Way up North they found their true heavens on Earth
Ben Rayman
November 23, 2009
There are those who found a solace in regions where the bears, the moose, and other wildlife roam openly. Their presence by those pristine waterways, and even the flocks of them within ear-shot, roaming the rolling landscapes, give not only an artist a real life visual to paint, but also hugs the human self with a mental tranquility. These are those people with that pioneering spirit who relish in the excitement of new activities that comes from Winter to Spring, and Summer to Fall. Lian Brehm of South Walden, Vermont and Sara Donkersloot of Naknek, Alaska are two teachers, and along with their families, share a mutual loving respect for the beauties within America´s North Country.
Although, each of the teacher´s journeys have incurred different twists and turns in their family home quests, The Brehm´s acquisition of a New England historical home built in the 1800s, and Donkersloot´s new construction on the Alaskan Tundra, have enabled them to surround themselves with their northern region´s individual natural sceneries.
Lian Brehm first met her husband Douglas, in his hometown of Providence after graduation from the Rhode Island School of Design. He found a job in Vermont, and she followed. After a three year search, "we stumbled upon our home by coincidence," she said.
Originally built by Nathaniel Farrington, one of Walden´s early settlers in c.1804, the house is located on Bayley-Hazen Road, a 54-mile-long Revolutionary War road, stretching from Wells River to Hazen´s Notch in Westfield of which five miles runs through the western side of Walden. The home has a history of serving as a post office, general store, tavern, and offered rooms for rent, was built into a hillside that faces the Northwest where "you can see the top of Vermont´s highest mountain, Mt. Mansfield, from the second and third floors," said Mrs. Brehm.
Made of very large granite blocks, one of its features is a walk-out basement, for which it was originally named the Stone Bottom House. Also, the house sits high above Morrill Brook. "In the springtime, I can hear the rush of the waters roar inside," she quipped.
Gracing the front and back side of the home are "huge sugar maple trees that must be over 200 years old," spoke her husband Douglas. Also, "it was on the first day we looked at the house, I found a bottle on the bank of the brook," he added. Since then, the couple has unearthed over 300 bottles intact, and hundreds broken that were used for tonic and medicine.
Some of the other artifacts they have discovered are: a whale oil lamp with dual wicks, a large ornate teapot with lid, colonial smoking pipes, cups, plates, old leather button-down shoes, a belt buckle, a bone toothbrush, and glass lids that pre-dated the paper milk bottle seals. A cross the road from the house, is where the original carriage barn is located. Since then, it has been updated and now serves as Mrs. Brehm´s studio. This section sits on 10 of the 15 acres they maintain. The original farm consisted of over 250 acres. The Brehms consider themselves as not the owners, but the stewards of the house.
Sara Donkersloot and her family´s journey from their home state of Idaho to America´s 49th acquisition in 1988, proved to be more than just the normal ins and outs of a relocation; moreover, a true test of human strength. As she recalls, from sight at one of the first places they would live, "I wondered what I have done to my poor children to bring them here." However throughout the years, that self-questioning: If I did the right thing—emerged with the positive hopes she would see in her dreams.
Although Naknek had a housing shortage, it was common practice for the school to assist their teachers for a place to live, but Sara and husband John had not only a large family, but also four young children. Hannah was 4, John 6, Rachel 9, Luke 11. "The district secretary told me we would be living in a trailer next to an Inn," she said. Her mind visualized an old, large, and white Victorian Inn, complete with a wraparound porch, and one similar to what she saw on the Bob Newhart´s show.
During the second leg of her journey, they started to hear things at the Seattle barge office. As their household goods and car were being loaded, "people who have spent time in Naknek asked us if we found a place to live," she said. They knew of the residential shortage, but she recalls her gleeful words, "We will be living next to an Inn." They did not recall seeing any such places, but did know of where the town´s lively summer spot, The Red Dog Inn and Saloon.
On their final trip aboard the ferry from Seattle to Haines, they talked with others who spoke of the Naknek/King Salmon area as well as the Red Dog. The place is known to rock and roll regularly with a live band well beyond the wee hours of the night. "She suddenly looked at me with those fixed teacher´s eyes, head cocked, a said in an almost closed lips voice, "They couldn´t put a family there!" remarked Big John. Nevertheless, the Donkersloot´s embraced their first Alaskan ´hilltop´ home and surroundings with the same heartfelt appreciation that went into the search. Besides the entertainment activities, the Red Dog served as a hotel, a restaurant, and a Laundromat. "We all shared the same well which meant not much water for us when business was booming," said Mrs. Donkersloot. Despite of it all, the family made the adjustment for their new landlords because "they proved to be exceptionally caring as well as all the Naknek people we met," she humbly added.
The Donkersloots found another place in their second year, but it had a catch. They had to be out of their place by June because the owners used the cabin when they came up during commercial fishing season. "But we jumped at it because summer was nine months away," said Big John. They kept searching for a good year-round rental, and luckily they found one, but it wouldn´t be available until mid-July. That six-week time span left them worried and scrambling for housing. They were having no luck, and the only choices were a friend´s unfinished dirt floor garage or the Catholic Church that had no bathroom or running water. They were ready to pitch a tent on the Tundra, but the mosquitoes and bears would have been too much for the family.
Their search for a place continued into mid-July, until John ran into a friend at the airport who he asked before. He reminded John that the place was too small for his family, and the water was bad. "I guess it was the look of desperation on my face when he finally tossed me the keys, said John. "Can´t tell you how I felt in words, but it made my heavy heart soar," he added. As the years went on, the family kept looking at homes to buy, but the prices were high, and since most of them are owner-built, the add-ons did not have a proper room-to-room flow. "Some you walked through the bathroom to get to the kitchen. And, there were many others with no closets," said Sara. They were encouraged to build their own by a seller. "I thought it was quite odd, but I knew he had our best interest in mind," she said.
Since the family had saved all their Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend money, they decided to purchase land. "Sara started building our house in her mind almost immediately. She wanted big windows to see the beautiful rainbows, sunrises, and sunsets over of the river, and the wildlife that roamed out across the Tundra," said John. Luckily, they found their land near their usual hiking trail that led down to the river, and also had a bear trail crossing on the property.
"John was not a carpenter by trade, but I figure he might have it in his blood since his grandfather was one," said Mrs. Donkersloot. They received so much encouraging words, "You can do it. It is not hard," from so many people, and so the family went for it to build their home. Their goal was to keep things simple in order to ward off future problems. "I followed a basic rectangular design, and built all the plumbing into one interior wall," said the Sara´s Tundra homebuilder. It took several years to complete the house because John was working two jobs, at the airline, and as a heavy equipment operator. It took longer to build because all materials either came by barge from Seattle or had to come by air. Out of all what they went through to finally end up in their own home, "all my children have become to understand what it deeply means to bond as one," said Mother Donkersloot.
To learn more out America´s 49th acquisition, visit www.alaska.gov, and the ´Green Mountain´ state, www.vermont.gov.
Although, each of the teacher´s journeys have incurred different twists and turns in their family home quests, The Brehm´s acquisition of a New England historical home built in the 1800s, and Donkersloot´s new construction on the Alaskan Tundra, have enabled them to surround themselves with their northern region´s individual natural sceneries.
Lian Brehm first met her husband Douglas, in his hometown of Providence after graduation from the Rhode Island School of Design. He found a job in Vermont, and she followed. After a three year search, "we stumbled upon our home by coincidence," she said.
Originally built by Nathaniel Farrington, one of Walden´s early settlers in c.1804, the house is located on Bayley-Hazen Road, a 54-mile-long Revolutionary War road, stretching from Wells River to Hazen´s Notch in Westfield of which five miles runs through the western side of Walden. The home has a history of serving as a post office, general store, tavern, and offered rooms for rent, was built into a hillside that faces the Northwest where "you can see the top of Vermont´s highest mountain, Mt. Mansfield, from the second and third floors," said Mrs. Brehm.
Made of very large granite blocks, one of its features is a walk-out basement, for which it was originally named the Stone Bottom House. Also, the house sits high above Morrill Brook. "In the springtime, I can hear the rush of the waters roar inside," she quipped.
Gracing the front and back side of the home are "huge sugar maple trees that must be over 200 years old," spoke her husband Douglas. Also, "it was on the first day we looked at the house, I found a bottle on the bank of the brook," he added. Since then, the couple has unearthed over 300 bottles intact, and hundreds broken that were used for tonic and medicine.
Some of the other artifacts they have discovered are: a whale oil lamp with dual wicks, a large ornate teapot with lid, colonial smoking pipes, cups, plates, old leather button-down shoes, a belt buckle, a bone toothbrush, and glass lids that pre-dated the paper milk bottle seals. A cross the road from the house, is where the original carriage barn is located. Since then, it has been updated and now serves as Mrs. Brehm´s studio. This section sits on 10 of the 15 acres they maintain. The original farm consisted of over 250 acres. The Brehms consider themselves as not the owners, but the stewards of the house.
Sara Donkersloot and her family´s journey from their home state of Idaho to America´s 49th acquisition in 1988, proved to be more than just the normal ins and outs of a relocation; moreover, a true test of human strength. As she recalls, from sight at one of the first places they would live, "I wondered what I have done to my poor children to bring them here." However throughout the years, that self-questioning: If I did the right thing—emerged with the positive hopes she would see in her dreams.
Although Naknek had a housing shortage, it was common practice for the school to assist their teachers for a place to live, but Sara and husband John had not only a large family, but also four young children. Hannah was 4, John 6, Rachel 9, Luke 11. "The district secretary told me we would be living in a trailer next to an Inn," she said. Her mind visualized an old, large, and white Victorian Inn, complete with a wraparound porch, and one similar to what she saw on the Bob Newhart´s show.
During the second leg of her journey, they started to hear things at the Seattle barge office. As their household goods and car were being loaded, "people who have spent time in Naknek asked us if we found a place to live," she said. They knew of the residential shortage, but she recalls her gleeful words, "We will be living next to an Inn." They did not recall seeing any such places, but did know of where the town´s lively summer spot, The Red Dog Inn and Saloon.
On their final trip aboard the ferry from Seattle to Haines, they talked with others who spoke of the Naknek/King Salmon area as well as the Red Dog. The place is known to rock and roll regularly with a live band well beyond the wee hours of the night. "She suddenly looked at me with those fixed teacher´s eyes, head cocked, a said in an almost closed lips voice, "They couldn´t put a family there!" remarked Big John. Nevertheless, the Donkersloot´s embraced their first Alaskan ´hilltop´ home and surroundings with the same heartfelt appreciation that went into the search. Besides the entertainment activities, the Red Dog served as a hotel, a restaurant, and a Laundromat. "We all shared the same well which meant not much water for us when business was booming," said Mrs. Donkersloot. Despite of it all, the family made the adjustment for their new landlords because "they proved to be exceptionally caring as well as all the Naknek people we met," she humbly added.
The Donkersloots found another place in their second year, but it had a catch. They had to be out of their place by June because the owners used the cabin when they came up during commercial fishing season. "But we jumped at it because summer was nine months away," said Big John. They kept searching for a good year-round rental, and luckily they found one, but it wouldn´t be available until mid-July. That six-week time span left them worried and scrambling for housing. They were having no luck, and the only choices were a friend´s unfinished dirt floor garage or the Catholic Church that had no bathroom or running water. They were ready to pitch a tent on the Tundra, but the mosquitoes and bears would have been too much for the family.
Their search for a place continued into mid-July, until John ran into a friend at the airport who he asked before. He reminded John that the place was too small for his family, and the water was bad. "I guess it was the look of desperation on my face when he finally tossed me the keys, said John. "Can´t tell you how I felt in words, but it made my heavy heart soar," he added. As the years went on, the family kept looking at homes to buy, but the prices were high, and since most of them are owner-built, the add-ons did not have a proper room-to-room flow. "Some you walked through the bathroom to get to the kitchen. And, there were many others with no closets," said Sara. They were encouraged to build their own by a seller. "I thought it was quite odd, but I knew he had our best interest in mind," she said.
Since the family had saved all their Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend money, they decided to purchase land. "Sara started building our house in her mind almost immediately. She wanted big windows to see the beautiful rainbows, sunrises, and sunsets over of the river, and the wildlife that roamed out across the Tundra," said John. Luckily, they found their land near their usual hiking trail that led down to the river, and also had a bear trail crossing on the property.
"John was not a carpenter by trade, but I figure he might have it in his blood since his grandfather was one," said Mrs. Donkersloot. They received so much encouraging words, "You can do it. It is not hard," from so many people, and so the family went for it to build their home. Their goal was to keep things simple in order to ward off future problems. "I followed a basic rectangular design, and built all the plumbing into one interior wall," said the Sara´s Tundra homebuilder. It took several years to complete the house because John was working two jobs, at the airline, and as a heavy equipment operator. It took longer to build because all materials either came by barge from Seattle or had to come by air. Out of all what they went through to finally end up in their own home, "all my children have become to understand what it deeply means to bond as one," said Mother Donkersloot.
To learn more out America´s 49th acquisition, visit www.alaska.gov, and the ´Green Mountain´ state, www.vermont.gov.
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