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The veranda on the main house that was a cabin |
A few years ago, semi-retired (Pam still works) and with more time and energy than money, Dean and Pam decided to expand the one bedroom cabin on the property they bought at the end of three miles of dirt road. First the cabin was expanded a little, ok, a lot, to make room for them. Then large verandas and decks were added so they and their and friends could enjoy the views. A workshop was needed, and finally they decided to add a garage where their motorcycle friends could park their bikes, and oh yeah, a little bunkhouse style set up so guests could sack out after a long ride. But being work-alcoholics, or at least highly-motivated, they sort of got carried away. No fat checks were written to contractors, either, they did the work themselves.
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Just a little spot for their motorcycle friends |
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Rob rides in from SoCal |
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Dean rides in on his new BMW K1600 |
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Pam's exercise room. |
An exercise casita was added because building and landscaping the place themselves apparently wasn't enough exercise.
Yes, they really built it all themselves, two people in their 60s did it because no one told them they couldn't and because life and friendship is about doing, not just talking or watching.
Only rarely was a contractor brought in, mostly it was just the occasional friend or friends to help with painting or tasks like setting huge beams that were not safe to do alone.
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Community kitchen and living room in the bunkhouse. |
Couples get first dibs on the private rooms. Gromit and I arrived late and shared a hide-a-bed in the workshop. |
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The 3 miles of dirt road to get there is easy in a car, a little more challenging on a bike. |
Gromit fit right in. |
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Sun tracking solar panels power the place |
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View from the bunkhouse deck at sunset |
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Friendship matters more than brands. |
You can read Dean's six year long "build thread" about the place here. I'm hoping to head back up there next month, this time on my motorcycle. Dean promised to let me ride his new BMW K1600 and how can I pass up an opportunity like that?
9 comments:
Man. I need better friends.
Awesome, I love reading blogs like this. Just brillant.
Inspiring.
excellent! great place they have created!!!...
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
What a fine slice of pie they carved out there. I would thouroughly enjoy doing that.
Doug,
I've yet to see anything quite so incredible. This is just amazing. It combines my love for building and motorcycle work with intelligent, kind people. This is truly an amazing find for a motorcycle and normal human being.
I just read on another blog about packs of motorcycles blocking off highways and acting like morons. On the complete other end of the spectrum you have this. Amazing.
Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
www.behindbarsmotorcycle.com
im in awe of the last pic, nighttime and porch lights give such a beauty to the bikes dancing beneath.
MQ, I wish I could say I planned it but it was just one of those moments where I walked outside for something else and when I turned to go back in saw the scene and said "Wow, I've gotta get my camera!"
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