Shack & Pasture

Shack & Pasture

Magazine

Issue #1, Volume 1 ..................A publication of

November 2, 2005 .................Cutris Hill Farms

Northern Shack

By Kevin J. Curtis

I met up with my friend Dean in Grand Marais, Minnesota in Mid-October, for a tour of his shack in the deep woods of northeastern Minnesota. It has long been a dream of mine to live in a shack in my brother’s pasture, thus carrying on a family tradition.
http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/06/story-of-kevins-shack.html

Dean’s shack was a good hour past Grand Marais in the arrowhead region. It isn’t finished yet, which only added to the charm in my opinion.

When I arrived on Tuesday, it was raining in the northeast of Minnesota. Later that evening it began to snow. By Wednesday morning we had a beautiful white world outside of the shack.

The shack was located way off the electrical grid, so power was available only by using a generator. Wood was used for heating in the wood stove.

There were numerous innovations at the shack, including the water heater. It consisted of a copper pipe which wound around the outside of the stove pipe.

Hauling Wood

The Water Heater

Sherman, Dudley, Dean

The scenery was incredible. We hiked up the mountain and did some fishing in a small lake near the top. One of the things to remember about shack living is location, location, location!

Dean and his neighbors have a spring for water. It is always good to have plumbing. This leads to the next subject which is the “crapper.” It was a simple structure. Dean said he liked the wallpaper most of all. I must say that when I used it, I found the ventilation to be superior to any I had ever encountered before. It should be noted that the spring and the “crapper” were not in the same area.

The Spring

.......................................................................................The "Crapper"

For entertainment each evening, we would play guitars. I like to think that we were pretty good. Perhaps we should be called

"The Shack Trio."

Dean, John, Kevin

..........................................................................................Lake Superior

I had a wonderful time visiting with Dean at his shack. It is always nice to get up around the Lake Superior area. I want to thank Dean for allowing me to visit his shack, and for consenting to be the first cover story for my new magazine, Shack & Pasture.

Join me again in the next issue, for more incredible shack living!
KJC