Mountain House of Rock and Wood

Lovely images come forth in my mind of the home I am in the process of building. A spacious, warm, loving environment for family and friends from near and far to come visit, spend time, relax, dig the West Virginia back country and share our lives and experiences. This thought excites me the most. I picture my big mountain house of wood and rock, built from the land around it, with a steady stream of loved ones flowing through throughout the year. That is what I want. That is what I desire more than anything else in my life I think. I truly feel like I am home and I want to take care of this place, treat it right and share it with my dear ones.

The summer cabin I am living in and working on right now should be completely finished in a couple of years. At least that is the time I’m thinking and hoping it will take. With the wages I earn working as a chef I am able to buy materials and it may take that long to be able to pay for everything. The work I am doing myself with my friend and neighbor Curt’s invaluable help. But when it’s done it will be paid for! Then I will begin the process again on a proper house and when that is finished the cabin will open up (as well as rooms and living space in the new house) for friends and family to visit on a more regular basis. I see meals shared on a big table in the late summer evening of vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses…grown, raised and fixed right there on the farm. I smell campfires at night. I hear the telling stories. I see beautiful faces of friends illuminated by the fire. Huge Christmas feasts with a house overflowing with friends, family and love.

So tonight as I sit here at my desk with the lamps burning and the wood stove glowing red from the heat of roasting logs, Muddy Waters on the stereo, the hound dog stretched out on a fleece blanket next to the stove, tonight it may just be me and Rudy down here in the holler but I know others will be arriving shortly in the scheme of things. Won’t you pull up a chair, kick up your feet and have some laughs with me on the porch? Later I’ll take ya frog giggin’!