Building a Log Home in the Canadian Wilderness (Pt. 5)

It's been nearly six months since I last worked on my log home. The wet summer weather had prevented me from making my way back here sooner, but the recent weeks have been rather dry, making my trail once again usable. Upon arriving, I'm glad to see my structure still standing just as I had left it back in winter. It's bigger than I remember, and the amount of space inside should make for comfortable living. With me, I've brought a pail and a small shovel. These tools will be quite handy for the finishing process of my log home. I need to fill all the gaps between the wall logs and ensure a waterproof seal is achieved. After some deliberation, I finally come up with a plan that should work quite well. I grab my tools and make my way down to the spruce stand just south of my shelter. The first step to finishing my log home will be chinking the wall logs. For this, I'll use the moss that grows on the forest floor. It's thick, dense moss that should seal up the gaps quite well. I fill my pail to the brim with moss, then head back to my shelter to begin chinking. This process is quite simple. I'm simply stuffing the moss into the gaps to close them up. It's a little more difficult to stuff the moss into the smaller gaps. I carved a small wedge at the end of a stick to serve as a chinking tool, which makes it much easier to get the moss into the narrow gaps. This won't create a waterproof seal, but it does create a solid wall with no gaps that I can then apply a waterproof seal to. The chinking process goes rather fast, and it takes a lot less moss than I predicted. A bucket and a half of moss was enough to finish the entire lower half of the first wall. As I was working, I noticed that the clearing my log home looks out to is filled with blueberry bushes. I decided to take a break and pick a few handfuls of berries for a quick but delicious snack. I sit in front of my shelter and enjoy the fresh berries, feeling quite happy knowing that my home is finally going to be finished and ready for me to move in. Once I'm done my snack, it's back to work. I bring my sawhorse back behind my shelter to help me finish the top wall. Move two legs, then lean the sawhorse up against the wall, giving me a makeshift scaffolding. With the added height of my sawhorse, I'm able to finish chinking the remainder of the back wall. It's not too much longer, and the first wall is completely chinked. I quite like the way the moss and the logs look together. From the inside, the moss chinking seems to be working nicely. The gaps are filled and no light can be seen through them. Pleased with the first wall, I decide to shift my focus to my other camp chores. If I want to cook my supper, I'll need to start a fire. First, I must take out a fire pit. I use my small shovel and clear the section of ground where my fire will be. The ground is quite sandy, which will make for a good fire pit that's unlikely to burn into the ground. With my fire started, I grab my kettle and head to the pond for some water. All this work has made me quite thirsty. The pond looks great. It's rather shallow, but it's healthy with plant life, and the water is crystal clear. It's still important to boil water before drinking, so as not to contract any parasites or harmful bacteria, but once boiled, it should taste great. While I wait for my water to boil, I decide to set up my bed. While I was packing for this trip, I overlooked an important part of my bedroll, and forgot to pack my sleep mat. With the temperatures getting close to zero degrees at night, I'll need a layer of insulation between me and the ground if I wish to stay warm. I follow a few small spruce trees and drag them back to camp. Using my hatchet, I neatly clip off all the boughs. They will make for a comfortable bed that's both soft and warm. On top of my bow bed, I lay two wool blankets. I should have no issues staying warm and comfortable tonight. With my bed now made, and my water boiled, I get to preparing my dinner. Tonight, it's a simple meal, consisting of a can of beans and a few slices of bread. Once my beans are heated, it's time to eat. I lay next to my fire and enjoy my supper. Despite its simplicity, this meal tastes great, and it's one I've grown quite fond of over the years. By the time I'm done eating, the sun has already began to set, so I call it a day and head into my log home for the night.