We bought our land in September 1976.
1976 First fall up on our new land.
Kaitlin watering the grass in the clearing where our future houses would be built.
Kaitlin and I still remember how beautiful the clearing was. We enjoyed it for almost seven years, until we built our first, partially completed house.
1984
The fire came along in June 2011.
July 18, 2011
Our new house was finished in November 2012.
November 27, 2021
(The solar heating panels on the roof were added later.)
Our new house is smaller than the old one and doesn’t look as elegant, but it’s a lot more functional. And it’s finished inside.
December 5, 2021
they were and are beautiful, both of them. we often talk about how much we love our house but what we would change if we did have a chance. smaller is what we needed and still do.. i am so glad you are showing us these photos, i often have questions that i don’t ask when you talk about the past
Feel free to ask. There was a lot going on. 🙂
The days of the past, and the then and now are both exciting (sad to have lost, but something for the future is now waiting!)
Yes, it’s best to mourn our losses, be thankful that we had it, and move on. At our ages Andy and I don’t count on the future much but we are making the most of what we still have. 😀
I had never seen the first house! it was beautiful… but seemed huge.
I like what you have now. 🙂 xoxo
The neat thing about the new house is Kaitlin, Torben, and the pups stay up there when they come. That’s a real plus.
Your house was stunning, a modernistic beauty. How awful that it burned! Do you know the cause of the fire? I would have been devastated. Your new house is very nice, and i like the porch too.
Yes, the fire started when a wind blew a tree across a power line. The forest was so dry it was a tinder box waiting for a match. It burned over 44,000 acres (almost an acre a second) in its first 13 hours.
I’m so sorry about the loss of your beautiful home. But I’ve no doubt whatsoever that you are happy and content in whatever home you are living in. Your current home is lovely, and there’s a lot to be said for function! There is so much wasted space in some of the newer homes that are built these days.
We don’t live up there, we live in a 1000 square feet apartment down here in town. The house is even smaller, less than 800 square feet as I recall. It’s a wise choice given our ages. Andy goes up every day so the house up there is well used, and Kaitlin, Torben, and the pups stay up there when they visit.
What a shame to have lost that beautiful home to the fire. All of you were safe though and that’s what really matters.
Yes, Andy got out in time, thank goodness.
Both homes are so nice. So sorry about that fire.
Sorry we have been MIA for a bit. Too many busy days.
No problem. I would visit your posts even if you didn’t comment. 🙂 I hope things are going well.
I am still so sorry you lost your first home…but I do like the second one.
Also wanted to say that 1976 is the year we got married…in July.
I have warm feelings about that year. 🙂
Lots of good memories go with building those those houses, I’m sure. And no fire can take those from you.
That’s the way I look at it, I’m grateful we have them.
That second image is heartbreaking. What, did the supporting walls/first floor just collapse?
I appreciate you mention (above) how the fire began. For some reason, I have no memory of that; only the Cerro Grande in 2000. So glad it didn’t encroach on the townsite.
The cinder blocks were the first floor. The second story was wood and burned up.
Overhead power lines are very vulnerable. They really should be underground where they can’t be hit by falling trees or whatever. A lot of households in England and Scotland are still without power a week after Storm Arwen, and trees falling on power lines is one of the reasons.
The trouble is, where would the money come from?