Where I Live

Alison from over at Alison's Banded Adventure came up with the most wonderful idea!  She asked us to write about where we live - and went into glorious detail about where she lives in England!  Do take some time if you have the chance and read about her home (and check out the website, too!) you won't be sorry! 

Our field across the road

Let's see..  where to begin..  I grew up in a large city.  We lived in a rather large but comfortable row house on the city's south side, and had exactly one square foot of grass that my Mother planted the year the city lined our street with trees.  She would make us "mow the lawn" with scissors every Saturday to keep it "redded up".. (Pittsburgh-ese for keeping it 'tidy')  After me 'n the Hubs were married, we bought our first home on the hill - still on the south side of the city, but up in the goat hills.  It was a good first home, but not in the best of neighborhoods.  So, when our oldest son was born five years later, we moved to the suburbs into a cookie cutter home on a quarter acre of land.  It was a beautiful little home - but the term "little" was an understatement.  Along came our second son and we were bursting at the seams.  We wanted land.  Wasn't it Mark Twain who said to "buy land.  They're not making it anymore."?  So we did - and we're still here.

Sunset over the field

We live in a small town in Western Pennsylvania.  We don't actually live in town, "town" is about 3 miles away. We have one flashing light and a Mom and Pop grocery store - that's about it - just call us "Hustle and Bustle."  There are more homes in "town" then around where we are, but to understand the big picture, there were more homes on our street in the suburbs than here in the entire "town".  Here, the deer outnumber the people, and farming and agriculture are the principle form of income for most folks.  In fact, a local farmer farms the field we own across the road - the corn he grows is outstanding!  We have several Amish families who live on our road, and it is a glorious sound to hear the horse drawn buggies going up and down through the day.   Our closest neighbor is about 3 or so city blocks away, and if I wanted to run nekkid through the property only the deer would know....  Don't worry, I haven't stunned any deer lately!

Our Pond at Sunset

We are very close to the Allegheny River and have several creeks and small "waterfalls" either on our property or close to it that flow into the larger Scrubgrass Creek, which ultimately flows into the Allegheny.  We are high on a ridge, and the sunrises and sunsets are truly spectacular!  Our property has a five acre pond which is healthy and thriving with fish, water fowl and plants. 

The area around us is the "Birthplace of the Oil Industry" - in Titusville, as a matter of fact.  You can still see the site where Edwin Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 - Drake Well.  It's a museum now, and I have my obligatory bottle of Pennsylvania Crude Oil in a prominent location. 

Our home is "interesting" to say the least.  It is a combination of old and new.  The center of the house is the original farm house that was built on the property about 150 years ago (I know, Alison - that's not old!).  Over the years, the house was moved to its present location on the property and additions were built onto the house.  About three owners ago (probably about 30 years ago or so) a woman by the name of Brinker (her first name) purchased the home and did a huge over hall.  She added the rounded windows in the dining room overlooking the pond, put three (3) kitchens and six bathrooms in the house, installed a cut glass entryway in the foyer, added a wine cellar.  When she was finished, she purchased brick from a Georgian plantation that was being torn down and had it shipped here.  She had the entire home covered in the brick. Brinker then sold the house and moved to Honduras.  I met her once before she passed away.  She was definitely an unforgettable character!  About seventy years old, five foot if she was that tall, skin as smooth as you can imagine, with flaming - absolutely FLAMING red, wild, curly hair..  I asked her what prompted her to put such unusual additions onto the house.  Her reply?  "I just like to build things."  I didn't mention that when she lived in Honduras, she built hotels there - hence the three kitchens and six bathrooms I suppose.  And if you're wondering about the wine cellar?  We have about twelve bottles of wine in it - we drink it faster than we can accumulate it!  It's an interesting conversation piece though - one of the kitchens are in there!

So this is where we live.  I can truly say that I've gone from one extreme to the next.  I've lived in the city where I had to mow the lawn with scissors to living out in the middle of nowhere where a tractor and a four wheel drive vehicle are not status symbols but necessities (although there is a good rivalry over whose truck is 'bigger' - it's a guy thing)  We're not sure if we're going to stay though.  Some days I'm ready to move on, and other days I feel as though I would never want to leave here.  But, now that the children are grown and gone, it is a bit too much house for me 'n the Hubs - for pete's sake, what do we need SIX bathrooms for???  There's only two tushies residing here!

Until next time!