Bring me my belt fed shotgun

Work on the Indian Reservation took manpower away from my project this week and therefore little was achieved. To speed things along at the Reservation I also went down there to help out, reasoning that the sooner work there was complete the sooner more manpower could be switched back to my place. Having said that, some things were done. The third and final footing in the garage to support the structure above was dug out, a few more rafters were put up, the gable at the south end of the cabin was straightened and secured in place and the windows were all brought up to the house unloaded, stored and covered.

On the bright side, apart from Monday when it rained, the weather was warm and sunny and in the afternoon of most days we were down to T shirts. The snow is melting fast and consequently the ground is starting to get mushy. Hopefully, it will dry out quickly and soon we will be able get on with laying concrete in the garage and deck foundations but, the forecast is not good.

Monday Dexter and I put some more rafters in the bonus room but rain interrupted play because it was too dangerous to use the power tools. So, in the afternoon, I decided to dig the third footing in the garage floor - thought I would spare you all the pleasure of a photo of another hole in the ground.

On Tuesday and Thursday I helped out on the Indian Reservation cabins and as you can see, from the photo taken at lunch break, the weather was warm. Dexter, Tex (in the background), Kevin and ...

... Tex's new room-mate Byron, who has recently joined the team. Matt is still with us but somehow escaped the photograph.

I spent Wednesday alone at my place. I cut 66 spindles for the railings for the landing and stairs inside the cabin. These will be turned and peeled by Kevin in his workshop. I also made a start on trimming the garage gable to a more accurate 12:12 pitch, ready to take the SIPs. I did this with the chain saw initially and finished smoothing it off with the band sander. All in all not a bad day but working by myself is very slow and working at that height with the chain saw at an awkward angle carries it's own risks.

Friday Dexter, Matt and I brought the windows up to the cabin and stored and covered them in the study area.

We then set about straightening the south gable and, once that was secured, to putting in place some of the larger rafters in the main cabin area. These were heavy and tricky to manoeuvre into place, requiring an additional notch to accommodate a beam supporting the ceiling above the study.

One of my neighbours is having problems with pack rats and woodpeckers. The former leave a nasty smell, a bit reminiscent of skunks I am told, and he has put down a trap to try to catch them, which I have been checking for him. The latter are making a mess of his wood cladding and this is a bit alarming for me, as I am building a house made entirely of wood. Another friend has also had a problem with woodpeckers getting inside his house and destroying the window framing on the inside. I haven't been able to find any damage to my wood, which is interesting as well as a bit of a relief - maybe they don't like my wood. Woodpeckers are protected and therefore it is a question of scaring them away. I have done some research on the internet and there are a few things I can try if they become a problem for me. And no, before anyone suggests it, a belt fed shot gun is not the solution, however appealing it may sound.

The other good news is that, thanks to the network of mostly ex-UK military people in Canada, I have learned how to watch live rugby, including the Six Nations, on the internet. I am sure my many French friends will not deny me the pleasure of the England win in Paris this weekend. I have also made myself a massive stew that should last me all of next week - my mother would have been proud of me.