A Weekend in the Mountains/The Money Pit

My husband, way before he was my husband, vacationed around Bryson City, NC.  Once we had a family, the tradition continued.  Then he found out that a co-worker, Troy,  had a place outside Bryson City, and we got to stay there a few times.  It was a tiny one bedroom cabin, but it had a killer view.  It was remote and peaceful.

We'd always talked about being snowbirds after retirement.  Let's face it, Florida summers suck.  And Florida winters are great.  We'd hoped to find a place to settle in the mountains of NC for our summer place.  The last time we were up there, the 4th of July two years ago, we'd talked about it, looked at real estate catalogs, and decided to start looking for a place.  In fact, we'd planned that I would come back on my own after the kids were back in school and scout around to see what I could see.

We mentioned this to Troy's neighbors, and they said, "Well, you know, there's a log house on top of this mountain we kit built 20 years ago for a lady who's since passed on.  There have been several owners, but the last ones lost it.  It's bank owned now."  Ed and I traipsed up to the top of this very steep driveway that we didn't even know was there, and there was this log house, fireplaces on each side, a long covered front porch.  We looked inside.  It was a mess, but very fixable.  3 bedrooms, 3 baths (well, 2 1/2..the previous owners had taken the claw footed tub that was in the middle bath)...laundry room, nice sitting room in the back, lots of cabinets in the kitchen, and that great front porch.  9' x 60'.

We talked, discussed, sweated and decided to make a low ball offer.  After some dickering, it was ours.

We love it, but let's face it, it's a money pit.

Cue Sad Trombone:

http://www.sadtrombone.com/

OK, that's the intro, but we escaped there for the weekend.

We've spent so much time working over the past almost two years, it was good to take a relaxing weekend.  I mostly sat on my front porch, in the one rocking chair that we have, and read.  And blissed to the view.  And watched the pair of birds who built a nest on our porch chirp and fuss over my presence. (Eastern Phoebes.)  With my dog, Serra, sprawled out on the porch close to me.

As a family we played games and games and games. (Cranium and chess and cards and dominoes and scrabble)  I'm hoping my kids will have fond memories of these days when they get older.  I know they both hate the car ride up the house.  It is 10+ hours sometimes, but in my mind, it is sooo worth it.  It is so peaceful.  So cool.  So serene.  So beautiful.  So green. So isolated.  A large part of my heart gets left there whenever we leave.  I feel that I really belong there.

Was gonna ride my bike yesterday but it rained.  Hopefully next time.

I'm back in Florida, glad to be.  I've missed my friends.  But I miss my rocking chair on my porch on my house outside of Bryson City, NC.

Jen