RONNIE'S ROOST.....

People talk about plans on what they want to do some day. I think we all have had some strange ideas we want to accomplish in the future. I always laughed at a guy who worked with me for many years. Ronnie always talked about having a place on the river and living in a tent. He would bring this up many times over the years when his rent went up or he received a high electric bill. I would agree with him and say, " Yeah, one of these days??"
My sister had told me about Ronnie's place down on the Duck River several years ago. She had told me they were having a family get together at his place for the Fourth of July. On the spur of the moment I decided to see if I could located Ronnie's Roost.
A scenic drive down through the Cascade Hollow, home of the George Dickel Distillery. Around here if you don't know JACK you might know GEORGE. After a short drive you arrive in a very small town, Normandy. The only thing going on was a place in the middle of the town square renting kayaks. I soon passed my landmark; the fire hall and found the first turn off the main road onto Ronnie's Roost. Down a short steep incline and under Ronnie's sign announcing your arrival. High on the hill on my left was his herd of goats in their fenced in area. Chickens and ducks walked close to the road and I got a chuckle out of the signs posted.....Chicken Crossing...Duck Crossing. A fenced in area on my right was full of young ducks and a large white dog with a gruffy bark. Soon I came into a open field with a few cars and trucks parked. I parked my truck and was out walking to an area where some people were seated in lawn chairs near the rapid flowing river with a large home built table nearby with a covering over the top of it.
High on the hill on my left I heard Ronnie's voice asking," Who in the world is that walking up to the people seated near the river's edge." It didn't take him long to figure out who I was. " Hey, Nick come on up to the cabin and I'll show you around." The climb up to the cabin was steep and rocky but I didn't have a lot of trouble reaching the porch of the cabin where his wife and another woman were seated. We shook hands and he began to tell me all about his roost. Almost all the work was done by Ronnie using used building materials he had accumulated over the years. The small cabin wasn't the only structure on the land. He could tell you where all the materials came from in each structure. After showing me the small one room cabin with a bed, wood stove and a table.....Nick I have no electric bill, water bill or sewer bill here on my four acres. We walked a little ways to his newly planted peach and apple orchard. I want to show you my outhouse. He explained that he thought about building an old fashion out house but changed his mind......Maybe Brenda changed his mind. We entered a small building with a bunk bed by the window. A door opened to the bathroom with a commode. Four buckets of river water sat on the floor for the flush cycle. He had some barrels filled with stone as the septic system hidden in the ground.
Ronnie was upset because the river was flowing at a  high rate. TVA was releasing water at the dam about a half mile away from all the heavy rains we have been having. Fishing and swimming wasn't going to be happening this weekend. His oldest son arrived and told me if his mom died first he was sure his Dad would stay here on the river full time.
Yes, Ronnie had talked big about his plans to have a place on the river many years ago. He had accomplished his dreams. Way to go Ronnie!!!