Who:
Betsy Graves
Member
Where:
Temple, ME
At the age of 64, I am realizing my dream: I am building a new, energy-efficient home to retire in.
After 29 years of marriage, a divorce, and new direction, I have spent the last 18 years hiking and mountain climbing in my beautiful state of Maine and in Europe. The beauty of it all and the satisfaction of seeing my accomplishments have spurred me on to accomplish this dream; it gives me the incentive to go ahead and build "my Idea" of what an energy-efficient house can be based on observations while hiking in Europe. Large windows, lots of insulation, a European heating system, and one story adds up to warmth in the cold Maine winter.
As it is being built, I have been working the land around it to contour it and landscape it as a work of art, a pleasure to look at. We left trees for cover, left the old trees for the pileated woodpeckers to nest in, and planted more. Deer and moose traveling through still have their cover, yet hedges of lilac, roses, and perennial gardens will grace the edges of the lawn and I can sit back and enjoy the beauty in the summer and the warmth in the winter.
As I continue my travels and explore this wonderful country, I will have a true treasure to come back to. It brings me the peace I have been searching for.
