New Look!

A whole new look!

Wow, it has been two years since my paradigm shift that led me to this mountain and new life. A lot has happened! Edrianna and I packed up our home of 25 years, moved to a new state and town and changed our way of living, immersing more into nature with a simpler lifestyle.

This all sprang from a vision quest I went on in West Virginia in 2010 called “Hero’s Journey”. I had some pretty profound experiences, both mental and physical that challenged my very soul. The major result of my journey was learning to find my bliss. For me this meant reconnecting to nature and disconnecting from some of the distractions of this modern world.

This article is my way of checking in and updating my family and friends on where I am today. Our home is pretty near completion and we are settling into our “Greener” life. We were successful in creating an efficient home without disturbing our new environment. We made it through the first winter utilizing our solar heating system for a large portion of our heating needs. We made it through this summer without the need of air conditioning. Being at 3500 feet elevation was key and we consciously choose not to install AC. There were only a few slightly uncomfortable days, however we managed well. Our garbage output has been reduced to a bag ever three weeks or so because of our recycling and composting efforts. Even though our property is challenging to enter and exit, we still use our Toyota Prius as our main vehicle, using our truck for short runs or the hardware store and traveling in the snow.

This spring we ventured out into the community and became involved with our neighborhood community center. We are now part of a bluegrass band, me playing guitar and singing and Edrianna playing hammered dulcimer and singing-lots of fun. Our group plays on Tuesday evening and we play several gigs a year, mostly for charity. We made a bold move and did not connect to cable TV. A very smart move! We have a rabbit ears antennae hooked to the TV and pick up PBS, weather radar and a couple local channels which disconnects us from hours in front of the tube and now we either build a fire in the fire pit, play games, watch a movie or read-way more productive.

I am officially semi-retired and have kept a few of my favorite clients from the past 30 years and Edrianna is building her healing practice and conducting workshops. When not working we are still working on construction and outside projects. Our free time during the week is now increasing and we are exploring the area, looking for new adventures. I dedicate this revised Blog for documenting these new adventures.

We are starting to explore the numerous hiking trails in the area. These shots are near Mount Pisgah off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

There is an restaurant at 5000 ft. Very good food and this great view from the dining table.

Saw lots of butterflies on our hikes.

We've talked about camping on the far side of the property and we finally did it. We picked an excellent spot for a campsite and spent one Sunday cleaning it up.

Our new 'Spirit" fire pit under way.

Our fire pit has 12 stones; 4 representing the 4 directions and then 2 stone between each.

Time for a break!

Settling in for our first night with a nice fire.

We have been sort of "urbanized" over the years, so we were a little apprehensive camping with having a yard full of bears and coyotes. We made it thru the night without being eaten. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself"

This is another area of the Blue Ridge Parkway called Craggy Gardens.

A short walk and the scenery changes completely.

Blueberry bushes on the trail.

Wild flowers are all over the place on the parkway during summer.

Oh Yea, we bought a canoe (very green) for exploring the many lakes and rivers in the area.
Here we are at Lake Julian in Asheville.

Just hanging out!

This is at Lake Lure. The mountain behind me is called Chimney Rock.

I mentioned the Hero's Journey earlier. I returned this summer for some new adventures.
www.herosjourneyfoundation.org

This is our crew. The white dog just showed up to watch over us. I have showed just a couple of pictures so as not to give away any of the fun. If you want to know more please feel free to ask me.

Edrianna went on her second journey a week after me.

Did you notice that we both sat in the same spot to have our picture taken (see the swinging bridge below)?

In between our fun I'm still working on finishing up the house. The bedroom cabinets and drawers was my last project for upstairs. Next is outside and then the basement.

Edrianna's Watermelon Pie is now an award winning dessert! I told her it would be a hit.

(I keep reminding Jim that there were only two pie entries in the dessert contest at our community center annual picnic - and he keeps saying, "A win's a win!")

Persistence pays off.
We keep telling people about the Bob Cat that we've see on our property. "Bob" finally visited again and I had my camera ready. Edrianna whistled to him as he was heading away from the house and he turned to look as any curious cat would do. You think your cat has attitude....

We have more projects and adventures in the works - stay tuned!