Rigby Fine Arts

Prepping for That Mid-Winter Visit at your Off-grid Cabin

If you are like us, you typically make a mid-winter visit to check on your cabin to make sure all is in order—no vandalism or damage from winter conditions.  Knowing that all is well gives you peace of mind and alleviates the cabin-fever that inevitably rises after long absences from your favorite getaway spot.  A good, comfortable winter visit requires some good preparation in the fall before…

Selecting Windows for your Log Cabin

Windows are a big part of your log cabin.  They affect the flow of light, ventilation, esthetics and style—inside and out, energy usage, heat loss, and much more.  It pays to give windows some serious thought.  It all has to do with form and function. (more…)

How to Increase the Value of Your Cabin without Spending a Dime

We love just hanging out at the cabin.  It’s quiet, fairly secluded, and comfortable. It’s an authentic get-away spot where we can relax, be out of reach from the rat race and electronics, and just enjoy each other’s company. We have great views of the beauty around us, a fire pit for those comforting campfires, trees to hang hammocks in and snooze, and a big porch to laze around on.  There are…

Baking Soda–You can use it for almost anything at your cabin.

Sodium bicarbonate (sodium hydrogen carbonate) is a salt composed of sodium ions and bicarbonate ions.  It is a white solid, crystalline material but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste.  It’s natural mineral form is nahcolite, a component of the mineral natron, and is found dissolved in many mineral springs It’s common name: baking soda.

Without a doubt, it is…

How to Predict the Weather at Your Cabin–Reading Clouds

The last thing you want to do in wilderness areas is to get caught unprepared in bad weather. While it is true that modern technology can provide amazingly accurate weather information, signals for our electronic receiving devices aren’t always accessible. The sky is always accessible and learning to read clouds and understand what their shapes, direction, and position mean, will enable you to…

Ticks at the cabin–What you need to know and do.

Ticks are something you need to be concerned about when you are involved directly with wildland environments. Unlike many insects that are simply an annoyance, ticks can carry diseasing causing microbes. Timely attention to their contact with you can prevent serious and long lasting concerns down the road. (more…)

Fire Pits at the Cabin

There is something magnetic and alluring about a campfire.  The dancing flames, the warmth, the crackles and pops of the fire, and the aroma of smoke create an ambience that invites you to forget about everything else and just sit there and enjoy.

The atmosphere is inviting and relaxing; people seem to naturally gather around the fire and chat.  They share stories, sing songs, recite histories…

Water Storage Containers and Water Level Indicators for your Cabin

Water Tanks

There are several reasons why you need water tanks at your cabin:

Culinary Use: Unless you are connected to the grid and have water piped in, you will need to haul water in to use in your daily routine.  That requires that you have a good tank in which to store it and access it from when you need it.  Since water is a vital element, you want a water tank that is rust, corrosion, and…

Log Walls, What Eats Them, What Preserves Them

What is Wood?

Wood is cellular material, made up of polysaccharides and other carbohydrates.  It is a honeycomb-like structure of hollow, tubular cells that gives wood amazing strength, insulating value, and an ability to hold water, oxygen, and nutrients.

For humans, wood is a building material. For insects and fungi, it is a food source, so we compete with them for its use.  We try to preserve…

Your Cabin Property: A Fabulous School for Learning About Natural Sciences

One of the things my six-year-old granddaughter likes to do at the cabin is to go on an “adventure,” which means we wander down into the undeveloped portion of our property and explore all the wonders of the earth. Her favorite thing is the big ant pile. We can spend a lot of time down there watching the ants do their work. But she also likes to find the deer poop and point out the hoof prints.…

Cool Activities for Rainy Days at the Cabin

We woke up to a blizzard.  It was our first overnight at the cabin for this season and we realized as we stared out the window at the blowing snow that winter wasn’t quite ready to let go.  Our outdoor agenda for the day was shot.  We were planning for thunderstorms, not snowstorms.  So, hmmm, what to do?

Not every day at the cabin is going to be sunny bliss so it’s a good idea to have a…

Using Cultured Stone to Beautify Your Cabin: The How To’s.

There’s nothing like stone to enhance the natural feel and beauty of your cabin inside or out.  Its rugged splendor brings a sense of stability and strength while its earth tones complement almost any décor.  You can apply it to almost anywhere–a fireplace, a wall, or points of accent.

Working with real rock requires the skill, tools, and knowledge of a stonemason who understands not only how to…

Log Cabins: Their Purpose and Why They Matter

Historically, log cabins had their beginnings in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe where people used tall pines to construct shelters that were enduring, kept them comfortable, and protected them from harsh northern climates.  They were sturdy structures that a man and his family could build with just a few tools.

I like what LSU’s Rural Life Museum web site says, “Life in a log cabin was an…

Take a tour of our 420 sq. ft get away. Small but roomy. Thanks for watching.