January in Minnesota....

All About Castles

My fascination for expensive real estate has finally hit a personal note...I've discovered 'Castle Nicole'. Check it out:

This castle has a total of 7,719 square feet and a price tag of $3,788,000. I guess they gave it the right name because it's the most expensive castle plan on the site! Now I wonder, does it come with Prince Charming?

I haven't really associated the US with castles (and I still don't) but there is a gorgeous one in Idaho called 'Castle Kataryna' that is currently for sale:

It kind of looks like something you would see in an animated Disney movie, doesn't it?

All this talk of "castles" is beginning to jog my memory! There is a castle outside of Versailles, KY that I've driven past several times and was always fascinated with. This is how I remember it:

This image is so vivid in my memory because I knew there had to be a great story behind it. Seriously, who would build such a thing in rural KY?! At the time (1997) it seemed that nobody really knew what was going on with the property and I eventually forgot about it. Well, I did some digging and my instincts were right; this place has got a lot of history! Here's a quick recap:

It's a fascinating story of a husband (Rex Martin) building a castle for his bride after a trip abroad where she fell in love with castles and their architecture. Construction began in 1969 but the couple divorced in 1975. At this point, Mr. Martin ceased construction of the castle and the place sat unfinished and unoccupied for decades. You can see unfinished interior photos of the structure here.

Mr. Martin moved to Florida and made a half-hearted attempt to sell the property. Apparently, all inquiries about the property and its sale went unanswered. It's the classic case of can't live with it, can't live without it. Mr. Martin passed away in 2003 and a Miami lawyer spent a year and a half attempting to purchase the castle from Mr. Martins estate. He finally succeeded and began renovations in 2004. Six months had passed until a fire suddenly destroyed the interior castle wiping out all of the renovations.
The new owner soldiered on and once again began to reconstruct the castle. After several years of construction, the place is now complete. At the end of 2008 it was opened to the public as a tourist home/inn called The Castle Post. You can rent out a room for the night and prices range from $1000-$3000. However, if you really want to feel like the king of the castle, you can rent the whole kit and caboodle for 3 days and it will only cost you $50,000.


I must admit, the owner did a magnificent job. You can view a photo gallery of the new structure here. The grounds don't seem to have that eerie/haunting feeling that the old place had.

It seems unreal that I first passed this place 12 years ago. That just amazes me! It's these quirky little things that you run across while traveling that makes it all worth while!

Happy Halloween!

Hello, Truman....

Meet the newest addition to the family...Truman.

Is It Just Me.....

Or is it uber creepy to see a 60 year old man buying a Playboy magazine?

At the airport.

At 6am.

Ewh.

Happy Birthday - To Me!

This past weekend I left my 20's behind and headed into the unknown (and sometimes dreaded) 30's.

As you might have guessed, I am not the type of woman who gets depressed because their life isn't what they had envisioned it being when they hit the big 3-oh. I'll admit, when I was much, much younger I had thought that I would marry around age 27 and probably begin a family when I was around 30. However, as the old adage goes "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans". Those words have never been more true!

Instead of getting married, I flew the coop and headed west for one of the biggest adventures of my life. There was an abundance of travel, laughter, tears, friends made and relationships lost along the way but through it all I realize that I am simply evolving into a better version of myself. And I like it!

A dear friend of mine and I were at church when the pastor was talking about two different types of people: those who love the journey and those who just want to get to the destination. When he said that we looked at each other and laughed knowing that we were the textbook examples of each. She was the destination type and I was the journey. I sincerely doubt that surprises anyone who knows me. Some of my best friends say that I am the true definition of a "free spirit".

I've managed to cram a lot of crap into the past 30 years and I can't wait to see what is yet to come. I'm living life, enjoying the journey and loving every minute of it.

After all, 30 is the new 20....right?!

'You're Like A Disney Princess...'

A friend of mine told me the other day "You're like a Disney princess, all the wild animals want to be near you!" My response? "If they want to clean, cook and sew they are welcome. Otherwise, they can keep on moving!"

It's been several years since I have lived in the country. It's great to be back however, I am having my fair share of battles with the many animals on the property. First up, I've got the deer. A whole herd of them. I'm convinced that they are out to get me.
They have uprooted the potted flowers in front of my house so many times that I've give up. All flowers are now quarantined to my deck which is well out of reach for the deer. Did I mention that one plant is missing completely? Oh yeah - all that is left is the soil and pot that it was planted in. Don't even get me started on the garden. I have frogs that hop into my garage. Coyotes howling. Moles, gophers and bunnies - who are also fond of the potted flowers. Ducks, geese, hummingbirds, butterflies, robins, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, butterflies and of course, orioles. Get this, the orioles actually knock on my patio door with their beaks and wake me up in the morning. What is the deal?! I did have a great photo of an oriole but blogger is being fussy and I can't upload it. Guess you'll just have to use your imagination.

I really am convinced that I live in the midst of a national geographic film.

July 6.

The one year mark has come and gone but I still miss him like crazy. Here is one of my favorite photos:
What I wouldn't give just to hear him laugh one more time....