I remember being surprised by the violence associated with the storm. 

Water that I had always found to be calming and cleansing, had leveled buildings and trees with the same force as an atomic bomb.

I've heard the term, "steps to nowhere" in reference to all that is left standing on many properties after the storm. I've chosen to treasure these relics....they are my path to memories......the only tangible reminder of little feet running into a 100 yr old house, of listening to afternoon thunderstorms while rocking on the porch, or azaleas and honeysuckle on a tamed property, and the obvious reminder that all can be washed away in a blink of an eye.

It didn't take long for nature to reclaim the abandoned spaces........much to my amazement

Quen and I took every opportunity to return home even though we could not afford to build one

And one day, I saw a post on Tiny House blog asking for people wanting to build tiny houses for a new network TV show. My thought,  "What do I have to lose?"! With a glass of wine at my side, I wrote our story. Within a week, I realized my dream may be coming true as we were set up for Skype interviews with a production company in New York! A year and a half later, we were Opening episode of Season 3 on Tiny House Nation..............never give up!

Standing in this picture are hope and joy........Roald in a foreign place, finding familiar wildflowers he loves, in a spot that will soon be our home

And so it began......Minimal clearing for a tiny house

Eventually they couldn't go any deeper

Builder decided to use 12' x 12' to support foundation. Best call! They exemplify the sturdiness of this tiny home!

We decided to connect the front deck to the landing at the top of steps. The corner is a wonderful place to sit and watch the birds.

I thought, at this point, I could envision the end product. I had NO idea!

Many an eveing I spent with a bottle of wine and my friend Sarah sitting on the deck trying to imagine what it would look like, and marveling at how far we had come.It was winter, and there were bats passing by, at eye level. It was magical!