Alternative locations & Hamlin

My first site choice for Hamlin and the future treehouse was a space nestled between two giant hemlock trees. I took lots of time to consider the site. One concern was for the wooly edelgid infestation that is devastating Hemlocks in the South. A visit from my local extension services forestry expert gave me some comfort about the infestation. But, he pointed out that the lightning strike to one of these giants was gradually killing it. I decided it would be unwise to build on a dying tree. Time to consider a new location. A trail drops beneath The twin giant hemlocks that cling to the edge of the bluff. It descends gradually to an “Indian Rock House“ overhang.  That space is dominated by a magnificent Beech tree that towers above even the 25 foot sheer bluff.

it’s the same rock face that friends had years before successfully climbed during one of our Village Self-sufficiency expo’s. Kind of a magic spot, just around the point from Miller’s Falls.

The preferred site shifted about fifty feet to the east on the bluff. So did Hamlin’s story. For a time, I considered building the treehouse to dock with the Tiny Gypsy House named Hamlin (Celtic for Home), that had been built by my good friends Christophe and Heather. Guests who came to stay in the log cabin or Eco-Container house discovered Hamlin long before there was a treehouse. Many requested to stay there. They enjoyed the fine craftsmanship and cozy feel of this tiny house above the Falls.