Mothers Day

Today Mothers Day was set in a dense fog, a splendid day for a walk in the tranquil outdoors. I strapped Silas to my back and off we went into the obscure mist.  As we crossed the field we could hear Juncos chirping to each other, likely busy catching insects in the wet grass.  The cackling of a Northern Flicker  echoed through the trees as we entered the forest. Our destination was the Brook winding its way through the forest.

Once we reached the brook Silas was excited to throw rocks and dump handfuls of wet sand into the water. If he had his way we would have stayed here all day, digging in the sand and pitching rocks, but as with anything fun it must come to an end.

When we were done with the play we washed our hands and off we went again to explore the surrounding forest. We left the babbling brook behind and headed back into the woods, it’s important to keep moving otherwise the black-flies will accumulate and start feasting.

As we came out of the forest we discovered a small patch of snow, the vestige of a once 8 foot deep drift deposited there just over a month ago. Silas was anxious to get out of the carrier and play in the snow, again he would have liked to stay here forever but we had to get back home.

The fog had dissipated considerably from when we had first trekked  into the forest. A gentle breeze now greeted us as we crossed the field.

The fresh air, play, and steady bouncing motion of the carrier always puts Silas to sleep on these outings. Time to get home so he can have a good nap. When we arrived home Mama had also had a good nap ….. a  relaxing and well deserved rest for Mama on Mothers Day.

Spring Therapy

We’ve finally had a spell of nice weather with temperatures reaching plus 18 Celsius yesterday. When the weather turns nice like this it always seems that there are endless things to get done. Most pressing now is the preparation to start construction on the house.

I’ve been able to get onto our property and have begun working in the woods again.  A few trees must be removed since they are far to close to the buildings and will inevitably topple over.  They are valuable building material and will become important components in our new home. For now I just peel them in preparation for milling at a later date. The thinner poles will be used for fencing and other landscape components around the property. The new clearing will become our garden area.

Snowdrops and Crocuses have been in bloom for some time and very soon a flurry of daffodils will explode with color through last years brown leaf litter. A pleasing sight and a reminder to take a moment and enjoy the simple beauty and peace surrounding us in our busy life.

Our growing forest

We love to see our forest grow with the addition of new trees every week.

Here is the link so you can all view. http://createyourforest.ca/visit/turn-a-new-leaf

We started this forest project after seeing so much of the forest around us being cut down.   We once enjoyed our hikes through these lush forests with our children, the beauty of the moss, lady slippers, nests and so much more to explore. Much of this is now gone., but we can do our part and give back and so can you. The trees that are being planted in this new forest will never be cut down and will contribute to a renewed Boreal Forest environment.

A big thank you for all the contributions so far.

Another reason for this initiative is to help offset the shipping aspect of our products which has always been of concern to us. It was so disheartening to send out single item parcels on a daily basis knowing full well that the same customer would be ordering more single items from me later on or from other sources elsewhere in North America. Think about the impact this shipping creates overall. When I send out one item through the mail, I am using envelopes, cello packages, tape, shipping receipts and lets not forget the gas required for this one item in it’s delivery. We feel this is far too much embodied energy required for just one item, what a waste!

Sales at Highland Wood and Turn A New Leaf Designs will contribute a tree to this forest.

To make a positive change that will directly impact our concerns with shipping I am in the process of phasing out single item shipments. The Turn A New Leaf Designs shop will now have listings of larger quantity diapering items and accessories. This does not include the already large items like bedding. To further contribute and enhance our natural environment and as an incentive for our clients we instituted this “Plant a Tree” concept.

We are making this change within our business to better ourselves, our lifestyle, you as our customer and most importantly the world we all share.

Ode to my Father

As a craftsman I place a significant amount of value upon the various tools required to create things or provide services. Many tools are a basic necessity for my work, among them only a select few have intrinsic values bestowed upon them. Today two very special tools arrived in a wonderful Easter parcel sent by my mother. One is a small hand broad axe and the other a Latthammer. A Latthammer is the tradition style of hammer used in Germany by Carpenters, Joiners and Roofers. It has a square striking face while the other end sports a pointed spike. The spiked end is intended for various purposes such as maneuvering hard to grasp lumber and timbers, or as a steadying and climbing assistant around the building site.

This hammer and axe came into my possession on a rather sad note. My father passed very suddenly and unexpected in late January of this year.  I feel fortunate that I was able to be at his side before he passed, and to be there to console my mother and siblings. While helping my mother to adjust and settle back into her new environment I discovered the axe and hammer carefully stowed in their respective places on the wall of my fathers work area. It is said that a smell or taste can evoke memories from ones childhood. Seeing the hammer hanging on the wall immediately brought to mind my fathers words and the image of his powerful hands deftly making the hammer sing as it drove nails into place.

Of these two items the hammer is most significant, my father brought this with him when he and my mother immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1961. It was the hammer used in building their house in the 70′s, a tool my father cherished and used with delight. He admired it’s quality and would proudly display the polished unmarred striking face which had driven countless thousands of nails through 5 decades of rigorous use.  Seeing the hammer hang there I immediately envisioned a new purpose for it. Rather than become a dusty relic among the many other forlorn tools on my fathers wall it will be the hammer used in building our house this year. A fitting legacy bestowed upon a simple tool.

The axe brings to mind a different perspective of the tools on our family farm throughout my childhood. It is one of the countless tools acquired from the many small farm auctions that occurred throughout the 60′s and 70′s.  A sad reminder to the demise of so many family farms at that time, the loss of a unique and sustainable lifestyle and the institution of mega-farms, quota’s and government intervention. This like so many other tools became an item used on a daily basis to accomplish specific tasks prevalent on a busy small farm.  In some respects these tools were used somewhat inappropriately for their designed purposes however they did accomplish many task. This axe was designed to be used as a tool for finishing hewn timbers or other refined chopping tasks mainly involved in log and timber construction. On our farm it ended up being used as an all round chopping tool including making kindling, chopping wood, de-limbing trees and of late to help peel poles for my mothers trellises. The tools on our farm where always respected and well cared for, something that our father instilled upon us.    I quickly rummaged through the old shed and found some appropriate tools for my mother to use as a replacement to this axe. This wonderful tool will become my right hand when I refine the timbers and logs for our house this summer.

I miss my father greatly, his appreciation of life, hard labors and deep love for his family are profoundly rooted within me. These tools are an Ode to his hard labors as he forged out an existence for his family amid the wilderness of central Alberta.

In loving memory of my Father ….   Heinrich Krieger  ….  1933 – 2013

Spring unleashes her Fury.

Once again we are under a deep blanket of snow. The second storm in a week buried everything under 2 feet of fresh snow with huge drifts over six feet deep in places. We were “Off Grid” for most of the day on Friday, caused by high winds knocking  big trees over the transmission lines.

Early this morning I strapped Silas to my back, threw on my snowshoes and plodded through the fields and woods.  Spring seems to have gone back into hibernation. The only respite now from this wintery wonderland is the warmth of the sun on our cheeks and enjoying the lengthening days.

Today …..up here on MacMillan Mountain

Making fresh Soy Milk for Silas is a daily activity, it’s much easier and cheaper than owning a cow and he loves drinking this.

Two bottles finished and more beans soaking for tomorrows batch. This soy milk is so much better than even the organic store bought stuff which has a ton of unhealthy additives.

Snow, snow and more snow,  maybe later some rain if the weatherman is accurate. It’s pretty stuff but makes our move a bit more challenging.

Add a bit of wind to the snow and you get a supreme frosted look to your house.

Peeking through the trees along our driveway. I’ll miss the daily strolls through snow filled meadows and forest up here once we’ve move down to Middle River.

 

 

12 km before noon

Today home schooling for Hanna and Liam was a 12km hike up the abandoned Rear Hunters Mountain Road to explore a beaver dam I had discovered there about a year ago.

With Silas strapped to my back we headed out on our early morning hike. Having all the kids out of the house gave Tracey some much needed quiet time to focus on completing several urgent orders. The fog cleared and for the first time in about a week the sun came out. The beaver pond is about 5kms up Hunters Mountain through  dense Maple and Balsam forest. Both the trail and forest floor are covered in thick moss, strewn with colorful fall leaves.

Hanna and Liam were extremely excited to visit the beaver pond with hopes of possibly seeing an actual beaver. We carefully crossed the dam to get a close look at the lodge were the beavers live.

There were tracks and signs of recent  activity everywhere when we got close to the lodge.  We didn’t see a beaver but noticed several spots in the water where a curious head popped up and some bubble trails along the surface.

After our exploration at the  pond it was time to start heading back down. We decided to take an alternate route back, taking us along the highway.  As we walked I mentioned to the kids that I knew about an old house in the woods not too far off the road. When we got near to where the building was we scooted into the woods.  This place would have made a great haunted house for Halloween.

Hanna and Liam loved exploring this old building and wanted to find out more about who had lived here. It will be fun to incorporate this into their lessons as they learn more about the local history.

At some point someone seems to have made an attempt to remove the old tub but given up, probably because of its weight. This structure is in remarkable shape for its age, a testament to the effort that went into placing it on a solid foundation.

As we started back on out trek down we passed through the remains of an old apple orchard that had once graced the grounds surrounding the old house. Tall old apple trees gnarled with overgrowth from lack of care and pruning. They were so big that there was very little undergrowth and walking among them was quite easy and enjoyable. Who had lived here and why had this place been abandoned? I can’t wait to research this with the kids.

Once we turned the corner and started walking up Macmillan Mountain Road we knew we were home ….. well almost …. only 2 more kilometer’s, but we’ve walked this so many times that its just a short stroll. We were fortunate enough to see a Spruce Grouse as we walked up the drive. It was well camouflaged among the rocks and hastily flew off as we approached.

It was truly a wonderful morning for both students and their teacher. Silas got in a great nap and Tracey had some quiet time to finish orders. The kids are already planning our next adventure.

Taking it all in.

Time is flying us by. So very much to do, get done and think about.

I decided to walk papa’s lunch down to our land and see how things are coming along. Each time I go, I still need to remind myself that this land is ours. After 11 years of wishing and dreaming, we own our part of heaven. 

My favorite part of the walk with our children is our driveway.

Papa had to clear this out first to get to the perfect spot to build our home.

This OLD road is still closed in as you pass the spot where we have cleared.

I see many adventures ahead with our children exploring these parts.

At the end, there is a stream where there once was a bridge.

Hanna and Liam love climbing the mounds of roots that had been torn out from the clearing.

I can’t wait to burn them but for now they serve as forts and secret hide outs.

My days are hard homeschooling 2 kids and chasing a crawling baby. Keeping our home organized, feeding everyone and still trying to run my studio.

Some days I want to pull my hair out and give up…. then I see papa.

The hardest working man I know.

I’m glad I stopped to take it all in.

Topping Out

The last of the heavy framing is done for the shed/workshop, with the ridge and rafters firmly in place. I’ve made it a tradition throughout my career to fasten an evergreen bough to the ridge of my buildings once the rafters are all in place. “Topping Out” is a signal that the uppermost members of the structure are in place, all heavy framing is complete and most important the bough is a token of appreciation to the forest which provided the materials that went into creating the frame.

It has been the wettest September on record, greatly hampering the progress with construction. With fair weather yesterday and today I made quick work of placing the ridge beam and rafters. I pre-cut all the blocking that fastens the rafters to the ridge and top plate.  Several hundred trips up and down the ladder and the rafters are up.

I’ve never been an advocate for “toe-nailing” any framing members when building a house. Toe-nailing is minimal at best, yet it is extensively used in modern construction. I always devise a method to properly nail any framing member in place, thus the blocking for the rafters.

This not only holds the pieces in place it also straightens out any twist it may have. With precisely cut blocks layout is extremely easy and once I fastened the final rafter in place I had less than a 1/16″ deviation in my final measurement. I know it’s not a cabinet I’m building but I aim to be within a sixteenth of an inch with all my rough construction.

It would have been nice to sheet the building in before roof assembly, however with pending rain I really want to get the roof in place. The rafters were notched so the sheeting will still slide into place properly sealing the walls top plates.

Groovy

Is summer drawing to a close?  The nights are cooler, the days shorter and the weather slowly shifting with unsettled air. Where did the summer go? It’s been so busy, July melting into August and now we are already in September.

Down at the building site support beams are leveled and in place. The floor joists and rims are assembled, squared up and waiting for the plank flooring. Several month ago I found a local supplier for tongue and groove flooring but when it was time to buy some there was no stock available. The mill had shut down temporarily for maintenance. I opted for some 2 x 10 planks from the same mill for the floor.

The driveway turned into a millwork shop for a day as I machined grooves into the edges of the boards. I also rounded over all the ends and edges of the planks to deal with any slight discrepancies at the joints once the floor is fastened down.   A plywood spline will be inserted into the grooves to create the same effect as typical tongue and groove planks.

The boards go down nicely with only an occasional one requiring some coaxing from a pipe clamp to straighten it out. The 4″ dipped Ardox nails hold these planks firmly in place. It’s a solid floor with no deflection or bounce typical with plywood or composite floor panels. The look is so pleasing Tracey wants this same flooring for the house.