June 2012 Blog Posts (9)

There’s an old exercise in time management involving a jar, a pile of rocks and a bag of sand. The process notes that, if you fill the jar up with sand first, then attempt to place the rocks, you’ll never get everything into the jar.

But if you place the rocks first, then allow the sand to filter into the cracks left in the arrangement, you can secure a snug fit for…

Just discovered last night as we sat around our firepit at dusk, that we have about 30 bats living somewhere in our metal roof.  We have no attic and it looked as though they were flying out of thin air where the roof meets the wall near the peak of the house. Called our Terminix office and they are sending out their "bat technician."  Anyone else have a problem with this? Any words of wisdom?

People usually don’t own a log home to be like everybody else. Why, then, do so many people furnish their log home based on how other log-home owners furnish theirs? There are clichés, which enough folks stoop to that that’s why they’re clichés. That’s understandable, though, given that even people who recognize standard interior styles in other homes often can’t identify what characterizes log-home style.

It goes beyond the individual components — this chair, that bed, those…

Hopefully everyone got a chance to get together to celebrate the special men in their lives on Father’s Day this past weekend. It seems such celebrations and barbecues go hand in hand, and with an equally al fresco festivity (i.e., Fourth of July) right around the corner, it seems only fitting to discuss the potentials of an outdoor cooking arrangement. Here are some…

Hi, I thought it was finally time to chronicle the journey from sketch to permanent home. Starting on June 19 and posting every other day I will show you how we got from an idea to a really great and happy conclusion. I'll do this on my author's blog : Edge of Escape. You can subscribe to emails there if you want to catch all posts or stop in anytime and catch up. When I finish I'll post the completed project as its own…

If you recognize the phrase “not so big,” you already know about Sarah Susanka. If not, you’re bound to run into her name again on your way to a log home. She’s the architect whose 1998 book The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Live inspired followers with its make-more-of-less take on home design. Eight books later, Not-So-Big has risen to a cottage faith. Susanka spreads the word through not just books, but also DVDs,…

I didn't think we'd ever get to this point, but the wall-raising of our Timber Block home is just 15 days away, on June 21st.  While I say "I didn't think we'd ever get to this point," in truth we've moved relatively quickly.

Last year we purchased 19 acres of land on top of a bluff in Wisconsin's Driftless Area, a region of tall bluffs and deep river valleys in the southwest part of the State.  We're nearly at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. 

The…

As I noted in a post not too long ago, our August issue focuses on energy efficiency and will be hitting newsstands this coming week. In addition to articles regarding how specific consumer behaviors can…

We have a cabin near the Blue Ridge Parkway. We chose to go with French Drains, instead of gutters. With that being said, with French Drains we did not plant a flower bed in front. When coming up the driving way, well it looks kinda bear.  Does anyone have pics of landscaping with french drains that they can share.  Would appreciate any help.  Thanks.  CJ from Va.