Home Sweet Home

We've been a bit tardy updating the blog. But we have a good excuse - we moved in two days after Thanksgiving! Since we managed to get virtually everything done before moving in, the move wasn't toooo bad. I (Kirk) declared this was going to be our last move though - I'm really sick of the process. This is the place we're going to be buried.

I went around the house with the camera trying to produce a photo tour. It's always frustrating trying to convey the feel of place with pictures. We feel very comfortable here. I hope the pictures convey that comfortable, lived-in look we so enjoy.

My parents gave us the beautiful welcome sign adjacent to the front door. With the windy storms we've had, it has been a challenge keeping it on the house.


















Our indoor porch. The sitting/dining area is in the southeast corner of the house. It captures the winter sun and provides a view that feels almost like you're sitting outside.











Cheryl's pride and joy - an Amish made wood cookstove. Since we're still in the process of getting settled, we haven't put a fire in it yet. It is lovely just to look at though. Pinkish column in background is a temporary insulated window covering prototype that Kirk is working on. We'll be covering some of these big windows during the night and then swinging them up out of the way during the day. Hopefully next winter we'll have permanent insulated roman shades made to replace them. Even without any windows covered the house is holding heat nicely over night without keeping a fire going. Single digit mornings still find us cozy inside with 61-63 degrees downstairs.

To the right is the dishwashing station. Cheryl bought a dish rack that hangs above the cast iron sink. The dishes drip directly into the sink for drying. They are left on the rack until the next usage. How's that for minimum handling? Plus there is a great view while doing the washing.




Kirk's new office space on the second floor. The storage situation and room to work is much better than any previous spot. A great view down our wooded driveway is a nice plus.

















The upstairs sitting space. Suitable for watching movies, reading or just hanging out.















Another view of the sitting area.
















Here are before and after move-in views of the kitchen. For awhile, we were buried in boxes. Since we don't have a cellar or garage, we pressed the 32ft. travel trail into service as additional storage. Gotta stay flexible!

























The poinsettia in the pic was brought by neighbors welcoming us to the neighborhood. We're pleased to say that we already know several of our new neighbors, have even started neighborly helping each other out with the couple across the road and have plans for farming-type collaboration with the family behind us through the woods.

Once we got halfway settled, it was time for another project. Cheryl bought a starter chicken coop so here we are building the chicken run. Early December was pretty mild, allowing easier building weather. Remember to hit the staple, not your finger, smiley!

We'll be starting with 4 laying hens and will expand once we can get a permanent & larger coop built. Cheryl has one customer for our extra eggs waiting in the wings, so to speak.













Ah, the "Hillbilly Hotel" as we've come to call this structure. It started life as a canopy for the travel trailer. But we needed a surrogate barn/garage so we covered the sides and ends with tarps and made it work. The original canopy roof leaked so we threw another tarp over that too. It houses the table saw, wood storage and rough storage for a variety of larger household items. It may not suit Martha Stewart but we're thrilled to have it!
















When we received the copper light fixture for this spot, we were initially dismayed by how big it was. But we liked how well it worked and its looks. So Cheryl decided to buy a street sign and a "Public Telephone 5 cents" sign to create a street scene motif since the light fixture made us think of an old street light. The Third street sign has special significance to Kirk. It's an actual sign from Bay City, MI where he spent a lot of time as a kid.















The view looking northwest with our stylish woodpile out front. Can't beat the woodpile location for convenience though!


Cheryl has linked up with a nearby farm store called Yesteryears Farm where they have commercial kitchens for cooking/baking products to sell in the store. Cheryl has applied for a commercial food prep license for our farm-to-be, Bird Briar Farm, and she, Jayne and Cheryl's friend, Paula, are making plans to bake & cook their way to a bit of income. Jayne will be knitting & maybe crocheting items to sell there as well. Cheryl's working on learning some new, funky ways to bake bread, seeking out intriguing recipes for catching the fancy of farm store customers, and making connections with other local farmers/growers to use their food in her products. One such is Raven Hill Orchard where they grow fabulous organic, heirloom varieties of apples which she would love to turn into scrumptious applesauce, sweetened with Maine maple syrup of course!