As with any home, there's always a list of projects. Whether they are small little tweaks or somewhat significant projects. We are always dreaming and wishing. One thing I had put on the list was an outside area to do yoga. Dreams of peaceful warrior amongst the swaying oak and pine trees was what I envisioned. We decided on a platform that could also serve a dual purpose as not only a place to do yoga but as a tent base (extra bedroom when the guest list exceeds the available space.) We decided on a 10x10 wooden platform that would overlook the Jefferson National Forest which is immediately out our back yard. The materials were delivered by the local building supply store during the week and we had decided to devote the entire weekend to completing this project. With a bit of slow start on Saturday, we were able to get it framed out by end of day and put the finishing touches on it Sunday morning. I love it when a project goes according to plan. Its been a great place for morning yoga and we were able to spend a couple of rainy July nights in our new tent on it when we had friends up for the Independence Day weekend. 

    Over breakfast this morning, I realized its been two years this month since we moved into Steel Nest. (And, almost two years since I updated this blog!) Here and now, I'm making a commitment to update this blog at least once a month in the coming years.

    Our small cabin, perched upon what we call a mountain top, has become our home away from home. I almost feel like we should call it home as we have been spending almost every weekend here since it was completed. Spending the week in the city working, only gives you a few hours each day to spend at home (other than sleeping.) When you sprint to the mountains after work on Friday and have the entire weekend here, it really does become the place where you spend your leisure hours, go on adventures, and spend the most quality time with each other. It has really become more like home and I find when we skip a weekend or two, I really do start to miss it.

    We've also been able to lure many friends to make the two hour trek to enjoy some time in the mountains as well. Whether its kayaking down the New River, winding around the Blue Ridge Pkwy to visit wineries, or attending our favorite musical festival - FloydFest, we have truly had some great experiences over the last 24 months. Today, its cold and blustery outside and I am able to enjoy reading a book by the fire and watching it snow outside. Truly, exactly what I had imagined for a mountain retreat. Stay tuned and I will give you some updates on happenings at Steel Nest and hopefully a few updates on what has transpired over the past 2 years as we have lived and learned from our time here.

Settling In

I realize its been quite a while since my last post, but that doesn't mean that there's not been things going on. Over the past several weeks we have been visiting almost every weekend and working on projects inside the house. Its really been too cold to do much outside and when you think its going to be a warm, sunny day, the clouds roll in and it rains, snows, or just gets too cold to be outside. The interior decorating of the house is taking shape and we are quite pleased with its progress. Every week we add something new. One wall I've been planning for over a year now and that was finally put into place, is the collection of antique augers that I've been accumulating while shopping for the house. I started with about five that I found at a small antique store on the way to the house, and since then the collection has grown to fourteen thanks to not only my shopping but some that were given to me by special friends and family. The collection was carefully hung on the stairwell so that it can be viewed from the second floor balcony.

Snowfall

By the time the long New Year's weekend was over, the temperature had dropped to 25 degrees and it had started to snow. We left the house(and the roads) covered in a beautiful snowfall.

Welcome to Steel Nest!

Every weekend getaway has to have a name. Ours is inspired by the location of the house and the metal siding that clads half of the outside. The name became apparent when we lucked upon this painting by Mitchell Lonas at the Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville, NC in December of 2010. It now hangs just inside the main entry to the house. Mitchell Lonas' nest series of paintings can also be seen in the Twilight movie series (Breaking Dawn) inside the Cullen house. mitchelllonas.com

Additional Photos

New Year - New House!

It was a long New Year's weekend and we were finally able to settle into the house. We arrived on Thursday night with a small truckload of additional furniture and household items and immediately got to work. The first order of business was hooking the range up. It came without an electric plug and that was first on the list as we had planned to cook dinner that first night. Two hours later and we were happily enjoying a pizza and salad in our new retreat. Over the course of the next few days, we were able to unpack everything, organize the kitchen, hang artwork, arrange furniture, and clean up the yard. We were even able to have friends over on Saturday morning for a welcoming champagne toast to the new place. There are still things to bring up and a short list of items to acquire, but as with any house, it will always be a work in progress.