Building a cabin in the woods

[Mike N]

About 10 years ago, I decided to build a cabin on the back acreage of my property below my actual home. We had a few springs in the hillside and had already put in two bass ponds. The idea was to build a place to spend the night with the kids within a reasonable walking distance to the house.

We used cedar siding inside and out to give it a log cabin feel and covered the cement block with stone. It was entirely built by me & a few buddies (one was a contractor) and was not very costly. The cabin has become a great place to smoke fish, cook some hot dogs or grille a steak or to just have a beer and sit on the porch swing.

The porch is elevated and covered by a roof and looks out over 1000 wooded acres owned by the local sportsmen club. We put a stone fireplace inside for snowy winter days. Our family and friends have got a decade of use out of the cabin and we have even toyed with the idea of someday making it into a bed and breakfast, but I'm not ready to give up my man-cave just yet.

I posted photos last year of the bridge we built to the pond island. If anyone has built a log house or cabin, please post a few photos.

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[stidog]

What a perfect spot to unwind!

[Jonathan P. Kring]

Very Nice. Field of Dreams!

[john elder]

Fantastic, Mike! Very jealous! that might even make snow palatable!

[Wayne B.]

Mike: The second picture looks like a painting. Very nice!

[Midway Tommy D]

If I had that I would have never gone to work, or to my primary adobe, so both would have been repoed. I'm envious! Very nice Mike!

Tom

[Robyn Summerlin]

Beautiful, Mike! ♬Almost heaven, West Virginia...♪

My cabin by the lake is also my home now, built atop a chain wall and finished with red cedar. The outbuildings, a guest house/garage and a covered pavilion, are also covered by board & batten cedar and a metal roof.




Right beside the front porch is a waterfall that always provides sweet sounds. Bass, bluegills and catfish can be caught right at the front door or from the pier.



Here's the view from the front porch on a Fall afternoon.



With the Christmas lights up.



A couple of years ago I built a fire pit beside the lake that has proved to be a popular gathering spot in the evening.



Here's what an East Texas sunset looks like from the fire pit.

[Mike N]

Thanks for all the kind comments, everyone.

Our cabin was built as a labor of love and allowed our family a lot of quality time together as the kids grew up. With both boys done playing college baseball and now in grad school, and with our daughter in veterinarian school abroad, I pray it will one day be a place they can share with their kids, too. If I get a chance I'll take & post a few interior shots later this week.

I hope every ORCA member has-- even if it's for only one weekend a year-- a little place on God's green earth to rest and relax and, of course, fish.

Robyn-- thanks for sharing those photographs of your beautiful cabin and property. It is an incredible place. I hope we get a few more posters. ORCANs remind me of cabin-loving people.

Mike N.

[Jonathan P. Kring]

I am sure many like myself , due to financial limitations only dream of places like these. Great to see that some have reached their ultimate dreams. Beautiful places.

[Roger Schulz]

Mike and Robyn

Both look like perfect places for a future ORCA National Convention. Are motels near by? Looks like you got the ponds for the fishing tournament. Put up a large tent and we are ready to go.

Roger Schulz

[Mike N]

Roger:

My cabin is located about 20 miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport.

I should be slowing down professionally in a few years and would love to host a national when the time is right.

Mike N

[Robyn Summerlin]

Roger-it's not an ideal spot for a National since I'm 2 hours away from Houston Intercontinental and my farm is 10 miles from the nearest town. Woodville has a "Patel Motel" but it's not nearly big enough for our club. I've enjoyed visits from a few ORCAns here and keep the welcome mat out if you're anywhere close.

[reelsmith.]

If I'm able to retire to something even remotely similar to either of those homes I'll consider myself most fortunate.

Thanks for sharing.

Dean.

[stidog]

Don't know what happened Mike, but everytime I upload pictures it wants me to upload a cabin photo of yours