SMALL HOUSE MOVEMENT:FLOYD COUNTY STYLE

If you, gentle Reader, permit me a sweeping generalization, honour me thusly.  (Oh, my.  Don't ever let me read 17th century English poetry early in the morning and then try to blog.  I don't want to be the one to give you just cause to upchuck your oatmeal.)

But the word is this.  American vacations have evolved.  Coming from an ex-travel agent, these are fighting words.  The days of the $13,000 "Grande Tour" are pretty much done for.  Trends are currently post "simple living", and a couple of decades past extravagant living.  It is not a popular choice to spend too much money, even if you have it.  Whereas I used to adhere to the concept of "selling up", (after all you get what you pay for) now I would go directly to selling "smart".

Don't get me wrong.  People still want to retreat.  We all work hard and hopefully are wise enough to store up a bit to reward us for our labours.  (oh I warned you)  But we do that differently in 2012.   And there you have it.  Finally, the reason for this post.  The Small House Movement: Floyd County style.

In case I haven't mentioned it lately, we sell land.  Not just any land, but drop dead, slap-your-mama, crazy beautiful Floyd County land.  We believe that an investment in unique and spectacular land is probably more important than in whatever abode you decide to place on top of all that beauty.

A few years ago we (well Larry, and I added my two-cents usually just late enough to make the job difficult) built a cabin in the woods.  Electricity runs off a generator and we "take our toilet" in an old fashioned outdoor privy.  We warm our french pressed coffee kettle on the woodstove. We were pretty much off the grid, before that was mainstream cool.

And, did I mention it's also beautiful?  Lots of found lumber and some gorgeous wormy chestnut trim board that we were lucky enough to discover in an old tobacco barn that sits on some property that we have for sale.  We used the beautifully hewn and seasoned tobacco slats for railings in the loft.  Well, in this case words don't do the place justice.  So I've added some pictures right here.

We've also discovered a lot of like-minded folks who are looking for land in Floyd County to build their dream cabin.  Not a dream mansion, mind you, like some of that stuff that goes on in the gated communities in western North Carolina.  We've found that most of the time we spend at the cabin is outside anyway.  We wanted something comfortable, smart and affordable.  Did I also mention that it's beautiful?  Oh yeah, just last paragraph.

Please indulge me once again.

"Ah, yet, ere I descent to the grave,
May I a small house and large garden have;
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!"
Abraham Cowley

Go enjoy your Saturday!  What the heck are you doing inside anyway?