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We’re Taking Reservations!

by Charli

First things first: We made it through Hurricane Helene safe and sound, just a bit soggy. Cherokee County was spared the dangerously high winds and flooding that was forecasted, but our friends in neighboring western NC counties weren’t so lucky. Places like Chimney Rock and Lake Lure have been almost wiped off the map; Asheville and Boone are under water, and so many roads have been washed away or closed that it’s very difficult to get into or out of western NC. It’s rough out there, and it will be a long haul to recovery. I’m an active member of a non-profit org called the Cherokee Clay Food Alliance, and we’re hosting a donation drive tomorrow in the hopes that we can send some much needed aid to our neighboring communities. If you feel called to pitch in to that effort, you can make monetary donations here. 100% of proceeds will be given to recovery efforts.

It’s been a minute since I shared an update, but the big news is that we’ve finished the cabin! (Well, almost…we still have to install the flooring and a ladder on one of the lofts, and build railings for both, but everything else is done.) We just had two weekends of visitors and someone stayed in the cabin each weekend and gave it the thumbs up. When finished, this 200 sq ft space can sleep 5 people. There’s a queen bed on the ground floor, a queen bed in one loft, and a twin bed in the other loft. It has a (very small) bathroom with a toilet and shower, and the kitchenette has a sink, mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. Now all it needs are guests, so let us know when you’re coming to visit!

This panoramic "before" photo shows the dark interior of a shed with exposed studs and a bare loft on each end.
Before…
This panoramic "after" photo shows the same shed, but with a bright interior! a wall has been added on the left to accommodate a bathroom, the walls have been dry-walled and painted, the lofts have been updated with accent wood and ladders; lamps provide soft, warm, ambient lighting
…After!
  • A queen bed is dressed in a cream and black patterned comforter. The bed is flanked by two nightstands, each with a black lamp atop them. There is a slatted, dark brown bench at the foot of the bed. To the right of the bed is a ladder that leads up to a loft which holds a lamp and a twin bed with blue sheets and a brown blanket.
  • A twin bed with blue sheets and a brown blanket lays atop gray flooding in a loft. A small black lamp sits on the floor at the head of the bed.
  • This photo shows a white coffee maker siting on top of a red and black microwave, sitting on top of a black and silver mini-fridge. To the right of the stacked appliances, you see the beginning of a wooden L-shaped countertop and the window above the counter.
  • Looking into the kitchenette, the foreground of this photo shows a white coffee maker siting on top of a red and black microwave, sitting on top of a black and silver mini-fridge. Beyond the stacked appliances, you see a wooden L-shaped countertop that ends in with a small cabinet holding a white sink. Just above the sink is a small white mirror and a light. Next to the mirror is a shelf that holds glass cups, small plates, and while bowls. The front of the shelf includes a wooden rod on which black hooks hold 4 coffee cups. On the counter beneath the shelf are 3 mason jars holding forks, spoons, and knives, and a stack of large white plates.
  • A closer photo of the kitchenette shows a window above a wooden L-shaped countertop that ends in with a small cabinet holding a white sink. Just above the sink is a small white mirror and a light. Next to the mirror is a shelf that holds glass cups, small plates, and while bowls. The front of the shelf includes a wooden rod on which black hooks hold 4 coffee cups and a dish towel. On the counter beneath the shelf are 3 mason jars holding forks, spoons, and knives, and a stack of large white plates.
  • A close-up of the kitchen shelf shows a natural pine shelf that holds 5 mis-matched glass cups, a stack of small plates, and a stack of white bowls. The front of the shelf includes a wooden rod on which black hooks hold 4 white coffee cups with geometric tan patterns, a dish brush, and a dish towel. On the counter beneath the shelf, against the wall, are 3 mason jars holding forks, spoons, and knives, a caddy holding a glass salt and pepper shaker set, and a stack of large white plates sitting on top of a gray and white dish mat.
  • A look into the bathroom shows a large plywood box (hiding the water heater). On the front of the box hangs a towel rod with 8 hooks on it; one of the hooks holds a gray towel, another hook holds a white towel. To the left of the plywood box is a shower with corrugated metal walls, a square white shower pan, and a shower curtain patterned with thick gray and white stripes. To the left of the shower is a white toilet. There is a gray bathmat on the floor.
  • A look into a shower, through a split shower curtain patterned in thick gray and white stripes. The walls are covered in corrugated silver metal. The shower head can be removed from the stem and held by hand. To the left of the shower head hangs a two-tier shower caddy filled with shampoo and soap bottles.
  • A light brown, woven basket with tan leather handles sits atop a white toiled. The toilet is flanked on the right by a shower curtain with thick gray and white stripes.
  • The ceiling of the cabin is framed out in narrow pine strips. A black cage fan hangs from the peak, and a natural beam runs across the middle, connecting the front and back cabin walls.

This project was a learning experience. I used to have dreams of building our house, but after transforming this shed into a livable space I no longer have that dream. And I definitely never want to hang another piece of drywall ever again. I’m currently saving up so that, when it comes time to tackle a similar project with our barn, we can hire someone else to handle the drywall.

The cabin project has consumed all of our free time for the past couple of months so, now that it’s finished, I’m looking forward to giving some much-needed attention to others areas of the farm. For example, we’ve seen some evidence of mice (not surprising on a farm) so we recently added 2 barn cats. We picked them up from the local humane society and they are terrified of EVERYTHING. They’re currently living in the garden shed, and when we opened their carriers, one cowered as close to the back wall of the carrier as she could get and the other immediately darted up the wall and found sanctuary in the eves of the shed. We see them on rare occasions when they can’t hide quickly enough before we pop in. At the recommendation of the Humane Society staff, we kept them in the garden shed for two weeks, to help establish “home.” A few days ago, we cut a hole in the wall so they can get in and out; we think they’ve found their way out and we know that at least one of them comes back – or never left – because she eats and uses the litter box. The other one…we assume she’s living her best wild life.

I finally put up a fence through the middle of the garden so that I can plant some fall veggies without fear of the chickens scratching them up. The chooks aren’t happy about losing access to the half of the garden with all the mulch (and thus, all the bugs), but they’ll be fine. With the chickens out, I was able to plant the fun fall plants I got from our local feed store including broccoli, lettuce, Brussel sprouts, onions, and garlic!

A close-up shot of a garden row shows several lines of green leaves sprouting above a bed of brown mulch
Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and lettuce for fall!
A tiny asparagus shoot springs out of dark brown soil.
Our asparagus is already starting to come in!

It’s also time to harvest the last of our summer veggies which consist of butternut squash and sweet potatoes. My siblings and their families were here this weekend and my 3 year-old nephew and I went on a treasure hunt…for potatoes! We dug up all the potatoes and probably ended with 20 lbs or so. He also had a grand time picking tomatoes…and asking if he could throw each one to the chickens. The boy has a big heart!

A blonde 3 year-old in a youth soccer uniform smiles as he proudly struggles to hold a large potato
World’s best potato wrangler!

Last Saturday, as AC and I were enjoying the early morning on our porch, something caught AC’s eye and she suddenly said, “What the heck?!” and pointed to a dark grey bobcat who trotted right past the porch, across the bridge, and into the brush along the creek. My first thought was “that cat better stay away from my chickens!” But I think (and hope) bobcats are most active at night, which is also when the chickens are locked up in their coop so we should be alright. But that also got us thinking that maybe we need to consider a farm dog to help alert us, so we’ve got to ponder that a bit.

We are also in the middle of deer season, so AC has been closely monitoring her game camera and throwing out corn in hopes to add some meat to our fridge. She has only been able to hunt 3 times since the beginning of September due to us working on the cabin so much, but hopefully soon she will have more time to hunt. Thankfully, we still have elk meat from her kill last December, but we will need more venison before the end of the year. This week she built her own tree stand to give her a second hunting location. She has her eyes set on a 10 point buck, fingers crossed!

AC sits atop her homemade tree stand: a wooden platform build among three trees. A series of 6 short boards adorn the front of one tree as a ladder to the platform.
AC’s hand-built tree stand
A black-and-white photo from a trail camera shows a 10-point buck walking through the woods at night.
AC has her eye on this 10-point!

Our newest project: starting to build out a rabbit hutch in preparation for new arrivals in the spring. Stay tuned!

Until next time,

Charli

1 thought on “We’re Taking Reservations!”

  1. So glad you both are safe and sound-the reports have been horrifying! You are in my thoughts and prayers. I I continue to be amazed at all you have learned and accomplished in such a short time and always look forward to your updates and pictures.

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