The Meade Hall

[Chungas Revenge]

Swapped out the blue/white LED’s for some warmer tone bulbs. Tested the switch. All systems are a go.

Electricity, plumbing, heat/air…Gentrifying the valley. Neihbor’s are going to disown me I think.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Swapped out the blue/white LED’s for some warmer tone bulbs. Tested the switch. All systems are a go.

Electricity, plumbing, heat/air…Gentrifying the valley. Neihbor’s are going to disown me I think.

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Aint like no Motel 6 I know. Best of wishes this time of cheer with the Queen.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

It’s the small things..

The young hired gun was out again today. Wicked hard stomach bug making the rounds in the Land of Nod.

OCB and SOB teaming up gain for the fast paced Codger follies. Electrical is wrapping up for the main room. Still need to address a standalone circuit for the Mini-Split, HW on demand and a dryer. The porch light challenge is complete. Should be enough light to draw some really spectacular insects.

It was fun time with power tools for me today. Added a few feet of baseboard and started running the batten boards.

Whittling down the punch list.

Stopped at the local ACE Hardware for some paint samples. Couldn’t find anything resembling “Viking Mess “ so I channeled my inner dirtologist and explored the earthy tones. Probably run some test strips here in lower Babylon to judge the character of the sample set.

1st paint off will be Benjamin Moore Hues.

Buckhorn
987
A deep, distinguished brown with a trace of gray. What Viking wouldn’t want to hang out in a room called Buck Horn!!?. Almost a no brainer.

Maple Shadows
1022
The earthen undertone of this mid-tone brown evokes the rich hues of a woodsy fall evening. Woodsy fall? H3££ yeah. I was born for woodsy fall.

Deer Trail
1036
A woodsy brown with warm, organic undertones. This one is a gimme. I could just walk around aimlessly in that color.

Lodge
AF-115
A rich, nutty brown that can play backdrop to both rustic and sleek spaces. Now that just fits. Circa “Sons of the Horn”.
“Boudicca”, “Elmer Fudd”.

 

[RevISK]

It’s the small things..

The young hired gun was out again today. Wicked hard stomach bug making the rounds in the Land of Nod.

OCB and SOB teaming up gain for the fast paced Codger follies. Electrical is wrapping up for the main room. Still need to address a standalone circuit for the Mini-Split, HW on demand and a dryer. The porch light challenge is complete. Should be enough light to draw some really spectacular insects.

It was fun time with power tools for me today. Added a few feet of baseboard and started running the batten boards.

Whittling down the punch list.

Stopped at the local ACE Hardware for some paint samples. Couldn’t find anything resembling “Viking Mess “ so I channeled my inner dirtologist and explored the earthy tones. Probably run some test strips here in lower Babylon to judge the character of the sample set.

1st paint off will be Benjamin Moore Hues.

Buckhorn
987
A deep, distinguished brown with a trace of gray. What Viking wouldn’t want to hang out in a room called Buck Horn!!?. Almost a no brainer.

Maple Shadows
1022
The earthen undertone of this mid-tone brown evokes the rich hues of a woodsy fall evening. Woodsy fall? H3££ yeah. I was born for woodsy fall.

Deer Trail
1036
A woodsy brown with warm, organic undertones. This one is a gimme. I could just walk around aimlessly in that color.

Lodge
AF-115
A rich, nutty brown that can play backdrop to both rustic and sleek spaces. Now that just fits. Circa “Sons of the Horn”.
“Boudicca”, “Elmer Fudd”.

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I’m a fan of Ben Moore products.

Sherwin Williams has the most terrible branding that even if it could paint itself and then clean up and I’d still use anything else.

Looking good on the trim work, that was my forte back when my office suit involved a carpenters tool belt.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I’m a fan of Ben Moore products.

Sherwin Williams has the most terrible branding that it could paint itself and then clean up and I’d still use anything else.

Looking good on the trim work, that was my forte back when my office suit involved a carpenters tool belt.

Sisyphus is my patron saint..

I’ve been called a lot of things in life. Some of them true, some I made up myself. But, never a carpenter.

Ms Revenge refers to my self induced malady as “Projectitus”. I don’t know that I’m any good at any one thing in particular. My imagination has, on more than one occasion, convinced my hands to wander off in directions I had no business wandering in.

My two hired guns have 80+ years making sawdust piles. I’m fortunate in that regard. I think they give me things to do out of comedic curiosity.

 

[RevISK]

“…are you not ENTERTAINED?”

 

[Chungas Revenge]

“…are you not ENTERTAINED?”

Best quote in the entire movie..I toss that one out to Ms Revenge on occasion.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Old men haunt early mornings.


Woke up to a storm this morning. A cloud boomer this time of year, although unusual, is not uncommon. It’s not hard, sitting here by the fire, listening to the cascading peals of thunder roll up river, to wax a little nostalgic. Something about the baritone rumble and accompanying light-show that lets you drift.

I really don’t know what it is about having a cabin in the woods that appeals to some. Maybe it’s the urge to break out of the confines of societal expectations and decompress. Maybe it’s some remnant memory pulled from the pages of early American folklore, Maybe it’s a place where I have an unobstructed outlet to my maker. Or, maybe it’s a place where I get to flip through the pages of the small victories and chapters of missteps that make up “the story”.

When you’re sitting outside in the cool fall air with the fire marking out time, you get to sit back and unfurl those memories, iron out the creases and smooth over the wrinkles, discarding the unpleasant particulars, whether real or imagined, and save the portions that matter.

I know I’m guilty of grabbing small fragments of translucent thoughts and layering those tiny shards over and over until I have a handful of little pearls to roll around in my imagination. I’ll be revisiting those moments at some point in the future, sitting on the porch of some man made theme park for the old and worn out. I’ll be that senescent escapee, kicking over a bed pan and making a break for the parking lot in my underwear, the wind in my face and a shift nurse hot on my trail.

That’s what this cabin is all about. Memories. If the good Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be adding some pages to the story in the coming year.

Profile pic from late November 2025. A little over a year from pulling the 1st level line on the Hall.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Cold medicine is not just for breakfast.

Decided it was an apt time to do a sample study of the current virus, pathogen and microbe offerings available to the general public. Found a good one. Decided it was worth keeping and I’ve been nursing it along for the last few days. In fact, I’m so enamored with this virulent little plague I decided to devote all of my spare time too it. I’ve been told these malady’s enter the human body at the weakest point of an individuals anatomy. That’s good news for me is, as long as I can keep it contained to my head and it doesn’t spread to the more useful parts of my body I’ll be OK.

No work on the Meade hall as a result. So naturally, I’ve spent the holiday season in a NyQuil induced semi coma perusing the interwebs. I had not planned on purchasing the main heating stove for the Hall until sometime this spring, when the prices usually drop from the absurd to the senseless. But, fortune often favors an old man with a head cold. Found this particular model (LNG 20k BTU) insert at 2:00 AM on sale early last week. Not sure if it was the Alka-seltzer Plus chaser I had just before midnight or one of those semi lucid fever dreams that pointed the finger to the “buy it now” button. Regardless, I had a vision.

Going to flush mount this on the fireplace wall rather than box it out even with the mantle. River rock tile (small stone) on the surround and hearth. That’s the spaghetti on the wall plan today. Subject to change.

Bottom line, I’ll be plugged into the grid with the mini split, milking off of a 500gal LNG tank for secondary heat/cooking and the wood burner for big heat in the big room. You can’t beat a log fire for Meade Hall ambiance.

Shooting for Friday to venture out on the hill IOT finish up some trim/battens and grab some scrap for the great sample paint off.

Couple of reference pics.

Fever induced purchase
Flush with a mantle
Flush on a wall
Flush mount under the mantle

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I can emphasize. My father in law would occasionally fall into a semi comatose state and next thing we knew Ginsu knives and bamboo steamers by the dozen were on the front porch. Hopefully you are on the mend and we can all get back to reading about your continuing saga of the Meade Hall build. FWIW I have had Mead a time or two in Wales. Not sure if there is any relation.

 

[RevISK]

You should spend more time placing words on a 2 dimensional surface. The world would be a better place with your prose occupying a section of it.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I can emphasize. My father in law would occasionally fall into a semi comatose state and next thing we knew Ginsu knives and bamboo steamers by the dozen were on the front porch. Hopefully you are on the mend and we can all get back to reading about your continuing saga of the Meade Hall build. FWIW I have had Mead a time or two in Wales. Not sure if there is any relation.

Thank you. Yes, on the mend.

Until recently, I had a private reserve of gizmos, thingamabobs and obsolete doohickeys that spanned several decades of collecting. Ms Revenge took to cleaning one afternoon and donated my entire horde to a local charity garage sale. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate her effort to declutter and the $11.25 I made really helped with the cable bill. Its just that some things are priceless to a man and you really can’t put a monetary value on a long forgotten widget squirreled away in the back of the attic.

I was gonna start that “Sea Monkey” colony this year as soon as the weather broke. Hoping they went to a good home.

Should be back on the hill soon.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

You should spend more time placing words on a 2 dimensional surface. The world would be a better place with your prose occupying a section of it.

In the now distant past, I tried my hand as a fledgling author vying for acceptance and recognition among my peers. I once presented to my Second Grade classmates, a short but illuminating dissertation, recounting an event I had witnessed on my Grandmothers farm. I penned, what I thought was an eloquent, well written and descriptive paper depicting the lively and spirited castration of goat. Judging by the reaction of the collected assembly hall, my topic was by far the most engaging and informative commentary presented that morning.

Yet, for some unknown reason, which is still foreign to me, I was politely asked to never, under any circumstance, submit another article to the Tavenerville Tribune. Must have been my poor editing.

 

[RevISK]

In the now distant past, I tried my hand as a fledgling author vying for acceptance and recognition among my peers. I once presented to my Second Grade classmates, a short but illuminating dissertation, recounting an event I had witnessed on my Grandmothers farm. I penned, what I thought was an eloquent, well written and descriptive paper depicting the lively and spirited castration of goat. Judging by the reaction of the collected assembly hall, my topic was by far the most engaging and informative commentary presented that morning.

Yet, for some unknown reason, which is still foreign to me, I was politely asked to never, under any circumstance, submit another article to the Tavenerville Tribune. Must have been my poor editing.

Case in point my friend.

 

[Michael B]

I hope you recover soon, so you don’t miss a single adventure in this new year.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Thank you. I’m on the mend.

My hired gun is down in old Virginia visiting his mother so it’s just me. We’re supposed to have a very mild week leading into Jan. Hoping that will allow me to put up the remaining battens and add some color on the walls.

It’s the small things that seem to take up the most time.

I hope you recover soon, so you don’t miss a single adventure in this new year.

 

[Michael B]

It is indeed the small things, and they wreak havoc with my ADD. I have come to realize that if I were a carpenter, I would be a framer. I have no patients for finish work.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Fan for the main room was delivered yesterday. Identical to the fan that’s in the “Hall”. Older Main room pic for reference. Fan will mount center of the room (@12’). I needed a fan big enough to push the heat down and circulate air when the wood burner is operating. Mounting bracket/hardware is already in place and wired.

Still a few things on the punch list scheduled to button up this section of the cabin.

Secondary objective is to push/pull air through the building. Two 66” fans should be able to achieve that goal.

Also, looks like I’m pushing right a few days. We’re getting some milder temps next week so I’m shooting for Monday/Tuesday to head out in the county.


I’m also stopping for one more paint sample today:

Benjamin Moore
Firewood
1027
It’s in the earth tone brown family with subtle red undertones. Sounds like a warmer fall color..

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Earth tone paint off.

Laid down some test strips yesterday. Didn’t have any scrap wood laying around here in lower Babylon so I opted for a section of card board. It has similar yellow/brown undertones to the sheathing we’re using. Besides, I was bored.

Firewood. Almost disappeared. Very close in color to the cardboard.
Deer Trail. Nice brown/green undertone.
Maple shadow. Clay/loam vibe.
Buckhorn. Mellow sage.
Lodge. Nice blend of brown/gold. Warm but not “Hot”.


I think the only non-contender is “Firewood”. It’s just that, with all the pine 1x, it’s too much heat. Be great against a white ceiling/base boards etc. That would cool it off a bit. I want to tone down the heat a few notches so I’m going to scratch Firewood off the contender board.

I don’t think any of the remaining choices would be a bad call. Food for thought. I’ll take the samples out on the hill and try a larger test area. Post Script - Couple of these colors would look nice on a 40 series

Semper Gumby.

Adhering to the adage that “No plan survives the opening engagement”, I’m reevaluating the whole dynamic of the Hall.

I have a collection of “stuff” I’ve picked up over the years that I can’t keep hiding from Ms Revenge and the yard sale fanatics. The main cabin area has an undeniable hunting/American Indian/tribal heritage kinda groove going on. Rightly so, it’s a hunting cabin.

Thinking about blending some historical, cultural, old timey rustication with a twist: Regimental Mess meets Appalachian bucolic and unrefined.

A blending of an Americana/Trafalgar/Rourke’s Drift/Highland Clan/India/Great War/Single Malt/Expedition/High Plains Drifter/Sahara/Lawrence of Arabia/1812 Overture/Man Cave/Hunting Lodge/Meade Hall stratum layered over a pine tongue and groove canvass. I’ve had this idea floating around in the cortex for sometime . This is what happens when you mix idle hands, unfettered imagination and a gypsy hoard of nostalgia.

I’ll see how things play out in the next few weeks.

OCB shot me a text this AM at O-early-thirty. We’re getting the band back together Monday AM.

 

[Michael B]

It all sounds rather eclectic to me