Working on a big canvas: 40 acres on Lookout Mountain, Alabama.


Purchase and Location

I bought this property in 2005 and named it Richmond Woods for my father who taught me about nature and respect for the wild. It's located in Alabama near the Alabama/Georgia state line. The small nearby village of Mentone, AL has been a mountain retreat for 150 years for people escaping the summer heat of Birmingham and Atlanta. My companion, Carolyn, has helped me every step of the way.

A Cottage in the Woods
When you were little, did someone read fairy tales to you? Invariably, there was mention of a cottage in the woods. Our plan is to build such a place: handmade, no architect plans, buying local materials or using salvaged materials. The purpose of this blog is to document our progress.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

June 11 - 13

Three-day weekend number 2!  More delishous meals - here is homemade bread and coleslaw plus cold chicken and pickles. Just too hot to eat hot food ;)


We finished the screening of the porch windows and I spent a good bit of time installing the front storm door before I realized I was doing it wrong. Oh, well. You don't learn anything by doing nothing. 

Carolyn spread that humongous pile of wood chips around the house in hopes of stopping some of the erosion. She also spent time mulching one of the azalea beds and creating some break-waters out of dead wood, leaves, and sticks in hopes of further slowing erosion.

 









Also, we moved the propane tank because it was in a non-attractive location.

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