It takes me a while every year… to get used to the idea of winter.…maybe it even takes a little longer every year. I think the last few winters have been difficult to appreciate because we never got the real cold. This year we actually had that week or more of weather where it never … Read more

I have been posting in a new gallery on my facebook page of this little renovation project.It was a little bunkhouse/sauna building by the lake that was still in good enough shape to fix up and make into something.  The roof had a little damage where a mischievous beaver had dropped a large Aspen on … Read more

An interesting article on a subject we struggle with constantly:  http://www.loghome.com/building-cost-per-square-foot/ http://huismanconcepts.com/

We have been framing a deck overlooking the lake on this recently completed house.  We were able to get the footings done before it got too cold… There hasn’t been a lot of snow yet this year so the outside work hasn’t been to difficult.  These last two photos were taken with my phone so … Read more

We finally put the finishing touches on these cabinets…Just before the Holidays, the remaining counter top was put on the island. The wall cabinet counter-tops we built ourselves, (actually that means Scott did it), but on the island, the homeowner wanted something different, so we had been waiting for that last element. It is made … Read more

New Years Eve.. I can remember when New Years Eve was always at least 30 below zero. It looks like we will get a bit below zero, they are saying -12 and it is dropping now… I suspect it will get a bit colder than that just because it is clear and it just feels … Read more

Such a beautiful sunny winter day today, the Winter Solstice. Temps were about -3 this morning when I left the house. A perfect crisp winter day. Animal tracks, I’m guessing fox, down on the shore by the old beaver lodge…    The now frozen Burntside Lake looking out from one of the vistas on the … Read more

Here is a small project we will be starting on this winter some time.The homeowner of this log home decided they would like a covered porch entry way area built on to their existing log home.The porch roof will come out at a 45 degree angle from the intersection of the existing roofs. This is … Read more

…watching Burntside Lake start to freeze over.Even though we have had lots of cold and even a brief below zero night, Burntside Lake has remained largely unfrozen so far.I was at a spot on the west end every day this week. On Tuesday it was all open with ice capping the rocks on the shoreline. … Read more

Some pictures of a door I built a few years ago. I was digging them out to add to my galleries.It is a double door built out of Cherry. Half circular windows, double entry door, custom built for a home in Northern Minnesota. The uncarved interior side of the doors before finishing. The lower left … Read more