The house I live in is unfinished
the messy middle
If you have been following me for awhile, you might remember the magical cabin I lived in. It was everything I could ever want or need. It sat on top of a creek, on 40 acres of pristine wilderness at the bottom of Mount Hood, Oregon. I had a separate studio cabin in the back where I would sew, and it was a dream come true.
I had lived there for about six months when I started digging into my finances. Uncovering the truth that I owed the IRS way more money than I originally thought, I had to sew more and work harder to stay afloat. I started teaching classes on zoom and trying to create some passive income. I could only physically sew so much! My rent was $1600 not including utilities, and it was hard for me.
April of this year I drove down to LA for a pop-up market. I had just bought my 97 Tacoma and built out the back to camp the whole trip. My friend Finley was guest spot tattooing down there at the same time. We decided to road trip back up together vs. her having to fly back to Portland. On the way back up North she told me she has these friends who had a farm outside of Willits, in Northern California. That we would be driving by and we should stay the night? I resisted. I had been driving for 6+ hours and just wanted to get a hotel or camp. She eventually convinced me otherwise, and I am so glad she did.
Zoe met us in town at the North Spur bar. The address we had plugged into the GPS might not have guided us directly to the farm. Following her was easier and after 45 minutes down a windy, bumpy road, it made sense. When we arrived at the farm, it was dark. I could hardly see anything but the house. It was so beautiful, well lit, and smelled of incense with burning wood from the fireplace. Plants everywhere, cats everywhere. She had made veggie bowls that were to die for. (I have since asked for the recipe and have made it multiple times) Dan and Zoe were so welcoming and accommodating. Dan showed me his camera collection and we talked film. Zoe and Finley caught up after not seeing each other in ages. They had lived in Portland prior and we knew a lot of the same people. They had two spare rooms and we got the one with a huge king size bed. It was better than any hotel or Airbnb I could have picked on my own. It felt like a home.
The next day I opened the side door to let the dogs out. Rubbing my eyes I looked around to see the view. Daffodils popping up everywhere, I could see the hot houses below and the view was breath taking. There was an outdoor tub hooked up to hot water, a bridge leading to a small cabin, and classical piano music playing over the outdoor speakers. Where the fuck am I? It was pure magic.
I ran into Dan and Zoe doing their morning chores. Zoe offered to give us a tour & we took the mule around the property. They have two vineyards that sit on the 40 acres and they make their own Three Frogs wine. That is the name of the farm! Three frogs! They used to have chickens and pigs, but are taking a break. However, they have a tortoise names Tuna. Who would later reveal himself to be somewhat of a nightmare. He destroys everything…
We drove up to the abandoned firetruck and took in the view. It was so pretty here and I felt such a pull to this place. I made Finley snap a photo of me at the top of the hill, not knowing this would become my home.
When we got back down the hill, Zoe took us to the big house. There was a girl living there who was moving out the same day we arrived. The house was huge and unfinished. Subfloor, unfinished walls, missing light fixtures, but overall livable. I enquired on what rent was like? Zoe said “we just need 7 hours a week of manual labor work trade. Part of the work trade is finishing that house.” My jaw dropped. “Are you serious? thats it??” she was serious, and that was it. My brain started to spin out as I devised a plan. Could this be my next chapter? How do I move down here? Could I leave the cabin? A week before I went to LA my landlord had told me he was raising the rent $400. I could not afford to live there any longer. There was a lot of pros and cons I would have to mull over, but I had always wanted to live in Northern California. This could be my answer for my financial problems. I could dig myself out of debt here, and learn so much.
After we got all packed up, we talked about the in’s and out’s of living on the farm. I told them I had lived alone in my cabin for almost two years, owned a chainsaw, and loved to ride my dirtbike. They had a garage filled with bikes and a decked out wood shop. I didn’t want to leave. I made jokes about how I would move down in a heartbeat and how I was in my element here. After I left I got a text from Dan, asking if I was serious and how the offer was open. I could move to the farm.
The goal was to live here for at least 3 months. I signed a mini lease with them and we planned on a check in when it was up to make sure everyone was happy. The months came and went, and I love it here. I signed another lease for a year, and hope to save and pay off all my debt by January. The ultimate goal is to buy a cute cottage / cabin of my own one day and with this knowledge of fixing up a house, I could be able to maintain and fix my own. I will come out with knowledge of gardening, and what it takes to live off grid on solar etc. I have two garden beds to myself and my garden is going OFF! It is ideal and I am so lucky.
As a welcome gift - Dan had framed a piece of quilt on the wall, and Zoe had made me a strawberry crochet bag. They made me feel right at home. My landmate Iris lives in the small cabin up the hill with her dog Indi who loves Gravy. She teaches yoga and knows so much about gardening. I am so lucky and thankful to have them and their support. I went from moving into a place with strangers, to living on the land with my friends. They have been so encouraging & I could not ask for a better living situation at this stage of my life.
I have painted doors, shoveled wood chips, pruned sucker vines from the vineyard, did a cement finish on an outdoor fire pit that I thought would get me “fired”, put new water lines on a timer around the cherry trees. Everyday is different, and we rarely do the same task twice. I am learning and growing so much. Thankful for Three frogs <3
