I've been writing so much about my family and my trip home, and I did say I would post some more photos, so here is a glimpse into my childhood home.
My parents' house in the woods. The portion on the right is the original three-bedroom, one-bath my parents built in 1964 when my sister was born, and where the four of us lived until I left for college and my sister was married; the middle and left portions are additions just from the past few years.
My sister's house, in the field behind my grandparents' house, which is a few hundred yards through the woods from my parents'. The house is a beautiful old building from the 1800s; standing on land in the next county that was to be flooded when a local man-made lake was complete, my grandfather bought it and he, my grandmother, my brother-in-law and my dad rebuilt it. It has a wonderful high-ceilinged great room, and a huge fireplace in the kitchen.
My aunt's house and her horse barn, a short distance up the road from my parents, grandparents and sister, and on the river near the camp where my birthday party was held.
Called the "camp," it's basically a small house on the river just up the road from where I grew up. It's jointly owned by my grandfather and a family friend; when I was a child, we spent many summer days here and, until recently, my mother's family celebrated Independence Day here each year.
Those look like nice places to live. I envision myself frolicking in the grass then falling asleep under the shade of the trees.
It looks like my dream house! I would love to live in any one of those places. Simply beautiful.
It's very beautiful back there, and I appreciate it more and more the older I get (as a smart, liberal gay 18-year-old, though, I couldn't wait to get away). Growing up in the woods and in a remote area certainly has had a lasting effect, though: to this day I absolutely love trees and wonderful starry night skies.
And it was amazingly green for this late in July, thanks to the heavy precipitation they've had down there this spring and summer. It's also very beautiful in autumn, my favorite season regardless.
I have a little bit of land on the river back home, a college graduation gift from my grandfather. Some day I'd like to build a little house there--a nice summer retreat.
I can understand that. I probably would have felt the same way when I was 18. Ahhh, summer retreat.