(Not) Trespassing: Backwards To The Round House

Sometimes the beginning is the end, or the end the beginning... how I came upon the round house was entirely backwards and by chance. I started at the unknown end of 115 acres, as my starting point ---> in the pic above I am standing at the end of my route, but the true beginning for the round house, a big stone entrance gate where the (not really) trespassing ceased because it carried me on to a state road.
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Where I started my trail was here, on some old logging roads that kept on winding past Bob Knob's Ole' Cabin....
The trail seemed long since I was seeing it for the first time, and the forest became darker as it went on, thicker, less touched by humans, more eerie to be walking alone. I saw some fresh coyote scat and heard noises from birds new to my ears - I picked up a large stick (in addition to carrying my trusty knife) and continued on.
*
I came upon the littlest bit left of some structure totally deep in the mountain laurel, only a few strips of wood remaining, but enough to show someone had put it together at one time - it's purpose lost with most of the rest of the wood. Maybe it was a small pen for a pig?
As I walked further into the darkness, I finally could see a literal light at the end of the tunnel, a blotch of sun indicating a clearing. It is where all the deer tracks in the muddy road were leading to, and I was excited knowing there was going to be an open meadow up ahead!

THE OLD BARN::::::

As the scene opened itself up, I came upon one of the most beautifully hand crafted barns I have ever seen - a barn hidden to nearly all eyes because of it's far back location. But one that should be seen, as a historical and wood working Taj Mahal of the Appalachian Mountains!

The shingled long wood slat siding was breath-taking, I am most certain these were each hand made, taking a great amount of time and skill to put together.

I have yet to ever see old logs notched together, that didn't impress me....

Not far past the barn further down the road..... I came upon a HOUSE!

THE ROUND HOUSE:::::::::::

I had no idea I would come up on a "real" house, as in one not decaying and 100 years old. It seemed overgrown enough that maybe no one was there, but I was still VERY careful to walk up to the deck and call out "Helloooo" ---- anyone could have been inside. As I was standing waiting for a sign of life, 5 feet away from me a HUGE deer suddenly was startled, hauling it's lil' white tail away from me, scaring the shit out of me and itself.

I dared to look into the window, seeing that certainly in a house like this, no furniture meant No ONE is HOmE! I admired the light the house was getting, with all the windows and skylights.

I moved along down the road once again, past fields of wildflowers (yarrow, bee balm and Queen Ann's Lace) - spots I am sure the humans at one time kept well mowed and open for play or pleasure - nature was now claiming it's natural growth cycle.

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On my left I noticed through the trees, a Volleyball Court! Nature was taking it over too, pushing plants up through ever so slight cracks in the court's hard cement.

Just past the sports field was an adorable pond, with the perfect fishing peer towards the back end. The water was brown and I could not see to the bottom, or even on the sides - I knew there were frogs in it, but wondered about fish that I maybe could not see. The established nature of the wildflowers, blackberry vines and height of the grass indicated that this place was no longer a top priority for whoever had once loved it. And I am sure they did.

I eventually made way past two lean-to structures till I found a front stone wall, a gate - the announcement of the beginning which was my end.

XOxoxo

PS- the property turns out, is for sale. Round house with one acre, or up to an additional 114 acres.

(Not) Trespassing: Come on an Epic Adventure

Read between the lines.
I (don't) trespass, in fact I (never) jump fences because of an overwhelming urge to just see remnants of lives lived, private yet abandoned places, land, plants and trees. Since I have (never had) a habit of trespassing and I know it is against the law I have found a way to see new things without ever doing something bad.... properties FOR SALE!

So here is a first in a series of "(Not) Trespassing" posts I'll be doing, showing the empty places no longer wanted (but for sale) that I find.... (if you are interested in any of these places to buy, please e-mail me privately because otherwise I am keeping their locations a secret.)
.You are at the gates of 1.2 MILLION dollars. I know, that is alot of money - and so my search goal was just to walk the well graveled road till I reached the inevitable McMansion, oogle over the things rich people buy and wish for their giant track of land (for conservation purposes) and then move along back home....
I wound up a road so much more level then my own driveway, seeing lovely wishie flowers, wildflowers, trees, and some flat spots of forest before it opened up to a cleared area- a scene made for a movie. Pond, sculptures, landscape, putting green, and lay back chairs with covers on them (which happen to look like cocoon coffin pods planted by aliens....) ......
But maybe it's just the part in the movie when the southern characters have the really nice wedding.
I got SUPER excited when i saw bunches of HUGE fish in the pond, stocked heavily with brown speckled trout and Kio ! I wanna put fish in my pond now :)
Moving along above the creek fed pond is the golf lover's putting green --- cause gawd knows ya don't wanna get outta practice while away from home (why anyone would live away from this place I have no idea!) Between the fish and all the dandelion greens, you could live in a tent right there all summer long.
I walked along toward my goal but something unexpected happened... MORE then once too....

FORKS in the ROAD(s)!!! Knowing how much it costs to put in a road I had no idea anyone on earth would put in not just 1 or 2, but 4 roads leading every which way on this 50 acres of land. So much so that when all was said in done I walked a good 3-4 miles total. I assumed the biggest main house was at the upmost top of the ridge, so first I chose to follow the highest path.
But part the way up I found this first ---->

Structure #1 :::: The BArn as BiG as a House

I was not entirely convinced this barn wasn't actually a house disguised as a barn - for one it is way bigger then my house I live in, the condition was spotless and flawless and my imagination wanted those big ole' barn door shutters to swing open to reveal BIG beautiful windows and glass doors, holding amazing personal treasures to peek at. I mean, the barn did have a direct TV satellite dish right next to it (see lower right corner)!!! And unless their horses are enjoying reruns of Mr.Ed up in there, it didn't really make sense to have that technology....
But Alas.... a back window revealed the view to a kill, as in kill joy --- nothing in there at all really. Not even Mr. Ed.

The WALK continues winding upward :::::

I will admit here my inner struggle at looking at million dollar properties. I have to continually take myself out of judgment, out of the rich VS poor thoughts - trying to not make lists of my likes and dislikes rather then do what I came for which is the sheer joy of exploring & discovering (um, for sale real estate that is... ehem.) As my search for the McMansion went on, my swimming memory of the 1.2 million dollars given in worth to this place, curiosity about the people who once bought and loved this place --- just when I wanted to hate rich people for no other reason then I can't afford to buy this land I came upon something uniting.

Pet graves. Everyone and everything became equal again.
I gave a nod of recognition and moved on and on and on AND ON (ya get tha' picture!) - the road was beginning to look less cared for, the middle had not been mowed. I was determined to find a house up on the ridge though... just like the old locals say "the rich out of towners build high as they can on a hill where the weather and wind is worse. Local folk know to build down in a cove where you are protected." So up I went following whims, stereotypes and the overgrown path...
At the top ----->

Structure #2 :::: Most Beautiful (and high voltage) Lookout Cabin On Earth

Just when ya think you know what you will find... something ordinary, something mundane yet new...
instead I found a treasure of a lookout tower/cabin that was so natural, so authentically built, so full of love, family, parties, joy and craftsmanship I seriously almost cried. It took my breath away to find something so down to earth, downright earthy and unexpected. It looked like it had been hand crafted by my very own dreams.

Only problem... shit was surrounded by a solar powered Electric FENCE!
So i walked around the steep edges, carefully taking each step so that if I slipped I wouldn't hit the electric fence. Even every piece of furniture looked as though gnomes of the forest, bears and creatures from fairy tales had made them... it felt only remotely human.
Taste of THE VIEW from the edge of the lookout :::::
I was proud. I walked way far to find this thing.
Revisiting old forks in the road on my way back down the mountain led me to....

STRUCTURE #3 :::: The Rustic Log Cabin

This one did not strike me as full of lovin' energy, but still had the authentic and cozy flare........ i knew it was still not the main house. And all the shades were pulled down.
Am I weird for being totally creeped out by this tiny handmade chair (below)? It is the perfect size for gremlins (the children and the monsters)!! Maybe it was cause i looked at the chair right after reading the odd "I love My Uncle" written on the chalk board -
ok, horror movie script writers go get started....

And now for the Fake Animals and Birds Expose' ::::::

Yippeeee ---> I got pictures of almost all the large fake creatures except for the the fake wooden bear which was detained behind the electric fence and lookout screen....

Which are Adorable or Creep-a-delic? You decide!

Structure #4 :::: Dat's NOT A MC Mansion House

The moment I was waiting for, the "Mc Mansion" I expected to find at the end of the long and winding road (not at the top of a mountain) was not a MC-Fugly giant house after all, but a roomy cape cod modern farm house... one that held some treasures that I was surprised to see through the spit shined glass windows.
Like handmade tic-tac-toe! (I sooo need to start making these!)
and a collection of all the things i LOVE to collect in nature... like someone read my mind, took my love of all things natural and put them in jars behind a glass wall where I could not touch them. Someone invaded my dreams and made it look scientific, untouchable and important. Beautiful.
Bones, skeletal leaves, feathers, unusual sticks, bee hives etc....
******
(Not) Trespassing was all worth every second of adventure.
plus, I made some really nice friends along tha' way....

So glad you could join us!

XOxoox

Forest & The Sling

Meet Forest. Not the trees and flora but my friend who came by the Luck Cabin for a visit. A true local mountain guy who is the spawn of Appalachian people of many generations past ---> and who was super sweet enough to make me my own handmade sling (like the girl uses to hunt with in Clan Of The Cave Bear!) He made the sling from upcycled leather of an old wallet and hemp twine, woven so tightly it has a spring to it.

Forest brought his sling too and showed me how to use mine...
Only issue was, I smashed my finger (on my right hand) last week between two huge rocks I was moving around to make a garden bed --- so he had to teach me how to sling rocks with my left hand.
It wasn't all that easy, but the hardest part really is to not be afraid to peg the other human standing nearby with a fast flying rock. Since it is a weapon that can actually kill things/break things.... mine did not exactly the sound barrier and making whipping noises though like Forest's did...
But I did get the hang of it, and slung a few straight shots!
Then with a little team effort we took apart the back of my GMC Jimmy because the back hatch wasn't closing anymore, and i was being choked out with car exhaust when driving....... (freaking gross) --- we didn't fix it 100% but we got the hatch to close again! yay.
AND we looked at plants around the cabin and in the woods. Remember how last week I saw this plant and asked if it might be a type of trillium... it's definitely not.
But it's "Spanish Plantain".
This next one looks just like mint! I think it might be the native mountain mint but it has a real strong herb smell similar to more of a bergamot, oregano type scent... Forest ate some of it and said it had a mint after taste. But I am pretty sure I saw him spit some out after ;)
Thanks Forest for coming to visit me ova' here in Luck, it was fun!!!

PS- btw, I can't believe how short tall people make me look.... ;)
xoxoxo