(Not) Trespassing: Bob Knob's Ole' Cabin

A cabin, so hidden in the woods, so far forgotten, so worn with time and weather - abandoned by humans but not the animals... this was the old cabin I went searching for that Bob Knob Jr. had told me was now a part of his father's land. This was my second attempt to find it.

*

My first attempt (the day before) I got lost, the road forked, had seperate trails leading off to the right and left, I had found myself only deep into a forest with no sign of human ruins.

(This time) With my sister's kid & my mom breathing hard as we trecked up the trails...all I knew to go on was to "follow the dirt road the branches off from the gravel road at the sharp turn, and follow it till you see the cabin". I also knew this cabin had "no bathroom" and was "very old" and contained some "old dishes" that had been mostly taken out already by Mr. Bob Knob.

*

We found it...

More broken, historical, beautiful and in ruins then I could have expected - the cabin sat hidden among brush, trees and it's own camo causing decay. Leaning to one side, I could see the collapse was well under way for this structure, "saving" it would never be an option for Bob Knob. Only way to save it was to let it be.

A grand chimney, built with stones surely gathered from around the cabin was now falling apart - which didn't take away from it's majectic quality, the hard work, the sweat and muscle it took to build.

I am drawn to the fact that, nobody went to Lowes or Home Depot to put this cabin together - somebody worked their fuckin' ass off to create every bit of wood, carry every stone, put together each door by hand - houses were not just thrown together with the ease of contractors and codes. These homes were crafted with blood, sweat and tears - with pride and respect for nature, because they knew exactly where the resources were coming from.

As frightening as it may look to some modern folks, it was quite common to build cabins on piles of stones like this (pic below) - rocks were stacked in such a way as to make pillars of support for the entire structure and everything it would hold. These foundations can last longer then we think...

Me and Cam took a look inside the doorless doorway. Cam standing back cause I am pretty sure he was creeped out by the rickety spookiness... what time can do.

Upon stepping inside into the main living room, I found the front door - on the ground...

I knew we were at the right place when I saw various dishes laying around - just like Bob Knob Jr. had described.

From the inside, it appeared the chimney was about to explode with a crash - it seemed to be the reason the house was shifting off the foundation - pushing the walls in, busting the side of the house clean open....

For me, I can not help but wonder - who sat in front that fire place during the cold winters, what did they think about, what was their life like, what was their relationship with the forest around them? I almost wish there could be a written diary waiting in a cupboard, a letter, a clue.

THE BEDROOM:::::::

creepy x's a thousand! There was a skanky old mattress on the floor too, but that disturbs me so much I didn't take a picture.

THE KITCHEN::::::::::::

of great interest to me, I loved this kitchen, it was bigger seeming then the bedroom and better then the living room, I could feel that this is where the energy of the house was at...

A grand iron sink! The big kind with full counter top - which probably weighed a bA-ZillIon pounds, but is the gem of the home! I wonder if there was a well, spring water, or who updated this cabin then left it to it's own devices? Someone in the 60's or 70's had lived here, because they covered up the old true wood paneling, with the faux shit of the time...

Adorable cabinets FULL of mouse, rat, critter nests!

AAaaaND...... WTF......

*

I did not see it when I was standing there in the dark,

*

but....

*

WHAT tha' WHAT is down there at the bottom of the cupboard (where i have put a pink arrow pointing)???! ARE THOSE GIANT RATS!???! (click that actual photo for a larger view!)

TIME TO LEAVE ::::::

My sister's kid was so thoroughly freaked out, he didn't want to hang around. It made him have to take a shit. Seriously. So we moved along when I had got enough pictures.

*

On our way out I saw this other structure only about 50-100 feet away from the Ole' Cabin.... eventually Bob Knob's Ole' Cabin will meet the same fate.

(OH and guess what? Walking away I again saw Bob Knob Jr. - and he told me if I keep on following that same road WAY past that ole' cabin, I will discover ANOTHER CABIN!)

Xoxoxo

PS - ya'll may have noticed my spelling on this blog has gone downhill fast, and it's cause the spell check function is totally broke! Welcome to 'Reality In Leslie's Louisiana Education 101" !!

(Not) Trespassing: Come on an Epic Adventure

Read between the lines.
I (don't) trespass, in fact I (never) jump fences because of an overwhelming urge to just see remnants of lives lived, private yet abandoned places, land, plants and trees. Since I have (never had) a habit of trespassing and I know it is against the law I have found a way to see new things without ever doing something bad.... properties FOR SALE!

So here is a first in a series of "(Not) Trespassing" posts I'll be doing, showing the empty places no longer wanted (but for sale) that I find.... (if you are interested in any of these places to buy, please e-mail me privately because otherwise I am keeping their locations a secret.)
.You are at the gates of 1.2 MILLION dollars. I know, that is alot of money - and so my search goal was just to walk the well graveled road till I reached the inevitable McMansion, oogle over the things rich people buy and wish for their giant track of land (for conservation purposes) and then move along back home....
I wound up a road so much more level then my own driveway, seeing lovely wishie flowers, wildflowers, trees, and some flat spots of forest before it opened up to a cleared area- a scene made for a movie. Pond, sculptures, landscape, putting green, and lay back chairs with covers on them (which happen to look like cocoon coffin pods planted by aliens....) ......
But maybe it's just the part in the movie when the southern characters have the really nice wedding.
I got SUPER excited when i saw bunches of HUGE fish in the pond, stocked heavily with brown speckled trout and Kio ! I wanna put fish in my pond now :)
Moving along above the creek fed pond is the golf lover's putting green --- cause gawd knows ya don't wanna get outta practice while away from home (why anyone would live away from this place I have no idea!) Between the fish and all the dandelion greens, you could live in a tent right there all summer long.
I walked along toward my goal but something unexpected happened... MORE then once too....

FORKS in the ROAD(s)!!! Knowing how much it costs to put in a road I had no idea anyone on earth would put in not just 1 or 2, but 4 roads leading every which way on this 50 acres of land. So much so that when all was said in done I walked a good 3-4 miles total. I assumed the biggest main house was at the upmost top of the ridge, so first I chose to follow the highest path.
But part the way up I found this first ---->

Structure #1 :::: The BArn as BiG as a House

I was not entirely convinced this barn wasn't actually a house disguised as a barn - for one it is way bigger then my house I live in, the condition was spotless and flawless and my imagination wanted those big ole' barn door shutters to swing open to reveal BIG beautiful windows and glass doors, holding amazing personal treasures to peek at. I mean, the barn did have a direct TV satellite dish right next to it (see lower right corner)!!! And unless their horses are enjoying reruns of Mr.Ed up in there, it didn't really make sense to have that technology....
But Alas.... a back window revealed the view to a kill, as in kill joy --- nothing in there at all really. Not even Mr. Ed.

The WALK continues winding upward :::::

I will admit here my inner struggle at looking at million dollar properties. I have to continually take myself out of judgment, out of the rich VS poor thoughts - trying to not make lists of my likes and dislikes rather then do what I came for which is the sheer joy of exploring & discovering (um, for sale real estate that is... ehem.) As my search for the McMansion went on, my swimming memory of the 1.2 million dollars given in worth to this place, curiosity about the people who once bought and loved this place --- just when I wanted to hate rich people for no other reason then I can't afford to buy this land I came upon something uniting.

Pet graves. Everyone and everything became equal again.
I gave a nod of recognition and moved on and on and on AND ON (ya get tha' picture!) - the road was beginning to look less cared for, the middle had not been mowed. I was determined to find a house up on the ridge though... just like the old locals say "the rich out of towners build high as they can on a hill where the weather and wind is worse. Local folk know to build down in a cove where you are protected." So up I went following whims, stereotypes and the overgrown path...
At the top ----->

Structure #2 :::: Most Beautiful (and high voltage) Lookout Cabin On Earth

Just when ya think you know what you will find... something ordinary, something mundane yet new...
instead I found a treasure of a lookout tower/cabin that was so natural, so authentically built, so full of love, family, parties, joy and craftsmanship I seriously almost cried. It took my breath away to find something so down to earth, downright earthy and unexpected. It looked like it had been hand crafted by my very own dreams.

Only problem... shit was surrounded by a solar powered Electric FENCE!
So i walked around the steep edges, carefully taking each step so that if I slipped I wouldn't hit the electric fence. Even every piece of furniture looked as though gnomes of the forest, bears and creatures from fairy tales had made them... it felt only remotely human.
Taste of THE VIEW from the edge of the lookout :::::
I was proud. I walked way far to find this thing.
Revisiting old forks in the road on my way back down the mountain led me to....

STRUCTURE #3 :::: The Rustic Log Cabin

This one did not strike me as full of lovin' energy, but still had the authentic and cozy flare........ i knew it was still not the main house. And all the shades were pulled down.
Am I weird for being totally creeped out by this tiny handmade chair (below)? It is the perfect size for gremlins (the children and the monsters)!! Maybe it was cause i looked at the chair right after reading the odd "I love My Uncle" written on the chalk board -
ok, horror movie script writers go get started....

And now for the Fake Animals and Birds Expose' ::::::

Yippeeee ---> I got pictures of almost all the large fake creatures except for the the fake wooden bear which was detained behind the electric fence and lookout screen....

Which are Adorable or Creep-a-delic? You decide!

Structure #4 :::: Dat's NOT A MC Mansion House

The moment I was waiting for, the "Mc Mansion" I expected to find at the end of the long and winding road (not at the top of a mountain) was not a MC-Fugly giant house after all, but a roomy cape cod modern farm house... one that held some treasures that I was surprised to see through the spit shined glass windows.
Like handmade tic-tac-toe! (I sooo need to start making these!)
and a collection of all the things i LOVE to collect in nature... like someone read my mind, took my love of all things natural and put them in jars behind a glass wall where I could not touch them. Someone invaded my dreams and made it look scientific, untouchable and important. Beautiful.
Bones, skeletal leaves, feathers, unusual sticks, bee hives etc....
******
(Not) Trespassing was all worth every second of adventure.
plus, I made some really nice friends along tha' way....

So glad you could join us!

XOxoox

Building the Bathroom Wall with Local Wood

Yay! The Luck Cabin now has a 98% finished wall for dividing the kitchen and bathroom - and because I used locally milled pine it only cost 40$ to build an entire wall. That is super affordable compared to the pain staking, time consuming and toxic sheet rock commonly put into homes now. There is something to be said for the rustic look and it's ease of construction and price - so much more tactile and warm to me. I likes it!

I have never built a wall before but noted the process as my carpenter friend Mark threw this wall up in less then 3 hours. Level 2x4 studs in first....
Some horizontal and well as the vertical ones go into place to hold the wall together, but i like it cause it made cool little box shapes - that I can use for hanging pictures, putting shelves into, a rock collection cubby... boxes are endless awesomeness.
Then I wanted wide planks to be nailed to the studs to match the 'decor' of the rest of the Luck Cabin...
Sweeeeeet!!! It's almost complete. I even have cold and HOT water running to my tub now, from the gravity fed spring. Time to go wash some undies!
XoXo

Making Eco Efficient Space In A Rural Cabin

These are the very first steps to making my eco mecca, tiny cabin, chemical free, healthy home a place where I can not only grow my own food, have animals and be in the woods - but also have a functioning earth friendly home to sleep, cook, bathe and blog in. The little 432 sq foot cabin I am moving to doesn't have a bathroom, so yesterday I spent some time pretending to be a architecturally savvy woman and drew the totally 80's art deco looking floor plan above! I am sooo proud of it.
I am changing the open kitchen area (pictured above where the oval rug is) around to be more efficient in a small space while including a bathroom. Now anyone with even slight chemical sensativities or allergies knows renovations are about the yuckiest thing to have to do, and planning these to be utterly chemical free & healthy to breathe can baffle the best of us - but I have finally gotten to a point where I have found there is a way to do nearly everything without causing off gas problems into your home.

Caulk is a big yuck-o no no for many sensitive people, so I went ahead and eliminated the need for caulk in the bathroom by choosing a clawfoot tub, stand up pedestal sink, and a composting toilet which only needs to be bolted into the floor. (I found the tub for cheap in the local classifieds and the composting toilet is from Nature's Head.)

Flooring can be a huge challenge too, but for me I try to uncomplicate it by always choosing hardwood floors for every room. No matter what, even the bathroom. I decided against tile because the grout in the past out gassed hardcore and would make me dizzy. For this cabin I am putting in (super on sale cheap as sin) locally milled hickory wide plank floors that have no finish on them, and are nailed in (no gluing required!) The finish I will be putting on myself will be a mixutre of mostly walnut oil and beeswax. Heavy on the walnut oil more then the wax, which will be melted in a small quantity.

Size matters, when it comes to a house - the smaller your house the less of any kind of material you'll have to buy. This would help people avoid the toxic cheap stuff and purchase the better eco friendly stuff for renovations... although I have found that nearly everything you need can be found through craigslist or on sale locally. I also found an eco friendly fire retardant free insulation that is SUPER cheap and easy to install... check out Innovative Insulation Inc. here! My first choice would be sheeps wool insulation, but the expense is really intense... so radiant barrier insulation is a good chemical free alternative.

Plumbing can be a big challenge too, many people still believe they have to use PVC and plumbing glue - both of which are toxic. PVC stays carcinogenic for the entire life span of the pipe, so like who wants to drink that water??? Ways to avoid plumbing glue and PVC plastic are to use copper pipe and/or the piping called PEX. Pex uses clamps to connect pipes and doesnt crack during winter freezes like PVC does... no glue, less repair = better health and more money saved long term.
My drinking and bathing water is spring water that is gravity fed, down into the house. Since the poop will be composted by the composting toilet, there is only a need for a grey water system to catch the sink & tub water. I don't use soaps of any kind, so my system will be very pure.

Leftovers can be used to make other things around the house. For instance, there is always left over wood flooring, which can be used to make shelves, repair walls, make a kitchen counter top, or bathroom shelf for holding my toothbrush.

The space in the kitchen will basically be divided in such a way that instead of spreading out across the whole area, the back 6 feet will become a tiny bathroom, then the new wall (made only of wood) for the bathroom will allow for the kitchen to be made into a smaller 'V' or 'L' shape fitting into the corner of the wall, and storage space can sprawl upward instead of outward.

Suppppper Exciting.

Anyone have any other ideas, suggestions, or links to pictures of tiny spaces made more efficient? I need all the visual help I can get.

PS- if ya' eva' want to get paint for your home, make sure it's 100% chemical free Milk Paint!

XoXo