5 years on the mountain

Five years ago I bought this house.  

I remember very clearly the first time I visited.  It was a Sunday afternoon in early Sept '12, there had been severe weather that day and I had to wait until the tornadic storms passed.   I arrived and saw the realtor's car as she was waiting inside.  I immediately walked to the edge of the bluff and took this photo on my old cheap phone.  This was the first thing I saw of this place:


After being blown away by the view and the setting,  walked to the edge of the round stone house and looked at the exterior.  Immediately I thought of 'castle' ... a little one.  Later I'd name this place 'Sky Castle' ... as a friend later told me that this perch was on the 'edge of an ocean of air.'

I closed the deal on Oct. 17, 2012 and the next weekend, loaded up the trailer with a few basic things, including a futon and some lumber to build a woodshed.




It was beautiful that weekend.  It was sunny, the leaves were turning, the wind was blowing in from the cove.  It was a challenge to hold up the lumber to frame the woodshed.  But I got it done.  I had no TV or internet, just the radio station from AL A&M University in Huntsville.   I cut enough wood for the evening fire and set up my futon in front of the fireplace.

I made some oak tables, a bed, and a kitchen island.  It was fun making the furniture.   I then decided the exterior needed my signature, so ... as my first venture into visual art,  I created the sky symbol 'sun' and the Sky Castle sign.



Over the years, I added a weather station, a large woodshed and wood splitter, a spa with porch roof, some plants, and a covered porch complete with wood stove, futon, TV ... and this piece of copper wind art:

This is the house I'll likely live in the rest of my life.  Being in nature surrounded by never-to-be developed Land Trust Wilderness and the protected Franklin Forest is the place I want to be.

Future plans are to build a guest house.