10/08/09 10:48pm

Well, whaddya know? Someone won one!

Where was that mystery cabin? There were 2 votes each for Conroe, Tomball, Sealy, Katy, Magnolia, and New Caney. The rest of your guesses? “Somewhere out in Montgomery County,” Silsbee, Jasper, Woodville, Liberty, Pearland, West University, Lake Livingston, Wharton, Memorial, Alvin, the Heights, Kirby Dr., Lake Jackson, Richmond, Rosenberg, Porter, “near Lake Houston,” South Braeswood, League City, Pinehurst, Manvel, Galveston, Splendora, Hempstead, Baytown, and Carson City, Nevada.

So who’s the newest member of the Rice Design Alliance? It’s Matt, for guessing

Near Lake Houston. East side of the lake, north of FM 1960.

Okay, wrong side of the lake, wrong side of FM 1960. But good enough for the win, and good enough for that one-year, individual RDA membership. Congratulations!

This next entry is wrong in more ways than we can count, but wins movocelot runner-up status because it’s just so . . . comprehensive:

I agree with the stabs at old communities outside of town because it looks like a genuine 1870s, hipped roof, four-square. But I think it’s a thoughtful reconstruction for weekend use (also outside of town, Pinehurst between Tomball and Magnolia.)

The bones are old and I envision came from around San Felipe, Wallis or East Bernard. The exterior walls are pine and could well be logs, hewn to square: Sure looks like pointing between them, and the outlet boxes are cut horizontally out of the middles. Look at the lovely wide plank floors! 24”centers for roof joists looks right.

So, the place was moved & reconstructed in the 1970s “way, way out” on a deer lease on the NW side. It is dated by the ovens, exterior doors, ‘old-looking reused’ brick so popular then, drapes and schmaltzy framed pictures.

Also the wall, separating the bedrooms from living space, is newer, yellower pine, the walls have been trimmed to the roof joists in a modern manner, the wide cypress boards at the fireplace are hard/expensive to come by anymore and were probably salvaged 30 years ago. Also the carpentry is so-so & not original to the house.

Well, you can’t discharge firearms half mile from 249 anymore & there’s no wood to chop, so it’s become a divorced dad’s den: Cache of unmatched furniture, tower of old audio components, TV above the fireplace, ‘light-the-wrapper‘ log. The only signs of life are the part-time kids and their stuff. If two sets of twins won’t kill a marriage, nothing will.

So what’s the real deal?

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