There & Back: North Carolina

Two years ago in November when the leaves had already fallen in North Carolina I took my first trip to visit my friends who live off the grid, up a treacherous winding dirt road on the top of a mountain. They have spent the past 9 years building homes and carving a community out of a mountain side. I realized it's a lot easier to catch up on two years worth of news & gossip when during the day there is only the distractions of chores and once the sun sets it's hard to stay up much later than post- dinner drinks around a lamp lit out door kitchen.

Romantics aside, it's important to note that what they have built has taken years of hard labor and although certain aspects of what they have done make it easier (solar panels for limited power, running cold water gravity fed into certain houses from a spring) the work will never end. I feel so thankful to be able to spend time in places like this, to remember what quite it like, with friends who over the years have become my family.










Dan's house












Dave's house in progress




Annie's house


Shari's house


Dave & Aaron turning garden beds


Janet harvesting the Calendula


Ramona & Aaron on our swimming trip to the Laurel River








Breakfast


Lunch


Dinner


Dessert


Kitchen at night




Dave's post dinner absinthe wizardry

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After a few day's in the mountains, we ventured over the river & through the woods to visit more friends & their handmade homes....


Jessie's house




I was blown away by the beautiful custom woodwork she did in her kitchen


Main house






Jessie & Romeo

Full photo set here.
Photos from 2009 trip here.