Nothing makes this home more special than the spectacular site itself. Anticipation begins while driving in on the tree-canopied driveway and peaks as you step through the front door and up to the windows.

This is our unique place on the river.

It is no exaggeration to say that every day on the river is different from every other day. The weather, the color, the activity, the birds

Calm water reflects blue sky and surrounding bluffs, but angry white caps and solid ice have their times too.

Water levels rise and fall with the seasons and with rains covering and revealing islands and vegetation.

Thousands and thousands of birds in yearly migrations follow the waterway south and back north.

Scores of towboats following the channel and pushing hundreds of barges turn right in front of us heading to or from Lock and Dam #9.

Alongside the river and on the islands within it, colors cycle spectacularly from every shade of green, through brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds to brown-streaked gleaming white and back again.

From the deck and through open windows, we see and hear played out the daily lives of eagles nesting and fishing, of turkey vultures, circling and soaring, of wrens singing and hunting, of hummingbirds buzzing and sipping, while wings of orange, and black, and red, and blue, and yellow, and scarlet streak by.

From this bluff-top perch, we see the dramatic mile-by-mile approach of squall lines and storms, amazing displays of lightning, and the occasional eerie view over the top of fog or clouds which have filled the river valley below us.

And then there are the truly indescribable colors, stripes and glow of each unique sunset.

And when you force your eyes away from the river and this small human-cleared living space, you realize you are in the woods, surrounded by acres of trees streaked with sunshine and home to often-seen deer and turkey populations and hundreds of busy and secretive creatures.

Though not on so grand a scale as the dramatic view from its windows, the house too is special and unique. No cookie cutter used here. It is open and spacious with oak and walnut that grew just a few feet from where it is now repurposed to provide fireplace mantels, stairways, furniture, and shelves. Because of the home's ICF (insulated concrete form) construction, extra thick walls provide sound-proofing and insulation as well as lots of plant and display space. They make it necessary to actually open a window to hear the rain or the trains running at the foot of the bluff. House windows have hidden adjustable blinds making window treatments unnecessary, and screens roll up out of sight except when you need them. We have loved the natural light, the three-sided three (or four)-season porch, the in-floor heat, the wide doorways and totally step-less access. And we've enjoyed a couple of special rooms that are not official rooms at all but a large pantry and walk-in bedroom closet.

We loved designing it, making it all work, and sharing it. We have enjoyed every hour here.