Build Your Cabin Retreat Can Start With A Stop At the Library

A cabin by a stream in the woods, on a beach, or alongside a lake is probably a dream shared by most every man—young or old. In my younger days, my family and I spent most of one summer building a small two-storey cabin near a lake in Idaho. I was either a sophomore or junior in college and I had returned to work on the farm that summer. My parents were just about ready to retire and they wanted to get away from the cattle, the labor-intensive work involved in gravity irrigation, and the never-ending hoeing of weeds. That was my job for the summer.

Somehow, in between my parents’ short trips, we found the time to build an A-frame cabin on a bluff overlooking Magic Reservoir just south of the Sun Valley area in the middle of Idaho. I was in charge of drawing the plans to scale and calculating the number of lodgepole pines needed for the trusses. I also had to do all of the purchasing of poles, siding, windows and doors, light fixtures, nails, paint, etc. Of course, I was spending my parents’ money, so I was regularly admonished to be frugal.

My three brothers-in-law were also involved on weekends. The whole project became a great bonding experience for us. One was an electrician, recently discharged from the Navy Seabees . He was in charge of wiring the cabin before the drywall and paneling were installed. The other two were willing workers who knew how to drive nails, plumb walls, and lay lava rock. All the families spent their nights in tents, campers and trailer houses while the cabin was being built. My nieces and nephews occupied their time on the beach, under the watchful eye of a mother.

The women were in charge of keeping the construction area tidy, painting the interior and exterior, and, most importantly, cooking. We had great fish fries as there was always time in the late afternoon to put in a boat or two and troll for trout.
The experience of building the cabin was great for me. I learned a lot of skills I have continued to use. More importantly, I grew closer to my three older brothers-in-law. By the end of the summer, the cabin was finished and ihe furniture had been purchased and delivered. It was ready for occupancy.

In the years that followed, I came to realize that it had been more enjoyable to build the cabin than to live in it. It was the project rather than the product that was the most satisfying. Sometime in the early 1980s, my parents sold the cabin to a neighboring farmer. It’s been 30 years since I’ve seen the place.

For those readers who dream of building your own cabin, there are some great books at the library on the subject. A new one is “The Orvis Book of Cabins” by Amy Laughinghouse. The book is filled with pictures of both the exteriors and interiors of nineteen log and timber-framed cabins. It’s a perfect book for an armchair builder who dreams of his own cabin.

The “100 Best Log Home Floor Plans” by Roland Sweet includes the basic floor plans as well as a photographs of each of the 100 homes. The homes range in size from under 2,000 to over 4,000 square feet. Noted with each design is the manufacturer so that the prospective builder can inquire about the building plans and cost of each pre-assembled home.

Other recent books include “The Cabin, Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway” by Dale Mulfinger; “Log & Timber Frame Homes” by Tina Skinner; “Best Log Home Plans” by Robbin Obomsawin; “Fantastic Log Homes, Restored Timbers for Today’s Homesteads” by Ferris Robinson; “Cedar Homes, Ideas for Log and Timber Frame Designs” by Tina Skinner, and “Log Home Lifestyles” also by Tina Skinner.

Recent donations to the Library Foundation include a memorial in honor of Ray Micek from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mead. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Luebbe presented a memorial in honor of Judy Thrill and Max Hester. Mr. and Mrs. Prent Roth presented donations in memory of Max Hester, Steven Fremarek, and Adelaine Thompson. A donation was received from Lois Loomis in memory of Mary Ziegenbein. The Keith Ernst family gave a donation in memory of Mary Jo Tucek . A donation was received from Dianne Music in memory of Frances Bonk and Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Korte presented a memorial in honor of Ben Nosal.