Fresh Paint Always Makes a Difference

My sister once told me, "if you really want to clean your house, paint the walls". As I power washed the front of the Hut, I noted all the crap and dirt that flowed off the porch--she had a point. Over the past 10 days I've been busy painting, setting up house, getting ready to homeschool our rising 1st grader, and working every morning from 6AM to 1230PM. I have to say, i'm starting to settle into a routine, which for me, provides comfort.

Our little hut is quite cozy. At first I thought that we would be stepping all over each other in the 576 sq ft living space. But in actuality, its plenty of room to live and not feel cramped. Although we had to put most of our furniture and 1/2 of the kids toys in the storage space (because they won't let us sell ANYTHING at the garage sale we're having next weekend!).

I'm starting to like living with little. Not too long ago, I heard about a project called What Not to Wear: The Six Items or Less Project. The project dares you to live off of six items of clothing for a month. I thought, "I could do this, now that I don't go into an office everyday". So, I'm in the process of doing "The 10 Items or Less Project"-year round! Can I do it??? More to come on this challenge. Now back to the paint!

I decided to put a coat of paint onto the front of the hut even though, eventually, the front will be covered by pine shingles. Check out the before and after below. Matt's Mom suggested that I paint a mural on the top that is still the old color. What a great idea!!! I've always wanted to paint a mural, so here's is my opportunity (she's always presenting me with awesome opportunities). Any ideas? I've thought of a couple, a sun like the Save Tibet image, or the awesome sunset that simmers golden, silhouetting the pine trees everyday. What do you think? Suggestions??

The Guts of the Hut

Coming to terms with the guts of our hut in April was quite a struggle. It looked pretty bad (pics below), but I could see the potential. I started researching yurts to see how people made the most out of a small space. I found some really interesting structures and I got excited about the idea of downsizing our lives. Simultaneously, a friend of mine who was really concerned about the peak oil crisis, gave me some literature. After reading the articles it seemed like a good idea to start thinking about reducing our family's dependency on fossil fuels.

The Hut had a wall that ran right down the middle of it, with two front doors. My thought was to pull down the wall and make the hut, like a yurt, one open space with high ceilings and loft for the kids bedroom. I was delighted to learn the next day after making the suggestion, that the wall as down and a loft started! My father-in-law, Jerry, master craftsman (could give Dick Proenneke a run for his money) did just that. (see below).

Front view and before the wall came down.

After the wall came down, the loft at the top; a backyard view.

First Report

A year ago, Matthew & I decided to move in with his mother. Okay, not exactly move in with her, but move to the property that she and her husband own in Northern California. We were living in Charlottesville, Virginia at the time and needed to make the move back to our home turf. We were to make a home out of an old quonset hut, used by loggers decades ago. When I saw pictures of the property in April, 2010, I cringed and thought, "Cancel the plans! I'm staying in my cozy house with central air!" The photos captured the rotten insulation, rusted windows, well webbed corners, and plywood floors. Matt was even a bit skeptical that a home could be made of this building.

We arrived in Shingletown (population 2,625),tired, hot and dusty from our eleven day trek across the United States with our 6 and 4 year-old daughters, and Hank the cat. We tent camped at state parks which was both challenging and fun. The highlight was finding a hotspring in the middle of a dried up lake bed in Eastern Oregon. It was July 1st when we arrived in Shingletown, and I was relived to be at our final destination.

After the hugs went around, we walked the cedar & pine tree lined path up past the horse corral to where the quonset hut stood. We had our work cut out for us! The metal siding and half-circle shape make it look like a tin can cut in half. I was a bit concerned, my first thought was, "we have way too much stuff!" All our belongings were being shipped via PODS and at this point, I felt like we only could fit a 10th of it inside the Hut.

During Matthew's initial trip in April, he put in a vegetable garden and helped replace all the insulation in the Hut. The space would be livable but it will take some doing. Our idea was to downsize, live simple, try to live off the land as much as possible. And it does feel good to slow down, work hard, and to create a healthy lifestyle for the children.

We set to work right away, patching drywall, sanding, drilling, cutting, wiring, taking breaks to discuss where shelving would go, or outlets. Hot and dusty! The outdoor shower that we put in last year on our visit, was a welcome relief on the days that reach 95 degrees.

Its been 3-weeks since our arrival here, and we have made great strides. We moved in the Hut five days ago and on our fist night a four-point buck welcomed us by strolling through the backyard. The girls giggled with delight.