Home Sweet Underground Home

Once upon a time there was a man with a dream and an empty field. 

In the man's eighteenth year he brought a shovel to the empty field and turned his dream into reality.

He had lots of help....

from many hands, young and old.....

and little by little his dream began to take shape.

And, when it was completed, the townsfolk drove by slowly and scratched their heads at this strange structure. From the front it looked like a house yet from the back it looked like a grassy hill.

It had no shingles on its roof, only dirt and grass.

And, while the townsfolk puzzled and wondered, the man smiled: his dream had been realized, he had created his earth sheltered home.







These days, it looks a bit different, but the man and his wife still call it home.

Now and then, I call it home too.

It's hard to believe that my dad, at eighteen, had the vision and ability to create this house when most eighteen year olds (myself included) are still trying to get their head on straight. Sure Dad didn't invent the concept, but he sure made it his own.




Growing up it was always hard to explain exactly what this house was and why it was covered in dirt, but now, with everyone "going green," people seem to get it.

This time of year the house stays incredibly cool (without AC) and during the winter it's warm and cozy- insulated by all that soil.

Sometimes, people still slow down when they drive by, some even get out their smart phones and snap a picture, but these days I think it has more to do with Mom's gardening (which obscures the view) than the house itself. I guess my mom had a dream too, to fill that empty field with as many beautiful plants as possible. 

View from the roof, mom plants wildflowers up here now

I'm sure this is the first of many posts I'll do about my parents house- inside and out, it never ceases to amaze me!