Well, it is sort of official. At least the hole is being dug. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] We've finally begun our mountain house! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Our vision is achieveable....hip roof, essentially square cabin on a knoll over an essentially hidden basement (nine foot ceilings that will provide under house parking and dry workspace in the short run and eventually finished in the long run). Generous roof overhangs (wet climate), exposed beam vaulted ceilings, cypress decks all the way around, lots of glass, stacked stone fireplace (indoor and out), poplar bark siding, peeled locust porch poles with green corregated cantilevered roof.

The design is our own (blank sheet of paper approach), but inspired by Japanese country home architecture. We're trying hard to keep it elegantly simple...

The site is magnificent. We knew it when we bought the land, but saw it in its full glory when it was recently cleared. We see forty to fifty miles across mountain tops to the Smoky Mountain National Park towards the North, towards a (soon to be) two acre pasture nestled against a mountain to the East, down through the (later to become) vineyards, orchard and gardens to the South and through a swale of treetops to view the setting sun over Eagles Knob to the West.

The absolutely incredible thing is the fact that we can only see two lights at night! [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] Our closest neighbors are looking at town lights, including an irritating airport strobe, but we just happen to be tucked around the mountain top in such a way that our views will always be pristine (national forests).

Anyway, wish us luck. We've got a lot of serious lifting ahead. I'll post some pics when there is something more tangible to crow about.

Sabi