SLUGGERNUT
a short story by me
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Gallery: The House Where I Lived

This is the house and land that my parents bought when I was in the fourth grade. We moved from a small house in the middle of town, to a giant house in the middle of nowhere. This house, and all of this wooded land, infused my childhood with magic and adventure. It raised me, molded me into a woman with a love of the sky and land and large open spaces, created a love of the dark, being scared, being brave, and being loved. This is the place that I am forever missing, the place that I will forever love. This is home.

This is the front of the house and the front yard. That black thing in the middle of the yard was our well.
The Front
This is the side of the house that led down the hill to our lake. The balcony led into the living room and dining room, the lower doors led into the basement where my father had his den/work room, and my mother had her sewing/pottery room.
The Hillside
This shot is taken from the balcony. It shows the hill leading down to the lake. All of the property that you see in this photo is ours.
From the Balcony
When we first moved here the house and land were in very sorry shape. Over the course of the next few years my parents remodled so many parts of the both the house and land themselves. My father made the lake swimable, made a large raft that floated in the center, created a boardwalk that led to the lake through the swampy area, and cut large wide paths through the woods so we could walk and play. My mother planted landscaping and brought rocks and railroad ties to creatively decorate. It was an amazing place.
Landscaping
A view from the boardwalk. The scariest place to walk through when in barefeet and a bathing suit.
The Boardwalk
It's not yet built in this photo but my parents made a bonfire section here at the base of the hill near the woods. They put these huge bolders in a circle to sit on and in the center was a large pit where we'd make bonfires and tell ghost stories and play hide and seek in the woods at night.
The Base of the Hill
This was taken from the middle of the backyard. The yard actually stretches behind quite a ways and is surrounded by our woods. To the left in that small wooded area is where we would have picnics. It's also the area my father set up for us to throw hatchets, tomahawks, and shoot bow and arrow. His gun shooting bench was back there too and the target was all the way across the yard (behind the where the camera is) and into two 7 foot staggered mounds of dirt with targets on them. Where the truck is parked is a large section of pavement with a basketball hoop. That area was where I would rollerskate, ride my bike, and play basketball. During family functions we'd set up a volleyball net in the back yard or play softball. I used to climb that antena on the house and lay on the roof and stare at the stars. To the very left of the picutre was a large cornfield. Now you know where my love of creepy horror comes from! surrounded by acres of woods and cornfield and swamp and lake, with no neighbors in site! Night time was VERY dark. I had to mow this yard on a John Deer rider every summer at least twice a week. But not before I had to search the backyard for dog poop that I cleaned up!
The Back of the House
This was our driveway. In the winter we'd sled down it in the dark, so scary! In the fall my father would make us rake all the leaves from the front and side yard including the driveway. There were SO MANY leaves, it would take us days of raking every day after school for hours. And every morning I would walk down this driveway with my sister to catch the bus, and walk up it when we got home. No wonder I love to walk so much!
The Driveway
Well there's your glimpse at where I grew up. It seems only a sliver compared to all of the parts that I don't have pictures of. Maybe one day I'll post some interiors too. If I ever hit the jackpot I'm buying back this house and the land and it will be my own private summer getaway.
Sunset
Dreaming...