Keep Your Dream Alive

[John W]

I'm like a lot of you out there from the sounds of it. I'm a lurker. I read the threads, buy the books, look at the pictures. Slowly the thought starts to form, the dream...I can do it. Build my own log home, preferable owing little to nothing on it when completed. Sometimes it seems too far away.
But here's the deal. You don't build a log home in one day. Or one week. Or one month. It's a long journey, with so many ups and downs and doubters along the way.
So you don't have to build it today, but at least do something today. Do one thing that will get you closer to that goal. From my thread reading, if you read all sorts of books on log home building, you have to unlearn it all and replace it with material from the class. So read about plumbing, or electrical, or sheetrocking, or whatever, but learn something. Maybe all you can do that day is throw $5 into a jar for land. Do it. Take one step closer.
Look at the guys hiking the 1,000+ miles of the Appalachian Trail. The only thing keeping them from reaching their goal is if they quit. But they have to chew it up one step, one mile, one day at a time.
So never doubt, never quit, keep saving, keep going, keep learning and keep that dream alive.

[Timberwolf]

Well done. Well done indeed.

[BoFuller]

Outstanding!

[rreidnauer]

That sums it up!

I've been working at it since '05, and while I don't even have the foundation in yet, I've managed to get a lot of my ducks lined up in a row during that time.
Just take it one step at a time. Focus on the task at hand, not the big picture. Before you know it, you look back and say, "Dang, I've come a long way!"

[rocklock]

I'm like a lot of you out there from the sounds of it. I'm a lurker. I read the threads, buy the books, look at the pictures. Slowly the thought starts to form, the dream...I can do it. Build my own log home
There are a few things that you can do besides savings...

When I was 55, I knew that I needed to do something when I retired. I started to look for that place... not a lot, or a city just an area, or even several areas that we (my wife and I) could start to focus our efforts... I really liked New Mexico and the valley above (to the west) Las Vegas, some city's on Highway 50 in Colorado and the Oregon coast near Coquille... But still nothing for sure... We eliminated NM and CO and started to focus on WA and OR.

Then My son and I took the LHBA class (2004) because I realized I wanted to build a log home... I read a book that said that real home should be built of rock, earth or wood (LOGS). He was a Canadian so he used logs... Well, I was born in Washington (the Evergreen State) so I should use logs as well. My wife really got excited as well... so done deal... Now, I had to get some land...

Long story short, I found that Camano Island (Rockey Point- northern end) is in a transitional Zone and only get about 16 inches of rain a years... And the place was lousy with both of our relatives. So, we bought some land in 2004 and finally got a building permit in 2006... after fighting for permits for 18 months.... I just turned 68 and in the final stages of finishing this home...

You can do lots of stuff. But you need to set priorities and do stuff on the first priority first... Its real easy to go out and buy a chain saw, or plumbing stuff... but figure out who, what , where , when, why and how much.... Get knowledge, start planning, build a model, etc...

[dvb]

And if you are older like some of the rest of us. Don't forget to take care of the most important tool you have, your body. If you don't already, start to exercise. You don't have to strain yourself, just keep moving! It really helps when you start to peel or pound rebar.