Home again. Pictures of cabin, etc.

14 years ago

(And don't underestimate the etc.)

We got home yesterday. Time at the cabin is always a blur. I'm sporting two nasty Buffalo Gnat bites that really hurt. One is oozing so I may need antibiotics. I have swollen glands too boot. All worth it. Spring time in mid-June. No snake bites, so that is good.

Here's is my favorite place in the world album I made today. Ok, maybe I got kind of carried away with my camera this year but the wildflowers were blooming. The cabin is about 6,300 ft elevation. Woo!

Can't wait to catch up here after I finish my never ending album. LOL!

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/4670833

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Comments (12)

golddust
Original Author
14 years ago
Oops! I'm oiling up my rusty GW brain. Here's is a link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Life at the cabin 2009
jakabedy
14 years ago
Your place is beautiful! We ventured out to a friend's old lake place today to check it out. Of course we're not at 6,300 feet nor are there Columbines or marmots (I think the heat index was like 100 today here in the deep South). The friend is thinking of selling the place or maybe letting us use it. What we found was a ca. 1958 Spartan mobile home almost completely consumed by privet hedge . . . on the most beautiful point lot right on the main channel. Seeing your photos has my mind spinning with possibilities -- thank you!
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here is a picture of how open it is in my house
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"I fail to understand why an architect would frown on having a client come to them with ideas." While I don't encourage clients to come to me with a floor plan, it happens all the time, whether a canned internet plan, something drawn out on graph paper or a SketchUp model. And if they already have that I don't say "Don't show me that!", I take a look at it but probably unknown to the person is I'm looking at it differently than the way they are probably looking at it. I'm looking at it as more of a general diagram of adjacencies and desired relationships as opposed to, as you wrote "The dining room looks small, and we will confirm layout of kitchen to make sure all appliances fit." . Really a sort of bubble diagram if you know what those are. That way I'm leaving open in my mind the potential for possibilities that the owner hasn't considered. And typically we end up with something different than the floor plan they brought in my door. But back to your quote above.....coming in with an exact floor plan is a little bit of a slippery slope because the owner may be overly committed to it "But we've spent MONTHS on this!", etc. which is ok but then they don't need me and I'll refer them to a permit drafter because any good architect's job is to look at alternatives. A good architect, when given the chance, will provide a design that can give a client everything they want, but often in ways completely unexpected. But for that to happen it takes a critical element necessary on the part of the client in every successful project and that element is trust and some of the things you wrote above maybe indicates a closed mind to different possibilities and alternatives but I'm only speculating. Often during our initial meeting, the client will reveal their ability or inability to trust others. If I feel the element of trust is not there they will likely be referred to a permit drafter. A creative person should explore other approaches with you in the spirit of "That's great but have you thought of this.......". But for that to be carried forward successfully it takes a trusting client to not only allow the architect to expand on alternative ideas but to objectively look at other approaches in a collaborative effort with the architect. And that's an intangible that all successful projects are born out of. Just be ready to expect any preconceived ideas to be questioned if you do in fact go with a creative partner. They may turn out to be perfectly valid but at least they've been evaluated against alternates as any good architect should do. Finally, regarding preconceived ideas, I've quoted on this board before these two quotes by two creative people..... Henry Ford observed "If I had asked people what they wanted they would have told me "A faster horse". And Steve Jobs mused “A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. Everyone wanted an iPhone when they first appeared, but no one could have described what they wanted before seeing one". So put trust in your architect to carry you through the process in the spirit of Mr. Ford and Mr. Jobs and you'll have a home that is the very best. And speaking of the best, here's wishing you the best of luck with your project. Exciting times!
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CaroleOH
14 years ago
Looks like a beautiful area to have a cabin. Very peaceful and the scenery is breath taking! Love the critter photos too. How were the mosquito's? I'm not a big camping buff because I'm a mosquito magnet. If there's a mosquito within a 10 miles of me, they'll find me and I'll be the only one bitten. That's why campfires are my friend, although hotels are even a better one!
pbrisjar
14 years ago
LOL. I was just thinking of you and how your vacation was going.

That cabin and its environs are just gorgeous. Lucky you for getting to go there.
mitchdesj
14 years ago
Wow, what a view, it looks fantastic; I'd love to sit on that deck at 6 am with my first coffee of the day.
judiegal6
14 years ago
What a beautiful place. Sounds like you had a great time. Glad to have you back safe and sound.
yborgal
14 years ago
Beautiful photos. Your vacation spot looks like paradise.

Welcome home.

Mona
golddust
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks everyone. We did have a great time. We went to all kinds of wonderful dining places and cooked a bit at the cabin. I read three books, hiked and took photos of everything. LOL!

There are tons of bugs. Some crawl on you at night. LOL! Nothing poisonous except for rattlesnakes and we didn't even see one.

I was raised in country like this so it's like going home.
cooperbailey
14 years ago
Sounds like heaven! loved all of the photos of the lake and mountains. Boy Ernie sure looked bushed!
User
14 years ago
Oh, what a fabulous place! I would never want to leave!
golddust
Original Author
14 years ago
Seven days is hardly enough time. We don't own 'our' cabin but we get the same week every year in the same cabin. The Forest Service owns the land but Bill leases it. He's had it for 27 years and runs it very well. He lives in San Francisco in the winter as the lodge is covered in up to 10' of snow and the road gets closed.

We're still 'newbies' and this was our 19th year. One guy, Dan, has been going to Packer since he was 4 years old. His daughter is 16. Since the same people are there at the same time each year, we've become very close friends with the people in the other cabins. Some live close enough to see a few times a year, others drive for hours and hours.

We started off in a sleeping cabin when Max was 2 yo, and worked our way up to a housekeeping cabin. (Took 9 years). We are always on the list for more time but hardly anyone ever gives up their time so 8 years later, we're still waiting. We're even willing to move to another cabin for a few nights. Many people do that. Say, 7 days in 'Woodchuck', then move to 'Aspen' for 3 more nights.

Our housekeeping cabin costs about $100.00 per night. Deposits are sent in March. Way cheaper than a time share but it kind of works the same way.

One night we have a (self organized) sing a long, another night the lodge hosts 'Italian' night with Bingo afterwards. 10 cents a card and winners take all. We all look forward to seeing each other and catching up on our year.

It's our slice of Heaven, that is for sure. It makes some high end resorts look kind of like Disneyland to us. LOL! We'll take the bugs any day. It's like Yosemite without tons of people. No cell phones, computers, radios or TV.

We decided the best deal in the USA is a deck of playing cards. And they are still made here. Woo!
laurmela
14 years ago
Gold,

We have done the same thing at Silver Lake, in the June Lake Loop! Love it there. Just housekeeping cabins, but you just walk across the street to the lake and it is divine. Hubby and I were just up there this weekend. Didn't stay at a cabin, they were booked, but stayed in town. Water levels running high. Here is a pic of the lake.

And from a few years ago.

WE love it and I totally understand where you are coming from. So relaxing and nothing to think about, except for us, where to fish next!

Home again. Pictures of cabin, etc.

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Home again. Pictures of cabin, etc.

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