Idyllwylde Ranch

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United States
Breckenridge, TX
Idyllwylde Ranch

An urban IT guy, working on my dream of a small cabin, nestled in idyllic wild woods on a small lake. For me, my kids, my dogs, and a few friends.

Far away from crowds. With kayaks and boardgames. :)

06/24/2025

Took a long weekend to get some mowing done around the cabin.
After a few hours, my legs called it quits from the constant barrage of small stones. So I installed new curtain rods inside, and finished the trim and caulking around the windows.
Did a morning run into town for breakfast and to collect business cards for different contractors… Higginbotham’s was having their annual 25% off sale, so I bought 250’ of electric cable (it was actually cheaper than buying 2x 50’ reels).
Talked with 12 different contractors, 3 of whom were able to visit the site to give me quotes on next projects (propane, electric, plumbing, road clearing and general clean-up).

11/11/2024

It's been a while since I've posted, but we've been doing a lot of painting and moving furniture and tools in and around the inside.

The roof is still not complete, and there is no plumbing, electricity nor gas yet. But we do have several beds and a workable kitchen setup. :)

Was able to get out and clear a bunch of weeds around the foundation, paint more of the trim, and frame in the front door interior.

Found vaccines for the dogs at the Breckenridge TSC (no longer available around Austin), so the dogs hated me for a bit on the ride home... until they got pizza for a treat. LOL

Oh yeah.... and we got a sh***er! :)

11/06/2023

I wasn't onsite today, but Alexis and crew were able to get the decking, ridge, and tar paper installed.

Just in time for more rain on Wed/Thu. :)

11/05/2023

This weekend we were able to move a number of items from storage to the cabin… felt like Jed Clampett. 🙂
We installed the rafters and insulation for the roof, but ran out of daylight, so we have to wait until next trip to install the decking, tarp, and shingles.
I also took advantage of having the SkyTrak to move the security lights higher on the tower.

11/04/2023

Started installing the rafters for the roof today…

10/26/2023

Prickly Pears are in full season right now!
We harvested about 140… 20 by hand, then got smart and started using tongs! 🙂
Soaked them overnight, then rolled them around a colander screen to remove spines, dirt, etc.
Brought to a full boil then let simmer overnight.
Blended the cooked fruit, then strained the pulp.
Filtered through a cheesecloth, added sugar, and canned 6 quarts of syrup (after mixing some for 3 liters of limon-peachy-prickly-cello. :)

10/23/2023

Had a quick weekend back at the ranch; we were able to:
* stain most of the most visible side wall,
* stain the front porch pillars,
* stain all door frames
* stained several windows,
* hung the bathroom door.

Also picked up material to start on the roof decking:
* 26x 4'x8' OSB sheets,
* 35x treated 2"x4"x12',
* 26x 4'x8' insulation boards.
.. had to store the roofing materials inside, as the forecast calls for 3 days of rain this week!

10/09/2023

Last weekend we stained all of the internal doors. This weekend we:
* stained the front wall,
* stained the floor of the loft upstairs,
* stained the front deck
* installed the front door.

Had our first overnight campout in the cabin- the weather was nice and cool!

06/15/2023

Had another quick trip to the ranch last weekend to drop of the trailer, 4x4's and a new front door.

Lost a tire on the trailer on the way, so had very little time for actual work.

So what did we do instead? We took advantage of the low lake level to check out wildflowers, and take a ride with our friends James and Margarita to the far end of the bend to check out a new beach area.
Just before the rain hit. :(
We got soaked, but had a blast anyway! :)
It was Ira's first time on a 4 wheeler too!

06/07/2023

Had to go pick the trailer up from the ranch, so we took the opportunity to put up more of the ceiling slats over the front porch. Alexis with Reyes Construction had some time to join us and raise the last 2 sections of the ROHN tower into place.

05/20/2023

We were able to get more of the ceiling installed the past few days... it now covers all of the interior space. We still have about 6 feet more to install over the porch area.

The next big step is to install rafters and fascia support boards to allow for insulation and wiring under the actual roofing.

We painted the purlins (exposed green rafters) and ceiling planks prior to installation, which is much easier than trying to paint the underside after installation.

Made a huge mistake in painting the main living room wall- forgot to mix the last gallon of stain with the new bucket, and tried to use a roller instead of brush. The end result is a dark textured wall that needs to be stripped and re-stained (target color is a light honey brown that allows the grain to be seen like the ceiling).

05/01/2023

My friend Serhii Mostytski and I finished the installation of the purlins this weekend, then started on painting several interior walls and installing the ceiling slats over the loft.

Address

CR 146
Breckenridge, TX
76424

Telephone

+15126599206

Website

http://www.idyllwylde.com/

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