A little small house envy is okay...Right?

Okay, so I've been oohing and aahing over several small houses tonight, and this one posted on Small House Bliss just takes my breath away...I really like the setting and the juxtaposition of the rooflines.  Like! Like! Like!

   

Tiny House Talk blog post

Thanks to Alex @tinyhousetalk for the post about the chalet.  See it here:

http://tinyhousetalk.com/riverwood-700-sq-ft-frame-inspired-tiny-cabin/

@adriantbrown

Solar-Power Envy

We're in Blowing Rock this weekend at our little A-Frame on the Middle Fork of the New River, and being a lazy Sunday morning I visited a favorite site: Tiny House Talk.  I saw this image of an A-Frame with a tiny PV panel that caught my attention:

I've been trying to figure out how we might make our A-Frame more energy-efficient, and would love to add a PV system, but given the house faces southwest and the pitch of the roof -- I've almost given up on the idea until I saw this application.  Now,  I will have to confer with my brother who runs a PV installation company in Check, VA, to pick his brain about the capacity of a panel system like the one above.  Since we have propane gas logs in the living room, which pretty much heats the entire main level without the need to use the AIR-CON unit, I only need enough power for everything else.  The only caveat I would add is that I'm finding the best heat source for the lower level is a space heater and one small wall heater.  Although there is an AIR-CON unit designated for each floor, I found last winter that enjoyment of the lower & main levels were impacted by the rumbling intermittent noise of operation.  [Useful for providing heat, just noisier than is ideal.]  Plus, I think they used just as much if not more power as the space heater.  So, that said, it would be great if a PV panel could provide enough energy to run a space heater on the lower level, some lights, refrigerator, hot water heater, and stove.   

So, I'll need to consult the expert in the family on what exactly a panel like this (above) could honestly be providing that particular house.  I'm not entirely sure where we could install it on the front of our A-Frame without impeding some of the light, but I'm definitely open to exploring this further and making the sacrifice in the name of energy-efficiency...

Middle Fork Greenway coming soon?

Last weekend we met with Anne & Bill from the Middle Fork Greenway Task Force.  This is the group actively working to connect Boone and Blowing Rock by a greenway/trail, that will allow people to enjoy nature and the outdoors along the Middle Fork River.  As outdoor enthusiasts, lovers of nature, and owners of a home that sits on the Middle Fork River, we are very interested in how this project proceeds.  Follow this link to learn more, and see the proposed plan to link the two communities. 

Here's an article that appeared in the Blowing Rocket newspaper in August, 2013 about the unveiling of the the master plan for the Greenway.

This image indicates how the trail might look in the area between the Tanger Outlets and Roaring River Road, as it winds behind the water treatment building on 321.

Random image, but how I assume it may look one day.

The proposed plan as it stands today, and options on where those involved think the trail might be positioned, should they receive the support of property owners along the way. 

 

Week of 4th of July, 2013. Vacation, at last.

July 1st.  I drove over this portion of the New River on my way to drop mom off in Independence, VA on Saturday.  It looked like such fun, and Keith loves to canoe, so we trekked over (less than an hour) to this access, just past the New River State Park.  Note:  The chalet sits on a portion of the New River called the Middle Fork of the South Fork of the New River. 

The view downstream.  The river showed signs of the recent heavy rains, but was incredibly peaceful.  We did the 3.5 mile trip. 

The view upstream.

A slow day...Bad for them, but great for us!

June 29.  The beds are bursting!  The rose campion is an explosion of fuscia, and the day lilies are soon to make their debut. 

June 29.  Still trying to pull the guest bedroom together....Found this mirror at Curiosity last weekend, and finally brought the white metal headboard up this trip. 

July 2. Valle Crucis.  Took Marguerite and Barbara to see the Mast General Store on our way to antique shop in Elk Park.

Keith and Marguerite.  Barrels of candy.  A dangerous combination.

July 2,  On our way back from Elk Park we stopped off at this overlook on 221. 

 

The freshly painted phone booth and the newly installed purple butterfly bush.  We finished this the weekend before last, as it was on our list to do during the community work week, but got rained out. 

First Official Community Work Weekend

 

 

 

 

This weekend was the first official community work weekend at the Roaring River Chalets.  Unfortunately Mother Nature was less than cooperative, delivering a good bit of rain to much of the state.  We did however, manage to make a dent in one project, and that was cleaning out the former water fall.  We removed much of the old pool liner while standing shin high in murky, foul-smelling water, and intermittent rain.  Needless to say this was a tricky endeavor given the slope of the hill and the saturated soil that kept threatening to give way while we toiled.  We managed to leave it better than we found it with the help of a few Boone Farmer's Market plants (columbine, corral bells, jacobs ladder, and some lily pad looking perrenial), and barberry and hostas we were able to transplant from other parts of the property.  

 

We also turned some attention to our own little homesteads.  On one of our runs to Lowe's we found elephant ears on sale for 75% off, of which we proceeded to fill our basket for spots back in Durham, as well as the area between our two houses that we now call "the courtyard".  Suffice it to say it was a rewarding weekend.  For one, perrenials we had planted last spring were now coming up in the beds in front of ours and Barbara's chalets; two, we managed to accomplish a productive spring clean; and three, there is nothing more renewing for the spirit and mind than falling asleep to the sound of the river just outside your window. 

Keith & Barbara while doing some last minute tidying up on Sunday, before heading downtown for some shopping, then back to Durham. 

The former waterfall, no longer an eyesore upon arrival. 

The view from 321.  I've snapped a lot of photos around the property, but never from this vantage point.

The view from 321 of the common area looking upstream.  Riverwood is in the center of the photo.

The common area from 321.

The old phone booth that sits across from our chalet reminds me of a guard house I recall seeing at Buckingham Palace in London.  This little house, by contrast, has seen better days.  I love the way the moss has grown on the roof.  Keith is planning to give it a new coat of paint in the weeks ahead, and there is talk of adding some mail cubbies inside for use by the homeowners. 

The old phone book cover and where the phone must have once been mounted.

The entry gate, now electrified, and the village sign.

The newly christened "courtyard." 

I had to throw this one in because the angle was interesting.  Riverwood to the left, and Creekside Nest to the right. 

April at the Chalet

We were up for the weekend, for the first (and last) homeowners meeting of the year.  We made some plans for the year, to include two community clean up days for the common areas, elected a new president...Keith!, received our new gate remotes, and oohed and aahed over the new electric gate at the entrance to the village, reviewed how the pump house & well house operate, and discussed general HOA topics.  All is well at the Roaring River Chalets. 

Aunt Mamie had been visiting Margeurite in Jacksonville, and all decided to take a trip up to Blowing Rock for several days.  We were disappointed we could only join them for a few of those days.  Needless to say, we had a great time, and Keith and I are already talking about a trip to New York next spring. 

Below are a few snaps from the weekend.   

We stopped for a quick snapshot before ambling through the gift shop at Moses Cone with Aunt Mamie, visiting from upstate New York.  We followed a little retail distraction with a 2.3 mile walk down the trail to Bass Lake.  We started at an elevation of about 4,000 feet at the Moses Cone Mansion, to the lake which was just under a 3,700 feet elevation  Keith and I left Barbara and Mamie, and hiked back up to retrieve the car, and drove down to the lake to pick them up.  Excellent hike!

After an almost meditative hike, we returned back to the Cone Mansion.  The day was superb.

This stand of trees to the right of the mansion caught my attention.  They appeared like soldiers at the ready, and with their long shadows I felt part of the infantry.



The road just in front of the mansion which led us to the gravel pathway that took us to the lake.



What can I say?  I love the nakedness of the trees before they leaf out.  They are vulnerable, and statuesque.

Back at the chalet, pittering in the beds, exploring for signs of last summer.  Barbara, Margeurite and Keith (three generations of gardening expertise).

 

Upon our return from a quick run to the store for new mulch for the beds, we found sisters Margeurite (Keith's grandma) and aunt Mamie sunbathing. 

Left to Right.  Grandma, aunt Mamie, Barbara & Keith.  Three generations.

Riverwood after a little spring clean in the yard, and new mulch in the beds...Preparing for three more season of enjoyment.