RIVER STILT HOUSES, MAPLETON OREGON

 Stilt houses --  probably Far East

photo credit: FACADE.

I've seen photos of stilt houses since I was in elementary school. They had a certain emotional pull for me -- how could anyone want to live on stilts? Well that of course was my young Midwestern mind at work -- unaware of the housing needs of people around the world.  

 House built of stilts

Mapleton, Oregon

However, now in my older years I have recently had the experience of seeing real stilt houses here in Oregon -- just about ten miles away along the Siuslaw River. The river does occasionally flood along certain parts of the river. So folks have adopted this ancient concept of building on stilts to stay dry in case of a flood.

House built on stilts

Mapleton, Oregon

Maybe some day along our two coasts we will begin to notice many houses on stilts as the oceans rise -- as predicted with global warming.

MY 1941 SMALL COTTAGE HOME

My new home

Finally I have everything moved into my new place. Moving is certainly not for the weak at heart. 

As a result of an exhausting move I have a new mantra -- for every one thing that is brought into the house beginning now -- one thing will be subtracted from the house. This will keep my living sparse and simple. I have the basics and that is all I need.

As one can see in the photo above my place is a small, clean, vernacular place -- built in 1941. It sits on a ridge along the mountainous Oregon Coast Range near the Siuslaw  (pronounced sigh-YOU-slaw) River which is truly a wild river -- no dams in its forks to slow it down. Its run begins WNW of where I live and travels 110 miles ending in the Pacific Ocean. 

About fifteen to eighteen homes sit here along with me on this ridge. A private one lane road fronts the homes with a posted speed of fifteen miles. 

No one lives across the one lane road. It is a large open flat area to enjoy however with woods surrounding it. Also across the one lane is a large fenced area for a community garden and another fenced area for chickens if one is so inclined to have chickens.

 Fenced chickens along one lane road.

My backyard is small and flat, about 40 ft. X 25 ft. Where my yard ends at the back -- the tree filled mountain begins its climb gradually. 

A very small post office is just down the main road with limited open hours of nine a.m. to one p.m. Since the homes on my ridge are considered on a private road I had to purchase a post office box for my mail.

Our private one lane road

Sounds are occasionally some wind, very seldom a few cars or a truck, a dog's bark infrequently, a night fright train whistle ever so often all the while the river constantly softly roars and races its wild body of water toward the Pacific. 

Overall my place is peaceful, beautiful, and private.