homestead cabin

I was driving home today from the Horse Rescue, thinking about my post. I thought I would find an image on the ranch, but nothing stood out. I was driving home a block from the highway when I saw this little neglected house with the Joshua Tree painted on the front. It felt perfect. Location: Landers, California  

I bought 5 acres, a homestead cabin, and a garage in Joshua Tree in 2016. Once the cabin was finished, I started work on the garage. My contractor is brilliant but likes to work alone. The construction took much longer than I had been told it would take. I was traveling in Africa and had to come home and stay home to ensure the house would get finished. The cabin was rented every day, and I had nowhere to live. I made a bed in an unfinished but framed room in the garage. I covered the bed in white blankets, and put some of my favorite things on the dresser. I made it as lovely as possible. I would walk out of this makeshift bedroom to the construction side filled with sawdust, tools, and insulation. It was never completely finished, and I’m still trying to get the last little things done. I called it complete when this contractor, like many others, failed to show up because he got a bigger job with unlimited funds and no one to bother him. The garage completion, which was at least livable, was just in time for my 70th birthday.