All the Lees on Lee Street

On November 4th, I moved from Meadow House to my new home in Front Royal. After 7.5 years it was time to say goodbye to my rented home on the hill because throughout the whole period Maggi had failed to do any maintenance despite numerous requests. The window frames and door frames were rotting and I kept smelling mold. Because I had no control over the situation I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a home. I had always enjoyed renting with the freedom to enjoy my little spare time and not worry about the upkeep of a home but that plan evidently wasn't working and so the search began for a new abode.
I started looking at mountain homes, loving the idea of remoteness and privacy, but after climbing up steep hills and getting a flat tire in the process, I decided common sense had to step in. I didn't want to be snowbound or have to worry about the transmission dying in my car, and the idea of having a few neighbors wasn't too bad either. So I focused on the quiet areas of Front Royal, first looking at a home near the Shenandoah but discovering that meant possible flooding and an incessant onslaught of mosquitoes. And then the Saturday I began my search seriously, having got a realtor and mortgage within 3 hours, a little house with a blue roof popped onto the market. With Carmen, my realtor, I went to see it on Sunday, having first looked at 2 other properties which just didn't interest me, even slightly. I didn't want anything new, I didn't want granite countertops, or glass mosaic tiles, or stainless steel. I wanted a 1 level living space within an older home with character, smaller rooms that I could make cozy, a small, private back garden and a covered porch where I could sit out with a beer or wine and listen to the rain. I really wanted a metal roof that I wouldn't have to worry about for the time I lived there, somewhere to park the car and I wanted quiet. And I had to have my own bathroom after years of living in a 1 bathroom house.
All of this and more was in the Blue House. It was on a dead end street, backing on to a cemetery, so it was definitely quiet. I had all the rooms I wanted without it being too large, 1 level living with 2 bedrooms and bathrooms and a bonus 2 rooms upstairs which could become a studio and an additional sleeping area for guests. After walking around and around, I stood outside with Carmen, hardly believing that I'd found my new home so quickly. And then as I stood looking at the blue shutters and relishing the peacefulness of the street, local church bells pealed, followed by organ music. I was sold. And within a month so was the house, and I moved in.

These are all iPhone photos as I haven't yet found my camera battery chargers. But unpacking has been taking place at a furious pace. I've already met my neighbors, all of whom are very friendly, and quiet. Matt across the road helped me carry in 2 large lawyer bookcases from the car, and as he opened the side door, 2 six-packs of beer that I'd bought for the movers, tipped out, all 12 bottles hitting the road and then rolling down the hill. And not one of them broke! A good omen!

The sitting room was my first point of focus. I wanted this to be cozy, filled with books and warmth. It's getting there and the cats are already enjoying the sun shining through the windows while they sit on a sofa.

The rear hallway will hold all my urbexing photos and memorabilia, and I'm ecstatic that I have a place for my bikes without them being in the way. I do have a basement but I wanted them to be quickly accessible for when I go out.

The dining room is a little echoey, but still feels welcoming. I have curtains coming for the large picture window which should make the room cozier. The other rooms are still works in progress but for the most part the house is feeling like a home. It's also built like a fortress. The walls are solid, the door and window frames a rich polished wood, and secure locks on all entry points. I feel safe here, especially knowing I have some burly neighbors with big trucks who are always about. I'm finding it difficult to accept that the house is mine. For so long I've regarded my home as belonging to someone else and have always taken care not to damage anything. Not that I want to do that here, but it's a weird feeling to know I can knock a nail into the wall with expecting repercussions from someone else. It will take some getting used to.
I now also have my trash collected, my drinking water is safe, (Maggi never checked the well on the hill), and I can now walk or cycle to town. Carmen is also a neighbor and a new friend to hang out with. Everyone I've met in town has been friendly, no eyes darting away or heads looking down at the sidewalk. Folks here smile or hail me with a greeting when I pass them.And even the town is quiet. No bustling crowds or lines to get into a restaurant. People have time to chat, and I've done this in all the shops and cafes I've been in.

Saturday was a very cold blustery day so I stayed at home, unpacking more boxes and going out to dinner with Carmen in the evening. Sunday had calmed down enough that I decided to take a walk about town and watch a movie. There were few people about and the Veterans' Day flags fluttered and flapped loudly as I walked past.

The ginkgo trees which we had admired on moving day a week ago had now released their hold on their yellow leaves and a thick golden carpet lay on the ground. I had wanted to plant one of these for Kota when he passed yet had not manged to obtain a tree anywhere. Every plant nursery I had visited had none in stock and the one place that had promised to order a tree for me had failed to call me back. I wonder if that had been fate as it would have broken my heart if I had planted it with Kota's ashes at Marshall and then had to leave it behind. I'll see if I can find one in the spring for the Blue House.

I watched and thoroughly enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody in the old fashioned Front Royal cinema. With only 42 seats in the room and a screen that was likely only a little bigger than most sports enthusiasts' home TVs, it felt quaint and friendly to sit in a smaller room, chatting with the people next to me and singing along to the songs.
When I left, the temperature had noticeably dropped but I wanted to continue walking. Thanks to my weekly chiropractor visits and the plenty of exercise lifting and carrying heavy boxes daily during the past 4 weeks, my pelvic pain is slowly receding. I plan to walk and cycle a lot more now I'm in town.

I walked uphill to the cemetery and climbed to the summit, then turned to enjoy the vista, relishing the feeling of ownership as I surveyed the autumnal scene before me, amber and oranges leaves with my little blue roof nestled among them. I stood by the monument to Mosby's men and looked down on the quiet town. This is a really well maintained cemetery with rangers regularly driving around it, and from my kitchen window I see many vehicles passing through the gates to visit lost loved ones.
There's also a Soldiers Circle here, a ring of gravestones of the Confederate soldiers who perished during the Civil War. The dead were collected by the Ladies Warren Memorial Association in 1868 and reburied here. Within a short time, 276 soldiers were brought here, representing every state in the former Confederacy. 186 soldiers were unidentified and they now lay under the obelisk memorial in the middle which was erected in 1882.

As the sun began to set the shadows lengthened across the graves and mountains. I walked down towards my blue roof and within an hour when darkness fell, someone came and locked the gates to the cemetery, leaving its occupants to a peaceful night.

Standing indoors, I love looking out at this view from my kitchen window, sunset hues across the horizon and old houses sitting quietly on a back road. Deers potter past and apparently lay underneath this weeping cherry tree in the spring, and I've already spotted the chubby resident groundhog. I'm pretty sure this house was destined to be mine, the chain of events leading up to it and the ease of my purchase make me feel it was meant to be. Also, it's kind of quirky with the word 'Lee'. My middle name is Karalee, which my friend Kelly calls me all the time. So it's Karalee, Rosie Lee, and Tricksie Treat Grumbaleena now living on Lee Street, and my work place is on a Lee Rd. So it's all the Lees on Lee street. A peaceful place to be.