Dwinell Cabin 2023 | RV There Yet?

It might’ve been in late summer 2021 that Gary first said, “I think the kids would really like a treehouse up here at the cabin.” It was a new thought to me, but I’m pretty sure that he had been mulling it over for a while. In late April of 2022, he started scoping out different groups of trees that might work for what he had in mind. By early May we had settled on this group of trees

that was just the right distance from the cabin, in a different direction than the pond, and had enough different trees to support his design. (Not that any of us actually knew what his design was. But we have learned to trust him!)
And so it began! We came up for two weeks at the end of July and he started in.

By the end of July he had the basic frame up, the deck part down, and the ship’s ladder built.

We returned for most of September, and by the time we left to head south the deck railing was up and the building all framed in.

Thankfully she wintered well, and Gary was able to resume construction in early May.

He worked pretty steadily throughout May (with the exception of a long weekend with our Ohio families) –
roof –

windows

walls

and siding.

When we left for our June SOWER project the outside was complete, and it was certainly usable!

But Gary wasn’t done yet. We returned last week to finish up one final detail – the flooring! We had been collecting lots of odds and ends of plank laminate flooring to use and while it took a try or two to actually come up with a design that worked with the different options, I think it has a nice eclectic vibe!

Today was our last day. Gary mowed and finished up with any outside clean-up. I took care of the “inside” chores as we worked to pack up for an early morning departure tomorrow.Â It’s been a quick week, but I know that the chief architect and builder of the Cabin Treehouse is feeling like it’s ready and open for business!

Good thing, too – the families start arriving on Saturday!

Thanks for coming along as I reminisced about the treehouse that started as a thought and ended up as a beauty!

Although I know that Gary & I have been busy beating back the wilderness in different areas here at the cabin over the years, I was really surprised when I saw this 2004 photo in a memory post I shared recently.

The cabin seems almost lost amidst all of that greenery! Along with some shrubbery that is gone, those pine trees look magnificent! I’d forgotten how truly beautiful those pine trees were!
We lost one to the weather several years ago, and sadly the remaining two were just getting spindlier and spindlier.

Last fall the decision was made to have them taken down before more weather (and weather does happen up here!) toppled one of them and did some damage to the cabin. It was a sad day, but necessary nonetheless!
Yesterday I tried to get a picture of The Cabin from roughly the same angle. I’m a bit off, but I think you can still see the drastic change.

I miss those pine trees, but otherwise, I’m thinking I like the new(er) look!