees down as we get more then enough storm damaged trees each year to more the cover our needs.

We cut down one hemlock, that died a couple years ago, along one of our logging trails… we have three more to remove still… the trunk still looked good so we might have them turned into lumber…

the brush from the tree was turned into a deer blind… we want to put one more in this year… along with added a new tree stand this is the most we have done pre-hunting season to get ready… it’s a nice change of pace…

I posted another video of getting the hunting rifles out… first year we can use them during big game season…

Fall is my favorite time of the year… I’ll be taking the family down for the columbus day long weekend… usually thats when we get peek leaf peeping time… stay tuned…

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A change in the weather is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

This was our big party weekend… we had 50ish friends and family over… some camped out while others can for the day… I think everyone had a good time… I know we did… 

as for projects as there are always projects…. I took my American Style Scythe out for a run…. widened the driveway back and figured I’d demo it a bit… I have not used one since I was a kid but I picked this one up a couple of years back… works well…

We almost finished off the roof on the pole barn… we kinda new we were one panel short so we had already ordered an extra but everything else is in… just need to trim it up a bit and we are good to go…

lastly we cleaned up one of the many… many brush piles… the temps were cooler and it had rained overnight so a big burn was not to much of a risk… now the back driveway is cleared again… opened up for ATV use

• 

  Pole Barn roof in

• 

  Party time

• 

  campers

• 

  more campers

• 

  cleaning a little brush

• 

  stacking wood

• 

  girls on the atv

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Party weekend is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

So I am back from vacation… thanks to an angry broad… Irene

So I took a day off and then headed down to the cabin… This week we plumbed out the sink drain… just need to bury the line and develop the greywater area… 

I also took brush cutter out and cleared the area around the cabin of suckers and developed a new trail over on the other side of the property…

lastly we tested out the new brinkman tailgate grill… I’ll let you know later how I like it…

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Got a free day at the cabin due to Irene is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

So the 8n is coming along… it’s mostly apart hear but thats a good thing

I have the valves done and lots of cosmetic work… couple more weeks and it will be ready to go back together… and my wife will be happy thats it’s out of the driveway… stay tuned

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Ford 8n update is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

I have not had this many back to back working days at the cabin in a while. I took a mini vacation down to the cabin to get things ready for a party we are having labor day weekend… and boy did we get things done…

We started off working on the kitchen… backsplash and one window trim done I triple sealed the countertop and installed the sink. I ran into a problem with the sink clips and was only able to get a couple of them installed… I ordered longer ones so next visit I should be good to go…

The drain was plumed but I still need some parts to get the outside hookup working… 

next we worked on the pole barn addition. first installed the beam then removed the old drip edge… roof rafters up next then purlins and finishing up with the soffit trim. now we just need to install the steel…

I cleaned the cabin up some… finishing up removing most of the tools to the tool shed and hanging some decorative features… looking Better Homes & Garden, Redneck edition good now  

We finished our work time building the composting toilet composting area… just built it out of some pallets we had around and some maple poles… should work for a while… we started it off with three buckets that needed emptying… then we sterilized the buckets with bleach… should be good to go now… 

It’s going to be a couple of weeks before the next update… we are picking up the steel roofing for the pole barn labor day weekend and having people over… so stay tuned for an update…

• 

  Storm front north of the cabin

• 

  staying warm on a cool summer night

• 

  one of our many \"day\" pets

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  Hard at work

• 

  showing off her bug collection

• 

  window trim & backsplash is in

• 

  beam for pole barn up

• 

  Pole barn rafters in

• 

  Otis is inspecting the job

• 

  Better Homes and Garden - Redneck edition approved

• 

  view into kitchen from living room

• 

  the composting toilet compost pile is done...

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What a difference 4 working days makes is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Another great weekend at the cabin… getting along on projects and keeping busy…

This week we triple sealed the countertop and grouted it…. stained (combo stain / poly) the trim for the countertop and installed it… we still need to seal the grout and instal the backsplash… then the sink… the plan is to drain the sink out to a bucket for now…

The weather was a bit iffy so we worked in inside projects… we got the tool shed cleaned up and installed a work bench and shelf… we picked up the roof rafters for the pole barn (17 2x8x12′s)… picked up two truck loads of apple, ash and locust logs… good couple of days…

I also got the other coleman lantern cleaned up and running… a 1974 228h… bit tricky to light but still working… my father in law left me another project a 1954 220… should have it ready next week…

summers rapidly coming to a close and projects are coming along hope everyone else is have a good and productive summer…. winter comes to soon sometimes…

• 

  1974 Coleman 228h lantern

• 

  bat

• 

  Counter grouted and trim installed

• 

  Bench built in the tool shed

• 

  new wood pile

• 

  Benches painted

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The Countertop is in is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Just when you think you can relax everything gets real busy… Cabin work has been slowly progressing but summer family activities have been frequent all summer long and work has been busier then ever. 

We started working on the pole barn expansion. 

Land is cleared

and poles are in place. The have been sitting for a couple of weeks now so this coming week we should be able to get back to it and get the framing done.

We also started back to work some of the cabin projects… biggest one is getting the kitchen countertop in… 

We have the base of the countertop built and the tile in… next I need to get the grout in and the backsplash done. Then the recycled sink goes in and we are really cooking…

The second half of summer does not look like it is slowing down so should be interesting to get everything done this year… Keep checking in and I will be sure to keep you updated…

• 

  8n coming home

• 

  Not all work & no play :) Vegas Baby

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  Cabinet bases

• 

  1973 Coleman 220h Lantern

• 

  Countertop installed - waiting for grouting

• 

  nothing better

• 

  critters

• 

  Family visiting

• 

  relaxing

• 

  Otis protecting the family

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  Tending fire

• 

  Polls in

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Been a busy summer is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Long over do post. We have had the tractor home for weeks but I had not got around to posting up the videos here… 

Right now the tractor is apart and we will be replacing the head gasket this week. That looks like it’s the only real issue other then sloppy steering… I have lots of parts off being painted and am working on replacing some so more to come one this

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Got the Ford 8n Home… is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Our old Ford 8n has a split rim and needed new rear tires. It was going to cost around $1000 for the new tires and rims mounted. I checked our local craigslist and found a 8n with like new tires for not much more. So we picked up the “new” one. We will be taking the best of the two and making one good one. I will get some better pics and a video once we pick it up this weekend. but here are a couple for now.

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“New” Ford 8n is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

This week I wanted to get out to the cabin a night early. The family had parties to go to so I enjoyed a rare treat, an overnight visit alone. Living in an urban area it is not often that I get to be totally alone. The silence is a like a welcomed friend and a not to frequent treat.

While there I got the ATV’s out and started for the first time of the season. We have had so much rain there has been no chance to use them yet.

I checked and watered the battery cells for the solar power system. They were mostly full and only required a little water. I was hoping to run an equalizing charge the next day but it was very overcast and misty. I will run one this coming weekend.

We also finished another long standing mini project of replacing the ramp on one of our sheds. The original one was hemlock and lasted 15 years with ground contact. The pressure treated one should last at least as long. 

We removed the leveling screw from the International 240. My moms husband is working on a fix for it. It will probably not be adjustable but if it’s level I’d be happy.

The last thing we did was pick up two 255 gallon water tanks. This is the start of my rain water collection system for the cabin. Stay tuned for more…

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A Peaceful visit to the cabin is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

There are many little projects I have been skipping over and meaning to get to. One of them was to revisit the tool shed. 

The two rear support 4×4′s were not plumb. It looks like the building was shifting slowly down the hill… but looking back at old photos it might have just been the way I built it So we jacked up the shed and added the bracing that I should have had in place from the start…

Last week we finally got around to finishing the trim off… about time… We also installed a solar light from Harbor Freight and cleaned the inside up a bit…

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Getting back to old projects is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

We spent our first night at the cabin for the year. I had been trying to get out sooner but kids and activities got in the way.

The big event was the local Amish community’s auction. The put one on every year or so to pay for medical bills… it’s always a big event… and luckily the weather held out for them.

I picked up an (A) rated rechargeable fire extinguisher for $1 so I am pretty happy. Our biggest contribution to them finically is always in food… The Amish make this cole slaw/ macaroni / potato salad…. yuummmy… I really need to find out what is in it…

The other exciting thing was finding a Snapping Turtle on the edge of the field… Check out the video for more on him… We relocated him to our reservoir and he should live a long and happy life…

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First overnight of the year is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

So far this year we opened the cabin and did some planting. We disced the one field to put in a deer feed plot. Finished the second floor of the barn and got most of the equipment out and started… does not sound like much when you write it like that but it about 4 weekends worth of work so far… Here are some of the video updates in order I posted them on youtube :

I should have more regular posts now that winter is over… as long as life does not get in the way

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Back from a long break is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

I have very little snowshoeing experience. We picked up a set of tubbs snowshoes this year for the cabin but I only used them a couple of times. They worked well but were expensive.

A friend of mine found these and we both decided to get a set. The video is my first time out with them.

So far I really like them… the binding system is easy and works pretty well… it seems that the front toe binding works better with wider boots as I did have mine come off once… I have a couple of ideas on how to make sure that does not happen again…

The white painted finish did have some chips in them but being a mil surplus item that is to be expected… overall I would say they were in very good condition…

When researching these I found some of the sites people complained about the bindings being hard to setup and use. There seem to be two different systems out there on these. One uses the original 30 year old bindings and the strapping is starting to show it’s age. The ones we got from the sportsman guide were simple and appear to be well made.

I went ahead to took the web pages I found on setting these up and created a PDF  : US surplus magnesium snowshoe manual (260). Maybe this will help some people with the bindings.

The snow was very powdery and probably around 10 inches on the ground. I will do a followup in a couple of weeks if we get some deep snow as I would like to see how they work with 2-3 feet on the ground and with a heavier snow.

With the very powdery snow I was sinking in 4-6 inches. The traction was good and I felt stable at all times.

My friend in the video did also run into one thing. When he setup his bindings he had his foot to far forward and it took a while for him to figure out what was wrong. He felt some drag on the one side but could not pinpoint what it was. After looking at it we figured it out. I had ran into something similar with the pair of tubbs we have so this is not isolated to this snow show and is more related to setup.

As of right now I will be buying a couple of other sets for the cabin and leaving them down their. At this price it’s cheap enough and will give people another activity to do if we go down in the winter.

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US Mil Surplus Magnesium Snowshoe review is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

So we had put off some of the end of the season prep work hoping the weather would hold out for us… that did not happen… over four feet of new snow on the ground… next year we will make sure our projects end by September so we can get everything ready.

With all the snow we ended up calling in a loader to clear the driveway… The snow had settled to two to three feet of heavy snow and there was now way we were going to clear things up.

I was going to snowblow a path back to my place… but the snowblower was having none of that… should have spent some time this summer working on it… I’ll get to it next year… Instead I shoveled a path 800 feet long back to my place… maybe that will help me remember to fix the snowblower next year…

The barn is holding up nicely under the snowload…

Mostly we just tarped everything off and took all the freezables out… did a little hunting but it was raining the second day so I only spent a couple of hours before deciding to pack it in… I got a deer a couple of weeks ago so I was not under the gun to fill the freezer…

Also did one last video…

So that’s it… posting will be pretty light until the spring thaw… Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

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Last cabin visit of the year is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Finished the barn today… it’s a great feeling… There are a couple of odds and ends but we are ready to start moving stuff in… which is a good thing as deer season starts next weekend…

This weekend we finished installing the batons, trim pieces on the north side and the steel drip edging. We also split the firewood from the trees we cut down last week.

Did a little turkey hunting but did not see anything… except a nice 6 point buck. I got a video of it and put it at the end of the video.

I expect to be doing fewer updates as there will be less to talk about until spring…

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

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Pole barn wrapping up and getting things ready for winter is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

To all those who have served including my father and brother. Thank you.

Today with the girls off of school I brought the family down to the cabin to see what we have been working on. unlike our recent works trips the weather was perfect. low 60′s and sunny… no wind… we actually saw a sea plan landing on lake erie on our way home. The water was so still…

The kids had fun

Cooked some lunch

And split some wood

BTW if you are looking for a great splitting axe the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe rocks… This was my first outing with it. You need to use a different splitting technique as it splits so well it can go right through the wood and into you leg or foot with ease.

Check out this video (not mine) for more info :

So a good day was had by all and the kids went to bed early and tired. What more can you ask for.

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Took the family down on to the cabin for Veteran Day is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

Wow could the weather be any more helpful… mid 30′s today and rain to start the day mixed with some wet snow as the day went by… Our ladders are covered in mud… and so were we by the end of the day…

Despite the weather we managed to complete the siding and get most of the batons up…. doing the bottom ones is pretty easy and fast… the upper ones and front ones required a bit more time… angles are PITA… Boxing in the roof beams also probably took 20 minutes each… lots of little peaces and cuts… not fun but I like the look.

We managed to get enough lumber for the siding but are running short on the batons… thats the next hunt… we could use a couple more 1x10s for the soffits… but we may or may not get to them this year…

so other then finishing the batons there is not to much left to do… other then cleanup and getting ready for winter… need to install the plow on the tractor and move things into the barn… lots of work now alot of time left before hunting season start….

My father-in-law also did some trail work on the path between his place and mine… put in a pipe on a intermittent stream and back filled a bit… we will be adding more fill later to allow for vehicle travel…

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Pole Barn 11-5 is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

We picked up this saw over the summer… it was in real nice shape considering it’s age… It needs a little carb tuning…

MANUFACTURED BY:		STIHL ANDREAS MASCHINENFABRIK
		STUTTGART, GERMANY
SERIES OR ASSEMBLY NUMBER:
YEAR INTRODUCED:		1984
YEAR DISCONTINUED:
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT:		56.5 ccm (3.45 cu. in.)
NUMBER OF CYLINDERS:		1
CYLINDER BORE:		46 mm (1.81 in.)
PISTON STROKE:		34 mm (1.34 in.)
CYLINDER TYPE:		Aluminum with chrome plated bore
INTAKE METHOD:		Piston ported
MANUFACTURER ADVERTISED H.P.:
WEIGHT :
OPERATOR CONFIGURATION:		One Man operation
HANDLEBAR SYSTEM:		Anti-vibration
CHAIN BRAKE:		Optional on Q model
CLUTCH:		Centrifugal
DRIVE TYPE:		Direct
CONSTRUCTION:		Injection molded polymer, die cast magnesium
MAGNETO TYPE:		Electronic
CARBURETOR:		Tillotson HK-43A, B series  ZAMA C3A-S19, S31-E, S38-B series
MAJOR REPAIR KIT:		RK-33HK for HK-43A, B RB-31 for Zama
MINOR REPAIR KIT:		DG-1HK for HK-43A, B GND-21 for Zama
AIR FILTER SYSTEM:		Nylon mesh cartridge
STARTER TYPE:		Automatic rewind
OIL PUMP:		Automatic, gear driven, adjustable
OPERATING RPM:
IGNITION TIMING:		Fixed
BREAKER POINT SETTING:		none
FLYWHEEL/COIL AIR GAP:		0.2 to 0.3 mm (0.008 to 0.012 in.)
SPARK PLUG TYPE:		Bosch WSRF, NGK BPMR7A, Champion RCJ7Y
SPARK PLUG GAP:		0.51 mm (0.020 in.)
CRANKSHAFT MAIN BEARINGS:		Ball
FUEL TANK CAPACITY:
FUEL OIL RATIO:		50:1 with Stihl oil
RECOMMENDED FUEL OCTANE:		Regular grade
MIX OIL SPECIFICATION:		Stihl two-cycle chain saw mix oil
CHAIN PITCH:		3/8 in.
CHAIN TYPE:		Stihl

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Stihl 034 AV is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching

So today we had nothing to do until the kids go trick or treating tonight… Figured we had some trees we have been waiting to clear for the leaves to fall… so today we dropped about a dozen trees (mostly poplar) and chipped much of the branches. we will be going back to the barn project next week…

Happy Halloween

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Cuttin Wood is a post from: BethnChris.com - Also checkout my YouTube Channel for videos : buffcleb - Thanks for reading & watching