This is our home away from home. Great light, high ceilings, open floorpan, nice wood, granite countertop, beautiful deck and front porch with Weber grill, on 5 acres of land with privacy and dips in the pool. Fire pit out back for beautiful nights, wood stove inside for getting cosy in the winter...
It is serene. You will see nothing but trees, grass, chipmunks, rabbits, and deer.
Run around in the backyard or walk up the road to get in some steps. We play a lot of ping pong and go for long walks along the road or short hikes, including the closest one along the Mongaup river at the bottom of our hill. We can give you the lowdown on a couple other hikes in the area. We do yoga in the sunny loft upstairs or in the finished basement when we want it cooler or more private. Our daughter does online dance classes downstairs as well.
I normally work in the loft, looking out the back windows. My wife is more sequestered either in the bedroom or downstairs.
We also like to sit out front on the deck, with our feet up. Back deck is great too. Plenty of room to hang out and read, eat, work. Weber BBQ —I made the mistake of buying it unassembled. 5 hours later I was flipping burgers. If you use it, please keep it clean and pristine. I will leave a fully filled propane tank and hope to return to the same.
Fire pit out back! Chill in the hammock. Dip in the pool. I mean,... this is kinda what it’s all about.
**There is no television or land line, but we have decent internet speed and stream video / do constant zoom calls on multiple devices. I’ve found the upload speed is not great for sending large video files. Password: ederfader
Excellent cell service here (at least for Verizon), which is otherwise very spotty around these parts.
Other info:
THE BARN is where goats and a giant pig lived before we moved in. The chicken coop was carted away with the chickens. We can’t care for animals because we're not here full time.
If you want farm fresh food, the seasonal BARRYVILLE FARMERS MARKET is awesome and 18 mins away.
https://www.barryvillefarmersmarket.org
CALLICOON FAMERS MARKET is much bigger and year round, but more of an outing.
http://callicoonfarmersmarket.org
A large, two car garage is hidden away in the back of the property where we're now storing the bulk of our wood.
THE SHED is where we keep recycling and store trash. Don’t leave food or garbage out overnight, varmints will be attracted. If you are here more than a week, plan to take at least a couple trips to the town dump. It’s not a big deal, but we will give you the info on that when you book...
**We have a generator in case a storm was to knock out the power.
FALL: Beautiful Fall Foliage started in October during 2020. Truly an amazing time to spend be here during the Fall. Period.
WINTER: We have real winters here even with some frosty or snowy nights in April last year. The WOOD BURNING STOVE manages to heat the whole house and becomes a centerpiece of time spent at home. It is truly a pivotal part of the experience here, sitting around the fire. We prefer you use it only after speaking with us first to be sure you know what you’re doing and don’t hurt yourself or fill the house w smoke, etc. If you are unfamiliar, please do yourself a favor and watch a couple YT videos before even considering it.
SPRING: Spring is a short season. Gorgeous time to be here!
SUMMER: The house does NOT have central air but we have one window air conditioner upstairs and ceiling fans in every room. The basement is basically always under 70 degrees and dehumidified. It gets chilly overnight so the house stays relatively cool all day if you’re thoughtful about when to let the outside air in. In other words, close the windows when it’s hot out— counter intuitive, I know.
THE DELAWARE: it's a river nearby.
Here are a couple disclaimers:
COVID-19 SPECIAL NOTE: By default, we are supplying linens and towels, but you may use your own if you prefer. Please let us know if you intend to bring yours.
1– We have only lived here for a short while and are still getting a deep sense of the house and locale. We plan to change a lot, including getting bathroom renovations (ground floor bathroom reno in Dec, 2020).
2- Our road has pristine shoulders — you have my wife to thank for that. She walks these roads with her garbage picker. I cant help but judge people who throw cans of Bud light and twisted tea to the side of a beautiful country road. Clearly some people around here are not of the same mindset as us.
3- The Hawks Nest is a truly beautiful piece of road at a scenic spot along the Delaware River. However, on the weekends if it’s nice out, it is a prized spot for drivers who are there for sport. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle in this area during the winter.
We feel very lucky to be here and hopefully you will too.
- Michael & Deb
360 tour: https://youtu.be/ZTQUdrxh_9I
SECURITY SYSTEM (none)
There are no cameras monitoring the inside of our home and no security system to worry about. We do have security cameras focused on the driveway, front door, and sliding door on back deck. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about these.
WATER
Our water has tested completely fine to drink. We installed (August, 2022) a UV water treatment system to ensure healthy water.
However, when we run the hot water a lot, there is a sulfur smell in the basement. The cold / drinking water does not smell.
We have researched the hot water sulfur smell and spoken with a plumber as well as the water heater manufacturer (who was surprisingly helpful and knowledgable). This is nothing to be concerned about in terms of health -- sulfur in water is actually thought to be quite healthy for the skin.
However, if this is something that concerns you, please let us know. We want you to be 100% comfortable -- as we are -- in our home.
WOOD STOVE
Here's tips for using our wood stove:
https://bit.ly/3sIJiZr
