A GOOD DAY IN THE WOODS!!!

Rocky the Squirrel

This morning I had a little greeter outside the bedroom window. This little guy was eating the dogwood berries left on the tree limbs. He gave me a disconcerting look and then a brush of his tail as he scooted down to a lower limb.

Morning coffee. The morning light was fantastic, begging for photographs. Inside the cabin, couldn't resist taking a photo of the ridge pole and beams, the light giving the beams a golden hue.

The morning light was so inspiring inside the cabin

Mickey staking out his winter rocking chair by the fire

Cash in his usual in-the-house pose

Garden Cabin - ready to clean and prep for next guests

Ohhhh the laundry - bedding and towels

The Garden Cabin emptied out this morning, so that means a "clean" to get ready for a new set of guests tomorrow. Stripping off bedding and towels, putting them through wash and dry cycles. Dusting and mopping, putting dishes away. All in day's work during the cabin rental season.

Chicken broth ready for chicken and veggies

Cooler weather means soup on the stove. We decided on making a chicken/rice soup. Dropping the chicken into a stock pot, Tom seasoned with creole seasonings, onion and a couple of hot peppers. We let it cook on the wood stove for about an hour until the chicken could be taken out of the pot and cooled. I sliced peppers, carrots, chopped celery, minced some garlic, then added to the simmering broth while the chicken cooled enough to take the meat off the bone. After this, I added the chicken to the soup, along with some cooked brown rice.

And, a special treat: Shiitake mushrooms harvested from our "plugged" logs.

The soup simmered the rest of the afternoon, adding the Shiitakes to the soup about an hour before we ate dinner.

Tom begins stacking the dried firewood for the winter

Cash and Brutus out for a romp

Don't ya just love fall colors? 

Mickey, too

Also, this is really cool!!! Last weekend Tom bought an old deck chair from the antique mall. Obviously, it had once been on an ocean liner at some point in time. The chair was a dreary weathered gray, but all in all, in good shape structure wise. Tom convinced me that he could have the old deck chair looking beautiful again.

Well...he did...and it is gorgeous. Look how the brass shined up!! Amazing. I'm especially partial to the little brass plate that says 'FIRST CLASS ONLY"

I told Tom that the chair probably fell off  the Titantic when it went down, then floated in the water until it came to shore somewhere, and now it sits in Ohio!! Okay, I might be exaggerating just a tad, but it's a good story anyway, don't ya think?

Just look at how that brass shined up!!

Okay, this sold me the chair: First Class Only

Glass of wine before dinner

A glass of wine before dinner, and then....

Soup and salad - who can beat that combo? 

PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE, 

Sherry is the author of Three Moons Over Sedona, Island Passage and Chasing Joe,

 Sherry Hartzler's books can be found on Amazon.com

TENTH SEASON OF INN A CABIN

Seems incredible that INN A CABIN is now in its tenth season!! We have had so many wonderful guests over the years and appreciate both the friendships and patronage. Each building on our 50 acres was built by Tom and his vision of making our property a sort of step back in time experience.

The 2015 winter months were rough. We had to keep the cabins closed most of first quarter of the year.

When we returned from a few weeks in Florida in January, this homeless dog  was waiting on our doorstep. He broke our hearts. Mom's sweet Boots (German Shepherd) passed away the summer before, so we thought this little poochie would keep her company. Mom and "Dixie" are now the best of friends!!!

The winter months became the "whining" months. Dragging on and on and on.

This "guy" kept us company. If you've ever seen a Pileated Woodpecker, you know they are enormous and beautiful. His neat little red cap was a joy to see in stark white and brown landscape.

Mickey waiting for spring. Usually the great orange hunter, Mickey spent most of the winter inside looking outside
.

Tom walking Brutus, our chocolate lab

Of course, the deer came in close to the house, looking for food. They are beautiful, but they do love our garden and flower buds in the spring. We mix up a homemade concoction that we spray on our hostas and rhododendrons. The spray stinks like an outhouse for about an hour after application, but it does work!

And then....spring!!!!

Although this photo was taken a year ago, I wanted to include it in this post. Several researchers found on our property a Red Shouldered Hawk nest. Tom and Matt were thrilled to be able to hold the baby hawks while the researchers tagged them and then returned them to the nest about forty feet up from the ground. As you can see, both Matt and Tom are in awe.

Spring means that a select few clay artisans gather at Logan Clay and begin a two week marathon of creating sculptures to be sold at Lilyfest or donated to local charitable events during the summer months. Hocking County is filled with artisans who give much time and effort to both their craft and community. This particular sculpture is MINE!!! Created by my good friend Jenny Beard who is amazing. I have several of her "pieces" in and around my garden. Can't wait to bring this owl home after it's fired in oven at Logan Clay.

My woodland rock garden with a "Jenny piece" toad house sitting on an old log.

Another example of "Jenny creations" My hens that nest outside my front door. I love these clay pieces of art!!!

And my curled lip frog that greets me every spring morning with his big eyes!

Now, I'm getting nostalgic. Tom built this little tree house many years ago for Steph and Eric. The slide coming down from the tree house was Tom's slide from his childhood. In the fall, the kids used wax paper under their bums and slide down at breakneck speed and into a big pile of leaves. What fun!

Best surprise this spring - two baby owls seen from our back porch. This owl stayed on this limb for almost twenty minutes looking at us and "talking." Yes, talking!! I'm sure he was being friendly.

After seeing these "guys" I kept Mickey in at night. Wasn't sure if they "ate" cats, but wasn't taking any chances.

A mama robin decided to build a nest right outside my kitchen window.

Garden Cabin front porch

Garden Cabin Sitting Area

Mill Cabin living room

Mill Cabin dining area in kitchen

Mill Cabin patio

INN A CABIN   To all of you from Tom and Sherry at Inn A Cabin in the Woods! Enjoy the summer and remember this... "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." anonymous

UPDATING WEB-SITE FOR INN A CABIN - PHOTOS

This winter, my major project is updating our web-site for Inn A Cabin My "web guy" thinks I need to "spruce up" the format, add new photos, etc. 

Going through photos I took last summer and grouping them to replace old photos is not an easy thing to do. I'm definitely not a professional photographer, so I'm constantly asking myself about a zillion questions: Are the photos inviting? Is the light right? Proportion? Angle? Contrast? Of interest?

Tom and I rent out two cabins to guests. The cabins are original log cabins, not kits. We want to provide guests with an authentic log cabin experience, a place where they immediately feel at home. Our motto is: "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure some of them are dirt." So true.

Garden Cabin

THE GARDEN CABIN

The original purpose for building the Garden Cabin was to accommodate visiting friends and family. Then, we got the idea of renting out the cabins to guests, given the fact that we're only a few miles from Ash Cave and within 8 miles of Cedar Falls and Old Man's Cave. We started this venture in 2006, and have made so many new friends over the years. Our guests take a step back into history and enjoy both the cabin and nature - without leaving behind some of the modern conveniences, such as a bathroom, electricity and an antique bed to crawl into at day's end.

In the Garden Cabin, I love telling guests that the floor in the sitting area/bedroom is part of the original floor salvaged from the 1840's cabin (Mill Cabin) that Tom dismantled and reconstructed as a second rental cabin on the property. This lovely wooden floor with it's bruised and worn surface, although more than one hundred years old, is still sturdy, functional and well used.

The sitting area/bedroom is cozy, many of the furnishings from a past era. We went to many auctions, buying items that had a story to tell. You know the old saying: They just don't make 'em like they used to. Well, it's really true,

The antique double bed in the Garden Cabin was purchased at an auction in southeastern Ohio. 

We wanted the kitchen in the Garden Cabin to reflect a kind of old-time farmhouse kitchen, We wanted to use old things, like the 1930's style kitchen sink complete with gathered curtain and the 1930's gas stove.

Garden Cabin Kitchen

Overheat loft bedroom in Garden Cabin

The overhead sleeping loft in the Garden Cabin with twin beds, Little House On The Prairie comes to life.

View of Garden Cabin Gazebo

The Garden Cabin Gazebo overlooks the woods and is a great place to relax and enjoy nature. In the summer Tom feeds the Hummingbirds. I think you can just barely see the "feeder" hanging from the gazebo. 

Another view of the Gazebo 

THE MILL CABIN

The Mill Cabin is an original 1840's cabin that Tom dismantled on another property and then reassembled on our property, adding an addition - kitchen and bathroom. 

Mill Cabin - Living Room (Checkers Anyone?)

The stained glass window in the photo in the Mill Cabin living room is part of the collection of stained glass windows purchased from an old school auction in Columbus. We loved working these colorful panes into the windows of all three of the cabins on the property. The blue cabinet in the photo was salvaged from the old 1840's structure. You gotta love things that have survived over 150 years! 

Mill Cabin - Brass Bed Downstairs

The antique Brass bed in the downstairs Mill Cabin is from a local estate auction in southeastern Ohio. 

Queen Bed in the Mill Cabin Loft

The queen bed in the Mill Cabin loft, although not an antique, looks quite at home there.  

Mill Cabin Kitchen - View #1

The Mill Cabin kitchen, although an addition, still has the old-time feel with the wooden floors and cabinets that Tom built over the sink area. 

Mill Cabin Kitchen View #2

Mill Cabin Kitchen - View #3

Mill Cabin Fire Pit (I can smell the hot dogs and  s'mores!)

View from Mill Cabin Front Porch with Amish Rockers

Side View of Mill Cabin Patio with Hot Tub

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure some of them are dirt."

Catch and Release Pond

Saturday Mornings - Homemade Cinnamon Rolls for Cabin Guests!!!

THE HOUSE THAT TOM BUILT

Main House - Amazing Timber-frame Garage Tom built

Main House Front Porch and Swing

Main House Side Porch 

Living Room - notice my books spread out over the table!!

Tom standing in living room of Main House - Hmm that's my Miller Lite at the bottom right of photo)

Main House (Tom used a draw-knife on all the logs - Ask me how long it took?)

My Old-time Kitchen in the Main House - Wooden Countertops

Main House - Rope Bed in my daughter, Steph's old Room

My Woodland Friendship Garden

This was a really strange pinkish sunset. Tom looking up at the sky with the dogs at his side.

Front Breezeway to Main House