Curves and Beams
November 30, 2017
The half Satellite Dish has curves on two planes, horizontal and vertical. One of those curves needed to be followed through the upper body, working extremities of the house (the kitchen and loft) to the torso (the covered deck). My nephew, David Petersen is a gifted architect. I must credit David with cool treehouse ideas to replicate the Dish curve by fabricating curved ”glue-lam” beams. I built a large jig. It is a tool for bending and forming the trusses.
I sliced 2x4 boards into thin strips. Then clamped, screwed and glued them into the curved jig. The finished beams will eventually support the curved roof that shelters the deck. Each beam rises two feet from its ends, giving the space volume. Ten feet at the apex from the floor. These beams are like strong ribs housing the lungs of the house. They will offer amazing breathing space in the treetops. Adding a horizontal beam ties the ends together and keeps the truss in tension like a bow. The vertical posts in the center give it additional strength.
How a tiny girl taught me to believe in Fairies
Parable of The Fairy Tree … of such is the kingdom of God Luke 18:16
A great place to hide from the everyday hustle and slow down to remember the magic of life! Christy Cox October 1-3, 2023
“The Falls at Sewanee Creek has been crowned the #1 best Hipcamp to visit in Tennessee in 2023! Based on your 2022 bookings, reviews, and ratings, you've done an incredible job providing Hipcampers with a great experience.”
Everybody loves to create. Only a blessed few know how to create with steel. I love to connect people’s creative drive with some easy-to-learn welding skills. First, we go to my metal scrap pile, a collection of car parts, tanks, stainless utensils, pipes, sheet metal, washers, bearings, saw blades, chains and more. Then you mix, match, compare and visualize something uniquely, creatively you. Next we cut, bend and shape, followed by removing rust, paint and dirt for a clean, strong weld. Finally, it’s time to weld it all together. I give pointers on welding technique and safety. We don welding masks and gloves and it’s your turn. The whole process is satisfyingly explosive. Since I began offering Maker Sessions in Steel to our vacationing guests, I’ve been astounded at the scope of people who want to learn to weld. It’s not just men . Surprisingly, women and children make up the majority . Perhaps it’s the appeal of artistic creation that’s the bridge. Maybe it’s the confidence that comes from learning something that seemed outside of what children and women normally do. I don’t know.
We enjoy all of our guests. Some leave us deeply moved, our hearts filled with joy and a sense of purpose. They create heartwarming, shared memories and friendships that will last forever. The Miller family (not related) are guests and friends like that, Click on THIS LINK to Jennifer Miller’s blog post.
Our guests, Queen and L.A. made this short documentary of their stay with us in our Eco-Container Cabin. They liked it. We like their video. Hope you will too. Help them build their youtube channel by subscribing, liking and sharing.
It’s been months since I posted to this blog. While most businesses have suffered since the outset of Covid, the Falls at Sewanee Creek is booming . Guests are finding it’s a perfect place to breath fresh air, safely distanced and inspired by nature. But, for me, No time left for blogging. Meanwhile, Several big changes
Observing exponential growth of panic over the past few weeks. Some silly (stockpiling toilet paper) some not so silly - just reasonable, measured caution. The travel industry is devastated. Cruising is dead in the water. Dining out is out of style. Concerts at the nearby Caverns venue are flat. Cancelled sans-refund. Anywhere groups of people gather is off limits. Fear and loathing. Yet, for now at least, our little slice of heaven with cabins, treehouses, Tents and campsites is buzzing with quiet activity. I wondered, why? Maybe a lot of people still think this is over-hyped. If so, that will end soon. I think there Is another reason. Especially in times like these, people need to get away for short periods and find a place of peace. While most travel and recreation oriented destinations involve crowds, ours is one of the few options that has none of that. 1. We greet each guest upon arrival to brief them on the things to do and places to eat both on and off the property. While doing so, we take special care to keep a prudent, safe distance that exceeds six feet of personal space and, for now, no handshakes. After the initial greeting, we give plenty of space - as much as you desire. 3. We thoroughly sanitize all hard surfaces between guests. 4. For our own protection (and therefore yours too) we wait a couple of hours after guests depart to enter the space. Upon entry, we use an aerosol spray to cleanse the air. Again at departure. 5. After everything we can do, we encourage our guests to add an extra layer of vigilance. We supply an array of sanitizers (soaps, detergents, sanitizing aerosols, etc.) in each house. We encourage our guests to sanitize everything again with the supplied solutions and bring more of those you trust most. That’s both for their own peace of mind and just in case we missed something.
Located at the top of fifty foot Miller’s Falls and with a view from the back deck of the Falls and magnificent cascades below, This ”epic” glamping experience is now available at the Falls at Sewanee Creek. Our first guests stayed over the weekend. Come join us to experience the serenity of nature at its best.
