Settling Down

Exhausted, I feel like I did after seeing the damage from the Great Ice Storm a couple years back, overwhelmed. I know Robyn is too, and she has to get up and go to work everyday. But, I woke up this morning after the best sleep I have had in a while, feeling energized. I took some time to just clean up the deck and start organizing things, and it made me feel better. The cure for the frakes is almost always just getting busy, and every little thing we do makes it just a little bit better. I have not worked on anything except moving and the hundred little items that need to be done for daily life for 10 days. I still have a couple  weeks of work left inside to finish every last thing, so I'm anxious to get settled enough to resume wood working and clear coating. Meanwhile, fall is just about gone, and I am ready to get out in the woods. I remember after we finished the cabin, I took  a long time for myself enjoying paddling and playing guitar, think I'll do that again. And of course, the main thing is to enjoy our family and spend time together outdoors, seems like the perfect place to do just that! We have satelite hooked up now, we don't have the 60" screen for the awesome room yet, but we have everything we need. This has really been one of the toughest parts, and we have awhile  to go before everything settles down. It is starting to slowly sink in, we did it!, some how through life's crazy twists and turns, in just 5 short years after we bought this spot, we live in a house above the Osage Gorge sitting on the bluffs overlooking the rapids of the creek. Let me tell you, when we bought this place it seemed foolish to even us, yet Robyn and I have both always believed that if you form a thought in your mind and believe in it, no mater how stupid it sounds to some- it will come true. So be careful what you think about, and embrace whatever it is that drives you. A special thanks go out to my father in law- Jim Bonds, a wonderfully generous and positive man who's gift enabled us to roll the dice, even though it was the last thing we should have done at that time. Anyone else would have thought we were fools, spend the only money we had on a piece of land close to the Buffalo River and Harrison Ar., instead of paying off some of our huge debt, with NO prospects of living there or being able to make a living to get to live here. In the last 3 years, we got the opportunity to open Liquidation Outlet in Harrison, sold my countertop business in Maumelle at the height of the recession, moved to the mountain and built our dream house. Best 3 years ever for us, we are not complacent though, becouse the game is always changing and you gotta stay ahead of the curve. Look forward, stay positive, and always believe. Love ya, The Hollohead

October 28th 2012, First Night In Our Home

I am writing this post from the guest bedroom of the new home, internet is now hooked up, so we have officially moved in. We are amongst the chaos, but we reside in the Gorge now. Our new address is #1 Paradise, so it's chaos in Paradise. Boxes are stacked high, furniture is all over the place, incomplete items stare me in the face, but victory is ours. It's hard to feel real good about it right now, but we are here and have plenty of work to do. I really need a break, but there is no time now, probably still a month of work to get settled and completed. All of us slept in the new house last night, including the dogs, so it's official. We need to get Satellite TV hooked up, and hopefully find a cell booster that works before Robyn goes crazy. I still have around a week of carpentry projects on the inside to totally complete, so we will have a wood shop outside our door for awhile longer. I had a full moon celebratory soak in the hot tub late last night, and hung out at the outdoor fireplace afterwards, this place is like being on vacation, and I love vacation. When I have time, I will do a complete photo essay of the finished product, till then-I dig in the chaos. Cheers to everyone who has followed this endeavor, and check back to see how everything is finished. I will still be blogging about life on the mountain, and the awesomeness of living in the Gorge, and I have a little idea that is forming in my small brain. Whatever is next, this has been an experiance of a lifetime, but something I don't want to do  again.  Later, The Hollohead

Beautiful Fall

Cobblestone creekbed-Shadowbox vanity top

Last of Everything

Well now, things are drawing to a close on the interior of the house, and we will spend our first night there on saturday night. This week has been an exciting one, our new furniture was delivered, we set up the refridgerator, dishwasher and washer and dryer were delivered and set up yesterday, kitchen sink is hooked up, and the master vanity top is now complete. The master vanity top is simply the coolest thing I have ever built, I call it the cobblestone creek- shadowbox countertop. A very difficult project to say the least, making wood perfect is impossible. It took me a while, but I finally convinced Robyn to let me do the vanity the way I wanted. I knew she would love it in spite of what she said, and I know she does, and I don't believe I have ever seen anything like it, which makes it one of a kind! The place is slowly turning into a home, and the end of this once in a lifetime experiance. This makes me very happy and satisfied, it's time to do something else. I can't wait to play guitar hour after hour, I can't wait for when the river comes up and I can go whenever I want, I can't wait to set other priorities, I can't wait to hike in the Gorge every morning, I can't wait to NOT have something that has to get done. But, it's all been worth it in the end, nothing outstanding is easy or simple,and there is always a price or sacrifice made. I'm afraid that this is whats missing from society today, people just don't get that it's the struggle that makes us what we are, take away our struggles and you get weak people. I have about a week of trim carpentry left inside, and a few days to build the island, and the interior will be complete. After that, there is a couple of weeks of work left outside to complete the entire house, and complete my goal in less than 2 years. I will post pics of the latest developments later, Good Day, RJ

7 Days Left

Quick update, doors are all complete and installed, just need door stop on the jambs. Never use minwax stains, they are not consistent and some doors are light and some are darker, still looks good though becouse of the house. The doors took 4 days to complete, leaving me with just a few items to complete before we move in by the 24th, the master vanity top being the biggest one left. I'm on the last of everything, last door finished, last lockset mortised, last base trim, last vanity, last appliances, last nerve, really. I have been working late every night, making this the most dificult and stressful time yet. Speaking of stress, I really have done well at not getting mad through the whole project, I have not destroyed one thing out of anger, an obvious maturing for those that have known me a long time. But, all this precise woodwork takes tremendous focus, and lately I have been going a little insane, producing some very spicey tirades, but no casualties. Since we returned from the beach in mid-August, I have taken off maybe 3 days at most, I have not worked like that since 2000 on the Block 2 project in Little Rock, and it's finally getting to me. There are still 7 days left though, and I'm sure each will be a late one. Gorgeous and early fall, creek is running, weather has been awesome, MY DAY IS COMING SOON. I have not touched my guitar in 2 weeks, the longest time for me in 12 years, but soon I will be playing costantly and writing songs. This has just been a lifetime experiance, just like the cabin was, but I'm ready to return to a regular life. When I am done, I will write a complete recap of my 1-1\2 year adventure on the mountain and do a complete photo essay. That will be fun, but for now, viva la Osage!

Early Fall-Late Nights

Big Final Push

Ran out of gas and had to take a couple days off while Robyn went to Eureka Springs with all  the sisters in law of our family. Left all the Jones boys by themselves up on the mountain, a dangerous proposition. Brother Dave and I had a late night Saturday, and Brother Scott and I took the kids on a 4 wheeler ride on Sunday. It's been awhile since I had been over to Outlaw Hollow, and I am always impressed with how awesome a piece of land that is. One of my goals is to restore and improve all  of trails from damage received in the great ice storm. I also want to make more, the lay of the land over there is just perfect for trails. The final push is on, I have 16 days left to get us moved in. Better get busy, The Hollohead