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DIY Log Cabin

log cabin that Dick Anderson is working on.

Here's a log cabin that Dick Anderson is working on. The massive roof overhang is to protect the narrow porch you see on the front of the structure. Photo credit: Dick Anderson

Dick Anderson is a motivator who lives in Darlington, WI. He took issue with a past column of mine that discussed the challenges a DIY person faces when building their first log cabin. STOP now and read my past column titled Dream Log Cabin Challenges before you read Dick's comments below.

After reading Dick's comments, please do me and others a favor and put a comment below this post. I'm wondering if you feel I'm a Dream Crusher in my column. Thank you!

"Dear Tim (aka Dream Crusher),

Just found and re-read a column of yours "Log cabin a nice dream - reality can be a challenge" from August 4, 2013  and was wondering how did you get so good at tempering enthusiasm?

From your answer to Scott B. of Marais, Minn. and having been in education I think that you have another calling, that of being on your local school board.

I would have got to you sooner but as you will see in my attached picture have been pretty busy.

I believe as they say, leap and the net will appear! Many times I have told my students, "Crossing a bridge in your future will be a bit easier after you have built one or two."

Most often thinking about things too much tends to spoil it."

Here's the email reply I sent back to Dick. I did a few minor edits to it for clarity:

Great great photo and email!
I need to go back and read that past column.
I got great at tempering the enthusiasm homeowners experience when they try to eat elephants by reading *thousands* of HELP emails from people who jumped and the magical net you talk about - for some reason - never appeared.
I feel that it's vital to give people a true picture of what's ahead and then allow them - if they're BRAVE enough - to jump.
The problem with the average person trying to build a log cabin is a vast majority of them will simply not succeed.
Those that WILL do it because they read a column like mine and mumble, "Heck, I CAN DO that! What can be so darned hard?"
That's how it is with anything. If you have the three D's, you'll succeed.
  • Diligence
  • Determination
  • Discipline
What's the gallows for in the structure? To hang yourself if you fail? (That was a pun as it's a manual crane for lifting logs and purlins up to the roof.)
🙂   Love love love that project. Tell me more about it.

 
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