Veikko Virtanen's old-pine cottage, Luosto, Finland
March 6, 2002
Contax 645, 80mm; 1/45 f4.0 Kodak Portra 160VC
Created with The GIMP
Copyright © 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Veikko Virtanen's old-pine cottage at Luosto, Finland
Contax 645, 80mm; 1/60 f4.0; Kodak Portra 160VC
March 6, 2002
Created with The GIMP
Copyright © 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Octagonal Old-Pine cottage, Luosto, Finland
March 6, 2002
Contax 645, 80mm; 1/60 f4.0; Kodak Portra 160VC
Created with The GIMP
Copyright © 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Jussi, Isabelle at Veikko Virtanen's old-pine cottage.
March 5, 2002 Luosto, Finland.
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Veikko's old-pine cabin at Luosto. This is the entrance, looking back from the fireplace. "Old pine" refers to trees standing dead in the Tiaga (the arctic forest). These are trees that are up to 300 years old and have been dead for up to 200 years. It is no longer legal to cut them in Finland, as they aren't growing any more, and the Finns have made a real fad of cutting them down and building log cabins out of them. So now they import them from Russia, which has a lot more Tiaga.
March 4, 2002, Luosto, Finland.
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Veikko Virtanen imported old-pine logs from Russia; builders prefer logs of a uniform size to make building easier, and prefer smaller ones because they're easier to lift. So they rejected the really big ones. Veikko saved these rejects, and when he had enough to build a big cabin, he hired an old man to do it. All these logs are trimmed and cut with a chain saw, and all were lifted into place by this one old man, with no assisstants.
The stools in the forground are cut from old-pine logs and finger-holes are drilled in the sides to make them easy to move.
Luosto, Finland, March 5, 2002.
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Veikko's log home; detail of inner gable. The inner roof is constructed of overlapped planking; the ridge pole is solid. these logs are a foot or more in diameter.
They are favored for building because if they are kept dry, they never rot.
a reason for a good roof. Luosto, Finland, March 5, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Detail of the entrance to the south loft of Veikko's cabin.
March 5, 2002, Luosto, Finland..
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Entrance to the south loft of Viekko Virtanen's cabin, Luosto.
Note the alternating curve cut into the steps of the ladder.
The fireplace is build of wild stone with live lichens still on them.
It doesn't show much respect for the lichens, but it is spectacular.
Luosto, Finland, March 5, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Chandelier over the diining table in Viekko's cabin.
Each cylinder is made from a single log and drilled out.
I forgot to ask for the painter's name.
Luosto, Finland, March 5, 2002.
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

View of the inner wall and ceiling of the changing area outside the sauna and water closet at Veikko's cabin.
The floors are all heated -- except in the bathroom.
Don't know if that's culture, oversight, or a way of keeping slow readers in the parlor.
March 5, 2002. Luosto, Finland
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Veikko's fireplace in all its glory.
The kitchen is behind; the dining table is to the right.
The photograher is standing in the parlor.
There are 2 bedrooms and a loft to the right;
to the left is the sauna and bathroom with a loft above.
Luosto, Finland. March 5, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

Detail of the ridge pole and chimney at Veikko's cabin.
Jussi Leisio is hurrying from the kitchen at bottom right
Luosto, Finland. March 5, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

An american teen sleeping in the south loft of Veikko's old-pine cabin.
It gets hot up there!
March 5, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson

New log cabin made by Veikko Vertanen from "old trees" at Luosto, Finland,
at the "blue moment" after sunset, March 9, 2002
Copyright 2002 Daniel L. Johnson