Tree house - by popular demand I added some images to answer some questions. I am both humbled and proud that this went viral! Thank you Imgurians!

Just need to finish the staining

How to make a tree? First we need "roots"

Sawing out the base poles to accept the I beam

Get the I beam set into the "trunk" and bolt through. Later voids filled with epoxy.

Fumbling this all together and getting it cross-bolted with threaded rod was a bear!

Umbilical cord- electricity and cable

Dig as the troglodytes do!

Lean concrete with mortar bars to guarantee coverage of the rebar

Rebar cage for the foundation

Starting the pour, the I-beam gets placed in the middle

Step one finished, we have a "tree"

Don't want anything growing touching the wood

Preparing platform

Hoisting the platform

Bolting her down

Pouring out the voids with epoxy to add stability, remove strain from the cross bolts, and keep corrosion and bugs out

Provisional stability

The "Hatch" roughed in

Framing the walls

most "branches" are up

Sheathing

Roof construction up

Priming the roof tongue and groove

As a roofing membrane I chose a cold self adhesive bituminous covered in aluminimum

Finished roofing

Staining bottom and "branches"

Above lag bolts not yet filled with putty and stained, below finished

Again not yet hidden lag bolt vs. puttied and stained

Here's where the electric pops out the top- first time you can see it

A few shots from inside- the roof construction

The "hatch" from inside- plus camping mat bc we sleep in there all the time

Guest wall already filling up :) Yes, Yoda was here

Heater can't be kicked over- too high and screwed down

Yes, the kids insisted on disco-lighting. Some LED camping lights for when it's time to sleep.