The Hermitage at Spider Lily Falls is a Retreat that has been many years in the making. First, the name came "simply" from one of my many trips to the coast of Georgia years ago when I saw a small mail box with "The Hermitage" written on it. I remember saying, "If I am ever blessed with a place in the country that is what it will be called" and it has also become "a place of rest" for people who need or want that restorative time in the woods. Finding this place in the woods and it becoming a reality, took many years and many things happening, like a friend living up the road, that knew the land was for sale, My Uncle Denver coming into my life and 10 years of building it and living, but all of these things are story's to be told to new friends when you come to visit and we share our home with you.
We have two resident hermits here at the Hermitage to serve you, myself, Lenn Dukes and my uncle Denver Dukes, We hope to See you Soon
Aloha
Lenn
Oct 2010
Homeplace, If you're from the south I know you have heard that term thrown around a lot. I know I have and I think its because there is so many childhood memory's that we all have about our HOMEPLACES whether we grew up in the south, north or out west, a place where our grandparents and parents shared love food, good times and bad whether it was on the farm, ranch, in the city, or small town. Where we played, worked, grew and learned about all aspects of life. It is imprinted in us as safe, warm, GOOD on so many levels its hard to explain it but we would like to have a taste of it again. The Hermitage is that for me,
If you're like me the term homeplace has that very special meaning. a place like no other, where you are totally at peace and you don't have to search any more for that place where you some how feel more whole, more centered, more something you can't quite put your finger on.....
As I said on my way to the bank the day I closed on the land, I kept saying to myself "Lord, you can take me on home now for I have found my homeplace", over and over again. I had found the spot where one day my ashes will be scattered on the rocks in front of the house while my friends and family celebrate my life and our relationships and have a great time I can only hope when you visit the Hermitage you will sense that feeling of homeplace and family and can carry that with you into your life!
Aloha
Lenn
Nov 2010
"How It Came To Pass" that I came to find my HOMEPLACE, The Hermitage, The finding of it was simple, one of my clients and good friends Miriam and Maxwell Duke, "I am a hairdresser" told me there was a place for sale down the road (they own a cabin up the road from us). My Uncle Denver was visiting from up in Newnan Georgia and I had taken him with me to visit meet them and see the Creek. What a turning point in my life!!! Homeplace, saying it even now all there years later still resonates in my heart like too few things in life can. Sorry don't mean to get too mushy for you but.... Well when we sat on the bluff overlooking the shoals, all I could say was what fool was selling this piece of property. Well come to find out the man had a heart attack and was not a fool at all, but could not work and had almost lost it to the bank. The real estate agent that had originally sold it to him, bought it, with the idea of building a home on it, but thank heavens had decided to build one on the Flint River out from Thomaston, Ga., 15 miles up the road from here. Well it seems like a lot of things had to line up for us to acquire a place in the country but they did and we are surely blessed by it and look forward to sharing it with you.
Aloha
Lenn
Dec 2010