Mountain Lane Homesteaders

I am feeling the nudge once again to get back on track with the story of how we got from where we were to where we are (and where we still need to go!). If you've not read my blog before, the beginning of the story can be found in the category on the right called "Journey to the Dream". It tells about the countless hours our family would spend thinking and dreaming and figuring on how we were going to be able to pursue the dream of living in the mountains. That's it. No big plans for what we would do when or IF we ever got here. Just getting here seemed to be a big enough hurdle! If you are currently in a situation where you don't see how it will EVER be possible to follow the longings in your heart, homesteady or otherwise, take a peek at how things began to fall into place for us.  Let me encourage you not to lose hope.

Picking up where I left off in the "getting here" process, we were madly stock piling as much evidence as we could to convince our bank that they wanted to be a part of this project we had drummed up! We had spent several days getting our poles out of the woods and had just completed getting all 100 we were allowed. During that process and a bit before, we also were able to harvest some other logs with our firewood permit that could come out of the woods in lengths no longer than 6 feet.

We were storing all of our wood at Frank's place (Our friend Frank the Logger) and he was going to let us use his sawmill. The original plan for our house is to use both stone and logs. We had decided that we would 2 side our logs (meaning that we would make 2 sides of the log flat and then peel the other two sides) so that they would stack easily one on top of another but still have the rounded look on both the inside and outside walls. So our next plan of action was to begin to create these pieces and have several stacked as part of that evidence I mentioned. We also had to make lots of boards that would become the walls and loft floor of our cabin.

I've been looking forward to telling this part of the story.

I remember standing there in the woodyard the day we went over for our first introduction on how to use the sawmill. It is a big, noisy, more power, machine. The three of us stood there and Frank began to talk about how to operate the controls as well as how to change the blade and other technical advice. I don't know what I had thought my role would be in this part of the project but the moment Frank looked at me and appointed me "Head Sawyer" I felt as if I had just made great advances in my career as homebuilder.

Sam and I had purposed to build this home TOGETHER. From the planning, to the collecting of our supplies, to the actual building. Although it's not always the fastest or most efficient, it's just how we work best. Together we are building a family, together we will build our home, and together we learn and grow. Unfortunately I have come to find out over time that although it's life giving to our marriage, it is not too common in our society.

Anyway, I had a glorious moment! I don't know whether Frank had been around us enough to understand how we worked or whether he had another reason, or whether it was God's divine appointment. All I know is that the stunned surprise in my face must have shown my delight. I was to be HEAD SAWYER!

I had no idea what it meant........but I got to be it!