Gable, the whole party should go into the woods, mom, dad, kids, builders, designer, architect, the neighbors. Did I leave anyone out? Our homes should start from the trees not an office. It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when I have used timber directly for the house site clearing. I am now doing a small job in which the material was cut and converted into timber in the woods and dragged by hand to the house. It was converted via a chain saw mill, the one with the 2x4 tacked to the log. It is rough but that allows me to be a bit rough. I have even walked on the timbers.

Can the essay be put up as a link?

Tim