July 2012 Blog Posts (7)

The Olympics are always an exciting event. Watching the world's top athletes perform on various stages produces an array of celebrations, heartbreaks, character building (and, in the case of the opening ceremonies, utter confusion). These individuals trained hard -- both physically and mentally -- just to make it to London, let alone win a medal. But such preparation helps…

If a log home is in your future, here are 10 steps to make it happen.

1. Buy your land. Where you choose to build influences subsequent decisions, especially the home’s design.

2. Pre-qualify for financing. Whatever the state of lending, you’ll almost certainly need to borrow. Better to learn where you stand now than later. Locate a lender who welcomes log-home buyers and see whether you’ll be able to borrow what you need or…

It's often easier to write about the importance of regular home maintenance than to live it. I'm as guilty as the next person for letting things slide and waiting until the last minute to clean them up. Case in point: our back deck.

Weathered wood is certainly attractive for an old-timey cabin look, but when it's not deliberate, that graying patina just looks unkempt.…

Two years have passed since I have been on this site.  The first time I was on here I was looking for ways to update and protect my mom's old log home from damage.  Unfortunately, during that time, she lost her battle with cancer and is no longer with us. 

One of the things I wanted to give her most when she was alive was her dream home. Since that time, we have been able to bring her dreams to reality by having a wonderful contractor come in and bring some charm into the old place,…

Green makes too much sense for some people to ignore it. Others resolutely refute it. Folks on the fringe go so far as to lump it with such conspiracies as fluoridated water, fake moon landings and President Obama’s birthplace. In short, “green” has become a politically charged word. That’s unfortunate because, at its core, green represents a commitment to the future.

One way to take green out of the political arena is to regard it as conservation: of energy, building…

Encounters with squirrels can be humbling. After watching one of them grip the beech tree with its hind legs and stretch its gray body to what seemed an abnormally long distance over to Sadie's birdfeeder, I decided it was time to move it farther out on the…