Fighting Cabin Fever

More wonderful snow and I haven't been to the store since last month. It's ok cuz I don't care to shop and like being in the woods but I still get cabin fever. I want to do so much and I just stay close to the wood burner and think. I do a little in my workshop and theres much to do in there, do a little knitting, little reading and planning the seeds but still its really about getting out in the snow. Not just bringing in firewood all day but getting out and playing in the snow. So I did it.

I'm working on a snow shelter called a Quinzee . I first learned about them from a true outdoors nature writer and adventurer . She has a wonderful site that is full of interesting outdoor experiences. You can kick the winter blues reading her pages. Very inspiring lady and ready to help those that would like to get into writing as well.

If you like to walk the woods and forage she has much to share! Bird watchers ,theres some cool videos that she has taken. Also an encounter with a bear. Check her site out, a very gifted lady. http://www.writerbynature.com/

So with 7" of new snow and more to come this weekend I had all the right stuff to make the shelter. I layered up on clothing and while piling up snow I had to shed them quick. I got a few pic of my progress and later today I will be hollowing the Quinzee out.

I went away from the cabin , didn't want to make a mess in the front yard. I like snow with no human footprints. I building the dome next to the creek out back.


This pic is the start, I used a old broken lawn mower and a cooler for my filler. These will be pulled out as I hollow out the shelter. Makes for less digging. If out in the woods and you needed to do this , using your backpacks would be good and just pull them out at the door opening.







Next is just start piling snow on it. Hubby took the snow shovel so I used a milk crate. Worked great until I got that shovel when he got home from work, Wow I wish I had the shovel in the first place.





The temp was in the lower teens and I would take breaks and come in for some coffee. This is such a different kind of workout and I was huffing and puffing. Here the pile is about 3 ft high

I got it to almost 5 ft and letting it set, this setting is needed and called “sintering” the snow crystals adhere to one another and help in bonding the structure together.

This pic is hard to see , the sun was setting so called it a night.

So today I'll be out and work on my project. Will I sleep in it? Oh I just don't know but I will sit in it and have some cocoa, maybe light up the Sterno and cook some soup. See how really warm it will get. Now providing it does not collapse, well see.



I'll need to put foot long sticks in it from the outside , these will be guiding sticks as I dig inside the dome. When I hit or see the end of the stick it means to stop, that way the walls will keep an even 12 inches thick. Oh I got a lot to do, cabin fever over


I'll get back later with pic of success or failure. See ya



Thanks again for stopping by. I was hoping to get seeds ordered and a list of them as will. I will do that after this project this weekend.


Plant Camp, will be coming up to and I'll share about how that two year long Poinsettia fared.



tc linda