Wiring, bears, and deer

The guys have gotten most of the exterior of the cabin done, so now it's my turn to work on some of the inside.  Having never worked with a log structure before, it is apparent to me that electric is the part of the process that is most different from conventional construction.  Unless you want to look at exposed wires or conduit, you're forced to find ways to snake wire inside and around the logs to keep them hidden--and protected.  For the outside walls, holes were drilled as the logs were laid to create channels for fishing the wires through.  You then locate the channels and mark around where your electric boxes go, and then have to cut out the logs to receive the boxes.  In our case, we used a combination of a jig saw, chisel, and large forstner bit.  

The trickiest part is getting wires to the lights that will serve the first floor, and attach to the beams and pine ceiling that make up the loft floor.  For this, we used a saw to create a groove in the top of the beams and along the walls, in which we place the wire to get it over to a traditional framed wall, which is then drilled out to feed the wire and will be covered with sheetrock.  Once the wires are fed to the lights for the main floor, we can then get it inspected and then call the guys back to install the tongue and groove pine flooring, which will be the floor for the loft and the ceiling for the main floor.  They just have to be sure not to put a nail or screw through the wires that are recessed in to the top of the beams.  Here are some pictures to demonstrate.

framing for future bathroom

Loft framing

wiring from loft to lower framed walls

The wire is fished through grooves made with saw and chisel.  The horizontal run will be covered by flooring and trim, and the vertical run will be behind an interior wall.

timbers are added between the loft beams to run the wire and receive the electric boxes for lights/fans

wire fed from groove in logs down to framed interior wall.  

wire fed from switches to lights over kitchen sink and bathroom vanity

hole to receive switch boxes

4" hole cut through timber to receive box for ceiling light/fan

hole to receive ceiling lights for first floor

view from above loft floor where wire groove meets hole to receive light

upper view of ceiling light box.  This will be covered with pine flooring for loft, so has to be installed before floor goes down.

One of the bigger challenges to gardening in the country is not only dealing with bugs and small pests, but dealing with deer and raccoon.  Deer always like strawberries, sweet corn, and your cool weather crops like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.  However, the deer have gone so far as to also eat our raspberries, a problem I've never heard of.  I'm not sure if it's just because the plants are small, or because the year was so dry, or a combination of these.  Either way, I don't anticipate this will be a problem once the plants become larger next year, but the deer are sure having their way with the new raspberry plants this fall.  Here are some pics, along with some pics of the fall crops I planted--lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

deer chewed leaves off raspberries

I planted fall plants in late July.  I planted broccoli and cauliflower directly into garden in a row, and then transplanted some and thinned the rest.

transplanted cauliflower and broccoli

pumpkins nipped by frost

butternut squash after frost

Oh, and did I mention we have bears?  My neighbor across the fence caught a large black beer on his deer trail cam.  I hope he doesn't find the garden or berry patch.