When we bought the The Big Sur House, the entry gate was flanked by two enormous pine trees, an extremely low metal arch, and a fence that had seen better days. But I loved it’s Big Sur feel. Fast forward a year, and the trees had contracted a disease that is killing pines all over the West. They had to be removed, leaving us with two great big stumps and what seemed like a barren and exposed entrance. When our…
Big Sur has something I like to call the “funk factor”. The creativity is off the charts, and often it is out of necessity. With the closest hardware store an hour away and frequent road closures due to mudslides, people learn to make do with what is available and it often leads to creative solutions. Our contractor Brendan Wahl is just such a person. He has lived in the area all his life and to him there aren’t problems, only…
After a very wet winter (over 50″ of rainfall) it has been a beautiful spring at The Big Sur House. The poppies and wildflowers are blooming and there is a veritable small green field in front of our deck! Next spring I’m going to toss a bunch of wildflower seed and hope for even more flowers. Of course, lest you think it is perfect, poison oak and ticks are in great abundance and seem to have an affinity for me.…