Beautiful places in the country: Natural beauty
When it comes to natural beauty, you just can't beat living in the country. Here are some of the most inspiring views sent in by our readers.
Seven Lakes, North Carolina
When your home is on a lake, you wake up to this. Michelle Bolton calls the view from her property on Seven Lakes, North Carolina, "God's wake-up call," and says, "I feel so blessed to live on a lake to witness God's artwork. He's so creative!"
Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
Leslie Gregg and her family live on 21-acre Phoenix Nest Farm in the lovely Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, a few miles from Virginia Tech University. Leslie is a portrait artist who works out of a barn studio on the property. Their place sits along one of the original wagon routes from Blacksburg to Roanoke. The house faces hayfields where the horses graze in winter, and behind them towers Pearis Mountain.
Onalaska, Wisconsin
Nestled in 4 acres of oak and hickory trees are the hosta gardens of Tim and Sue Carrier, Onalaska, Wisconsin. "We try to grow deer-resistant plants. But as we have found out, they will eat anything when they get hungry," says Tim. "There are 15 to 25 deer that pass through our property every day."
Fredericksburg, Texas
Kerry Fisher works at a wildflower company called Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas. "My office sits in the middle of the production fields, so my view is always colorful," she says. "It didn't take me long to become a photographer with all these photo opportunities!" See more pictures at www.wildseedfarms.com.
Collins, Iowa
Bob and Leisa Mandell sent photos from their acreage near Collins, Iowa. "We live on 16 acres along a creek, so we have both pasture and wooded areas," says Bob. The rolling land where they graze their horses is beautiful, but they also enjoy the view of farm fields. "We are surrounded by the types of scenery typical of Iowa," says Bob. "There is such beauty in the wide expanses of farmland - the horizon-to-horizon views."
Holy Cross, Iowa
Another Iowa couple, Susie and Tim Williams, live on 9 acres near Holy Cross. "We are surrounded by scenic hills, trees, and lush green valleys," says Susie. They have a springer spaniel named Grace and two cats. "Mitzie Mae [right] was here when we moved and was expecting. She and her son, Claws, live contentedly here," says Susie. The garden was not here when they moved. "Tim used the back hoe to clear the dirt and rocks. Then our daughter, Kelly, and mother-in-law, Joan, helped design and plant it." They use boulders from their acreage in the garden.
Morriston, Florida
Barbara and Art Jackson built a cypress log home with a full wrap-around porch on their Sunnyside Farm in Morriston, Florida. Construction took just 10 months, and Art did all of the interior work, electric, and plumbing himself. "The house is very open and functional for a small house," says Barbara. They moved in last spring. "It's our dream home," she says. The house is called a Florida cracker-style log home, and the logs were purchased from Cracker Style Log Homes in Williston, Florida (www.crackerstyleloghomes.com).
