a cool airbnb on stilts

when we went over for the half ironman, husband wanted to stay nearby, since he had to be up early for the race. i found a super cute airbnb in hørsholm. i'm a sucker for a treehouse-like structure, so i snapped it up.

it was so cute and cozy. there were two houses like this and then a bathroom and outdoor kitchen over by the house that both houses could use. there were guests in the second house, but we never saw them, so sharing the bathroom wasn't an issue. 

on the wall were magazine articles that had been published about the house when it was originally built. back in 2010, it was an annex for a teenage son and an architect's workshop. i suppose it was converted to an airbnb, when the son grew up. it was so cute and just perfect for a good night's sleep before husband's race. i was inspired to come home and have husband build a couple of small houses in the back yard. 

deed to a treehouse

DEED

sabin hereby purchases poppelvej 24 (our old address and what she decided to call her treehouse), y17 belch city (bøvseby) for the totally crazy sum of:

25 danish kroner ($5)

according to the transaction and ownership of the above-named, the following apply:

~ a key will be delivered with the deed.

~ adults may enter the property, if they ask nicely and bow deeply.

~ the fireplace (outside, in front of the treehouse) may be used by the owners of the adjacent property if they bring a small oak tree as thanks.

~ no trumpets may be played after 5:23 p.m.

~ no cows, horses, buffalo, starfish or whales may be kept on the property.

~ air balloons may not land on the roof of the building.

~ the building may not be moved to ground level, but must remain a least 1.5 meters over the ground, but no higher than 30,000 feet.

~ only far (supermann) can make structural changes to the building.

~ sabin may decide the interior decoration of the building and outdoor areas and does not have to do what her mother says with regard to these areas.

~ the building may be painted on the outside if far (supermann) says that it's necessary. sabin can choose the color, but it must be either swedish red, black or green.

when everyone has signed below, and the 25DKK is paid, this deed is in effect.

signatures from buyer, the king of belch city (bøvseby) and the sweetest mother in the world.

*  *  *

husband is such a keeper.

the treehouse has already been taken into use as a center for secret potion production, harry potter-stylie.

a house in the trees

the child is away for a week or so, out sailing with friends, so her far is working on putting the finishing touches on her treehouse. work was a little bit abandoned when i bought the chickens and they needed a proper domicile.

we've also had a lot of rain of late, so that has slowed things down as well. but today, the sun shined and the last siding was put into place around the windows - which were rescued from a dumpster at the recycling center (with permission, of course).

while it was raining, husband made this two-part door. it's repurposed from the zinc covering of an old refrigerated container that was on our property. he kept some of the picture of a canned ham, which i think looks pretty cool.

the view from the back, where there's another window that lets you look out over the field (where we've got cows at the moment - not ours, they belong to a farmer from up the road).

and a gratuitous shot of chez poulet, our posh chicken coop, where the improvements continue and you can now see the beginning of the shelter for our coming pigs.

oh, and what doesn't show is that he's building a little pond. because chickens need a pond. right?

and a shot with all of the siding in place. we hope to have it all ready for her to have a housewarming party when she gets home in ten days or so.

hope you're using your weekend for good! :-)

treehouse update

much was done on the treehouse during the gorgeous weather we had at easter, but it's not finished. you can't rush these things, you know. here are some shots from monday evening. a little bit more has been done in the meantime, but the light was so beautiful and golden, i just had to share these shots...

sabin was up helping her father put a coat of outdoor paint on the boards of the roof. on top of that will be a layer of plastic and then some metal roofing that we're reusing.

husband calls this style of a rough board on a board "kalmar brædder" and i have absolutely no idea what that's called in english, but i love the rustic look it gives. there are even a few bits of bark here and there - perfect for a treehouse. the chicken house and my garden house will be built the same way (with all that wood we bought a month or so ago).

husband very determinedly (and with safety-minded protective glasses and hearing protection) cutting the metal roofing with his angle grinder. since the trees are alive, he has to do some fussy fitting around that tree trunk.

the view of the back - there will be a window in the middle and on the upper right (as we look at it), since the tree is rather in the way of finishing that bit with the wooden siding. we're hoping to find some old windows to reuse in it - possibly at our local recycling center.

husband claims this is proof that he IS superman, since he bent a hammer! sabin and i suspect it's proof of shoddy hammer workmanship...

things that matter

another glorious day in the garden.

my heart is strangely full.

and a little tearful.

maybe because a friend came for dinner.

and we walked the property.

and she said, "i so get it."

why does it matter that someone gets it?

when all that should really matter is that we get it?

but it does matter.

and we do get it.

a leisurely dinner in the garden.

at the grill table.

grilling veggies and a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.

that matters.

and a treehouse for a ten-year-old.

built by her father.

to catch the best afternoon light in the garden.

that matters.

and a hedgehog.

that calls our garden home.

and lets us pick it up.

that matters.

it's what life is really about.

and it matters.

a tree(s)house with a view

sabin and her far (that's dad in danish, remember?) worked on her treehouse today. it's actually a tree(s)house, since it incorporates five birch trees (they bled an alarming amount when husband put the bolts into them). it's gonna be so cool when it's done. i'm thinking of moving into it. it will have a pillow-filled chill-out space, a porch, a flagpole (sabin and i are designing her own flag) and a view. what more could a girl ask for? the only drawback is that it's all about three and a half meters in the air and i'm not so keen on heights...