*A short history.
We, Dave & Debbie, used to run a Retreat and Training Center with high and low ropes courses on the 40 acres just across Hiway 136 to the north. We were able to purchase the south side (where our River Home and the Wren House are) in 1996 from the same church who had owned the north side. We were not completely sure what we would do with this lovely property. River access was important. The barn was solid. The 4 mobile homes were less attractiveJ. We added in paintball to our other team building events and had a lot of fun with that. (I gave our daughter a paintball gun for a wedding shower gift.)
The 5 acres that are across the creek and up the hill to the southwest, we purchased because they were attached and available. Each parcel has a special story, of course, and we are grateful to have the 15 acres you are welcome to enjoy. The small cabin up on the hill is obviously in disrepair, but we have offered that our grandkids can have it as a project someday if they’d like.
In 2018, we were thinking we might update the last mobile home until Dave spent the night in it during a storm. That pushed us to consider making a small corner of the barn into a place we could stay overnight. Then, that idea grew to us building a home and over the next year, we created the River Home….thinking we would eventually move there. The stay-at-home order in March of 2020 decided our move-in date. It has been a great place to semi-quarantine…..but then, we decided that having a place for our kids to stay when they come out (we have 5 grown kids and 7 grandkids), so the Wren House was built during the pandemic. Dave is the general contractor and architect, Debbie is a willing carpenter’s assistant and offers design ideas, and we have had two awesome, gifted builders, Doug and Jay, who have spent a lot of days out here since March, 2020 and have made our ideas and thoughts come to life.
*The idea to offer the Wren House to other guests comes mainly from our deep appreciation and enjoyment of the wonders of nature and the desire to share that. So, please explore and enjoy. The name Wren House comes from the many, many birds we share the woods with. There are a lot of Carolina wrens around and we had a nest in the garage when we were building the Wren House. Birdnet is a really cool app that will identify birds by their songs.
*The Sauna: This is a dry sauna and is lined with eastern red cedar. It is new, so the aroma of cedar is strong. The heater is from Finland. If you want to use the sauna, just let us know and we can warm it up for you. Please read the Sauna info sheet with guidelines and precautions before using.
*Fire pits: There is a pit in front of the River Home and one down by the river. You are welcome to use either (or both!). Let us know and we will get it set up for you. There are stacks of wood nearby that you can add for as long as you want to enjoy the fire.
*There is radiant heat in the floors….we find that 70-72 is comfortable for most people. It heats up gradually, so if you need it warmer, try 1-2 degrees at a time. You might find sleeping more comfortable if you lower the heat a few degrees before going to bed.
*We like to keep our use of plastics and paper down, so please feel free to use the towels in the kitchen to wipe up spills. It’s why we have a washer & dryer in the unit!
*Water is from an artesian well. There is a system of purification that makes it completely safe for household use. There is a reverse osmosis system for extra pure drinking water. Note that the capacity of the RO is about a gallon–so use just what you need for drinking.
*Please add your comments to the Wren House journal! And enjoy your stay!
