Mountain Springs Notebook: Ten Years and Counting

Our first mountain home

Ten years ago, September 11, 2001, we packed up two vehicles, two mama Jack Russells and five pups, and a very unhappy cat, and headed north for our mountain adventure and the rest of our lives. The events of that day reminded us of how fragile life can be, and made us determined to live life to the fullest. It continues to be a wonderful journey!

Foundation built over basement

We were fortunate to be able to build over a basement left over from the old burned house on the site. I never knew what a wonderful space a basement can be. It is our guest quarters on one side and storage space on the other.

Builder walking the log walls

Our Amish builders worked for five months to get us in our house quickly. We learned later it was unusual for a house to be finished in this length of time. Their work ethic and craftsmanship was impressive. We were blessed to get to know them and their families through the months they were on the job. We were honored to be guests at their school Christmas pagent.

Roof in place before the snow

Our roofers worked overtime to get the roof on before Thanksgiving and the season's first snow. We needed to stay with the project and didn't go home for Thanksgiving holidays. We ate our Thanksgiving Dinner with new friends who were building also and couldn't get away.

Finished house and yard

We moved into our house on Valentine's Day. By summer the yard was looking good. Thanks to the former owners of the burned house, there was a picket fence and some beds already in place and ready for new plantings.

Welcome to the porch

The porch has always been a favorite place to eat lunch, take a nap in the lounger, linger over early morning coffee, and entertain guests. We recently had our annual hamburger cook out with our couple's supper club.