Friday, December 30, 2022

December 29 - DIY Homestead - A New Appreciation For Slow Living

December 29, 2022

Day 454 of the Adventure

The work on the interior walls and ceiling of the cabin continued again today. We were off for a little over a week while traveling out west to see our daughter. The seven below zero that happened here while we were gone gave way to a 75 degree day today. This was awesome for setting up a make-shift workshop on the back deck and opening all the windows in the cabin. It's no secret that we were visiting Las Vegas. We were close to the famous "Vegas Strip" and obviously, being the destination it is, it literally was a 24 hour a day lifestyle going on around us. Night time never actually happens I don't believe. The one thing that amazed me was the helicopters that flew up and down the strip ALL NIGHT LONG and all day for that matter. They just weren't as noticeable during the day. I guess between news choppers, probably police choppers and certainly tour choppers, it just never stopped. Back home, we had grown accustomed to peace and quiet of backwoods living. This time of year, that means sunset by around 5pm. Dark by 5:30 or 6pm. Once dark happens, it really is dark and any attempt at staying awake beyond 8:30 or so is almost an exercise in futility. I had no real complaints about the week-long foray into big city life. If anything, it made me appreciate our little cabin in the woods back home in the Ozark Mountains even more. Shelley picked up a couple of burgers on her way home from staining more wall boards for the cabin (She was working in the pavilion at the treehouses where everything is protected from the weather) As we sat eating our hamburgers on the back deck, soaking in the peaceful quiet of the woods, we both had the same thoughts. We've chosen the right life for ourselves. As of today, we've owned the property for 454 days. We've been living here now for seven months and I'm not sure I'll ever be tempted to leave. While sitting there, we began to think ahead to the day when the cabin is done and we start to look toward the building of our permanent home. Who knows exactly when that will be, but it will happen at some point. Now that we are living on the property, we are getting a better feel for what we might like to do here. As we consider the options, I can tell already that a few of our ideas are changing slightly. We'll see how all that goes. All something for another day!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “The law of centrifugal force seems to be as true for the human condition as it is for the Newtonian mechanics. The faster our lives spin, the more things tend to fly apart.” ― Richard Paul Evans

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost on the Trail (Guatemala)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

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Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park

Earning Income with Our Camp and Cabin Rentals
(How We Did It)

Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

December 28 - DIY Homestead - Post Arctic Blast Update

December 28, 2022

Day 453 of the Adventure

As many of you know, Shelley and I were on business (family business) to Las Vegas Nevada, this past week. It all happened while a sub-zero cold front passed through SW Missouri. Prior to leaving, the extended forecast kept dropping lower and lower for the projected cold on Thursday, December 22. It did make to seven below zero here and moderated only slightly over the next few days. Of course, we were spared the experience ourselves, as the temperatures stayed between upper 40's at night to mid to upper 60's during the day. We were not spared the worry of how the cabin would do in the cold back home. Our planning included things like making sure the outdoor water lines were buried well below the frost line. Indoors, the plumbing was planned as well as we could to insure that everything indoors was protected by the cabin warmth. The concern involved our back up heat source in our absence. Wood heat is our primary source with a pair of electric base boards as a back up. We had very little time to test their effectiveness in extreme temperatures as we had not yet experienced anything much colder than mid-teens. The electric did not keep things comfortable during that level of cold with wind. We hoped it would at least keep the cabin above freezing on the inside. As a precaution, we turned the water supply off to the cabin so if there was a freeze and break, it would at least not flood everything with pressurized water. 

We returned to find that the weather had warmed back to the mid 50's for daytime highs and the cabin seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the cold. I really do prefer to be on site when tempting the newly installed water lines for their first encounter with frigid temps. This time that was not possible. Thank goodness, all turned out well, and we have now experienced a deep enough freeze to have given our systems a true test of their abilities. The bonus, even though I worried about it nearly the whole time we were gone......... I got to enjoy sunny and warm weather while our cabin was busy fighting off the cold!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Winter is not a season, it's an occupation.” ― Sinclair Lewis

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost up the Creek (Sumatra)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park

Earning Income with Our Camp and Cabin Rentals
(How We Did It)

Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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Tuesday, December 27, 2022

December 27 - DIY Homestead - The Incremental Winter

December 27, 2022

Day 452 of the Adventure

Written and published December 27, 1012

Is it just me, or does anyone else love winter only long enough to see the first good snowfall? I was talking to a friend today that just got hit by the last snow storm and they were now mentally already done with winter. I shared the sentiment, and we haven’t had any snow yet this year. I told her that I was good with enough snow to get some nice new pictures, then it could go ahead and turn Springtime. That does happen sometimes here in southwest Missouri, but it’s not because Springtime came at the end of December. It would be because we only got the cold and no snow until the second or third week of March. Then the next day when it melted, it also turned to Spring.

I’m not a winter Scrooge, I just like it to pass quickly and get on with nice weather again. The trouble I have is that I would rather be outside with shorts and short sleeves. Winter provides opportunity to do other things I like including reading and writing. I can also justify tinkering around with the odd project that just wouldn’t be a priority if it were nice enough to fish out on the lake. This year one of the “low priority” projects was to turn a bunch of old non-working Coleman lanterns into electric lamps. It worked out really good, but way too quick. Now here it is, still December and I will have to find another project to keep me occupied so I can tell myself its okay to stay inside.

In the business I’m in though I don’t get the luxury of just staying in and hibernating through the winter. It never fails that on the coldest day each week or so, I must go out in the cold and fix something that’s broke or not working. Of course, what ever it is, it’s usually broke or not working because of the cold. Come to think of it, I feel broke and like “not working” when its cold, and I really feel that way when it’s really cold.cold out I’ve figured out that my only defense is to incrementally divide winter into smaller more tolerable bites. I’ve figured out that it helps to view winter as one long procession of increments. For example, Winter technically starts on December 21st. That means whatever happens before that doesn’t really count no matter how miserable it is. Then the first increment ends on New Years day. That’s when December, the “non-winter” winter month is over. January is the hardest, There are no good breaks to look forward to, (other than the end of it). But, in January there is usually a good January thaw so I can watch the weather forecast for that warm spot that almost never fails to arrive some time during the month. Then, its Ground Hog day, on February 2nd. Not being the superstitious type, I will still claim the end of winter if there’s no shadow. However, if there is a shadow, I will then proclaim that it’s just a bunch of nonsense and spring is just around the corner. Where I live, signs of spring do actually start showing around the middle of February. Once the daffodils start pushing up in mid February, its usually only a week or two until warm, springlike days start hitting with regularity and I can comfortably say that winter is over. Sure, we get the occasional odd snow storm in March and sometimes even in April. By then though, its nothing more than a freak springtime snow, winter’s gone already.

I know it doesn’t shorten winter at all, but it’s easier for me to tolerate a couple of weeks at a time from one increment to the next.  So………. Come on New Year, Lets get this winter moving!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ― Anne Bradstreet

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost on the Trail (Guatemala)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park

Earning Income with Our Camp and Cabin Rentals
(How We Did It)

Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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Monday, December 26, 2022

December 26 - DIY Homestead - Heat Tapes I Have Known

December 26, 2022

Day 451 of the Adventure

Originally published as part of our "Resort Adventures" about six years ago. The recent sub-zero temperatures got me thinking of this as I read of so many people dealing with frozen and broken water pipes. Read and Enjoy. You'll almost certainly find something familiar in our experiences.

Heat Tapes I Have Known (Nov 20, 2016)
Not everything about winter is enchanting and invokes memories of winter wonderlands and images of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Winter is a season that requires constant monitoring. It is a time where I feel like the weather is lurking around some dark part of an ally waiting to jump out and mug me. I know this is true, because each year I have somehow managed to engage in at least one or two “bar fights” of sorts with the winter season. I feel like I need to find a way to put an ankle monitor bracelet on Winter just to know when it’s stepped outside it’s permitted boundaries and is once again on the prowl.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do have a fondness for winter in a couple of respects. In fact, in my world, I really do look forward to those rare occasions of “Wonderland”. One of those times happened about three years ago at some of our cabins. A surprise winter storm dumped about 8-10 inches of snow with no wind and only enough “cold” to actually create snow. These are the times when Winter is behaving as it’s supposed to. It’s part of the reason I decided to move to Missouri from Iowa. Iowa winters tend to be so unruly that they have a habit of biting your face off at every opportunity. Here, they simply sneak up on you without warning a few times each season and whack you over the head with a severe cold front. Which brings me to my point.

Nothing I have been able to do has ever given me a complete upper hand when it comes to Winter. The best I can come up with is an array of defensive tactics that keep winter as harmless as possible. My chief weapon in Winter defense is Strong Coffee! No, actually, it’s a network of heat tapes. I call it PACNET (Protect Against Cold – Net) You see, most of my resorts were built for summer time (Maybe some Spring and Fall) usage. I assume that nobody else wanted to deal with the thug version of Winter any more than I do, so they just built everything around not being open for business in the Winter. I, on the other hand, decided that Winter should be a time for retreat and reflection and enjoyment of those “Wonderland” times. (but, I guess you can’t have the Dr. Jekyll without the occasional Mr. Hyde).  So to enjoy the Winter season, I stand guard with a weather app on my phone closely monitoring the temperatures and my PACNET of heat tapes guarding the pipes from freezing. All for the purpose of allowing EVERYONE the ability to experience a nice Winter Wonderland, or at least a nice Cozy Cabin Get-Away in that season where everything is quiet and cold.

Network Defensive Measures including heat tapes has given me the ability to sleep at night and enjoy the slower pace of Winter. I currently have them installed on my camper, all of the cabins at the campground, many of the hydrants in camp, odds and end places at Cross Timbers Cabins, at the fishing cabins, at Rainbow Haven Resort, at strategic locations on all of the swimming pools and various “Confidential” locations that Winter doesn’t need to know about.

Never let it be said that I have a disdain for Winter. Let’s just say that I have a healthy rivalry going with it. It’s a rivalry where I have no intention of allowing Winter to get me in a head-lock due to lack of planning, tactics or sufficient use of heat tapes!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “A lot of people like snow and cold. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” ― Carl Reiner

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost on the Lake (Colombia/Sumatra blend)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park

Earning Income with Our Camp and Cabin Rentals
(How We Did It)

Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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Sunday, December 25, 2022

December 20 - DIY Homestead - The Big Ditch

December 20, 2022

Day 445 of the Adventure

The downside to leaving town in the middle of brutally cold weather is you have no ability to deal with any problems that may arise during the cold weather. The upside to leaving town in the middle of brutally cold weather is you are not having to deal with any problems that may arise due to the cold weather. I'm actually not sure which is worse. In many ways, I hate being powerless to not only be able to fix a problem, but to not even be able to monitor for one that may develop. So, worse case scenario is everything freezes and breaks. If that happens........ It will have to wait until we get home. 

For now, the schedule of the day includes flying over the Grand Canyon. It's certainly a sight we want to see from ground level at some point. This time, however, it's business and the up close and personal visit will have to wait. Here's to seeing the big ditch from 35,000 feet. (or something like that)

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ― Gustave Flaubert

Base Camp Coffee of the Day:  Lost in the Woods (Colombia/Costa Rica blend)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park


Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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December 19 - DIY Homestead - The Testing of the Water System

December 19, 2022

Day 444 of the Adventure

Tomorrow, we leave to see family out west.....WAY out west. I still feel like there will be something I've missed regarding the cold that's due in two days. I used to dread cold weather because most of the cabins we had were built for warm weather. They typically had pipes far too exposed for winter-time use. It stresses the importance of planning when beginning a homestead, off-grid or cabin in the woods. In our territory, they tell us that 12" is deep enough in the ground for water lines. I like to think that 24" is better. No matter, if you choose the frost line or double the frost line, making sure everything is protected very well is essential. We even took a secondary step on the water shut off valves. There is one where the main crosses onto the property. One inside the cabin where the water comes up through the concrete floor. Plus, there's one final one outside the cabin entrance where water to the cabin can be shut off and then drained for winterization purposes. 

It's all about planning ahead. Not just for bad weather, but also for other failures in the system. The ability to isolate problems if they occur is a luxury when trying to fix or repair a problem. As much as we try to think of all potential issues, I guess you never can tell whether you've been a success until they are properly tested. In the case of outdoor water lines, cold does that best.

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “There is no experiment like experience.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost up the Creek (Sumatra)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park


Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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December 18 - DIY Homestead - Prepping for Cold

December 18, 2022

Day 443 of the Adventure

We are prepping for the first batch of really cold, Arctic weather since the beginning of the homestead adventure. I'm pretty sure we have accounted for everything necessary regarding our water lines. They are buried about 24" deep in the ground, which is plenty for around here. The couple places I'm not so confident about are the end of the line which runs up out of the ground. It's wrapped in heat tape and I think it's mostly air in the line at that point. We just never go around to burying it this Fall. The other is the main coming into the cabin. It's about 24 inches in from the outside of the foundation and comes up through the concrete slab. As long at the cold does not penetrate that far in towards the middle of the kitchen, that should be good too. 

Unfortunately, we will not be here during the cold blast. So, there's nothing we can do to monitor the situation. Still, I think we'll be fine. It's just one more of those first-time experimental tests we face with a new place. 

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is ... If it doesn't agree with your experiment, it's wrong.” ― Richard Feynman

Base Camp Coffee of the Day:  Lost in the Fog (Guatemala Decaf)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park


Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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December 25 - DIY Homestead - The Intentional Christmas Effort

December 25, 2022

Day 450 of the Adventure

Christmas Day, 2022 and its 4:00am. I've got coffee, sitting alone in the darkness and quiet of the early morning, trying to feel the festiveness of the holiday. The truth of Christmas is not in lights, exchange of gifts or even the gathering of family. It's the acknowledgment and celebration of the birth of a Savior. And really, nothing more is even necessary. Still, Christmas time does carry with it a tradition of colorful lights, laughter of friends and family, food and fullness of spirit that no other time of the year can compete with. Thank goodness for the giddy enthusiasm of youth this time of year to keep those traditions alive. I fear at times that I have failed in my responsibility to keep the wonder and magic of the holiday present in the lives of those I love. I'm not sure I could ever don a Santa suit and blurt out a hearty Ho Ho Ho. I do think that I may need to recapture some of the magic myself though. If for no other reason than to fuel the excitement and anticipation in the eyes and hearts of my grandkids. This year has not been an easy year for that. There are too many difficult decisions that are demanding our time and attention. For these reasons, it's probably even more important that the time would have been taken to engage in that magical experience called Christmas. As with all things special, effort must be exerted in the act of creation. Creating a Christmas to remember is no different, and for someone like me, it means intentionally planning and preparing for it. Something I will obviously need to do better in the years to come. These are my thoughts today and my platform of contemplation happens to be a Do-It-Yourself Homesteading blog. I suppose even that is a failure of spirit when it comes to expressing both the subjects of the holiday and the DIY Homestead. Oh well, I tend to add the fun in dis"fun"ction that way. Merry Christmas and.........

Carry On

Adventure Quote:  “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Frosty's Favorite (Christmas Spice blend)

SNEAK PEEK of our Upcoming OFF-GRID project

Please Consider Subscribing to our monthly "How-To", Do-It-Yourself" newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.   AND........

Click any of the following Video links to start your own adventure with us on our YouTube Channel:  

Mountain Craft
Making Wooden Buckets (Cooper Craft)
Sassafras Tea Making (Chicks in the Sticks video)

DIY Construction Basics Videos
Shelley Painting Trim (Chicks in the Sticks video)

Sunday Morning Outdoor Breakfast Videos
August 28 Breakfast - Campfire Corned Beef Hash
August 7 Breakfast - Chorizo Burritos 
September 4 Breakfast - Outdoor French Toast
September 11 Breakfast - Run-AmuckMuffins
September 18 Breakfast - Dutch Oven Breakfast Frittata
November 27 Breakfast - Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Fun Videos
Run Amuck Road Trip - Thunder Muffins
Run-Amuck Road Trip - Roaring River State Park

Earning Income with Our Camp and Cabin Rentals
(How We Did It)

Treasured Times Crew to the Rescue Cabin Building (Treasured Times Video)
 

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