Land: This property consists of a very private 1 acre lot, 160 feet wide (along the river) by 300 feet deep. The house is set back 140 feet from the road and accessed by an asphalt driveway with a 3 car parking area, as shown below. The adjacent houses are more than 200 feet away and are separated by large spruce trees along the southern property line and mature white pines, large deciduous trees and ornamental cedars along the northern property line, allowing a great deal of privacy from the neighbors. Under the pines are a number of large forsythia bushes that put out beautiful yellow flowers every spring.
Decks: Loving the outdoors, we built 3 new decks and renovated one. The first is a 13' x 13' Trex deck attached to the back of the house, accessed via the family room as shown below. It has benches along both sides and a wide stairway leading down to the yard. It is the perfect place for outdoor grilling or to enjoy watching the river from close to the house. It gets nice sun in the morning, so it's also a great place for morning coffee.
From that deck, a stone path leads across the lawn to a larger deck that we built for al fresco dining and partying, shown below. This 14' x 24' deck, also made of Trex, has benches on two sides and a privacy screen. Surrounded by trees, it is shady all day. When darkness falls, low-voltage lighting can be switched on from the deck or the house to light the way. It has a fantastic view of the river, and is a great place for an evening fire in a firepit. The remaining 2 decks are shown in The River tab.
Back yard: The back yard shown below is quite open and flat within the boundary-line trees, and the lawn was recently replanted, so it is a great place to play lawn games. A shed has plenty of room for lawn equipment and games in summer and lawn furniture, grill, etc. in winter. An outdoor shower, sheltered between the basement entry and the family room, is a wonderful way to rinse off after swimming or outdoor chores.
Front yard: In the front yard, a row of tall poplars and two rows of evergreens provide privacy from the road, as shown below. Across the road is a steep and heavily wooded hillside also shown below. You may be lucky enough to spot the osprey's nest there. The front yard is mostly open within the boundary-line trees, except for several mature apple trees and a large hemlock near the house that provides shade from the afternoon sun. There are numerous gardens around the house with large shrubs and perennial flowers.
