Our Log Home Journey

A dozen plus years ago, after licking our financial wounds from a retail business and a newer, and very large apartment building, my wife and I found ourselves starting over. A friend said he had taken a log-home building class from a guy named Skip Ellsworth, and that it was possible to build a nice place from real logs (no kits!) at a price far less than it would cost for a conventionally built house. I immediately located Skip and signed up for a class. One of the smartest things I have ever done in my life. The rest is history. No, it's not easy to build a log home, or any home for that matter (been there, done that!) but as Skip says; "which is easier? Building a log home for cash or paying off a 30 year mortgage?" For me the answer was obvious. I'm taking the easy route and building. One nice thing about doing it this way... no lenders breathing down your neck! I always hated building! Always buying materials when I needed them, not when the price was right, rushing the job, staying awake at nights, worrying about cash-flow, and why the subs didn't show up...again!! So far, this method is pure bliss. I'm loving it, and the price is so low (your mileage may vary) that I can easily build for cash. I'm having a lot of fun. As for the class, Skip has retired...this time for good..maybe, and his son Ellsworth, and Steve White are now teaching. The class is nothing short of excellent, and if they would raise the price to four or five times to what they are now charging it would be the bargain of a lifetime.
Hey man, thanks to you I'm taking the easier route and building a log home, and someday soon,when I retire it will be because I'm not a slave to a mortgage! To Skip, Steve, Ellsworth, and all the rest I can only say; "thanks". Your instruction, and friendship will always be treasured. Nothing less than life-long friends. Here's a link to the
friendly and helpful folks at the association. Thanks so much guys for all your help.
http://www.loghomebuilders.org/ My good friend Skip

We recently bought a beautiful five acre parcel. It's peaceful, and wonderful.

The elevation is up there... somewhere under 2300 feet, but some friends down the road are even higher, about 2800'. Nice weather for most of the year despite the elevation. The location is being guarded. I worked with "at risk" kids and Mexican gangsters, and we all got along just great. Also worked with some (for lack of a better term) white snots. Very dangerous. One of them (not the worst of them) made national news. So...we're not saying where this property is. Let's just say it takes as long to drive to Boise as it does to Billings. Right now we're trying to liquidate our three Washington State properties, and when we're ready, I'll just walk off the job I've had for the last twenty five years. No regrets there.

The lot is very flat with a thirty five foot bump in the back of the lot. The front third is for cows, wheat, or whatever. The back two thirds is forested seclusion. We can see out through the trees, but people really can't see us. Perfect. The log house will go on the top of the thirty five foot tall bump toward the back of the lot. Most of all I like the seclusion. I feel the same as Skip; "We're friendly people..really!" We love company and visitors, we just like being left alone.

This year (2005)we have installed an oversized septic system, the driveway, and have cleared some of the land for the wood shop, and small temporary storage buildings. All of this has taken quite a while to accomplish as the location is far from where we are now living in
central Washington, and it is in the forest which means, have your batteries charged, the generator filled with gas and EVERYTHING
you need is on the lot. It shoots a good part of the day to drive
down to the general store and back.
Here's a a PhotoEditor concept of

the proposed temporary 16 x 26' storage building, and the area where
the storage area will sit complete with tent and four wheel drive Honda Civic log skidder. Yes, it really does work great for skidding logs. Some

might wonder where the money is coming from for all this work. Well, for one, not too many months ago the ugly Honda was a nice Mercedes Benz sport coupe'. No, I don't care. I don't have anyone to impress, and those that would be impressed by the Mercedes are probably not the type of people I would want to be with anyway. Below is my good friend Charlie
clearing out the space for the wood shop and next to that is the driveway which Charlie cleared for me. (BTW...Charlie took the log home course about a dozen years before me!) Also a log model of my new wood shop, (I can do without a warm and dry house but just gotta have my shop!) A log model I made very similar to what the finished home will be like, some of our driveway (hey, the driveways a good quarter mile to the road) My big Volvo truck to move my materials and our belongings (yes, you can afford to build a log home, my truck is very nice and was $2,300! My neighbor bought a Ford very similar to the Volvo...it was $1,700!) And a photo of Tiffany. Did her wedding, and this was one of the shots from the wedding album. Done weddings and senior portraits. Assisted Bruce Hudson in the past. Bruce was voted the #1 wedding photographer in the U.S. Nice to learn from the best. Also just added a few guitars I have made or am in the process of making. Might add another wedding photo and a photo of the bike I made. Just

did a weight calculation on my wheels, (this won't mean much unless you are familiar with racing bikes)

the set appears to be about 1100 grams! Lighter than all but a few high priced sets. No wonder that bike

is so fast and responsive. Well, been adding randomly and the blog is a mess. Will clean it up later.