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In 2005 Jim and I purchased this property to build our retirement home. We tracked down the owner because this was Jim's grandparents property and we wanted to return it to the family. We began by tearing down the old cabin (which was falling down and a danger) and clearing the property for our home. We wanted to place our home on the exact location of the old cabin. We actually began building our log house here in 2007. We worked on it over a period of 2 years before we actually moved down here and settled into our house. It wasn't finished at the time but we lived in it and worked on it as we could afford to. Our final project (putting in the flooring) was finally finished in 2011. In 2012 we started building the garage with the apartment above it. The apartment was being built for our friends to move down here and be near us. After 2 years, in 2015 they decided that they missed Michigan and their grandchildren too much and moved back to Michigan leaving us with an apartment we didn't know what to do with. We didn't want to have permanent renters but we also didn't want to just let it sit vacant or keep it just for our visitors. That's when we decided to rent it as a vacation rental. That has been the best answer to this story. We have met the most amazing people through this part of our journey here. Each one has been so different but so very great. We have made lifelong friends and some that have come back over and over. We have really enjoyed having each one in our lives and looking forward to who else this journey will bring our way.

As I stated above, we wanted this particular property because it was JIm's grandparents property. The stones by the corner of the porch are the original steps which were used to get up to the cabin porch and although our house is much bigger than the one room cabin that was here, we did put this house back where the old one was. This property has special meaning to our family for more than this reason. First of all, it was Jim's family's property, my father helped us build this home (he was 80 years old when we started) and this turned out to be the last house he would build. He died in 2011 before he got to see the finished project. Last but not least, this is the first complete building project Jim and I had done. Needless to say, we did learn a lot while building this home. We never intended to build anything else but did build the garage with the apartment above it for our friends. If they were not moving down here, we would have only built the garage or possibly a pole barn. This is our story about why this property was so special to us.

Jim brought me down here in 1979 on our honeymoon. His aunt Dicie lived in Mountain View and his cousins and aunt Melea lived here on this property. At that time, they were still living in that one room cabin with no running water and only a lightbulb in the middle of the room for electricity. I fell in love with Mountain View because of the music and festivals there. I play keyboard and autoharp and I also sing. I have learned to play the banjo, the dobro and I have a guitar, a bangitar and a mandolin I will pick up some day. I knew then that someday I wanted to be near Mountain View so I could be a part of this music and history. I didn't want to live in town so when we found out that his family had lost the property for back taxes, we had to try to buy it back. Luckily, the man who purchased the property for the back taxes was willing to let the family stay on the property and was willing to sell it to us. I love living in the south and I also love the friends we have made here. It all makes our lives complete. We do miss our family back in Michigan but we love the mountains and all we have here.