We started off with me living in this small shed-cabin (10x16) for a month last winter (2017) to get an idea of what the essentials would be for moving there to live permanently on our land on a river in the Texas Hill County. We had stayed there a lot in the warmer months already. I learned quite a bit in a month of Winter living, and we decided to scale up to a 14x30 lofted cabin. The new cabin has been set up, we have decided on a floor plan and the next step is finishing the interior. The last few pics are of the new barn-cabin, and the river in Winter.
- For some reason coffee and breakfast cooked over a campfire just tastes better to me.
- We started off using a chemical toilet, but will soon go to a waterless composing toilet.
- One thing I learned last Winter is that even though Texas Winters are relatively mild, good insulation will be critical to have installed before we move in.
- A key for me to live comfortably in a small space was to have as much as possible hanging on the wall or on a shelf. I got tired of having to bend over to get things out of bins constantly.
- Using lightweight folding tables helped me make the most of the small space. I could easily move them around depending on what I was doing or fold them up and put them away to maximize space with visitors came.
- Most mornings when I looked out the window or went out to start the fire there were 40 or 50 turkeys picking in the leaves. Didn’t have much problem with ticks or insects with the turkeys there.
- The view of the river with a 260foot bluff on the other side is something I could look at the rest of my life.
- The outdoor solar shower works great for the warmer months in Texas.
- These Honda generators used very little gas, are extremely quiet, and very helpful for recharging batteries for power tools, etc.
- The front faces the river and will have a large porch built on this Spring.
- We decided that we are going to lower the loft on one side to make a guest sleeping loft. It’s 16’ from floor to ceiling, with plenty of room to lower the loft and still have head room in the kitchen.
- The river is fed by multiple springs and has a large variety of fish, including perch, bass, and catfish.
We are over 32’ above the river, so it’s always possible, but it hasn’t since the late 1800’s when my great grandfather homesteaded it. The chimney is all that’s left of the original cabin that stood until a storm destroyed it a few years ago. We plan on using it for an outdoor hearth. Also, we are near the headwaters of the river, so it takes quite a bit for the river to rise.
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