THE CABIN HOUSE

In all of the hullabaloo over the new front porch, the poor Aussichtspunkt (look-out platform) has lost out on all of its well deserved praise and love. Contrary to the story the photos tell, I had really nothing to do with this project.

C and a friend started the project and then said friend disappeared off the face of the earth (yes Jay, we're pointing at you...). My suspicion is that he didn't fully understand the utter insanity that is a German set forth in to nature with a hammer and redwood planks.
Even in the dead heat of summer C was unrelenting. And thank goodness because we're all completely in love (Elli most of all) with the resulting Aussichtspunkt. The views are outstanding and the sunsets even better.
Elli is the ruler of the upper hill area and when she's not lounging, she patrols the platform and surrounding areas with a prance and a fierce growl.

After C finished the actual construction, we lugged a few gallons of the Brazillion rosewood oil up the hill and spent a day sealing the redwood. (I'm not sniffing my armpit. I'm kissing my killer bicep.)

It's a special place up on the hill. It's another climate than down by the house and different plants grow up there. We found a black walnut tree along the path up, unfortunately it's nestled in a thicket of poison oak...thankfully the poison oak dies off up on the hill.

Right now the area is open and natural. Almond trees and blackberry bushes grow wild next to fennel and small oaks. C spent some time pruning the trees and taming the bushes but it's wild-land up there...