The Road to Virginia!

We went on a cabin hunting excursion yesterday.

It’s time to spend some time and get out and see what possibilities are out here.

With a list of things we are looking for, as well as a list of things we definitely DO NOT want (NO HOA!) we set out to meet up with a realtor just over the North Carolina State line into Virginia.

It’s really not that far from here –we are that far north into the Blue Ridge Mountains.

As we wound our way through hills and valleys and climbed a bit higher I definitely felt like I was climbing Walton’s Mountain!

The area we are looking at boasts Virginia’s tallest mountain peak of Mount Rogers, at 5700 feet above sea level.

So picturesque!

And this is a REALLY great newly paved road above this little sleepy valley just around the bend from where we are looking.

Turkey in the straw!

(corn actually!)

The gate awaits!

As we sat here and waited for our agent to arrive, I giggled and stated that this was the kind of “gated community” I was looking for!  NO HOA!

A video posted by Bonnie K Hunter (@quiltville_bonnie) on Dec 11, 2016 at 5:26am PST

Up the winding driveway!

Oh, it’s lovely!

I am keeping my mind open.  We have just started looking.  I am not going to get hooked on this, the SECOND place we see, but it is undeniably beautiful.  And it comes with 42 acres of wooded mountain.

It’s about the same size as what we have now.  It would fit us easily.  Not too big, not too small.  Goldilocks says “Just right.”

I liked the open kitchen with plenty of cabinets.

The family room is cozy!

And I love those north facing windows and all of the light they bring in.  It would be easy to add a gas insert into the wood burning fireplace.  We love our gas heat for how clean it is.

Quilts on beds!

View through the window.

Wall detail.

This is a log home, and I love the rough hewn look of the interior walls.  The bathroom counters were TALL just the way I like them. 

Up to the loft space.

Looking through that magnificent window

2 bedrooms up here, plus sitting room space.

There is a daybed here, but I would love a reading nook.

Basement space perfect for sewing studio.

from the other end of the room.

There were quilts on beds, and quilted pillows and quilt wall hangings in abundance.  My heart was smiling!  Did the owner make them?  I have no way of knowing.  But it was easy to imagine myself here thanks to the quilted beauty in this place.

It was pretty chilly yesterday so we didn’t do much exploring of the property, but there is a peace and beauty here that can’t be denied.

From the kitchen of the MLS listing, in summer.

It’s helpful to also consider down sides when deciding on a place.

The distance to this cabin is right at my 2 hour driving limit.  If it is farther than 2 hours away I won’t get there as often.  But 2 hours is doable. 

The internet situation is unknown.  I only had 1 bar of 1x service on my phone, and while I could send/receive calls and text messages, any other social media (including blogging) would be a no-go unless we could find something to enhance it.  Maybe satellite internet would be an option as there was a Direct TV dish in the yard.

We’d be back to “no streaming of netflix” or even Quilt-Cam.  But we dealt with that here on Buck Mountin until the situation improved thanks to fiber optic cable.

Or maybe a break from the constant noise and pull of 24/7 social media is what I need?

In winter.

We saw another place that I will share tomorrow.

There are a few more Virginia listings we want to see perhaps NEXT weekend – straight north of Winston Salem where home is, a whole new area to explore.

We are just beginning our search.

But the thing I can definitely say about this place is that it is going to set the standard by which all other places we see are judged.

There is a difference between a front porch, and an open deck.  This has both.  I NEED a covered front porch.  With rocking chairs.

Kitchen space matters because this is so remote there is no running to town to grab a bite on a whim.  This kitchen would suit my needs.

It has QUILTING SPACE!  (Wouldn’t a treadle machine in that loft be awesome?  I could look out those tall windows all day while sewing.)

Room to breathe.  No HOA.

It would add distance for our son who comes up from South Carolina to visit. 

The drive lane would require maintenance, and we have the equipment available for grading and for plowing in the winter.  The Hubster grew up on a farm in Eastern Oregon and he is used to that kind of activity and actually LOVES it.

Being out and away from everyone would necessitate me making friends with other quilters in the area through perhaps the Ashe County guild across the line in North Carolina and perhaps joining so I could become part of a community when I was up there.

It’s further from Mona.

All of this is running through my brain and I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

But I have to admit, my heart does a little flutter when I  hear that quiet inner voice saying that this place has possibilities.

Last night’s “View from my hoop!”

Hand stitching after dinner has become an “evening anticipation” for me and I am making some progress on this quilt.  Last night I moved the hoop 3 times!  When my fingers get too sore from hand quilting, I switch to binding.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

I'm replacing my fear of the unknown with "What if?!"

2017 will be a year of change and growth and I'm excited to see what will unfold.

Vintage triangle quilt found in Winfield, Kansas and shared by Carolyn.

Have a wonderful restful Sunday, everyone!

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