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Tour of Our Home

 THE MAIN LEVEL

 THE LOFT AREA

 THE BASEMENT

 THE OUTSIDE

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE TOUR.

ENJOY THE TOUR

 ABOUT THE HOUSE

Being Practical

Entering The House

The Joy Of Food

To The Deck

Work and Play - The Office and Off to the Bedroom

Master Bedroom Area and Then Off to the Loft

The Guest Quarters

FRONT STEPS.  Entering from the front of the house is a bit of a climb.  We will show you an easier way later.
MAIN FOYER.  If it is snowy or muddy, please have a seat on the bench on the left and take off your shoes.
MAIN FOYER.  If it is cold, please hang your coat in the closet on the right.
FRONT DOOR.  Once you get to the top you are welcome to "come on in."

GREAT ROOM.  Once you are in (with or without shoes), you are looking across to the dining area and kitchen and up at the loft area.

The Great Room

GREAT ROOM.  This is a view of the windows that heat the house in winter on sunny days and the wood burning stove that heats on cloudy winter days and in the evening.  On sunny days and evenings above 20 degrees, the house stays warm without using the stove.

GREAT ROOM.  If you walk across the room and turn around you can see our entertainment center at the far end.

GREAT ROOM.  Another view as you enter.

DINING ROOM.  Eating is not only a feast for the tummy, but a feast for the eyes.  Of course, we also watch news programs often while eating.  Sheila grows herbs on the window sills.
STORAGE.  Inside the pantry is access to a storage are that extends under the steps to the loft area.
PANTRY.  Lots of supplies and an extra fridge and freezer.  Ready for company and big snows.
KITCHEN (AKA SHEILA'S WORKSHOP).  Plenty of work space and an "eat in" island.  To the right is a built in desk with part of Sheila's cooking library and the pantry door.
ACCESS TO THE DECK.  Between the kitchen and the dining area is a sliding glass door that leads to the deck.
DECK.  We keep several days to a week's worth of fire wood on the right.  Behind is a gas barbecue.
DECK.  The deck wraps around the corner of the house.  A great place to watch the sun set (not in the winter, though).
OUTSIDE DECK ACCESS.  There are also steps to the ground that allow us to easily get to the property and our bigger wood pile ready for the current winter.
LAUNDRY ROOM.  We built the laundry room off the great room so that we could live entirely on the main level if needed.
BACK ENTRANCE.  We have a back entrance for emergency exit, but also for easier access with minimal steps.
BACK ACCESS.  The house is built into a hill, so the back only had a few steps to get to the main level.  We could also build a ramp if needed.
HALL.  Off the great room is a hall leading to the master bedroom.  To the left is the back entrance and office.  To the right is the guest bathroom, house linen closet and steps to the basement.
COMPUTER SECTION OF THE OFFICE.  We have a broadband connection to the Internet.  Neil has trouble thinking without a keyboard

TRAIN MODEL SECTION OF THE OFFICE.   Pardon the mess.  Part of the office is used for building "buildings."  The office can also be converted to a bedroom if needed. 

GUEST BATH.  There is a full bath off the great room.  It was set up that way in case the office is ever made into a bedroom.
WALK IN CLOSET.  Plenty of space and there would be more if Neil got rid of all the suits that he will never wear again.
STAIRS AND LANDING.  The loft is set off so as to provide complete privacy to guests.

STAIRS ABOVE LANDING.  These steps fell on Neil during the building process.  A narrow escape from a major disaster.  Mike thought to duck.

CHAIR LIFT. We recently added a chair lift from the basement to the main floor.
STAIRS TO BASEMENT FROM MAIN LEVEL.  The entrance to the garage is at the bottom on the left.  Go right to the basement and train land.
GARAGE.  Notice that both cars have taken on the color of Colorado mud.   It is the most popular for locals.
GROUND LEVEL ENTRANCE.  For guests that only want to visit the trains.
WALKWAY AND LIBRARY.  Starting on the left foreground is the large bedroom, bathroom, stairs, small bedroom and library area.  On the right (out of sight) is a sitting area.
LARGE BEDROOM.  Great views and satellite TV.  What more could you ask.
BATHROOM.  Full bathroom.  Plenty of towels.
SMALL BEDROOM.  Good views.
MASTER BEDROOM.  Obviously, a bed, but why such a big room?  This was the leftover space after configuring the basement train room requirement.
MASTER BEDROOM.  However, it is not just a bedroom.  It is a Gym.  An elliptical trainer on the left.  The gas stove in the center of the far wall provide heat at night.
MASTER BATHROOM.  We have a shower on the right & soaking tub that we have never used.  Neil is threatening to put top soil in it so Sheila can grow plants.
MASTER BATHROOM.  There is a separate "toilet room" off the master bath to provide privacy and allow for 2 people to use the bathroom at the same time.
SITTING AREA.  Best views in the house and that sofa is not bad to sleep on.
SITTING AREA.  That sofa opens into a queen size bed.  Room for plenty of guests.

Getting To The Basement

NON TRAIN ROOMS.  Starting from the left.  Furnace room, entrance to workshop, mini entertainment center, storage under steps.
STORAGE UNDER STEPS.  Waste no space.
ENTRANCE TO WORK SHOP.  There is a half bath on the left.  The door keeps out most of the saw dust from the train room.
BATHROOM.  Neil's emergency bladder relief station and paintbrush cleaning department.  Sink is on the left (not shown).
WORKSHOP.  Handy dandy tools, but no "New Yankee Workshop."  My hero - Norm Abram.  Plastic on left protects wall of pegboard and small tools.
WORKSHOP.  Just more tools.  It is a Tim Allen thing.
FURNACE ROOM.  The two furnaces in the foreground are linked together and run as one to heat the main and loft levels.  The one in the background heats the basement.
FURNACE ROOM.  Water heater on left and bladder tank or right.  A bladder tank holds a supply of water pumped up from the well and via a pressurized bladder pushes water to the faucets, etc.

ATV.  The "All Terrain Vehicle" is used to plow snow in the colder months and pull the small trailer in the warmer months.

TRAILERS.  The larger trailer is used to haul branches for disposal and the ATV for repair.  The small one is used to haul wood from around the property to the wood pile near the house.
WOOD SUPPLIES.  Stacks of wood are all over the property.  They are a product of cutting down trees and cutting logs with a chain saw.  Then the logs are split with an 8 lb maul (heavy ax).  Great exercise.
TV & INTERNET.  Being in the boonies requires special measures to get some modern conveniences.  The dish on the right is for satellite TV and the one of the left is for broadband Internet.

The Workshop Area - Non-Train Rooms

RADON FAN. This is an exhaust fan attached to perforated piping under the basement slab that draws air out to a pipe in the roof.

Johnny Jump Up. These used to grow in the garden, but the animals thought they made a great salad.

Unknown.  Depending on the year and amount of moisture we can get lucky and have a bumper crop of wild flowers on the property.

Iris. These are growing in the garden and on hills around the house, thanks to Sheila's persistence.

Garden's Purpose. In the end it is a losing battle with the various varmints. To them it is just a tasty restaurant.

Tools For Living Here

ATV.  ATV with plow and coat to protect it from the weather.

Sheila's Old Garden

Lasagna Garden. Sheila and a friend built a Lasagna garden which consists of layers of newspaper, dirt and mulch. Since we are sitting on rock and not topsoil, it is not easy to grow anything here.

Columbine. These grow in the garden. Other garden plants include blue geranium, wild geranium, lamb's ear, and cat mint.

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PROPANE TANK.  There is a 1,000 gallon underground propane tank for our furnaces, water heater, cook top and bedroom gas stove.

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Aerial view of the house.

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WELLHEAD.  We have a 250' well with 2.25 gallons per minute output.

SEPTIC TANK.  1,500 gallons.  Waste water flows from here to the leach field.

LEACH FIELD.  Waste water is absorbed into the ground via infiltrator chambers.
LEACH FIELD PORT.  Used to see if field is backed up.
MORE WOOD.
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