Living Here Houses In Winter Wonderlands

“It snows almost every day here and when we look out the windows, the conifers are draped in white, and it seems as if we’ve walked into a postcard.”'

As told to BETHANY LYTTLE
Published: December 28, 2007
Don: It snows almost every day here and when we look out the windows, the conifers are draped in white, and it seems as if we’ve walked into a postcard. From the great room with its huge fireplace, we will often see elk grazing.

It’s been three and a half years since we bought this lot, which is in a community called Suncadia. And it’s been a lot of hard work to get the house built, but it’s been worth it. Our lives have been on the desert side of Washington state along the Columbia River where we farm. When you live in a desert area, you miss the snow and the trees. Some people long for a vacation where it’s sunny and warm. We look forward to the snow.

Some people know the town of Roslyn from the television show “Northern Exposure.” It’s a great location. We’re close enough to the Pacific Ocean to get large amounts of snow at a time, and we’re on the east side of the Cascades, so the views are spectacular. And there’s a purity to the environment that’s hard to describe.

During the holidays, we entertain a lot and the house, which is timber frame, was designed with seven master suites. During the day, everyone congregates to go skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or walking in the woods, but at night when it’s time for bed, everyone has a cozy, private place to retreat to.