Abandoned to the Forest

This old cabin site on Harmony Lake is very slowly beginning toreturn to the forest. Essentially abandoned for nearly 20 years andlocated on an island, it is accessible only by boat or canoe. There isnothing "artistically special" about this photo, but rare visits tothis location always remind me of a summer evening boat ride with myparents to visit the original owners many years ago when I was a smallboy. Built in the early 50's, it is constructed of vertical "logsiding" that was milled in my grandfather's water powered sawmill. Thecabin site was dug out of a rocky hillside by hand with pick andshovel and everything to build and furnish it, including a big oldfashioned wood fired kitchen range, would have been floated up thelake on a raft or boat. Those old buggers were tough and didn't mindhard work. :-)

Thanks for viewing.

Excellent image and documentation, Michael.

I really enjoyed reading the foreword.

What an absolute dream location!

The old residence looks suitably rustic with its aged timbers and the touch of moss on the roof adds to the authenticity.

I wonder if you could get shot of it from the lake when it is calm with a nice reflection?

Compliments & Best Regards

Alf

Wayne - Thank you for your comment.

Alf - Thank you for your comments and rating. I always like to give a little bit of historical context for photos like these if I can, especially if they have a connection to my family. The vertical "split log siding" that was manufactured in my grandfather's sawmill (gone for nearly 45 years) was very popular for cabin construction in this area at the time. It was used for the construction of the original cottages at White Point Beach Lodge, a well known seaside resort in Nova Scotia. Most of those cabins are still standing and in use today. My Dad (now 82) tells me that it was a real PITA to make the stuff as after sawing in the mill it needed to be milled on three sides with grooves for splines on the edges. If I remember correctly they needed to peel the bark on the exposed natural face by hand. They only manufactured it for a few years.

I do have a view of the old place from the lake, but unfortunately it was not a calm water day and hence no pretty reflection: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=17471010&size=md

I suspect that it will not be many more years before the roof begins to cave in on the old place, and once that happens it won't be long before it starts to collapse inward. The property is still in the possession of the heirs of the man who built this (another old sawmiller). He's been gone a long time, and the son he passed it down to is also gone, but two of his sons have slightly more modern but "rustic" cabins close by on the same island.

Difficult lighting circumstances and yet a perfect photo! Great choice of a subject!

Best regards Michael!

PDE

Hi Michael,

  Beautiful image with wonderful lighting, details & colors. Take care, Patsy

I luv discovering such places :-) they are rarely easy to shoot due to location and lighting! You did a gr8 job

Pierre, Patsy and Ghislain - thank you for your ratings and kind comments. This was not a planned trip into this location, and it had been close to 15 years since I had been here before. I only had a few minutes to shoot this photo along with a few other "quick and dirty" shots, so I am both pleased and pleasantly surprised at the good reception it has received. Cheers!