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November Rain | Log Cabin Sauna Ep 7 | Canadian Wilderness Off Grid Living

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#logcabin #offgrid #canada

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My Other Channel: Shawn James https://bit.ly/2xzZHpB

MERCHANDISE: https://teespring.com/stores/my-self-reliance

Watch the ENTIRE cabin and Forest Kitchen SERIES here:

HOW TO BUILD A LOG CABIN: https://bit.ly/2nbof06

SEASON 2 - The Interior: https://bit.ly/2CIjPqr

SEASON 3 - The Sauna/Bathhouse: https://bit.ly/2AskJWP

THE FOREST KITCHEN, Building It: https://bit.ly/2M3syZE

SEASON 2 - Outdoor Cooking: https://bit.ly/2CFgQPQ

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Website: http://myselfreliance.com/

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My Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 20042

Barrie, Ontario

L4M 6E9

Canada

Links to gear used at the cabin:

Fjallraven Vidda Pro Pants - https://amzn.to/2rhEiMn

Tilley Endurables Airflo Hat - https://amzn.to/2Ia4xy1

Mora Knife - http://amzn.to/2BOiv35

Agawa Canyon Boreal 21 Saw - http://amzn.to/2BPV6OF

Axe - http://www.torontoblacksmith.com/

Moka Pot - http://amzn.to/2DEomvO Canada http://amzn.to/2ndmtw6 USA

Virtus Knife- http://www.virtusknives.com/

Canon 6D - http://amzn.to/2EdaZjs

DJI Mavic Pro - http://amzn.to/2DHuJib

Solar LED light bulb 15W - http://amzn.to/2BQvSQ2

Copper Fairy lights - http://amzn.to/2BCmF0X

Solar String Lights - http://amzn.to/2DvgU2n

Lodge Dutch Oven - http://amzn.to/2kHuxDQ

Bragg’s Sprinkle - http://amzn.to/2EdouzK

Tags: Self Reliance,off grid,log cabin,homestead,diy,alone,wilderness,inspirational,motivational,bushcraft,forest,cabin,solo,woodworking,woods,My Self Reliance,Shawn James,self help,depression,canada,sauna,bathhouse,off grid living,off grid cabin build,log,log cabin building by hand,canadian wilderness,november,november rain,rain

Video Transcription

the challenge for me now at this stage already is that in order to keep the sides level and I get this ask this question what how do I keep this sides level because since the logs are tapered as they are this one for example probably goes from seven and a half inches down to say six or five and three quarters that one over there it's probably same seven 1/2 down to six I would say so what I have to do is alternate them so this being the small end on this log now I need to make sure the next log is the big end on this end small end on that end so that it just keeps doing this basically all the way up that keeps it level and then from side to side I have to somewhat do the same thing so what I'll do periodically is get a measurement from the bottom of that flat sill log at the bottom I'll measure up in each corner to the top of the next course of logs and I'll try to keep that fairly even which means that from log to log her side to side I guess I need to find in the pile of logs logs that let's say that end is an inch or inch and a half shorter that whole side that means for the next course or two I need to start making that inch and a half up so maybe three quarter quarters of an inch at a time so the next one so that's a six inch log average there this would be a six and three quarters and another the next one would be another three quarters bigger than that side so it's a lot of playing around and you what you end up doing is sorting through your best logs as you're coming up and ending up with the worst of them near the top at least I do and the other issue is that they're not straight majority of these are not straight and as I mentioned they're too small in diameter to take much off to get them straight

got log on the back there I made a mistake on it but I'll show you why there's a gap under there machi I'll show you in a second there's a gap between the bottom log in the second log because there's a bow in it this way what I should be making sure of and I thought I did on that one just to make sure unless there's a double Bend on it to make sure that I put the bend to the outside so rather than sitting like this as it's doing right now cupped so there's a space in the middle if I turn that log sideways that cup would have been to the outside of the cabin and then it would have come down flat on the or fairly flat on the log underneath it the bow on the outside doesn't matter it's it's a just was shedding water or never sees water because the overhang of the roof and then you don't have it sticking into the room by having the bolt come into the room either which makes it difficult to put furniture up against or benches or if you're doing a say a stud wall on the inside to insulate it or something you want to have a flat fairly flat surface so that's the struggles of dealing with inconsistent sized logs and not the straightest logs now I'm at level two all the way around right now is the two logs two courses everywhere now what I want to do is start cutting out my opening so two logs I feel sufficient for carrying the weight of there Theodore jams so what I'll do is start using half logs here now and keeping this door opening so that I can use up those curved logs and just take the straightest piece out of each one so I'll do that here plus a window on that side and a small window once I get up several more logs on that side so let's go find some logs and sort through them and come up on the next row here fortunately we can see the logs again because all that rain yesterday didn't help most of the snow so I can see the dimensions of the logs a little bit better with no snow city a lot of questions about the weight of these logs and I don't know but they're not maybe it's heavy as they probably look I don't know there's probably no more than a hundred pounds of the heavier ones I would guess and when you throw them around for year or two they become they feel fairly light but anyway it's not this taxing as maybe as it looks

hang yourself inside not throw anything for you what are you doing anything productive really just running around full speed

you're not even chasing anything are you so quiet out here that I'm the intruder fit in intruder a lot of days I guess so silent is not a breeze at all so you're every little chickadee or squirrel that moves Kelley's upset because I had to hide her training don't make issue is driving me a little bit crazy with it she wouldn't stop bring it from here whining about it oh man it's November first today so the day after Halloween and last night I was done working here I ended up going back into the village and catching up with family and a couple of friends too and then also reading some comments and answering some questions and seemed to be one of those bad days where everybody was down and and and of looking at their life and not feeling too happy about her feeling sad or depressed you know just I don't know I guess I get spoiled here and spoiled with my life because my life's I think is pretty darn good I took it for granted squirrel go get it if you want maybe don't take it for granted I do appreciate everything I have but I forget that a lot of people and it sounds like most people are unhappy unhappy either with their position in life or unhappy just generally and they can't explain why even if they have a good life and it's so pervasive that I have to believe that there's something deeper going on and maybe it always has or maybe it's maybe it's a you know current society thing I don't know I think part of it to me what my evaluation of it is that I think we just have too much handed to us and to that we have it too easy for the most part and we don't appreciate while we have all this spare time first of all so we contemplate life a little bit more we sit back and and be entertained and you know have cheap food and all these other things and cheap fairly cheap accommodations all these things that allow us to live a fairly comfortable life and we have so much comfort that we don't are providing for ourselves so therefore we don't have any first of all distraction that occupies the majority of our time but also no fulfillment no meaning no reward or compensation or whatever for doing something good doing something for ourselves or doing something for others so we ended up wind up not feeling fulfilled I mean I've said it too many times I guess but go to work and you do something for somebody else that you don't even see the end result of you know if you work in an office or you work in construction or something you don't see the final picture you're just providing one small part of that one component which is great for society because the division of labor has allowed us to to create this amazing society where we have all these luxuries like security and safety and good food healthy food just I mean look at an amazing time were we everything is available to us if not provided to us so I find that I'm going it on a limb I guess by surmising that that's the issue that's what's causing depression and anxiety and and unhappiness sadness and because I don't feel that I guess I don't fully understand although I empathize and I sympathize with anybody who's feeling that way but look at the future for for my kids and the struggles they're going through and we'll go through and and I think not having real direction like not having an absolute true passion that consumes them I mention the other day in an earlier video probably just a few days before this one that you know I've chosen to live a life of jack-of-all-trades essentially or I don't focus on anything don't become great at one thing I have a lot of passions I have a lot of things that I'm passionate about and a lot of loves including my family and you know the outdoors of course in living this simpler lifestyle which I'm happy to get back to so I've been able to occupy my my time with those things so never have a moment to sit back and be sad or be feel unfulfilled but I know for a lot of people that's not the case they can't find fulfillment they can't find something that occupies enough for their time or their passion or their heart that provides them with happiness so that ends up being sadness or deeper depression if it's not biological or chemical then you know if it's caused by by something like action water lack of action so I empathize and I sympathize with anybody going through that and I you know I want to help I want to do things that help my family and my friends and and acquaintances that because I feel this way because I'm happy and I feel fulfilled first of all I tend to say well this is the answer and of course it's not foremost this lifestyle I mean and on the other hand you know if feel like I want to be able to help people either financially or physically or emotionally or spiritually and I'm just not able to do that I realized that people have to be able to do that for themselves and and all I can do is maybe set a good example and continue to inspire and motivate and and provide assistance where I can but I can't I can't help most people I've come to realize and that's a difficult thing as you get older and you grow up and you you get on in years and you start to understand or realize that most people are feeling this way yet there's nothing you can do about it it's the age-old thing too that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink so oftentimes providing financial assistance or some other kind of assistance is not the answer either it doesn't doesn't help them actually dig themselves out of that hole that they've dug or climb out of that hole that they've dug emotionally physically anyway sitting here having a hard time focusing on what I'm doing because that's kind of consuming my thoughts right now so things are going a little bit slower them make it a few little mistakes that I have to correct but I don't mind doing that but I'm gonna try not to bore you with so many of the details of showing you how I'm notching these logs and I've shown you how I am choosing which n goes to one into the cabin how I choose logs for each side how ascribed them and all those things so I won't bore you with every video showing you details like that instead I'll just show you as I drop the logs in place I could do in the first cabin or something not in the odd time or you know do some more detailed stuff again so I'll turn out to bore you but I hope that you know if you're feeling the way that I described earlier that that you can find some solace of what I'm doing here maybe some maybe it's inspiring you to find your passion and and maybe this is it maybe it's something else but inspires you to go out there and find what your passion it is and really focus on and

and make that a priority in your life instead of a secondary thing or an afterthought hey girl she is 100% focused on retrieving so giving her reprieve by hiding it in the cabin for a while so I can focus and she can just relax for the day all right back to work see you at the end of this video or in the next video if this is the end of the video then take care of a great week and I'll see you back at the next time what's wrong you

About the Author

My Self Reliance

My Self Reliance

Shawn James Canadian outdoorsman, photographer, guide and self-reliance educator. Writer for Ontario Tourism. myselfreliance.com Outdoor adventures, including survival, bushcraft, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, fishing and camping.

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