A Wise Man Builds His House Upon A Rock

Armed with Skin So Soft, poison ivy wash and a portable DVD player (kid sitter when it gets very hot), we headed back to the mountains to work on our cabin. This time, fortunately, I did not have to dig massive holes in the ground, Big Buckaroo took it easy on me.

Prior to being at the historical park where we reside, we were at a mountain park that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped build. History lesson: The CCC was a public work relief program for unemployed men, focused on natural resource conservation from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation proposed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), the CCC was designed to aid relief of high unemployment stemming from the Great Depression while carrying out a broad natural resource conservation program on national, state and municipal lands.

They constructed rustic, rock-and-timber buildings and massive lodges, they were highly skilled artisans. So, when some of these rock structures need to be replaced or new ones added to look as if they were built back in CCC time, who do they call? Mr. F.

And, when it was time to build a firm foundation for our cabin, we called Mr. F who is definitely an artisan.

Welcome to the Rock (say that with your best Sean Connery voice, I love that movie!) I was in awe of how it was like a puzzle that he was putting together.

Here, one of his apprentices (which is also one of his nephews) works on the mortar. It made me think about how many of these types of things are a lost art as kids grow up only wanting to be doctors and lawyers and make a ton of money.

Mr. F shared his expertise with the Buckaroos, I hope they find a skill they are passionate about and are as skilled at as Mr. F.

He showed Littlest Buckaroo how to choose a rock and place it.


He is very proud of his work.



A few of the front pillars are quiet tall and level. It's amazing, I can't even get a cake to look level.

Not to be out done by Littlest Buckaroo, Little Buckaroo works on a pillar. Yep, they talked Mr. F's ear off, so he had to put them to work. But, what a wonderful thing for them to watch and learn. Maybe they can take over the show Rock Solid, well, after they decide to not be pirates anymore.

Isn't that beautiful? The picture makes it look lopsided, but it is straight, it is me that is a little crooked. That is not the first time that I have been a little off kilter.

Twenty (20) of them later (this picture does not show all 20, they were not done when I took my chigger-bitten children home), we are ready to start putting some sticks on these babies.

I look forward to sharing with you what we have decided to name our place in the woods and the progress on the cabin. Come back and visit The Park Wife, I have missed you guys! (hey a comment here and there is appreciated, sorry to beg.)

The Park Wife

Dream The Impossible Dream

Well, our dreams are not impossible, just time-consuming and not as fast as my "I want everything perfect and NOW personality" calls for.

Many people pack up for trips to state parks to vacation, but The Park Wife and family pack up and leave the park to get away from it all. Work on our land and cabin is coming along, with many chigger bites and cases of poison ivy later, we have progress!

Last year at this time, this piece of land was covered with trees, now, it is cleared and designated as our cabin site. Ooh, I love me some big trees that provide shade.

The special event/public relations gal in me took over and said we had to have a proper ground-breaking ceremony. Thankfully, after 10 years of blissfulness, Big Buckaroo has learned to just give in to my quirkiness and waited for me to get the camera. After praying over the site, the guys all got their shovels ready and we broke ground on our dream cabin.

Twenty, yep 20 holes were dug for footers by Big Buckaroo and myself, yes, I said 20 holes dug in the heat and over a 2 day period no less. Did I mention there were 20 of those babies. My nails were a wreck after this weekend.

See, The Park Wife was actually there working. Since I am always behind the camera it looks like I don't do any work, but oh mercy, I am there and I am working.

The rebar was placed in and then we cemented our decisions for the cabin!

A cement truck traveling 3/4 of a mile back into the woods, over hilly terrain was thought to be impossible, but now, didn't I say earlier that this is not an impossible dream?

One big heavy truck, one adventurous driver and some dry weather later, we now have footers poured. Thank goodness because the thought of hand mixing 200, yep 200 bags of bagged cement does not top The Park Wife's Fun Things to Do list. Imagine my nails after that. Oh mercy, get me back to civilization!

The cement truck was the highlight of the weekend for the Buckaroos. They went through about a day of wanting to be a cement truck driver. Hey, Peter Pan, Bob the Builder, Indian, President, army man, cement driver, whatever they want to do as long as they give it all they got. This week, after watching Treasure Island, they want to be pirates. They go around singing "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum". I am sure that would be a big hit at church, a little Amazing Grace and bottle of rum.

Big Buckaroo was on hand to aim the little metal army thingy (I bet it has another name, but I like my descriptive name better) in each hole. Big Buckaroo just told me it is called it a "shute". Well, shoot, I prefer little metal army thingy.

The cement has set and ready for the next step. And, mercy me, we braved the heat and chiggers again recently to complete the next step in cabin building 101.

A little teaser: Jesus said,"A wise man builds his house upon a rock".

The Park Wife

I'm Back, Rejuvianted, Motivated, umm, Well, I Think I am

The Park Wife did not get lost while hiking on a trail in the mountains. I am alive and well.

I will start back blogging tomorrow. Stop by to see what has been happening in our life on the Park, at our land, at the Farmers' Market, and on and on (been a little busy, aka overscheduled).

See you tommorow!

The Park Wife