a cabin in north carolina

i had heard what an awesome town asheville, north carolina, is, so dan, tristan, and i decided to take a spontaneous weekend trip while tashi was still on safari in africa. 

through a facebook post, a fellow blogger caught wind that we were going to be in the area, and offered us a place to stay in the cabin on her property. how cool is that? 

we arrived in asheville early in the evening on friday, and after taking a walk through town, checking out the friday drum circle, and eating an incredible dinner at salsas, we headed to the cabin. we walked into a lovely space and this warm greeting.

have you ever tasted ground cherries? they are pretty tasty! 

that is what the bowl of yellow fruit is (though they look a bit like tomatillos). 

the next morning we arose after a heavy rain and took a look around us.

maria and her family lived in this fine cabin for two years 

while they built their cordwood home.

we were fortunate to be given a tour of their home and grounds. here is the live roof. 

and here is their lovely cordwood kitchen. 

i adore the colored glass bottles in the walls.

most of the windows in their home are reclaimed.

the bathroom has a warm adobe feel. and look at that shelf of tinctures. 

maria is an herbalist

and a homesteader.

views from their bedroom in the upstairs octagon. the first one looks out at the cabin.

looking up at the ceiling

and down at the floor. the wood for the floor is also entirely reclaimed and is 

comprised of many different varieties. so pretty.

this is cookie dough. the other cat, isabella, was camera shy.

suki the 14 year old akita spent a long evening sitting on the cabin's front porch, protecting us from bears (apparently she chased one off the property once).

tristan and leif are just a month apart in age. they hit it off famously. 

here they are in leif's room.

maria's garden is extraordinary. look at this tomato!

and there are chickens!

this is an amazing treehouse that maria and her husband ,toby, 

built for their daughter, kaia.

looking from the back of the yard to the house.

looking from the front of the yard to the house. 

there are herb and berry gardens on the side. and bees!

cordwood and trellises.

a beautiful moment in time.

i brought some gifts from my workplace and the kids put them together in no time.

we had a nice saturday and sunday morning visiting with this sweet family, 

and are so grateful to them for sharing their space with us. 

how cool is that someone whom i know only through the internet invited us 

to stay on their property? it restores one's faith in humanity.

read more about their homebuilding adventures here. 

and see photos from the rest of our time in asheville here. it's a terrific town!