conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a title for a book about Virginia, Atlanta, Deborah with the genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'Cabin in the Woods'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Cabin in the Woods
  The pool itself is nothing more than a giant hot tub. In time a few more people wandered in and swam quietly in the soothing water. Dawn broke quietly and I could see the outlines of the mountains that surrounded the lodge. In time I returned to my room, shivering as I made my way. Other people were up now, and smells from the kitchen where chefs were busy preparing breakfast filled the halls.
  In time I was dressed and wandered into the sitting room where I petted an old dog named Jasper who slept quietly, covered with an old blanket underneath a piano. Shortly after, I drove to an ancient cowboy bar near the lodge for breakfast. I drove slowly, as many deer hung near the edge of the road, and deer had been known to jump in front of moving vehicles. At the bar I had a single pancake and a glass of orange juice. Other patrons wandered in, sat near the pool table and smoked their cigarettes. One patron fed the jukebox and Patsy Cline sang a few country songs about heartache and misery. Oh, woe is me!
  After breakfast I returned to my vehicle, dressed in my waders, assembled my fly-fishing gear and waited for my guide to appear. When he did, I followed him down to the access area, where we launched the boat. The Yellowstone River was quiet that day. There was no wind and we were the only fishermen on the water. I quite happily landed several brown trout on dry flies throughout the morning. They hit hard and jumped dramatically as I brought them close to the boat. They were quite happy to be released back to their watery homes after a few minutes of struggling. They belong in the water, not on the walls of trophy fishermen.
  The river is lined with massive old-growth cottonwood trees. Deer are everywhere. Cows and sheep also wander near the river and drink the cold, clear water. Farms are everywhere present, as are fences.
  Homes line the river as well. On many occasions, I've admired picturesque structures that appear to blend perfectly with the environment. They look like they have been there for many years. Being the consummate home viewer and a long-time student of regional architecture, I often gaze at homes when I should be paying attention to the trout that are rising.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The building started out as a small, single-room restack. In other words, an old historical log homestead building was found, disassembled and then reassembled (restacked) on a new site. The charm and character of old log cabins make them immensely desirable. The owners of the restack cabin immediately fell in love with their new structure and adorned it with old western items they had collected throughout the years. After the room was filled, they realized they wanted a bedroom; so another old building was found and attached to the first structure. In time, a third building was added and became a kitchen and dining area. Then two more old structures were attached to the ever-expanding building. These provided an exercise room, a recreation room complete with pool table and wet bar, and another area for the owners' collection of western antiques. And above it all was the fire tower, which gave the family extraordinary views of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding mountains.
  I photographed the home over a two-day period in late summer. Harry Howard helped immensely with making the photos. Often when I photograph a kitchen or dining area, I place a wine bottle or coffee pot in an appropriate place to enhance the ambience and balance of the setting. On this particular day, I asked Harry to find a good-looking bottle of something. Moments later, he returned with a bottle of eighty-year-old scotch, which he artistically placed on the kitchen island. Of course, we needed a few glasses to complement the scene, so we placed two shot glasses near the bottle. And after looking at the scene through my camera, I made the decision to fill the glasses. Well, we did, and I believe that the photograph was greatly enhanced by the addition. Of course, we had to drink the scotch, as we did not want to waste what was obviously a quality product. I then decided to make another photograph of the kitchen at a different angle, so we again filled the glasses and made another photo. In truth, this went on for most of the afternoon and we made several great photos of the kitchen area. Harry is a bright, gregarious man, and our conversations throughout the day covered a wide range of topics. In time, Harry wound up taking an extended nap on the couch and I went on about my business. It was a grand day, one that I shall not forget. I just sincerely hope that the owner of the home does not realize that half a bottle of his expensive (and delicious) scotch is missing! And I must also add that when I received the photos back from the lab, I was relieved to see that the images I made that afternoon were all correctly exposed and in focus!
  At any rate, the home in question was filled with extraordinary objects. Both functional and aesthetically pleasing, each piece in the extensive collection was handpicked over a period of many years. Good things take time, and homes, like collections, are never complete. But each new item comes with another story and another experience. The thrills of a flea market find or a hard-fought battle (i.e., expensive) at an auction are all experiences that bring meaning to each object and to each home.
  Most of the homes I visit seem to be very organized, disciplined structures. They appear neat and orderly. But in the back of my mind, I'm fully aware that families live in these homes. They are not museums or stagnant receptacles of fiduciary responsibilities. It is in the homes I visit that families are grown.
  Although cabins and camps and ranches are actual places, I often think of these words as verbs. They are active, ever-changing places that actively foster grand experiences that evolve into grand memories. And it is these memories that fire our passions and calm our souls.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last three paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Overlooking a dramatic vista of prairies and mountains, this small cabin was designed by architect Candace Tillotson-Miller as a guest home for a couple to occupy while their main house was designed and constructed. The home sits low to the ground and offers a low-slung shed roof over half of the building. The roof is covered with cold-rolled steel, which quickly acquires an aged appearance once installed. The capped chimney complements the simple lines of the building. The home offers 2,200 square feet of living space. Yellowstone Traditions constructed the building and Jamie Livingston of Hardrock Masonry completed the stonework. Debra Schull of Design Associates was the interior designer for the project.
  This extraordinary cabin is actually a modified restack. The original cabin, constructed in the 1880s, was found in Montana's Flat Head Valley. It is the sister building to the Trading Post Cabin, a national historic landmark that stands today in St. Ignatius, Montana. The cabin was dismantled and reassembled by the creative folks at Chris Lohss Construction in Gallatin Gateway, Montana. It was greatly modified and altered by Chris Lohss to meet the needs of the client. Assembled and presently residing at 11,000 feet above sea level, its foundation had to be dug an additional eight feet below the surface because of loose soil conditions. The building sits on a steep slope, and if you're at all nervous about heights, don't have lunch on the back porch. The building as it stands offers 1,800 square feet of living space and is heated with an electric boiler and radiant heat. Andrew Varella of Set-in-Stone Masonry was the mason.
  I've known rustic artist Lester Santos for many years, so when he mentioned that he had a house I should see, I did not hesitate. The occasion was the Western Design Conference in Cody, Wyoming, where I was presenting. In the afternoon, Lester, his wife and I, along with interior designer Chip Kalleen and furniture builder Reid Crosby, hopped into two vehicles and traveled for an hour and a half up the south fork of the Shoshone River. Frankly, it was a perilous drive. My vehicle wound up in a ditch (I was driving), and if there hadn't been four-wheel drive, I would never have gotten back on the road. In time, the dirt road narrowed and our driving slowed. The tall mountains closed in on us and the potholes, filled with water and ice, brought us almost to a standstill. Finally, we traveled down an obscure road, and there stood Hawk Eye Ranch. Built in the 1930s, the ranch is one of the oldest dude ranches in Wyoming and is now a private retreat.